Transfer device, particularly for a packing machine
A transfer device to transfer articles by removing the articles from a removal zone and depositing the articles in a discharge zone, wherein a support plane and a deposit direction substantially perpendicular to the support plane are defined at the discharge zone. The transfer device includes a gripping head with retention elements, each for retaining a respective article, and a movement mechanism configured to move at least one retention element with respect to at least one other retention element in a staggering direction having a non-null component parallel with the deposit direction.
1. A transfer device to transfer a plurality of articles by removing the plurality of articles from a removal zone and depositing the plurality of articles in a discharge zone, wherein a support plane and a deposit direction substantially perpendicular to said support plane are defined at the discharge zone, said transfer device comprising:
a gripping head movable between said removal zone and said discharge zone, the gripping head comprising retention elements, the retention elements comprising a plurality of first retention elements and a plurality of second retention elements and each retention element configured to simultaneously retain a single respective article of said plurality of articles, the gripping head configured to retain said plurality of articles, and
a movement mechanism configured to simultaneously move said plurality of first retention elements with respect to said plurality of second retention elements in a staggering direction having a non-null component parallel with said deposit direction while retaining said plurality of articles,
wherein:
said plurality of first retention elements are configured to move in said staggering direction between a first position, wherein said plurality of first retention elements are coplanar with said plurality of second retention elements, and a second position, wherein said plurality of first retention elements and said plurality of second retention elements are located in respective reference planes parallel with and spaced apart from each other, and
said plurality of second retention elements are not movable in said staggering direction with respect to said gripping head.
2. The transfer device according to claim 1 , wherein said movement mechanism comprises an actuating member for moving said plurality of first retention elements in said staggering direction.
3. The transfer device according to claim 1 , wherein said staggering direction is substantially parallel with said deposit direction.
4. The transfer device according to claim 1 , wherein said movement mechanism is further configured to move at least one of said retention elements in directions located in a reference plane substantially perpendicular to said deposit direction.
5. The transfer device according to claim 4 , wherein said retention elements are moved inside said reference plane between a first configuration, wherein said retention elements are spaced apart from one another, and a second configuration, wherein said retention elements are brought close to one another.
6. The transfer device according to claim 5 , wherein said movement mechanism is configured to move said retention elements between said first configuration and said second configuration by rotation about respective rotation axes.
7. The transfer device according to claim 1 , wherein said discharge zone, in which said plurality of articles are deposited, is defined in a container.
8. The transfer device according to claim 7 , wherein at least one spreader element extends from said gripping head in accordance with said retention elements and is configured to abut said container and to widen the opening thereof.
9. The transfer device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of articles have a tapered formation from a larger base up to a smaller base, and wherein, in said second position, an orthogonal projection of the articles retained by said plurality of first retention elements in a plane parallel with said deposit direction is partially superimposed on the orthogonal projection of the articles retained by said plurality of second retention elements only near said smaller base.
10. The transfer device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said retention elements are configured to be selectively activated and deactivated in order to retain or not to retain in engagement one of said plurality of articles independently of the other retention elements.
11. A packing machine for articles, comprising at least one transfer device according to claim 1 .
12. A method for transferring articles from a removal zone to a discharge zone, wherein a support plane and a deposit direction substantially perpendicular to said support plane are defined at the discharge zone, said method comprising:
providing a transfer device comprising a gripping head comprising first retention elements and second retention elements,
removing said articles from said removal zone by the retention elements,
moving said first retention elements simultaneously with respect to said second retention elements in a staggering direction having a non-null component parallel with said deposit direction from a first position, in which the first retention elements and the second retention elements are coplanar, and a second position, in which the first retention elements and the second retention elements are located in respective parallel and spaced apart planes,
moving said retention elements inside a reference plane substantially perpendicular to said deposit direction between a first configuration, wherein said retention elements are spaced apart from one another, and a second configuration, wherein said retention elements are brought close to one another,
moving the articles towards the support plane when the first retention elements are in the second position, and
depositing said articles on said support plane when said first retention elements are in said first position.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said articles are removed by said first retention elements and second retention elements while said removal zone is moving.
14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said articles are deposited by said first retention elements and said second retention elements on said support plane while said support plane is moving.
15. A method for packing articles in a container, comprising:
transferring the articles in accordance with the method according to claim 12 .