BUFFER CONVEYOR FOR CONVEYING AND BUFFERING PRODUCTS

摘要

A buffer conveyor comprises a first (7) and a second (8) conveyor, which move at least substantially parallel to each other in helical paths, albeit in opposite directions. A transfer unit (12) is movable parallel to the first and the second conveyor in the aforesaid path with its inlet (HA) and outlet (HB) ends. The transfer unit is provided with at least one separate, drivable transfer element for transferring the products from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, so that the products can be transferred from the inlet end of the first conveyor to the discharge end of the second conveyor via the transfer unit. The transfer unit comprises a drive unit for moving the transfer unit along the paths of the respective conveyors with its ends in dependence on the speeds of the first and the second conveyor. The transfer element of the transfer unit describes an at least substantially horizontal path between the inlet end and the outlet end and extends outside the area defined by the adjacent paths of the first and the second conveyor.