摘要 |
Rectangular articles, such as milk or juice boxes, successively fed along a conveyor (A) are arranged into groups of articles by pushing a contiguous row of articles transversely from the conveyor in front of the receiving surface of a stepwise tapered pusher (B) whose contiguous sequence of steps is interrupted by at least one omitted or receded portion (b0). By reciprocating the pusher (B) in a direction parallel to the conveyor (A) the articles accumulated in front of the pusher are successively pushed onto a receiving platform (D) to form groups of articles, with exception of those articles which are located in front of the omitted portion (b0) of the pusher (B), wich are intercepted by a stopper (3), thereby providing for the gap to be formed between the groups of articles. |