which conveying branch 52 and input portion 37 of conveying branch 30 are parallel to the feed direction 20 of packets 4 along screw conveyor 19 and on opposite sides of the feed path of packets 4 along screw conveyor 19 when screw conveyor 19 is in the tilted position fig4 for this purpose the angle by which screw conveyor 19 oscillates about axis 8 is complementary to the angle by which conveying branch 52 oscillates about axis 50 when conveying branch 52 and input portion 37 of conveying branch 30 are in the tilted position the height of channel 53 is reduced to substantially equal the width of packets 4 which travelling in an orderly succession on edge along screw conveyor 19 engage conveying branch 30 on edge and channel 53 before reaching accumulating station 26 in connection with the above it should be pointed out that when input portion 37 of conveying branch 30 is in the tilted position fig4 pulley 33 is located u2014 as a result of both pulley 33 translating transversely about axis 50 and conveying branch 30 winding partly about drive pulley 32 u2014 at a distance from the outer periphery of central hub 7 greater than the length.