Method and apparatus for separating a stack of products into a stream of single products for sorting

A method for separating products along a feeder roll transport path having a plurality of selectively controlled feeder rolls, comprising the steps of:

• (a) feeding products onto the feeder roll transport path;
• (b) sensing the location of products on the transport path;
• (c) identifying whether the products on the feeder roll transport path are stacked or separate;
• (d) activating at least one feeder roll located at the downstream edge of each sensed product or stack of products on the feeder roll transport path;
• (e) sensing movement of the product or stack of products;
• (f) activating additional feeder rolls under a product or stack of products on a one-by-one basis if no movement is detected;
• (g) deactivating selected feeder rolls when movement is detected;
• (h) sensing a new location of all products on the feeder roll transport path;
• (i) repeating steps (a) through (h) to separate stacks of products into a stream of single products by stripping a bottom product from each identified product stack and move products downstream by maintaining proper spacing between successive identified separated products.

Apparatus for separating products into a stream of individual products, comprising:

• conveyor means, comprising:
• an infeed conveyor belt for receiving stacked products;
• a feed roller receiving the stacked products from the infeed conveyor for controlling further downstream movement of the products;
• a plurality of selectively controlled feeder rolls arranged on an inclined plane receiving stacked products from said feed roller for separating products into a product stream;
• and
• an output conveyor belt receiving separated products from the feeder rolls for continuous downstream movement for further processing;
• means for sensing the movement and location of products along said conveyor means and generating signals indicative thereof;
• and
• a control unit connected to said conveyor means and said means for sensing to receive and process signals generated by said means for sensing, and in turn generating control signals to regulate entry of products from the feed roller to the feeder rolls and to selectively actuate feeder rolls to separate the products into a stream of single products at the output conveyor belt.