Article grouping mechanism

摘要

A device for grouping articles to be loaded into a carton and delivered to the device from an infeed stream at an infeed end of a packaging machine. The device comprises a leading and trailing spacer elements arranged to move along a first path, each spacer element being adapted to engage at least one article from the infeed stream and to convey the articles through a working reach of the device. The device further comprises adjustment means to adjust the device between a first mode in which each spacer element follows the first path to successively engage an article group; and a second mode in which the trailing spacer element follows the first path and the leading spacer element becomes transferred from the first path to follow a second path connected to the first path before rejoining the first path, whereby the leading and trailing spacer elements engage an article group simultaneously.