The invention relates to an installation (100) for accumulating and transferring products (2) comprising: - a device (1) for conveying said products (2) in a single-
line flow, said device (1) comprising an upstream conveyor (10), at least two downstream conveyors (11, 12) opening longitudinally into a gripping zone (P), and a division
system (13) for sending from said upstream conveyor (10) successively to one of the downstream conveyors (11, 12) at least a first single-
line flow of products (2) in the form of batches to a downstream conveyor (11, 12) and at least a second single-
line flow of products (2) in the form of batches to another downstream conveyor (11, 12), - at least one output conveyor (3) for said products (2), - an accumulation surface (4) for receiving the products (2) in the form of batches from the gripping zone (P), said surface (4) being located between said conveying device (1) and said at least one output conveyor (3),- a transfer means (5) for transversely moving at least one batch of products (2), on the one hand, from at least one downstream conveyor (11, 12) at the gripping zone (P) to said accumulation surface (4) and, on the other hand, from said surface (4) to said at least one output conveyor (3), installation (100) characterized in that, for at least two downstream conveyors (11, 12), between said dividing
system (13) and the gripping zone (P), the length of a downstream conveyor (11) is greater than the length of at least one other downstream conveyor (12), so that at least two batches of products (2) formed successively by the dividing
system (13) and sent, for one of them on one of the downstream conveyors (11, 12) and for the other on the other downstream conveyor (11, 12),arrive at substantially the same time at said gripping zone (P). The invention also relates to a method for accumulating and transferring products (2) in a packaging line. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1,