FLIGHT BAR ASSEMBLY, APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR NESTABLE COLLATION OF OBJECTS

摘要

Apparatus, flight bar assemblies (120) and methods are disclosed for nesting objects (102) into a substantially staggered arrangement. Such nesting may be done in a nesting zone of a machine, for example, just upstream of a shrink wrapping machine. The nested arrangement allows the grouping of nested objects to be shrink-wrapped without use of trays or cardboard blanks if desired. The flight bar assemblies (120) may include movable spacers (140,142,144,146) for orienting rows of objects before, during, and after nesting. Lane dividers may be provided having lengths corresponding to a contour of an outer guide and cam surface, cooperating with the lane dividers to selectively urging the rows of objects inward in an organized fashion to allow efficient and reliable nesting.