Patent ID: 8322514

Claim:
An article configuration system comprising a first conveyor for transferring articles from an input and a second conveyor, disposed at a non-linear angle relative to the first conveyor, for transferring articles to an output, the article processing system comprising a mechanism for transferring articles from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, said mechanism being structured and arranged to facilitate the reorganisation of articles conveyed by the first conveyor such that when transferred to the second conveyor the articles are disposed in adjacent metered lanes wherein the number of adjacent metered lanes of articles conveyed by the second conveyor is greater than the number of adjacent lanes of articles conveyed by the first conveyor, the mechanism for transferring articles comprising one or more elements each structured and arranged for releasably gripping articles in a configured group for transferring configured groups of articles from a first position to a second position, each of said elements being moveable between the first and second positions independently with respect to other of said elements such that each element is moveable at variable angular velocity between said first and second positions, wherein each element is mounted upon an independently controllable arm for rotational movement of each element and wherein each arm is coupled to its own drive means such that movement of each arm is independently controllable.