Patent ID: 6499583
Filing Date: 2002-12-31
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
An apparatus for feeding articles to an accumulation area comprising at least one conveyor for feeding the articles forming a conveyor path to said area and means for optionally turning said articles by substantially 180 degrees for shifting end for end before the articles arrive to said accumulation area,wherein said conveyor path has a curved section interconnecting a first conveyor path section in the feeding direction upstream of the curved section and a second conveyor path section downstream thereof extending substantially in parallel with each other, the apparatus further comprising means for transferring said articles from said first section transversely to the feeding direction and over to said second section by-passing said curved section and a control arrangement adapted to control said transferring means to optionally transfer articles from the first to the second conveyor path section by-passing the curved section or letting them pass through the curved section, further comprising means for optionally accumulating articles conveyed through the conveyor path before the transversal transfer thereof by said transferring means for transferring a plurality of articles simultaneously, and said accumulation means comprises a separate conveyor of the conveyor path controllable to step-wise for accumulating a new article for each step.