Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus for forming a column of spaced articles has a supply belt and a downstream-adjoining removal belt. The article transfer location between the two belts is formed by belt-supporting end rollers, one defining the downstream end of the supply belt and the other defining the upstream end of the removal belt. The two rollers together define an article transfer location. The two belt-supporting end rollers are mounted on a first carriage which is movable parallel to the conveying direction and which is attached to the upper reach of an endless flexible element. A second carriage is secured to the lower reach of the flexible element. On the second carriage there are mounted two deflecting rollers about which the supply belt and the removal belt are trained, respectively. The endless flexible element is supported by end rollers and is driven by a motor connected to a regulator. There is further provided a sensor which applies a signal to the regulator each time an article situated on the supply belt passes by the sensor. The regulator varies the speed and direction of motion of the flexible element in response to the sensor signal for shifting the article transfer location and thus changing the distance between a leading article on the supply belt and a trailing article on the removal belt so that, as a result, the articles will be spaced at predetermined distances from one another on the removal belt.

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First Claim