Patent ID: 7941990

Claim:
An apparatus for packaging products into a container, comprising: a first supply conveyor having a first product-carrying surface that is moveable in a transport direction; reorientation means, associated with said first supply conveyor and configured for changing an orientation of products being transported on said first product-carrying surface; a second supply conveyor, disposed downstream of the first supply conveyor and having a second product-carrying surface that is moveable in both the transport direction and a direction substantially perpendicular thereto; a collecting conveyor, disposed downstream of the second supply conveyor and having a third product-carrying surface that is moveable in the transport direction, whereby a portion of the third product-carrying surface is extendably and retractably arranged; and a suction pick up head that is disposed in a substantially vertically moveable manner above the extendably and retractably arranged portion of the third product-carrying surface of the collecting conveyor, the suction pick up head being configured for engaging a layer of products to be placed into the container.