High-speed array former and methods thereof

A system for forming an array of articles, comprising:

• an infeed single lane conveyor moving a plurality of articles and configured to move in a first direction;
• an array forming conveyor configured to move in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
• a programmable robot for transferring the articles to the array forming conveyor, the programmable robot includes a pusher mounted at an end of the programmable robot that is configured to engage and form a row of articles in a sweeping area and releases the formed row of articles by pushing the formed row of articles onto the array forming conveyor, forming an array of articles arrangement, wherein the pusher includes an end stop for holding the articles until the row of articles is formed, and the end stop is configured to be actuated in a retractable position;
• and
• an article metering device including a speed controller to control the flow of articles from the infeed single lane conveyor to the array forming conveyor,
• wherein at time of engagement of the row of articles in the sweeping area, the article metering device matches a speed of the infeed single lane conveyor in the first direction,
• wherein at time of release of the formed row of articles from the sweeping area, the article metering device matches a speed of the array forming conveyor in the second direction, and
• wherein, during one cycle time, the conveyor tracking element controls the programmable robot to match the speed of the infeed single lane conveyor before the programmable robot starts to slow down to match the speed of the array forming conveyor.

A method of forming an array of articles, the method comprising:

• transporting, on an infeed single lane conveyor, a plurality of articles;
• receiving and forming a row of articles by a programmable robot including a pusher;
• holding the row of articles, via an end stop at one end of the pusher, until the row of articles is formed;
• actuating the end stop to retract the end stop and release the row of articles;
• pushing, via the pusher of the programmable robot, the formed row of articles to an array forming conveyor to form an array of articles arrangement;
• controlling, via an article metering device including a speed controller, a flow of articles arriving from the infeed single lane conveyor;
• and
• based on the speed of the infeed conveyor, matching a motion of the programmable robot to provide a continuous flow of articles.

A system for forming an array of articles, comprising:

• an infeed single lane conveyor moving a plurality of articles;
• an array forming conveyor;
• a programmable robot for transferring the articles to the array forming conveyor, the programmable robot includes a pusher mounted at an end of the programmable robot that is configured to form and push a row of articles to the array forming conveyor, forming an array of articles arrangement, wherein the pusher includes an end stop for holding the articles until the row of articles is formed, and the end stop is configured to be actuated in a retractable position;
• and
• an article metering device including a speed controller to control the flow of articles into a sweeping area of the infeed single lane conveyor,
• wherein the programmable robot includes a conveyor tracking element to match a speed of the infeed single lane conveyor to provide a continuous flow of articles.