Patent ID: 7159375

Claim:
A method for accumulating different types of individual articles, said method comprising: delivering an initial-plurality of an initial-type of individual articles; automating a first-accumulator to provide a first-plurality of a first-type of individual articles, said first-type of articles differing from said initial-type of articles; moving said first-plurality of articles to a first packing location; and operatively combining said first-plurality of articles with said initial-plurality of articles by employing an automated assembly mechanism; wherein the automating of said first-accumulator further includes identifying an article-set which contains a selected, predetermined number of said first-type of individual articles; identifying appointed end-articles of said article-set; identifying a presence of an appointed datum surface with respect to each end-article; forming at least one article-set, which contains said selected number of the first-type of articles arranged in a configuration suitable for packaging.