DEVICE AND METHOD FOR POSITIONING PRODUCTS FRONT-ON OR SIDE-ON WHILE THEY ARE BEING CONVEYED

The invention concerns a positioning device (1) for positioning products (2) while they are being conveyed one after another in a conveying plane (4) and along a conveying direction (5). Such a device is characterised in that it comprises a conveying means (3), a guide means (9), a plurality of positioning means (7) each comprising a pair of fingers (8) mounted so as to be able to move on at least said guide means (9) defining a closed circulation loop extending in a plane substantially parallel to the conveying plane (4) with a first portion (10) and a second portion (12) arranged downstream in the conveying direction (5), the fingers (8) of a given pair being capable of acting together on at least one product (2), each finger (8) being able to move independently of the others on said guide means (9), in that it is configured to selectively route the products (2), either towards a pair of fingers (8) situated on said first portion (10) of the closed circulation loop at least for a rotation of the product (2) by a predetermined angle, or towards a pair of fingers (8) situated on said second portion (12) for a longitudinal positioning of the product (2), and in that said at least one guide means (9) is mounted so as to be able to move in translation relative to said conveying means (3), in a direction (20) that is in particular parallel to the conveying plane (4) and perpendicular to the conveying direction (5), so as to allow the products (2) to be routed in a selective manner. The invention also relates to a corresponding method. L'invention concerne un dispositif de positionnement (1) des produits (2) simultanément à leur convoyage les uns derrière les autres dans un plan de convoyage (4) et le long d'une direction de convoyage (5). Un tel dispositif se caractérise en ce qu'il comprend un moyen de convoyage (3), un moyen de guidage (9), une pluralité de moyens de positionnement (7) comprenant chacun une paire de doigts (8) montés mobiles sur au moins ledit moyen de guidage (9) définissant une boucle fermée de circulation s'étendant selon un plan sensiblement parallèle au plan de convoyage (4) avec une première (10) et une deuxième portions (12) agencée en aval dans la direction de convoyage (5), les doigts (8) d'une même paire étant aptes à agir ensemble sur au moins un produit (2), chaque doigt (8) étant mobile indépendamment des autres sur ledit moyen de guidage (9), en ce qu'il est configuré pour acheminer sélectivement les produits (2), soit vers une