Patent ID: 7322459

Claim:
A product conveying and accumulation system, said system comprising: first conveying means for the movement of products from an upstream destination to a product discharge location, said first conveying means moving in a designated direction and at a constant speed; and second conveying means for receiving products from the first conveying means at a location upstream of the discharge location, said second conveying means continually moving at a constant speed slower than the first conveying means and being aligned substantially adjacent to the first conveying means from the upstream location to the discharge location and, at this adjacent alignment, being parallel to and in direct side by side contact with the first conveying means, the first and second conveying means moving side by side in the same direction at the adjacent alignment from the upstream location to the discharge location, whereby products are moved from the first conveying means directly onto the second conveying means at the upstream location of the adjacent alignment, said products moving at said slower constant speed than the products on the first conveying means such that products approaching said product discharge location from the upstream location are compelled away from the product discharge location, causing product separation with and substantially eliminating product turbulence and instability at the product discharge location.