The present disclosure includes a system and method for providing a reservoir conveyor that provides the linear space needed to increase the capacity of the buffer storage reservoir such that it is compatible with and increases the efficiency of a Grader and packers.

An accumulating conveyor comprises a conveyor belt successively follows a first helical track from a lower end thereof in upward direction to a location below an upper end thereof, a first bridge to a location at a second helical track below an upper end thereof, the second helical track in downward direction to a lower end thereof, a first set of auxiliary guides to the upper end of the second helical track, the second helical track in downward direction, a second bridge to the first helical track, the first helical track in upward direction to the upper end thereof, and the second set of auxiliary guides to the lower end of the first helical track. The bridges are synchronously movable along the first and second helical tracks for varying the effective lengths of the conveyor belt.

An accumulating conveyor comprises a conveyor belt successively follows a first helical track from a lower end thereof in upward direction to a location below an upper end thereof, a first bridge to a location at a second helical track below an upper end thereof, the second helical track in downward direction to a lower end thereof, a first set of auxiliary guides to the upper end of the second helical track, the second helical track in downward direction, a second bridge to the first helical track, the first helical track in upward direction to the upper end thereof, and the second set of auxiliary guides to the lower end of the first helical track. The bridges are synchronously movable along the first and second helical tracks for varying the effective lengths of the conveyor belt.

A food article loading system including a shuttle conveyor mounted for reciprocal movement having a first paddle belt for receiving food articles, and upper and lower drives engaging the upper and lower passes of the first paddle belt; a loading head having a second paddle belt for receiving the food articles from the first paddle belt lower pass; a slide gate for receiving groupings of food articles from the loading head; and a control for independently actuating the upper and lower drives to operate at selected speeds, to cause rotation of the first belt and the shuttle conveyor to reciprocate longitudinally to receive and retain a first predetermined number of the food articles, deposit a second predetermined number of the elongate food articles onto the second belt at a selected frequency, and selectively open the slide gate to allow groupings of food articles to fall into receptacles.

A method for sequencing loads in an automated load-distribution system having k sources with k2; at least one destination; k FIFO-type source buffer devices, each receiving loads from one of the k sources; a collector collecting the loads coming from the k source buffer devices and transporting them to the at least one destination. The collector has k successive nodes each collecting the loads coming from one of the source buffer devices. The control system processes customer orders listing loads for a given destination and being associated with a sequential order number of destination. The control system: builds a collection list containing n loads to be collected and reducing a disorder of the n loads relative to a rising order of the sequential order numbers of destination; and controlling the collector and the source buffer devices to collect loads on the collector in compliance with the collection list.

A method for sequencing loads in an automated load-distribution system having k sources with k2; at least one destination; k FIFO-type source buffer devices, each receiving loads from one of the k sources; a collector collecting the loads coming from the k source buffer devices and transporting them to the at least one destination. The collector has k successive nodes each collecting the loads coming from one of the source buffer devices. The control system processes customer orders listing loads for a given destination and being associated with a sequential order number of destination. The control system: builds a collection list containing n loads to be collected and reducing a disorder of the n loads relative to a rising order of the sequential order numbers of destination; and controlling the collector and the source buffer devices to collect loads on the collector in compliance with the collection list.

An accumulating conveyor comprises a conveyor belt successively follows a first helical track from a lower end thereof in upward direction to a location below an upper end thereof, a first bridge to a location at a second helical track below an upper end thereof, the second helical track in downward direction to a lower end thereof, a first set of auxiliary guides to the upper end of the second helical track, the second helical track in downward direction, a second bridge to the first helical track, the first helical track in upward direction to the upper end thereof, and the second set of auxiliary guides to the lower end of the first helical track. The bridges are synchronously movable along the first and second helical tracks for varying the effective lengths of the conveyor belt.

A food article loading system including a shuttle conveyor mounted for reciprocal movement having a first paddle belt for receiving food articles, and upper and lower drives engaging the upper and lower passes of the first paddle belt; a loading head having a second paddle belt for receiving the food articles from the first paddle belt lower pass; a slide gate for receiving groupings of food articles from the loading head; and a control for independently actuating the upper and lower drives to operate at selected speeds, to cause rotation of the first belt and the shuttle conveyor to reciprocate longitudinally to receive and retain a first predetermined number of the food articles, deposit a second predetermined number of the elongate food articles onto the second belt at a selected frequency, and selectively open the slide gate to allow groupings of food articles to fall into receptacles.

The invention relates to a buffer device comprising a container feed device, a buffer which is arranged downstream of the container feed device, and a container discharge device which is arranged downstream of the buffer. In order to feed containers to the buffer, the container feed device is designed to transport containers in a first direction by means of first conveyor belts. The buffer comprises a drivable buffer belt or multiple drivable buffer belts which are parallel to one another and each of which is designed to transport containers in a second direction, said second direction running transversely to the first direction. The container discharge device is designed to discharge and separate containers from the buffer in the first direction or in a third direction which is opposite the first direction.

A conveyor includes a helical track and a conveyor belt which is drivable along the helical track. The helical track is provided with an inner rail and an outer rail surrounding the inner rail. The conveyor belt is provided with slats that are mounted to a flexible conveyor line, such as a side-bow chain. Each of the slats is provided with a guide roller having an axis of rotation including a vertical component, which guide roller is upwardly, downwardly and radially supported by the inner rail. Each of the slats is upwardly supported by the outer rail and movable in upward direction with respect to the outer rail. The upper contact location between the guide roller and the inner rail where the guide roller is radially supported lies above a line along which a resultant radial force of the conveyor line towards a centerline of the inner rail acts.