Abstract: An infeed conveyor for a packaging machine holds a first squeezer conveyor having upper and lower belts spaced to receive workpiece rolls in an end to end relationship between them. The lower accelerating rollers and the upper accelerating rollers advancing the workpiece rolls further along the path of the first squeezer conveyor. At least one upper accelerating roller having a drive for driving it at a higher speed than the other accelerating rollers. A second conveyor being provided for receiving the workpiece rolls. The receiving end of the second conveyor either being at or below the level of the lower accelerating roller. When the receiving end of the second conveyor is below the level of the lower accelerating rollers the workpieces are rotated 90 degrees away from their original endwise advance by the action of the upper accelerating roller that has a drive for driving it at a higher speed than the other accelerating rollers.

Abstract: Products, accumulated on a supply conveyor having low-friction belts, are transferred to a flight conveyor with an intervening single level infeed conveyor system which includes a high-friction belt squeezer conveyor that accepts products at its inlet end from the supply conveyor and releases them for synchronous arrival in the flight conveyor. Means are provided for keeping the squeezer conveyor filled with a column of abutting products at all times during a production run so there is no speed change and, hence, no abrasion of products as they advance from the low-friction supply conveyor to the squeezer conveyor inlet.