Apparatus and method for controlling supply of articles

Abstract

An apparatus and method which control the supply of a product to a pooling unit. A sensor is provided for sensing whether the product has been supplied to a preset level of the pooling unit. The method comprises sensing whether the product has been supplied to the preset level of the pooling unit. A first time period is measured until the preset level is attained once supply of the product has begun. A second time period is calculated and measured based on the first time period, during which the product continues to be supplied to the pooling unit. The supply of the product to the pooling unit is then halted in response to expiration of the second time period. Control is effected such that the overall amount of the product supplied is substantially constant irrespective of any variation in the amount of the product supplied to the pooling unit per unit time.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.