Importance

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Abstract

A wrapping machine for wrapping products is provided with a product diverter for producing package formats which are greater in width than the number of lanes which deliver product to the wrapper machine. A plurality of metering belts advance product from an infeed conveyor along a plurality of infeed lanes. The metering belts are independently driven so that product can be advanced in each lane independently of the product in the other lanes. The metering belts deliver product to accelerator belts which speed up the product to create a gap between successive products in a lane. A first flighted conveyor advances product from the accelerator belts to a plurality of pivotally mounted diverting gates, corresponding in number to the number of infeed lanes. Each of the diverting gates direct the product to one of a plurality of output lanes. The number of output lanes is equal to, less than, or greater than the number of infeed lanes. The diverting gates are independently controlled so that each diverting gate can be pivoted independently of the other gates. A second flighted conveyor advances product from the discharge end of the diverter gates along the output lanes.

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First Claim