Patent ID: 7163098

Claim:
A variable-capacity First In First Out (FIFO) store comprising an input station ( 8 ) located at an input conveyor ( 5 ); an output station ( 9 ) located at an output conveyor ( 7 ); a powered endless conveyor belt ( 10 ) defining a conveying branch ( 13 ) for transferring a mass of articles ( 6 ) from the input station ( 8 ) to the output station ( 9 ), and a return branch ( 16 ) extending from the output station ( 9 ) to the input station ( 8 ); an adjusting assembly ( 17 ) for adjusting the lengths of the conveying and return branches ( 13 , 16 ) in complementary manner, so as to adjust the storage capacity of the store ( 4 ); an expulsion station ( 32 ) located along the output conveyor ( 7 ), downstream from the output station ( 9 ), to expel a given mass of articles ( 6 ) from the output conveyor ( 7 ); and a control unit ( 33 ) for tracking the location of a mass of articles ( 6 ) in the store ( 4 ), and for activating the expulsion station ( 32 ) when the previously identified mass of articles ( 6 ) travels through the expulsion station ( 32 ); wherein the conveyor belt ( 10 ) is connected to at least one respective encoder ( 44 , 45 ) for determining the instantaneous position of the conveyor belt ( 10 ); the control unit ( 33 ) being connected to the encoder ( 44 , 45 ) of the conveyor belt ( 10 ) to track, in the store ( 4 ), the location of a mass of articles ( 6 ) to be expelled, and to determine when the previously identified mass of articles ( 6 ) travels through the expulsion station ( 32 ).