EP0162933B1 - Method and apparatus for the orderly introduction of articles, particularly pralines, into packaging containers - Google Patents

Abstract

Small articles, particularly chocolate and candies, are placed in predetermined positions in a receiver, such as deep-drawn compartmented boxes. The articles (1) are assigned coordinate positions (90) in the receiver, in X-Y coordinate system. The receivers (2) are transported at a predetermined, preferably speed passed an insertion station, where the articles are moved in a predetermined insertion path (47) transversely to the X direction of movement of the receivers. The movement of the articles and the transport speed of the receivers are synchronized. To permit placement of the articles at selected X coordinate positions, a temporal phase shift is introduced between the movement of the articles in the insertion path and the transport speed of the receivers, for example by changing the position of a cross gear in a differential. The insertion path in the Y direction is predetermined by guide tracks (14, 15) which is shifted bodily in the Y direction by a positioning motor (60, 61). The insertion units can be made narrow to place a number of them adjacent the transport path.

Description

The invention relates to a method for the orderly insertion of objects, in particular chocolates, into receptacles, for example packaging inserts for sales boxes, in which the receptacles, each of which within a loading area, each have a number by means of an X and a Y coordinate in a co-ordinate coordinate system is assigned to certain storage locations, are transported at fixed mutual intervals in succession in a predetermined direction (X direction) past at least one insertion station and in the insertion station the individually picked up objects in a cyclical insertion movement synchronized with the transport movement of the receiving containers transversely to the X direction ( in the Y direction) in accordance with the Y coordinate of the controlled storage location, is moved over a receiving container and is inserted at the storage location into the receiving container transported past.

The invention also relates to a device for carrying out this method, with a continuously driven transport device which transports the holding containers, which are held at fixed mutual distances, in a predetermined direction (X-direction) and at least one loading device arranged in an insertion station next to the transport device, the one the article-feeding device is assigned and the one receiving the article and in a cyclic insertion movement along a predetermined path via one of the receptacles transported by the transport device past the insertion device to a location corresponding to the Y-coordinate of the respectively controlled storage location and transferring it to inserting means are assigned to the storage location, the drive of the inserting device being synchronized with the drive of the transport device.

A device operating according to the above-mentioned method with these features is known from US-A-3 191 357. It is used to place confectionery pieces or chocolates, preferably in paper cups, in sales boxes, the interior of which is divided into rows and columns of rectangular cross-sectional compartments by a packaging insert with walls crossing at right angles. The sales boxes are transported by a continuously driven conveyor carrying a driver arranged at fixed intervals through an insertion station in which a plurality of insertion devices are arranged next to one another on both sides of the conveyor. Each of these inserting devices has an elongated closed path which lies in a horizontal plane parallel to the conveyor and along which the individually fed chocolates are moved by inserting means which are designed in the form of a resilient inserting judge and an associated inserting plunger. The closed path is laid with a straight path part above the conveyor parallel to its direction of transport in such a way that the chocolates moved along this path part in the same direction as the conveyor are each exactly above their respective storage locations when the insertion ram becomes effective.

The elongated paths of the individual insertion devices, along which the chocolates to be inserted have to be transported individually, require a large amount of space, with the result that, in the case of a well-assorted box content, the insertion station comprising a corresponding number of insertion devices must have a considerable length. In view of the work space to be made available, this is very complex. Apart from that, this system does not allow the various confectionery pieces or chocolates to be placed anywhere in the sales boxes. Any change in the storage location permanently assigned to an insertion device means that the above-mentioned closed path of the insertion device must be adjusted relative to the conveyor in the X or Y direction, which is only possible in such a way that the machine frame of the entire insertion device is open is moved according to the foundation and re-fixed. This is difficult and expensive.

Another device for inserting chocolates or the like in packaging inserts (DE-A-1 956 246) allows confectionery pieces, in particular chocolates, to be placed at any point on a packaging insert without the position of the entire device relative to the associated conveyor for the packaging inserts would have to be changed. However, relatively time-consuming conversion work is also required here. In this device, the chocolates are in each case aligned in rows by means of parallel conveyor tracks in the Y direction via the packaging inserts transported in the X direction against adjustable stops, the setting of which corresponds to the Y coordinate of the respective storage location. Individual objects are removed from the parallel rows thus pent-up by assigned grippers, which can be moved in parallel paths extending in the X direction, and inserted at the respective storage location of the respective packaging insert. If storage locations are to be controlled with different coordinates, not only the settings of the stops of the parallel feed paths for the confectionery pieces, but also the distance of these feed tracks in the X direction is changed and the grippers seated on a common swivel shaft are adjusted in the X and Y directions. Since the gripper with its drive mechanism in the X direction are arranged laterally next to the feed tracks, the entire device also requires a considerable amount of space.

Finally, from FR-A-2 047 100 there is also known a device for inserting objects, in particular sweets, into the individual compartments of divided, open-top boxes, in which the boxes are arranged at fixed mutual intervals in succession by means of a conveyor at a number of Insertion stations are moved past, which are arranged at a mutual distance laterally next to the conveyor.

In the individual insertion stations, the candies fed via a vibration conveyor mechanism are transferred transversely to the transport direction of the conveyor transporting the boxes into a predetermined storage position, which corresponds to an underlying compartment of the box to be filled, whereupon the candy is inserted into this compartment in a predetermined orientation. However, the candies can only be inserted into the boxes when the boxes are at a standstill, which is why the conveyor that transports the boxes also works intermittently. The working speed of the entire insertion device is therefore fundamentally limited. In addition, considerable changeover work at the insertion stations is required to change the storage location of the individual candies.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a method and a device which allow objects, in particular chocolates, to be automatically inserted at freely selectable storage locations in the passing receptacles, for example packaging inserts, and the storage location can be freely programmed, for example by Change receptacle to receptacle.

To achieve this object, the method mentioned in the introduction proceeds according to the invention in such a way that the insertion movement is phase-shifted in time with respect to the transport movement by a fixed value which is dependent on the X coordinate of a storage location which is optionally controlled.

It is useful if the receptacles are transported at a constant speed so that no deceleration and acceleration forces occur. The insertion movement can take place along a path that is perpendicular to the X direction and lies in a vertical plane, which results in the smallest lateral space requirement in the X direction. A plurality of such insertion movements can therefore be carried out side by side in a narrow space.

A plurality of such insertion movements can therefore be carried out side by side in a narrow space.

In a preferred embodiment, the insertion movement takes place over a constant path in the Y direction, the stroke path being shifted in the Y direction depending on the Y coordinate of the controlled storage location.

In order to ensure that the objects are deposited precisely in the correct position, particularly at high transport speeds, it is advantageous if the objects are given a movement component in the X direction, at least in the last movement phase preceding the depositing, so that the objects are deposited with the Withdrawal containers are in synchronism.

The new method allows a freely programmable, optional control of any storage location in the continuously moving receptacles, without having to interrupt the operation.

A device for performing the method with the features mentioned at the outset is characterized according to the invention in that it has a device for generating a phase shift corresponding to the X coordinate of an optionally controlled storage location between the drives of the insertion device and the transport device.

For this purpose, the drives of the insertion and transport device can be coupled to one another via a device for generating a phase shift, which in a preferred embodiment is formed by a differential gear, into which an additional rotary movement can be initiated by an assigned actuator. A simple control intervention on the actuator can thus be used to selectively control any storage location in the X-direction at a different location from work cycle to work cycle of the receiving containers passing the insertion device. The control intervention on the actuator does not require the system to be shut down, so that it is easily possible to generate different packing levels and, for example, to load packing inserts of different lengths and divisions. The working movement of the inserting means and the transport device is independent of the adjustment movement which the actuator carries out.

In a preferred embodiment, the insertion device has an insertion head which projects the movable insertion means and which is adjustably mounted on stationary guideways in the Y direction and with a Adjustment is coupled in accordance with the Y-X coordinate of the actuating element which effects the optionally controlled storage location. Through a freely programmable control intervention on the actuator, any storage location with any Y coordinate can be controlled.

The insertion means, which are designed as grippers or suction devices, can be movably mounted on the insertion head by means of a cam-controlled lever mechanism along a predetermined path which lies in a vertical plane extending in the Y direction. This results in a particularly narrow design of the entire insertion device, which can be designed, for example, in the form of a narrow unit, the width of which is smaller than the length of a receptacle, in which case a number of these narrow units can be arranged next to one another on both sides of the transport device in the insertion station , so that a minimal longitudinal extension of the insertion station is achieved.

Since the movable inserting means driven by the cam-controlled lever mechanism always carry out the same inserting movement independently of the respectively controlled storage location, it is expedient that the feed device for the objects is coupled to the inserting head in such a way that it can be adjusted together with the inserting head so that the Insert means can always pick up the supplied objects at the same distance. For this purpose, the feed device can have a conveyor which brings the articles in rows to a receiving point which is spatially fixedly assigned to the movement path of the inserting means.

The transport device, which moves the receptacles, arranged one behind the other at fixed intervals, through the insertion station, can be designed in the form of a belt or chain conveyor which carries drivers for the receptacles arranged at fixed intervals.

However, the arrangement can also be such that the transport device has an optionally continuously driven smooth conveyor track, on which the receptacles lie one behind the other and to which, in the area of the insertion station, at least on one side is associated a continuous, endless conveying means which is arranged at equal intervals, carries on the receptacles engaging from the side and is partially guided parallel to the conveyor track with a strand, its drive being synchronized with the drive of the insertion device and the conveyor being driven at a relative speed to the conveyor track.

In this way it can be achieved that the receptacles are pressed against the drivers during the movement through the insertion station with a frictional force resulting from the relative movement to the conveyor track. This ensures that the receptacles run through the insertion station at exactly the same intervals and thus in exactly the same work cycles and are at the same time perfectly aligned. The distance between the carriers corresponds to the maximum value of the length of the transported receptacles; Regardless of their length, the receptacles always lie snugly on one side on the drivers, so that the storage locations are also controlled with the correct coordinates.

In the case of receptacles in the form of packaging inserts, the drivers are advantageously arranged at the level of the side walls of the shaped recesses for receiving the chocolates. As experience has shown, the packaging inserts that are deep-drawn from plastic film material are often only dimensionally accurate in the areas of the depressions produced in the deep-drawing molds. If the drivers attack the side walls of the recesses, the packaging inserts are always conveyed in the correct position.

• Fig. 1 eine Einlegestation mit Einlegevorrichtung gemäß der Erfindung, in schematischer Darstellung und in einer Draufsicht,
• Fig. 2 die Einlegevorrichtung der hinsichtlich der Transportvorrichtung abgewandelten Einlegestation nach Fig. 1, in einer schematischen Teildarstellung und in einer Draufsicht,
• Fig. 3 die Transportvorrichtung der Einlegestation nach Fig. 2, unter Veranschaulichung eines Aufnahmebehälters, im Ausschnitt, in einem anderen Maßstab und in einer Draufsicht,
• Fig. 4 eine ähnliche Vorrichtung nach Fig. 2, in einer Seitenansicht,
• Fig. 5 die Transportvorrichtung der Einlegestation nach Fig. 1, geschnitten längs der Linie V-V der Fig. 1, in einer Seitenansicht und in einem anderen Maßstab, und
• Fig. 6 - 8 den Greifer der Einlegevorrichtung nach Fig. 4, in drei verschiedenen Bewegungszuständen, jeweils in einer Teildarstellung und einer Ansicht von vorne.

In the drawing, an embodiment of the object of the invention is shown. Show it:

• 1 is an insertion station with insertion device according to the invention, in a schematic representation and in a plan view,
• 2 shows the insertion device of the insertion station modified according to the transport device according to FIG. 1, in a schematic partial illustration and in a top view,
• 3 shows the transport device of the loading station according to FIG. 2, illustrating a receptacle, in a detail, on a different scale and in a top view,
• 4 shows a similar device according to FIG. 2, in a side view,
• Fig. 5 shows the transport device of the loading station according to Fig. 1, cut along the line VV of Fig. 1, in a side view and on a different scale, and
• 6 - 8 the gripper of the insertion device according to FIG. 4, in three different movement states, each in a partial representation and a view from the front.

1, 2 an insertion station is illustrated, in which objects in the form of confectionery pieces or chocolates 1 are placed in an orderly manner in packaging inserts for sales boxes indicated at 2 in their outlines. The general receptacles for the packaging inserts 2 forming the chocolates are transported in a row one behind the other by a transport device 3 in the X direction indicated by an arrow 40 and moved through the insertion station. In the loading station there are eight loading devices 4 on the side next to the transport device 3 arranged, which are assigned individually or in pairs at 5 indicated feeding devices for the chocolates 1. The insertion devices 4 are designed as narrow units, the width of which is smaller than the length of a packaging insert 2. Each insertion device 4 inserts a certain type of chocolates 1 into the packaging inserts 2, which are successively guided through the insertion station 3 by the transport device 3 at a respectively selected storage location .

Each feed device 5 has a conveyor belt 6 rotating in the direction of the arrow, onto which chocolates 1 are placed in an unordered manner at 7, which are transported by the conveyor belt 6 against stop bars 8 projecting obliquely into its path of movement, to which they are aligned in a manner known per se when sliding along will. The chocolates 1 run from the conveyor belt 6, guided by a deflection piece 9, aligned in the correct orientation, into a feed channel 10, to which a switch 11 connects, which, if necessary, the isolated chocolates 1 via a feed channel 12a or 12b one of the two of the Feeder 5 allocated insertion devices 4.

In the group of four of insertion devices 4 shown on the right in FIG. 1, each insertion device 4 is alternatively assigned its own feed device 5.

The structure of such an insertion device 4 can be seen in particular from FIG. 4:

The insertion device 4 has a base frame 13, to which a bearing block 14 is rigidly connected, in which two parallel guide rods 15 are mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable in a horizontal plane. The two guide rods 15 carry an insertion head 16 which has a housing 17 in which a cam 18 is rotatably mounted on an axis 19. An insertion arm 21 is movably mounted on the housing 17 by means of a lever mechanism 20 and is connected at its front free end to a sucker or gripper 22 forming an insertion means.

The lever mechanism 20 has a lever 24 which is pivotably mounted in the housing 17 at 38, which is driven via a cam roller 230 which engages in a curved path 42a of the cam disk 18 and at the other end articulated via a tab 25 with a second, at 23 on the housing 17th pivotally mounted lever 27 is connected. With the second lever 27, a third lever 29, which forms part of the insertion arm 21, is connected in an articulated manner via a coupling member 28, which at the other end is articulated via a connecting member 31 with a parallel guide lever 32, which in turn is articulated on a connecting piece 33, which is mounted on the third lever 29 at 34 and on parallel coupling members 35.

A lever 350 is welded to the one coupling member 35 at right angles and is coupled to a fog 37 via a tab 36 which is connected to it at the end. The lever 37 is mounted on the articulation point 38 and is rigidly connected to a drive lever 39 which carries at its free end a roller 400 which engages in a curved path 42 of the cam plate 18. The cam tracks 42, 42a are arranged on the opposite sides of the cam disk 18.

On the connecting member 31, a bearing part 43 is fastened on the front side, on which a cooler 44 is mounted such that it can be pivoted to a limited extent about a horizontal axis indicated at 45, in which the suction pad or gripper 22 is held.

The lever mechanism 20 is constructed in such a way that, when the cam disk 18 rotates, the head of the suction or gripper 22 indicated at 46 passes through a movement path, indicated by dashed lines at 47, in a vertical plane, in which it executes a cyclical insertion movement. In the course of this insertion movement, the head 46 is first raised, then, relative to FIG. 4, moved to the left and lowered at the same time, whereupon it is raised again after a short dwell time and returned to the position according to FIG. 4.

The cam 18 is driven via a differential gear 50 arranged in the housing 17 from a drive shaft 52 which is also rotatably mounted at 51 on the housing 17 and which has a spline through which it rotates and is longitudinally displaceable with a on a carrier 53 of the base frame 13 rotatably mounted hollow shaft 54 is coupled. The hollow shaft 54 is in turn rigidly coupled via a bevel gear 55 and a shaft 56 to the drive source of the transport device 3 (FIGS. 1, 2). So that the drive of the cam 18 and thus the insertion device 4 with the drive of the transport device 3, d. H. the driver 81 are synchronized.

The differential gear 50 is coupled via a shaft 57 to a servomotor 58 which is attached to the housing 17 and allows an additional rotary movement to be introduced into the differential gear 50, by means of which the web shaft of the differential gear is rotated, so that the cam plate 18 and the drive shaft 52 are rotated relative to each other by a predetermined value in their angular position.

Instead of the differential gear 50, a differently constructed device for generating a phase shift could also take place, which permits this adjustment of the mutual angular position between the cam plate 18 and the drive shaft 56.

A second servomotor 60 is flanged to the essentially L-shaped support 53 and drives a threaded spindle 61, which is connected to the guide rods 15 via a spindle End plate 63, which is connected at the end, inserted spindle nut 62 allows the insertion head 16 to be moved back and forth linearly in the direction of the guide formed by the guide rods 15, as is indicated by the double arrow 64.

A table 65 is arranged on the carrier 53, on which an endless feed conveyor belt 66 is guided, which extends over a subsequent table part 67 of the L-shaped end plate 63, on which it is guided at 68 at the end via a deflection roller. The feed conveyor belt 66 is part of a feed conveyor 70 adjoining the feed channel 12a or 12b of FIG. 1, from which the individual chocolates 1 are successively brought up and pent up against a stop 71 arranged at the end of the table part 67.

Since the stop 71 and the deflection roller 68 take part in a longitudinal adjustment of the insertion head 16 caused by the servomotor 60, the feed conveyor belt 66 is guided in a loop 72 over a length compensation device which has a spring-loaded compensation rocker 74 which is pivotally mounted on the support 53 and carries a deflection roller 73 at the end has, which are assigned two frame-fixed deflection rollers 75.

The transport device 3 has an endless conveyor 80 rotating at a constant speed in the form of a conveyor belt or a conveyor chain, which in the embodiment according to FIG. 2 carries drivers 81 arranged at fixed, equal intervals.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the conveyor 80 merely forms a flat conveyor track, on the two sides of which two endless transport belts 82 which are deflected about vertical axes are arranged in the region of the insertion station, which are aligned with a strand parallel to the conveyor 80 and which extend laterally over the conveyor belt Carrier 81 projecting from conveyor 80 and again arranged at equal intervals. A conveyor belt 82, as seen in the transport direction 40, is laterally supported in front of the loading station at 83 by means of adjustable support rollers at a distance given by the width of the packaging inserts 2, while its end deflection rollers 84 are perpendicular to the transport device 40 together with the support rollers via an actuator 85 83 and the deflection rollers 84a are adjustable so that the conveyor belts 82 can be automatically adapted to packaging inserts 2 of different widths.

The conveyor 80 runs somewhat slower than the conveyor belt 82 which is necessarily coupled with its drive source via the shaft 56 (FIG. 4) with the drive of the insertion devices 4. Because of the frictional forces acting on the bottom of the packaging inserts 2, it is thus ensured that the packaging inserts 2 rest exactly on the drivers 81 with their rear side.

In addition, in the manner shown in FIG. 5, the drivers 81 are arranged on the conveyor belts 82 in such a way that they engage on the side walls of the recesses of the packaging inserts indicated at 87, i. H. in places where the thermoforming mold used in the manufacture ensures a high dimensional accuracy of the packaging inserts 2.

The pralines 1 are inserted into the packaging inserts 2 in the following way:

In the manner illustrated in FIG. 3, each of the packaging inserts 2 transported by the conveyor 3 is assigned a coordinate system which is moved together with the packaging insert 2 and whose longitudinal or X direction points in the transport direction 40 and is aligned parallel to the conveyor 80, and whose transverse or Y direction is oriented perpendicular to the X direction and the longitudinal extent of the conveyor 80. The generally rectangular packaging inserts 2, each of which rests against a driver 81 (FIG. 2) with its rear side, are aligned on the conveyor 80 in the X / Y direction. Each packaging insert 2 has an insertion area indicated by hatching at 89 in FIG. 3, in which the depressions 87 (FIG. 5) are arranged, each of which forms a storage location 90. Each storage location 90 is uniquely determined in the coordinate system assigned to its packaging insert 2 by an X and a Y coordinate.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the narrow insertion devices 4, each of which, for example, is only 120 mm wide, are arranged next to one another in such a way that the conveyor 80 runs through them laterally next to the insertion head 16 (see also FIG. 4). . By corresponding control intervention on the servomotor 60 (FIG. 4), the insertion head 16 - and thus the associated stop 71 of the feed conveyor belt 66 - is set in the Y direction in accordance with the Y coordinate of the respectively controlled storage point 90. The insertion head 16 of each of the insertion devices 4, designated a to h, of the insertion station according to FIG. 2 thus conveys the generally different pralines 1 fed to it from the feed conveyor belt 66 on the movement path indicated at 47 in FIG. 4 to the storage location 90 whose Y coordinate is set. This is shown in FIG. 2 in that, in the packaging insert illustrated on the right, the depressions 87 are labeled a to h.

The cam disks 18 of the insertion devices 4, which are inevitably coupled to the drive of the transport device 3 via the shaft 56, make one revolution each time the conveyor 80 moves in FIG. 2 by a driver pitch T (FIG. 3). That means that the Inserting the head 46 of each sucker or gripper 22 after each work cycle always at the same set distance from the following drivers 81 according to the X coordinate of the respectively controlled insertion location 90 in the assigned packaging insert 2.

Each sucker or gripper 22 is thus lowered during one revolution of the associated control disk 18, starting from the position according to FIG. 4, onto the chocolate candy 1 standing at the associated stop 71, then raised together with the chocolate candy, over the stop 71 along the Web 47 is introduced and released in a vertical plane running in the Y direction into the depression 87 of the controlled storage location 90, which is now brought in the correct position by the synchronized conveyor 80, whereupon the suction device or gripper 22 is returned to the starting position according to FIG. 4.

The chocolates are thus placed in the continuously passing packaging inserts 2, which are not subjected to any acceleration or deceleration forces. The insertion devices 4 and the transport device 3 therefore work at a high working speed, the cam control given by the cam disks 18 always giving the insertion arms 21 and the suction cups or grippers 22 the same insertion or depositing movement. Such a cam control is robust, less susceptible to faults and wear-resistant, and can be optimized kinematically, which is reflected in a high working speed.

As long as the insertion devices 4 always insert at the same storage locations 90 to which they are set, i. H. with the same chocolate level, no notorious adjustment steps or similar wear-related measures are required.

If all or one of the insertion devices 4 are to control another storage location 90, an additional rotational movement is initiated for a predetermined period of time in order to set the X coordinate of the new storage location via the servomotor 58 in the differential gear 50. As a result, the cam disc 18 is additionally rotated relative to the drive shaft 52, which means that the movement phases of the insertion movement carried out by the insertion head 46 are shifted in time by a certain defined path relative to the movement of the drivers 81. By appropriate selection of the size and direction of the additional rotary movement introduced by the servomotor 58 into the differential gear 50, storage locations 90 can be controlled with any X coordinate, as is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, where the phase shift is denoted by <p , while a represents a constant factor (gear ratio).

If the newly controlled storage location 90 also requires a change in the Y coordinate, this can be achieved by a simple control intervention on the servomotor 60 and the corresponding displacement of the entire insertion head 16 in the Y direction.

Both the phase shift described for setting the X coordinate and the control of the Y coordinate of a changed new storage location 90 can be carried out freely programmably and newly selected for each work cycle given by the passing of a packaging insert 2 or the associated drivers 81 on the insertion device 4 will. The necessary control commands for the actuators 58, 60 can be supplied by a programmer or a computer.

In order to achieve an exact transfer of the chocolates when they are placed in the recesses 87 of the packaging inserts 2, the suction device or gripper 22 of each inserting device 4 performs a pivoting movement synchronously with the transport direction 40 when it is set down, for which purpose it is pivotably mounted about the axis 45. For this purpose, the suction device or gripper 22 is given an additional movement component, at least in the phase of the insertion movement preceding and following the placement of the chocolate candy 1, as is readily understandable with reference to FIGS. 6-8. The pivoting of the suction device or gripper 22 about the axis 45 can be motor or cam-controlled.

The invention explained above on the basis of the automatic insertion of chocolates in sales outlets is of course not limited to the processing of chocolates or confectionery pieces; it can be used for all applications in which it is important to place objects in an orderly manner on receptacles or carriers. An “object” can also be understood to mean groups of objects which are simultaneously transferred to the storage location in an insertion movement.

In the described embodiment, the X and Y directions are perpendicular to each other. Embodiments are also conceivable in which these two directions enclose an angle deviating from 90 °.

Claims (16)

1. A method for the ordered insertion of articles, more particularly chocolates (1) into receiving trays, for example, packaging inserts (2) for boxes for sale, wherein the receiving trays, associated with each of which within an insertion zone (89) is a number of depositing places (90) each determined in an entrained systems of coordinates by an X-coordinate and a Y-coordinate are conveyed at predetermined mutual distances in succession past at least one insertion station in a predetermined direction (X-direction), and in the insertion station the individually received articles are moved in a cyclic insertion movement, synchonized with the conveying movement (40) of the receiving trays, over a receiving tray along a predetermined path (47) transversely of the X-direction (in the Y-direction) corresponding to the Y-coordinate of the depositing place approached, and are inserted into the receiving tray conveyed past at the depositing place, characterized in that the insertion movement is phase-displaced in time in relation to the conveying movement by a fixed value ((p) depending on the X-coordinate of an optionally approached depositing place (90).

2. A method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the receiving trays are conveyed at a constant speed.

3. A method according to Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the insertion movement is performed along a path (47) extending at right angles to the X-direction and lying in a vertical plane fixed in space.

4. A method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insertion movement is performed over a constant travel in the Y-direction, and the travel is displaced in the Y-direction, depending on the Y-coordinate of the approached depositing place.

5. A method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least in the phase of movement preceding and following depositing, the articles (1) are given a component of movement in the X-direction, so that during depositing the articles are in synchronism with the receiving trays.

6. An apparatus for the performance of the method according to one of the preceding claims, having a continuously driven conveying device (3) conveying receiving trays (2) retained at predetermined mutual distances in a predetermined direction (X-direction), and at least one insertion device (4) which is disposed alongside the conveying device in an insertion station and with which a feed device (5) feeding the articles (1) is associated and with which insertion means (16, 20, 22) are associated which receive an associated article and transfer such article in a cyclic insertion movement along a predetermined path (47) over a receiving tray conveyed past the insertion device by the conveying device, to a place corresponding to the Y-coordinate of the particular depositing place (9) approached and insert such article at the insertion place (9), the drive of the insertion device (4) being synchronized with the drive of the conveying device (3), characterized in that it has a device (50, 57, 58) for producing a phase displacement (4) in time between the drives of the insertion device (4) and the conveying device (3) corresponding to one of the X-coordinates of an optionally approached depositing place (90).

7. An apparatus according to Claim 6, characterized in that the device for producing the phase displacement is formed by a differential gear (50) into which an additional rotary movement can be introduced by an associated actuating drive (57, 58).

8. An apparatus according to Claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the insertion device (4) has an insertion head (16) which bears the movable insertion means and is mounted adjustably in the Y-direction on fixed guide ways (14,15) and is coupled to an adjusting member (60, 61) which adjusts the optionally approached depositing place (90) in accordance with the Y-coordinate.

9. An apparatus according to Claim 8, characterized in that the insertion means, constructed in the form of suckers or grippers (22) are mounted on the insertion head (16) with provision for movement by means of a cam- controlled lever transmission (20) along a predetermined path (47) which lies in a vertical plane extending in the Y-direction.

10. An apparatus according to Claim 9, characterized in that the insertion device (4) is constructed in the form of a narrow unit whose width is smaller than the length of a receiving tray (2), and a number of units are disposed one beside the other in the insertion station, if necessary on both sides of the conveying device.

11. An apparatus according to Claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the feed device (5) for the articles (1) is so coupled to the insertion head (16) that it can be adjusted together with the insertion means.

12. An apparatus according to Claim 11, characterized in that the feed device (5) has a conveyor (66) which supplies the articles (1) in rows to a receiving place (71) rigidly associated with the path of movement (47) of the insertion means (22).

13. An apparatus according to Claims 6 to 12, characterized in that the conveying device (3) has an if necessary continuously driven smooth conveying path (80) on which the receiving trays (2) are disposed in a row one after the other and with which, at least on one side in the zone of the insertion station, a rotating endless conveying means (82) is associated which bears evenly spaced-out entraining means (81) engaging with the receiving trays (2) from the side and which is guided with a run in places parallel with the conveying path and whose drive is synchronized with the drive of the insertion device (4), the conveying means (82) being driven at a relative speed in relation to the conveying path (80).

14. An apparatus according to Claim 13, characterized in that in the zone of its run guided parallel with the conveying path, the conveying means (82) is adjustable in the Y-direction.

15. An apparatus according to Claim 13, characterized in that if the receiving trays take the shape of packaging inserts (2), the entraining means (81) are disposed at the level of the side walls of the shaped depressions (87) for receiving the chocolates (1).

16. An apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insertion means have a sucker or gripper (22) which is mounted with provision for limited movement in the X-direction by its end which seizes the article (1).

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