A device for stacking articles includes a feeding conveyor including a plurality of contact elements, each for making contact with a single article to convey it along a conveying path. A first transport surface supports the articles along a first portion of the conveying path. A predetermined number of conveying planes support the articles along a second portion of the conveying path which follows the first portion of the conveying path, including a first conveying plane positioned at a first height; a second conveying plane positioned at a second height different from and higher than the first height; and a movable surface for directing articles, movable between a number of positions equal to the predetermined number of conveying planes, to selectively and alternatively connect the first transport surface with one of the conveying planes.

A device for stacking articles includes a feeding conveyor including a plurality of contact elements, each for making contact with a single article to convey it along a conveying path. A first transport surface supports the articles along a first portion of the conveying path. A predetermined number of conveying planes support the articles along a second portion of the conveying path which follows the first portion of the conveying path, including a first conveying plane positioned at a first height; a second conveying plane positioned at a second height different from and higher than the first height; and a movable surface for directing articles, movable between a number of positions equal to the predetermined number of conveying planes, to selectively and alternatively connect the first transport surface with one of the conveying planes.

An apparatus for a packaging machine comprising; a first conveyor for conveying an input stream of articles, a second conveyor for conveying an output stream of articles, a guide path configured as a loop and one or more tools coupled to the guide path. Each tool comprises a tool head for engaging with one or more articles in the input stream. The tool head is operable to transfer the one or more articles from the first conveyor to the second conveyor. The one or more articles are placed upon the second conveyor in discrete groups having one or more tiers.

An apparatus for a packaging machine comprising; a first conveyor for conveying an input stream of articles, a second conveyor for conveying an output stream of articles, a guide path configured as a loop and one or more tools coupled to the guide path. Each tool comprises a tool head for engaging with one or more articles in the input stream. The tool head is operable to transfer the one or more articles from the first conveyor to the second conveyor. The one or more articles are placed upon the second conveyor in discrete groups having one or more tiers.

The invention concerns a conveyor system (2) for formatting slice-shaped food products in product stacks. The conveyor system (2) comprises an inlet (4), a lower product conveyor (8), an upper product conveyor (7, 9), a vertically swivelling distributor conveyor (6) for distributing the incoming food products selectively to the lower product conveyor (8) or to the upper product conveyor (7, 9), an output conveyor (10) receiving the food products partially stacked from the lower prod-uct conveyor (8) and the upper product conveyor (7, 9), and an outlet (11) for outputting the stacked food products in product rows. The invention provides that the individual conveying tracks (6G, 6H) of the distributor conveyor (6) can be swivelled vertically independently of one another in order to forward the incoming food products individually for each conveying track selectively to the lower product conveyor (8) or to the upper product conveyor (7, 9). The invention also includes a corresponding operating method.

In order to be able to shingle articles individual slices or partial portions of slices shingled in a longitudinal direction in a transverse direction relative to the running direction of conveyor units on which these articles are transported, the two conveyor units, on each of which one of the two articles is fully supported, are not brought to overlap in order to achieve the transverse shingling, but one of the articles is transported on its conveyor unit with a lateral overhang to the other conveyor unit, and the other article placed there on the edge side with such a height difference that the two articles can finally overlap and be placed on top of each other. However, the two conveyor units only have to be guided closely next to each other for this purpose without overlapping themselves. This simplifies the design of the overlapping unit and reduces its overall height.

A storage apparatus for transport goods includes a first conveyor, a second conveyor and a deflecting mechanism for deflecting transport goods conveyed by the first conveyor onto the second conveyor. A motor configuration is provided for motorized driving of the first conveyor and/or the second conveyor. A step is provided over which the transport goods are conveyed. The storage apparatus is configured to vertically compress the transport goods with the aid of the step. A method for storing transport goods, in particular packages, is also provided.

A storage apparatus for transport goods includes a first conveyor, a second conveyor and a deflecting mechanism for deflecting transport goods conveyed by the first conveyor onto the second conveyor. A motor configuration is provided for motorized driving of the first conveyor and/or the second conveyor. A step is provided over which the transport goods are conveyed. The storage apparatus is configured to vertically compress the transport goods with the aid of the step. A method for storing transport goods, in particular packages, is also provided.

A system for forming horizontally stacked groups of containers includes an infeed screw set, an orienting screw set, and a grouping mechanism. Containers are presented to the infeed screw in a vertical orientation, and are progressed from the infeed screw set to the orienting screw set via a transitioning pocket defined by overlapping pockets of the infeed and orienting screw sets. As containers are progressed through the orienting screw the containers are rotated via a series of orienting pockets to a horizontal orientation and progressed via a series of nesting pockets to form a series of horizontally nested containers. The series is discharged to a grouping mechanism which separates a predefined number of containers from the series to form a horizontally stacked group, which is outfed from the stacking system.

A system for forming horizontally stacked groups of containers includes an infeed screw set, an orienting screw set, and a grouping mechanism. Containers are presented to the infeed screw in a vertical orientation, and are progressed from the infeed screw set to the orienting screw set via a transitioning pocket defined by overlapping pockets of the infeed and orienting screw sets. As containers are progressed through the orienting screw the containers are rotated via a series of orienting pockets to a horizontal orientation and progressed via a series of nesting pockets to form a series of horizontally nested containers. The series is discharged to a grouping mechanism which separates a predefined number of containers from the series to form a horizontally stacked group, which is outfed from the stacking system.