Patent ID: 7364398

Claim:
An apparatus for moving stacks of product, the apparatus comprising: a stacking assembly having a first separator finger movable from a retracted position to an extended position between first and second adjacent sheets within the stacking assembly, the first separator finger movable to support the first sheet to begin a first stack upon the first separator finger and to separate the first sheet from the second sheet completing a second stack, and a second separator finger movable independently of the first separator finger; a first conveyor movable at a first speed, the first conveyor having an upstream end adjacent to the stacking assembly and positioned to receive product from the stacking assembly and having a downstream end; a second conveyor positioned adjacent and parallel to the first conveyor, the second conveyor movable at a second speed, the second conveyor having an upstream end adjacent to the stacking assembly and positioned to receive product from the stacking assembly and having a downstream end, the downstream end of the first conveyor and the downstream end of the second conveyor being positioned at substantially equal distances from the upstream ends of the first conveyor and the second conveyor, respectively; the first speed being faster than the second speed to move stacks of product on the first conveyor away from the stacking assembly at a faster speed than stacks of product on the second conveyor; and a third conveyor located adjacent and transverse to the first conveyor and the second conveyor, the third conveyor configured to receive stacks of product from the first conveyor and the second conveyor and to move stacks of product in the same direction without stacks of product from the first conveyor interfering with stacks of product from the second conveyor; wherein the third conveyor is a paddle table having at least one paddle extending from the paddle table and movable relative to the first and second conveyors; wherein the at least one paddle and the first and second conveyors are timed such that a stack of product is deposited on the first conveyor at the same time as a stack of product is deposited on the second conveyor, and the stack from the first conveyor is moved by a paddle before the stack from the second conveyor is moved by a paddle; wherein the stack from the first conveyor and the stack from the second conveyor are moved by consecutive paddles of the third conveyor.