MECHANISM OF GROUPING OF ARTICLES DESCRIBE OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the packaging of primary articles such as cans and bottles in multiple packaged cartons and is more particularly related to the feeding of such cartons "from a hopper and to start and then complete a card loading operation in sequence Most known packing machines are dedicated machines that build only one type of cardboard, therefore, modern bottling plants are required to use a plurality of packaging machines to pack different types of cardboard, each machine occupying a considerable floor space and being expensive both to buy and to operate in. A limited number of packing machines are able to pack different sizes or types of cardboard, for example bottles of six, eight or twelve of a cardboard of wrapping.All such machines require adjustments when they change from one size or type of cardboard to another. This adjustment includes the manual removal of the total of the cartons inside the packing machine and possibly the mechanical adjustment of the components in the machine. During this period of change, which can be thirty minutes or more, a machine can not be used (known as "unproductive time"), which is an expensive delay in a bottling plant. Such a delay can still result in downtime for the entire bottling line, not just the packing machine, if problems arise during the exchange procedure. The present invention can be used with a packaging machine described in a corresponding application (reference D-7725 of the Applicant). It is conceptualized that the present invention can be used in several other types of packaging machines. Alternatively, the grouping mechanism of the present invention can be sold as an individual module to be adjusted, to the new equipment or to existing equipment on a retrofix basis. More particularly, this invention relates to a mechanism for grouping together a plurality of articles from an internal feed stream into an internal feed end of a packaging machine and is particularly useful for grouping together a plurality of cans or bottles. in a multiple packing machine. In a known conveyor and spacer mechanism described in EP 0 126 553, or EP 0 708 028, a series of spacer elements are separated at a location fixed on the endless chains, each spacer element being configured to engage a plurality of articles to Starting from an internal supply current of the articles and transporting those items under the machine. The spacing between each spacer element corresponds to the spacing between the successive groups of articles. La- GB A 974 995 discloses a grouping mechanism for grouping articles in a baler unit comprising a first pair of chains having stops spaced apart at fixed intervals for articles crimped into an internal feed end of the apparatuses. The pair of chains are mounted on opposite sides of a pair of fixed support plates which together with the stops cooperate to divide the arrangement of articles into the internal supply in fixed separation groups and propel the groups towards a second pair of chains having also spaced apart stops at set intervals. The second pair of chains has a higher downstream speed compared to the first pair of chains. The upstream article of a group of articles is crimped by a stopper of the second pair of chains whereby it forces the groups of articles forward at a speed greater than that determined by the first para of chains. The present invention seeks to overcome the commercial disadvantages of known packaging machines and spacing mechanisms by the proportion of a grouped mechanism that is capable of grouping articles for loading into more than one type of cardboard. Furthermore, the invention is capable of changing from one configuration of grouped articles to another to load in different types or sizes of cardboard with a minimum of unproductive time. further, the modular nature of the present invention facilitates a totally flexible machine to be constructed that overcomes, or at least mitigates, the problems of the known machines. One aspect of the invention provides a grouping mechanism for grouping articles to be loaded into a cardboard and supplied to the mechanism from an internal feed stream at an internal feed end of a packaging machine, which mechanism comprises a pair of spacer elements opposite, each spacer element adapted to engage at least one article of the internal feed stream and to transport the article through a working section of the mechanism and transfer means being provided to return each spacer element along a section back in such a way that they return upstream of the work stretch. They also comprise adjusting means for increasing the spacing between the opposed spacer elements whereby a third intermediate article and juxtaposed to the crimped articles is transported by spacer elements. According to yet another optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the third article can drive the article crimped during the working section and wherein the article alignment means can be provided to move the third article toward lateral alignment with the articles. articles crimped when the crimped articles are disengaged from the spacer element. According to yet another optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the article alignment means can be provided by opposite canvases of the cardboard in contact with the articles to guide the articles in alignment. . According to another optional feature of this aspect of the invention, it may further comprise adjustment means for adjusting the spacing between the spacer element to receive two or three rows of articles. According to an optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the spacer element comprises a portion of cylindrical recesses for receiving a portion of the article that is transported. According to a further optional feature of this aspect of the invention each spacer element may be mounted on a cam track, wherein each cam track provides a path for the spacer elements to hold the recesses parallel to the articles during crimping. According to yet another optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the spacer element may further comprise a second cylindrical recess portion to receive a portion of a second article to be transported in a grouped arrangement with the first article. According to another optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the regulating means can be provided to control the flow of the articles at the internal feed end, the regulation means further comprises means for controlling the pressure of the articles in the machine and means to determine the correct number of items for each carton. According to yet another optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the means for controlling the pressure of the articles comprise an internal feed star wheel. A second aspect of the invention provides a method of grouped articles supplied from an internal feed stream of a baler whose method comprises successively crimping articles with spacer elements of the internal feed stream such that those articles are located in relation to each other during the feeding movement of the articles of that group of articles come to advance with respect to and thus spacing of the next group reached from the articles while the spacing elements move along the feeding path of the articles. articles and therefore, the upstream spacer elements return in such a way that they are appropriately spaced one from the next to engage with successive articles in the internal feed stream. The group of articles comprises two external rows advanced by the spacer elements and one middle central row of the external rows, each row has at least one article and further comprises the stage in which the central row meets a conductive portion of an article of each external row that advances so the central row advances. According to yet another optional feature of this aspect of the invention after the articles leave the crimp with the spacer elements may further comprise the step of moving the outer rows and the central row in lateral alignment for loading into a carton. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an upstream end of a baler machine incorporating the grouping mechanism the article of the present invention; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating the mechanism that groups the article of the present invention;
FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the support platform used with the mechanism that groups items of the invention. FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the mechanism that groups the article by two rows; FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the mechanism that groups the article for three rows. A machine according to the present invention is capable of grouping articles in different configurations for loading into a variety of cardboard types, for example, fully enclosed, wrapping and basket type cartons. Any reference in this specification to the cardboard type includes different sizes of a particular cardboard style. For example, the mechanism can load totally closed cartons for eight or twelve articles configured in 2 x 4 and 3 x 4 respectively. With reference to Figures 1 of the drawings there is shown a machine 10 for packed cartons formed from a (unitary) template of cardboard or similar sheet material. The upstream end of the machine includes a dual hopper 12 in which a multiplicity of cartons 14 in a collapsed condition are kept ready for processing. A feeder 17 of the type referred to in the corresponding application (reference D-7723 of the Applicant) and a rotary vacuum feeder 18 are placed adjacent to the dual hopper 12. The rotary vacuum feeder 18 sequentially transfers cartons from the hopper 12 to a paper feed chain 20. The feeder 16 comes into contact with the cardboard during its orbital trajectory and separates the opposite walls to an armed part of the cardboard. A paper feed chain 20 is provided to complete the established carton and to transfer cartons downstream to the loading station 22. Subsequently, the paperboard chain with the paper feed chain 20 is gradually transferred when the cartons move upstream to a pair of side stop chain sets 24 shown in FIG. 1. Each side stop chain set 24 is of similar construction and includes endless chains 26 having a plurality of guide pin stops 28 which engage the opposing canvases of the cardboard 14 to retain it in the installed condition when moving downstream. The endless chain sets 24 are mounted on the table 30 which is inclined downstream towards the loading station 22. Articles such as bottles B or cans are fed into the machine 10 by means of a conveyor for example an internal feed conveyor belt 32 moving on a support platform 34. In this mode, three conveyors are provided, each conveyor moves a row of items. The internal feed of articles in relation to stop side by side are introduced to the internal feed end of a multiple baler. The pressure line of the articles is controlled by a pair of internal feed star wheels 36, as is well known. The articles then introduce a grouping station 38 that groups together the correct number of articles per carton by means of a series of assemblies 40, 42 that group the articles. These assemblies 40, 42 also control the flow of the articles in such a way that they can be introduced to the cardboard at the same speed as the cardboard flow. Subsequently, the grouped articles are moved to the loading station 22 by means of an article conveyor 44. The construction of the assemblies 40, 42 that group items noted in the foregoing, will now be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. In this embodiment a grouping assembly 40, 42 is placed on each side of the article conveyor 44. Both grouping assemblies 40, 42 are identical in construction, and therefore only the near-side assembly 40 is described in detail. The assembly 40 includes four spacer elements 46 mounted on an endless chain 48. The spacer element 46 comprises four cylindrical recess portions 50 positioned one to the next. Each recess substantially configures to conform to a peripheral wall portion of a bottle B or can which the recess is crimped. Element 46 spacer is connected to the endless chain 48 by means of suitable union, for example, a bearing in such a way that the spacer element can rotate around the joint. The cam followers (not shown) extend from each end of the spacer element. The endless chain 48 is mounted on a board 52 supported on a platform and base 54. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the table 52 includes an oval recess 56 for receiving the endless chain 48 and a cam track 58, 60 to receive the followers of cam. The endless chain set 48 is driven by a motor, for example a servomotor, by means of a driving arrow 49. When each spacer element 46 moves along the path of the cam track 58, 60, the recesses 50 are maintained in a plane parallel to the article conveyor 44. This arrangement allows the spacer elements 46 to move laterally, designated by the letter X at each end of the table 52 to assist in the soft crimping and unbinding of the articles B in the recesses 50. In this embodiment, a guard 62 and a Guide rail 64 also provided to minimize unwanted movements of articles. It will be understood that the grouping mechanisms 40, 42 of the invention have been illustrated with reference to a specific embodiment and that numerous modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. The grouping mechanism is capable of processing cartons comprising numerous configuration of groups of articles covering a range of size and shape of cardboard, for example four, six, eight and twelve bottles without wasting undue time in adjusting the mechanisms. In this way, the mounts are mounted on platforms that are movable in a direction designated by the letter Y shown in Figures 2 and 4, such that one or both of the mounts 40, 42 can be moved toward or away from the conveyor 44 of the article according to two or three rows of articles B are required. In this embodiment, the near side assembly is fixed to the far side grouping assembly 42 moving toward the near side assembly 40 when it is desired to pack two rows of articles 70, 72, as shown in Figures 4. The distance between the wheel The internal feed star is also tapered to ensure that the flow of the article is restricted to two rows, and only two of the three conveyor articles 44 are operative. For those cartons that require three rows of articles, the distance d between each grouping assembly 40, 42 is increased. Likewise, the internal feed star wheels can also be moved further apart. For the arrangement shown in Figures 5, the grouping assembly is used to hold the two outer rows of the articulators 70, 72 and the article arrangement of the central row 74 is located in the space between the adjacent article in each of the rows 70, 72 external. As shown in Figure 5, the middle row drives the outer row by half the diameter of a bottle / can. In this way, the central row moves forward at the end of the working section W by the external rows of the articles 70, 72. The present invention also provides for adjusting the number of articles per row to control the number of articles. the articles being powered by the star wheels 36 in the grouping station 38. It is conceptualized that rows of one, two or three items can be selected by using a corresponding number of recesses 50. If desired to increase the number of items to five or more per row then endless chain set 46 illustrated in FIG. this modality can be exchanged with another set of chain comprising a spacer element with more recesses. The articles gradually cease contacting the fastener assembly 38 and are transferred to the loading station 22 by means of the article conveyor 44. In charging station 22 illustrated in Figure 1, the cartons are introduced to the group of articles B from above when the cardboard 10 and the group G of article are moved forward in unison. The cardboard 10 is lowered over the group G by the downward inclination of the endless chain sets. For grouped articles, comprising three lines 70, 72, 74 it is preferred to alter the configuration of that designated by the letter G to the configuration designated by the letter H achieved by the appropriate guiding means. In this mode, the change in configuration is achieved when the end canvases of the descending cardboard come into contact with the collection and towing articles, in such a way that the canvases guide the bottles in lateral and longitudinal alignment when they are loaded in the cardboard shown in Figure 5 in H. Of course, it is conceptualized that the configuration adopted depends on the type of cardboard that is loaded. In another class of embodiments, the stops mounted to side chain sets or flight bars, known in the art, are introduced to the articles grouped at the end of the working section W to effect the change in configuration from G to H. Once the cartons have been loaded with articles, they are transferred by means of the article conveyors and / or pressure belt to an additional set of endless chains with side stops that are used to transfer the cardboard to the external feed end. of the machine. During this step, the base canvases are folded around the inside of the cardboard and are interconnected by a locking mechanism known in the art. According to this invention, the speed of operation is improved, as well as its efficiency and durability when the cardboard moves to a collapsed position in a fully established condition. Of course, the final operation established is due in part to the crimp with a feeder and a corner of the carton with the stops which then affect the complete and final installation of a carton while it is maintained by the suction cup. Although the preferred embodiment described herein is for loading bottles into cartons, it will be recognized that the invention is not limited to cartons for bottles. The invention can be used with machines for packing cans, cardboard "partitions" and other containers in cartons, In addition, although the preferred embodiment described herein is shown as part of a machine for caxga containers in vertically lining-type cartons loaded, the invention is not limited to cartons of this type, cone will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the invention can be used with wrapping cartons or extreme loads.