Patent ID: 8561784

Claim:
An apparatus for conveying organ packages to one or more processing stations, the apparatus comprising: a tray conveyor having a series of trays movable in a conveying direction along a length of the tray conveyor, wherein each of the trays is arranged to receive an organ package; and at least one discharge station for the organ packages, said discharge station positioned above the trays of said tray conveyor and having a sweeper device configured for wiping the organ packages out of the trays as the trays pass below said discharge station; said sweeper device comprising a pusher plate carried on a pusher plate conveyor that is structured to simultaneously move the pusher plate along both the conveying direction and along a direction transverse to the conveying direction over at least a portion of said tray conveyor; wherein said trays are substantially identical, and wherein along the conveying direction each said tray has a leading upper edge and a trailing upper edge, and wherein the trailing upper edge of a first tray and the leading upper edge of an adjacent, second tray have different heights and are in overlay arrangement so as to allow the trailing edge of the first tray can moved unhindered by the leading edge of the second tray that is adjacent to and following the first tray along the conveying direction.