Patent ID: 7726096

Claim:
A system for loading a plurality of items held in a plurality of pucks into a plurality of containers, said system comprising: (a) a plurality of pucks, each of said pucks adapted to retain an item; (b) a puck delivery sub-system comprising a puck in-feed conveyor operable to move each of said plurality of pucks in series generally in a first longitudinal direction along an in-feed conveyor path portion while each of said plurality of pucks retains at least one item, and a transition apparatus operable to facilitate the transition and transfer of said plurality of pucks while each of said plurality of pucks is retaining said at least one items from said puck in-feed conveyor to a continuous puck unloading conveyor, said continuous puck unloading conveyor being separate from said puck in-feed conveyor and being operable for moving said plurality of pucks generally while each of said plurality of pucks retains said at least one item; (c) said continuous puck unloading conveyor operable to move said plurality of pucks in series in a second longitudinal direction along a puck unloading conveyor path portion, said pucks and said puck unloading conveyor having a releasable engagement mechanism operable to facilitate said pucks releasably engaging said puck unloading conveyor, such that when each of said pucks is engaged with said puck unloading conveyor, each of said pucks is fixed in a relative longitudinal position in said second longitudinal direction along said puck unloading conveyor path portion relative to said puck unloading conveyor; (d) a continuous container loading conveyor for moving a plurality of containers in series in a third longitudinal direction along a container loading conveyor path portion, said plurality of containers being fixed in relative longitudinal position in said third longitudinal direction along said container loading conveyor path portion relative to said container loading conveyor, and said container loading conveyor moving in said third longitudinal direction along said container loading conveyor path portion that is located proximate said path portion of said puck unloading conveyor; (e) an item transfer apparatus for transferring said item from each of said plurality of pucks on said puck unloading conveyor to a corresponding container being moved on said container loading conveyor; wherein said item transfer apparatus transfers each item retained by said pucks once engaged with said puck unloading conveyor, to a respective container of said container loading conveyor, while said puck unloading conveyor is moving along said puck unloading conveyor path portion and said container loading conveyor is moving along said container loading conveyor path portion; wherein after each item retained by said puck has been transferred to said container, said releasable engagement mechanism is operable to facilitate said pucks being released from engagement with said puck unloading conveyor.