A beverage bottle conveying arrangement being configured and disposed to convey groups of beverage bottles, said beverage bottle conveying arrangement comprising:
- an input arrangement comprising at least a first beverage bottle conveyor and a second beverage bottle conveyor;
- an output arrangement comprising a third beverage bottle conveyor being disposed offset with respect to each of said first and second beverage bottle conveyors;
- each of said first, second, and third beverage bottle conveyors being configured to convey groups of beverage bottles thereon in an individual stream of groups of beverage bottles;
- a merging arrangement being disposed between said input arrangement and said output arrangement;
- said merging arrangement being configured to convey groups of beverage bottles from said first and second beverage bottle conveyors to said third beverage bottle conveyor;
- said merging arrangement being configured to merge a first stream of groups of beverage bottles of said first beverage bottle conveyor with a second stream of groups of beverage bottles of said second beverage bottle conveyor into a third stream of groups of beverage bottles on said third beverage bottle conveyor;
- said merging arrangement comprising:
- a first chain being configured and disposed to be driven in a circulating manner;
- a second chain being configured and disposed to be driven in a circulating manner;
- a plurality of rods being disposed between and being connected to said first and second chains;
- said first and second chains being configured and disposed to move said rods in a transport direction transverse to the length of said rods;
- a plurality of beverage bottle carrier plates, each being adjustably mounted on a corresponding one of said rods to permit individual movement of said beverage bottle carrier plates along the length of said rods;
- said first and second chains, said rods, and said plurality of beverage bottle carrier plates together form a circulating, beverage bottle conveyor being configured to convey groups of beverage bottles thereon;
- a guide rail arrangement being disposed within said circulating, beverage bottle conveyor between said first and second chains;
- said guide rail arrangement comprising guide rails;
- said beverage bottle carrier plates comprising fastening structures being configured to detachably connect said beverage bottle carrier plates to one another to permit the formation of beverage bottle carrier plate units comprising a plurality of beverage bottle carrier plates, which connected beverage bottle carrier plates are essentially immovable with respect to one another;
- said beverage bottle carrier plates being configured to be connected and disconnected to permit the formation of beverage bottle carrier plate units having different sizes and comprising different numbers of beverage bottle carrier plates to permit handling of different-sized groups of beverage bottles;
- at least one of said beverage bottle carrier plates of each beverage bottle carrier plate unit comprising a guide element being configured to be operatively disposed in a guide rail of said guide rail arrangement to effect a movement of said beverage bottle carrier plate unit along the length of said rods transverse to the transport direction, to thereby permit movement of groups of beverage bottles in a direction transverse to the transport direction while essentially preventing rotation of the groups of beverage bottles from a first orientation to a second orientation different from the first orientation;
- said beverage bottle carrier plate units comprising at least a first beverage bottle carrier plate unit and a second beverage bottle carrier plate unit being disposed immediately adjacent said first beverage bottle carrier plate unit;
- said guide rail arrangement being configured and disposed to guide said first and second beverage bottle carrier plate units away from one another upon said first and second beverage bottle carrier plate units being moved toward said input arrangement, to thereby align said first beverage bottle carrier plate unit with said first beverage bottle conveyor, and to align said second beverage bottle carrier plate unit with said second beverage bottle conveyor, to permit said merging arrangement to receive groups of beverage bottles from each of said first and second beverage bottle conveyors;
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- said guide rail arrangement being configured and disposed to guide said first and second beverage bottle carrier plate units toward one another upon said first and second beverage bottle carrier plate units being moved toward said output arrangement, to thereby align each of said first and second beverage bottle carrier plate units with said third beverage bottle conveyor, to permit said merging arrangement to merge separate groups of beverage bottles from each of said first and second beverage bottle conveyors into merged groups of beverage bottles on said third beverage bottle conveyor.