APPARATUS FOR DIVERTING SUCCESSIVE ARTICLES IN A SINGLE LANE TO PLURAL LANES

摘要

An apparatus and method for diverting articles from a single lane to one of a plurality of lanes wherein the articles in the single lane are moving on a conveyor along a travel path, the apparatus comprising a pair of spaced apart flexible rails suspended above the conveyor where the flexible rails define a guide channel therebetween. The guide channel can have an upstream portion configured to receive the articles in the single lane and a downstream portion configured to distribute the articles to one of the lanes. The flexible rails are movable in a direction substantially parallel to the travel path. The downstream portion of the guide channel is configured to be selectively movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the travel path in order to selectively distribute the articles to one of the lanes.