The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 05, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 20, 2001
SIG Pack Systems AG, , CH;
Abstract
The apparatus comprises an incoming conveyor and a revolving device, in which grippers ( ) circulate at a regular first spacing (T ) over a closed circulating path ( ). The grippers ( ) can be individually switched between a first state, in which they take hold of the products ( ) and carry them along, into a second state, in which they release the products from the grippers. At a transfer point ( ) the grippers ( ) pass above the incoming conveyor ( ). They are switched at the transfer point ( ) into the first state, in which they each take hold of a product and carry it along. A store ( ) has carriers ( ) which circulate at a regular second spacing (T ) in a closed, second circulating path ( ). The second circulating path ( ) runs over a buffer region ( ) parallel to the first circulating path ( ). Within the buffer region ( ) the grippers ( ) can be switched into their second state. The circulating speed of the grippers ( ) is greater than the circulating speed of the carriers ( ). A control device ( ) controls the switching of the grippers ( ) into the second state in such a manner that each storage compartment ( ) between adjacent carriers ( ) downstream of the buffer region ( ) contains a product ( ).