Apparatus and method for product counting, grouping and discharging

Abstract

An apparatus and method to efficiently and accurately count, group and discharge individual products from a production line. The apparatus and methods are suitable for a variety of products, including products with irregular shapes, and/or products that travel down production lines at irregular intervals. In one embodiment the apparatus can have a delivery conveyor having a product sensor; a grouping conveyor adjacent to the delivery conveyor having a plurality of containment areas to receive a plurality of products; and a controller communicatively connected to the delivery conveyor, the grouping conveyor, and the product sensor, the controller configured to count product traveling on the delivery conveyor during a grouping sequence and to discharge a product group from the grouping conveyor during a discharge sequence at a predetermined product count. The grouping conveyor can be at substantially right angles to the delivery conveyor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.