Patent ID: 8312982
Filing Date: 2012-11-20
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
1. An aligning conveyor operable for conveying and aligning first bakery products each having a width dimension and a length dimension greater than said width dimension, said aligning conveyer comprising: a conveyor mechanism operable to convey said first bakery products in a conveying direction along a conveying surface; a plurality of guides spaced apart to provide a plurality of substantially parallel lanes extending in said conveying direction and sufficiently wide to receive said first bakery products with said length dimensions oriented generally in the direction of said conveying direction, said guides each having an upper edge portion; and a drive element on the upper edge portion of each guide mounted thereon for movement generally parallel to said conveying direction and operable at different speeds to allow aligning of said length dimension; wherein said guides are movable generally up and down between an extended position wherein said guides project above said conveyor surface to provide said lanes and a retracted position wherein all said guides can be retracted below said conveyor surface to allow conveying of bakery products that do not have a length dimension greater than the corresponding with direction.