Apparatus for diverting products and methods of handling products

A product handling system, comprising:

• a product conveyor capable of transporting a plurality of products;
• an overhead diverter assembly comprising at least three or more flighted conveyors, the overhead diverter comprising:
• a first flighted conveyor situated substantially orthogonal to the product conveyor, the first flighted conveyor comprising a first train of first flights for diverting products from the product conveyor;
• a second flighted conveyor situated substantially orthogonal to the product conveyor, the second flighted conveyor comprising a second train of second flights for diverting products from the product conveyor;
• and
• a third flighted conveyor situated substantially orthogonal to the product conveyor, the third flighted conveyor comprising a third train of third flights for diverting products from the product conveyor;
• a cassette conveyor including a cassette conveyor belt that moves cassettes toward a transfer location;
• and
• a control system that operates the overhead diverter such that each of the first, second and third flighted conveyors has a diverting mode and a cassette filling mode, wherein, when at least one of the first, second and third flighted conveyors is in the cassette filling mode, product diverted from the product conveyor is transferred to a cassette at the transfer location.

A product handling system, comprising:

• a flighted conveyor for transferring a collection of individual products, the flighted conveyor having variable speed;
• a cassette conveyor having a substantially constant speed;
• a plurality of cassettes disposed on the cassette conveyor, each of the plurality of cassettes comprising receptacles for receiving the collection of individual products from the flighted conveyor during a transfer operation;
• a synchronizing system including an engaging structure that engages one or more of the plurality of cassettes to synchronize the speed and position of the one or more cassettes and the flighted conveyor during the transfer operation;
• and
• wherein the speed and positioning of the cassettes are controlled by the cassette conveyor at a point before and after the transfer operation.