This invention relates to the sorting, counting and grouping of conveyed items, particularly wrapped packages containing one or more articles, such as cookies or biscuits.
Flat articles such as biscuits, cookies or the like are conventionally packed individually or in small groups in hose-like wrappers. These packages have projecting, welded flaps at two oppositely located edges. Thereafter, the individual, elemental packages are, in exactly counted quantities, united into larger, combined packages. Since not all the packages delivered by a wrapping machine are in an acceptable condition (occasionally empty wrapping sleeves are discharged by the wrapping machine or two or more successive packages are not entirely severed from one another at their flaps), they have to be carefully monitored and the unacceptable ones separated before they are counted and gathered into combined packages.
Heretofore it has not been possible to perform the monitoring, separating, counting and grouping of the elemental packages in a fully automatic manner. These operations had to be performed in part manually by labor which has caused a substantial increase in the manufacturing costs.