Product stabilizing conveyor system and method

The method of maintaining the upright position of conveyor transported products comprising the steps of:

• providing a multi-lane conveyor having adjacent linear and curvilinear sections, each section comprising a plurality of meshed segments, the meshed segments which form the linear sections being separated by substantially uniform sized interstices, and the meshed segments which form the curvilinear sections being separated by interstices of varying sizes, including interstices which are larger than the interstices in the linear section;
• moving products from an upstream source on the linear section of the conveyor towards the curvilinear section;
• providing at least one diverter element at the junction between the linear section and the curvilinear section;
• employing the diverter element to direct moving products away from the larger interstices and toward the smaller interstices of the curvilinear section;
• and
• maintaining the products on the curvilinear section in upright positions on the curvilinear section as to products move around the curvilinear section.

The method of maintaining the upright position of conveyor transported products comprising the steps of:

• providing a multi-lane conveyor having adjacent linear and curvilinear sections, said sections each having inboard paths of travel and outboard paths of travel;
• moving products from an upstream source on the linear section of the conveyor towards the curvilinear section;
• providing at least one diverter element at the junction between the linear section and the curvilinear section;
• employing the diverter element to direct moving products being transported on the conveyor from the inboard paths of the linear section away from the outboard paths of the curvilinear section and towards the inboard paths of the curvilinear section;
• and
• maintaining the products on the curvilinear section in upright positions on the curvilinear section as to products move around the curvilinear section.