Patent ID: 8733069
Filing Date: 2014-05-27
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
1. A method for shuffling and combining units from among a plurality of packages of different types of units moving along a conveyor, the method comprising: providing a plurality of packages with one type of unit in each package moving along the conveyor, the plurality of packages defining at least two lanes extending among the plurality of packages moving along the conveyor, wherein each package contains one or more units positioned within at least one of the lanes; selecting at least one of the one or more units from a package as at least one group of units, the at least one group of units being made up of fewer than all of the units in the package; repositioning the selected at least one group of units to another package moving along the conveyor, wherein the selection and repositioning of units results in the formation of a plurality of packages that have more than one type of unit within each package; wherein the act of selecting the at least one group of units comprises the act of selecting at least one array of single-variety groups of units, the number of selected arrays being one fewer than the number of lanes, and the act of repositioning the selected at least one group of units comprises the act of shifting the selected arrays of groups within each corresponding lane by an amount that is different for selected array.