Patent ID: 7127873

Claim:
A unit for packing products, the unit comprising a packing wheel ( 12 ) operating with a first movement; a feed station ( 22 ) for feeding packing material ( 8 ) in sheets to said packing wheel ( 12 ); a feed line ( 21 ) operating with a second movement to feed packing material ( 24 ) in the form of a continuous strip; a cutting device ( 30 ) located along said feed line ( 21 ) to cut the continuous strip ( 24 ) into said sheets ( 8 ); and feed means ( 26 ) for feeding said sheets ( 8 ) successively to said feed station ( 22 ); wherein said packing wheel ( 12 ) comprises a number of seats ( 14 ), each for receiving a respective said product ( 7 ), and a number of gripping means ( 15 ), each associated with a respective said seat ( 14 ) and travelling through said feed station ( 22 ) with said first movement to receive a respective said sheet ( 8 ); wherein said feed means ( 26 ) comprises a movable compensating assembly ( 31 ) in turn comprising a movable compensating store ( 46 , 47 , 54 ) for said packing material ( 24 , 8 ), a roller ( 42 ) substantially tangent to the packing wheel ( 12 ) at said feed station ( 22 ) and having an axis ( 36 ) parallel to said packing wheel ( 12 ), and drive means ( 37 ) for rotating said roller ( 42 ) around said axis ( 36 ); said roller ( 42 ) having an outer casing ( 41 ) having first suction means ( 53 ) for retaining said packing material ( 24 , 8 ); and said movable compensating store ( 46 , 47 , 54 ) comprises an axial slot ( 47 ) formed through said casing ( 41 ), a chamber ( 46 ) inside said casing ( 41 ) and communicating with the outside through said slot ( 47 ), and second suction means ( 54 ) which comes out inside said chamber ( 46 ) to form a vacuum in said chamber ( 46 ).