METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SEPARATING ARTICLES ARRANGED IN CLOSE SUCCESSION ON A CONVEYOR

摘要

A method and device for separating closely successive articles which are fed by an input conveyor toward a packaging machine. Each article reaching the end of the input conveyor is transferred to a movable bottom member lying initially flush with the conveyor. A first vertically movable holding post holds the last article on the end of the conveyor while a second holding post engages the preceding article on the bottom member and when the latter is tilted with the second holding post and the article therebetween the two mentioned articles, which may stick together, are separated along an axis forming the line of contact between said articles. The preceding article is then transferred from the bottom member to a lower disposed stationary slide track extending at a right angle to the input conveyor. The second holding post releases the article which then is moved by a tappet along the slide track to a packaging machine.