Patent ID: 6520342
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: B07C,Y10S

Abstract:
A feeder assembly for use in a product handling apparatus for handling multiple products, each product having opposite faces and a bottom edge, a top edge, a leading edge and a trailing edge, said feeder assembly comprising:a feed conveyor assembly including a feed conveyor belt for supporting products in face-to-face relation in a feed stack having a first end and a second end, said feed conveyor belt being engageable with the bottom edge of each product in the feed stack to support the products, said feed conveyor belt feeding products in a feed direction toward the first end of the feed stack; and a strip-off conveyor assembly including a strip-off conveyor belt having a strip-off direction substantially perpendicular to the feed direction, said strip-off conveyor belt having a belt surface and a plurality of cleat members spaced apart in the strip-off direction and extending from said belt surface, said belt surface being generally coplanar with one face of the product at the first end of the feed stack, said belt surface being positioned to engage a portion of the one face of the product at the first end of the feed stack and one of said plurality of cleat members being engageable with the trailing edge of the product to strip the product at the first end of the feed stack from the feed stack.