Conveyor package flow density adjustment system

A package flow density adjustment method comprising the steps of:

• utilizing a set of sensors to collect a plurality of measurements of packages moving along a feed conveyor and a collecting conveyor having variable speed motors, storing and analyzing said plurality of measurements in a software to determine the area utilization over a defined length of said conveyors, and variably controlling the speed of said feed conveyor and said collector conveyor with a programmable logic controller to achieve a desired percent area utilization or a desired occupancy percentage of packages on said feed conveyor or said collector conveyor;
• wherein said programmable logic controller halts said feed conveyor if the calculated speed of the conveyor falls below its minimum speed, then restarts said conveyor when the calculated necessary speed exceeds 110% of its preset minimum speed.

(canceled)

A package flow density adjustment method comprising the steps of:

• utilizing a set of sensors to collect a plurality of measurements of packages moving along a feed conveyor and a collecting conveyor having variable speed motors, storing and analyzing said plurality of measurements in a software to determine the area utilization over a defined length of said conveyors, and variably controlling the speed of said feed conveyor and said collector conveyor with a programmable logic controller to achieve a desired percent area utilization or a desired occupancy percentage of packages on said feed conveyor or said collector conveyor;
• wherein said feed conveyor is driven by a single speed motor which is networked to said programmable logic controller to start and stop said feed conveyor at appropriate intervals to ensure that the desired percent area of utilization is achieved when merging with a collecting conveyor:
• wherein said feed conveyor is halted when its calculated speed falls below its minimum speed and is restarted when its calculated necessary speed exceeds 110% of the conveyors preset minimum speed.

7-35. (canceled)