Patent ID: 7669706

Claim:
A method of sequencing trays, comprising the steps of: during at least one preliminary sweep operation: directing newly ejected trays from queued bin locations to a first merge location; diverting staged trays previously ejected from the queued bin locations towards the first merge location; coordinating movements of the newly ejected trays and the staged trays such that the newly ejected trays are merged with the staged trays at the first merge location, into a sequenced set of trays; and during a final sweep operation: diverting the sequenced set of trays away from the first merge location and towards a second merge location; ejecting remaining trays having product therein from working bin locations and the queued bin locations diverting the remaining trays towards the second merge location; and sequencing, in contiguous sequence, the remaining trays and sequenced trays as they pass though the second merge location.