Patent ID: 7080962

Claim:
An apparatus for conveying articles from one or more input streams to at least two output streams, the apparatus comprising: an air chamber connected to a primary air source; a top plate attached to the top of the air chamber; and an intermittent air supply connected to the top plate, where the top plate comprises an upper surface having a first conveyance zone, a second conveyance zone adjacent to the first conveyance zone, and a first diversion zone over which articles are selectively propelled from the first conveyance zone to the second conveyance zone; where the first conveyance zone comprises a plurality of primary air passageways arranged such that the articles are supported and propelled through the first conveyance zone in a conveyance direction by air from the air chamber passing through such primary air passageways, where second conveyance zone comprises a plurality of primary air passageways arranged such that the articles are supported and propelled through the second conveyance zone in the conveyance direction by air passing from the air chamber through such primary air passageways, and where the first diversion zone comprises a plurality of secondary air passageways arranged to selectively divert articles from the first conveyance zone to the second conveyance zone by air supplied by the intermittent air supply to the upper surface through such secondary air passageways.