An apparatus for controlling the flow of articles, comprising: a main conveyor transporting said articles; an infeed conveyor for receiving articles from said main conveyor; an outfeed conveyor; said infeed conveyor and said outfeed conveyor having sections that are generally parallel to each other so as to define a space therebetween; at least one drive mechanism (16; 22) configured with each of said infeed and outfeed conveyors (A, B) to move said infeed conveyor in a first direction and said outfeed conveyor in a second direction, whereas the drive mechanism configured with said outfeed conveyor is a variable speed motor operably coupled to said outfeed conveyor driving said outfeed conveyor in said second direction opposite said first direction; a transport member moveable along the space provided between the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor and along the length of the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor; a rotatable member carried by the transport member, drivingly engaged simultaneously by infeed conveyor and outfeed conveyor so that the rotatable member continuously rotates as either of said infeed conveyor and outfeed conveyor move and causing the transport member to move along the space in a direction depending upon the relative speed of travel of the infeed conveyor and outfeed conveyor; an article transfer member carried by the transport member for transferring articles from the infeed conveyor to a position along the outfeed conveyor as the rotatable member rotates relative to said infeed and outfeed conveyors (A, B); characterized in a condition responsive device positioned on said main conveyor for sensing a backup of articles being fed from said outfeed conveyor onto said main conveyor and generating a signal responsive thereto, which is fed to the variable speed motor driving the outfeed conveyor for reducing the speed of the variable speed motor. a main conveyor transporting said articles; an infeed conveyor for receiving articles from said main conveyor; an outfeed conveyor; said infeed conveyor and said outfeed conveyor having sections that are generally parallel to each other so as to define a space therebetween; at least one drive mechanism (16; 22) configured with each of said infeed and outfeed conveyors (A, B) to move said infeed conveyor in a first direction and said outfeed conveyor in a second direction, whereas the drive mechanism configured with said outfeed conveyor is a variable speed motor operably coupled to said outfeed conveyor driving said outfeed conveyor in said second direction opposite said first direction; a transport member moveable along the space provided between the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor and along the length of the infeed conveyor and the outfeed conveyor; a rotatable member carried by the transport member, drivingly engaged simultaneously by infeed conveyor and outfeed conveyor so that the rotatable member continuously rotates as either of said infeed conveyor and outfeed conveyor move and causing the transport member to move along the space in a direction depending upon the relative speed of travel of the infeed conveyor and outfeed conveyor; an article transfer member carried by the transport member for transferring articles from the infeed conveyor to a position along the outfeed conveyor as the rotatable member rotates relative to said infeed and outfeed conveyors (A, B); characterized in a condition responsive device positioned on said main conveyor for sensing a backup of articles being fed from said outfeed conveyor onto said main conveyor and generating a signal responsive thereto, which is fed to the variable speed motor driving the outfeed conveyor for reducing the speed of the variable speed motor.