Bypass carton accumulator

A system comprising a product conveyor and a bypass product accumulator adjacent to, and interfaced with, the product conveyor;

• wherein the bypass product accumulator comprises:
• a product transfer apparatus;
• at least one stop device comprising a stopper movable between a first and a second position, when in the first position the stopper does not interfere with the flow of products along the conveyor and when in the second position, the stopper engages with a product to stop a flow of products along the conveyor;
• and
• a storage apparatus;
• wherein the product transfer apparatus is configured to pick up a set of products from a pick-up zone of the product conveyor after the stopper has moved to its second position and place the set of products in the storage apparatus;
• wherein the product conveyor comprises a product flow direction and wherein the at least one stop device comprises a first stop device comprising a first stopper, the first stop device positioned in a downstream region of the product conveyor and configured such that actuation of the first stop device causes the first stopper to move into a path of the flow of products to stop the flow of products at a first downstream product stop position thereby causing a contiguous backlog of products in the pick-up zone;
• wherein the bypass product accumulator further comprises a clamping device comprising at least one clamping element, the clamping device positioned upstream from the first stop device and configured such that actuation of the clamping device causes the at least one clamping element to stop the flow of products at an upstream product stop position thereby preventing the flow of products into the pick-up zone;
• and
• an articulation device coupled to the first stop device and configured to effect movement of the first stopper in a direction away from the clamping device so as to create a gap between the clamping device and a last product to enter the pick-up zone before actuation of the clamping device, thereby adjusting a location of the set of products in the pick-up zone between at least an upstream slug position of the pick-up zone and a downstream slug position of the pick-up zone, wherein the set of products defines a slug of products and a trailing edge of the slug of products is nearer to the clamping device when the slug of products is in the upstream slug position than when the set of products is in the downstream slug position.