Abstract: A dual motion divider for articles moving along a conveyor belt has an intake lane defining member with elongated parallel spaced partition walls defining an intake lane for articles carried on an associated conveyor belt. The member is pivotable at its article receiving end in an arc extending transversely of the partition walls and movable at its other end along an axis parallel to the partition walls. The divider also has a discharge lane defining member with a multiplicity of elongated parallel spaced partition walls defining a plurality of discharge lanes for the articles. The discharge lane defining member is pivotable at its article discharging end in an arc extending transversely of the partition walls and movable at its other end along an axis parallel to the partition walls.

Abstract: A dual motion divider for articles moving along a conveyor belt has an intake lane defining member with elongated parallel spaced partition walls defining an intake lane for articles carried on an associated conveyor belt. The member is pivotable at its article receiving end in an arc extending transversely of the partition walls and movable at its other end. The divider also has a discharge lane defining member with a multiplicity of elongated parallel spaced partition walls defining a plurality of discharge lanes for the articles. The discharge lane defining member is pivotable at its article discharging end in an arc extending transversely of the partition walls and movable at its other end. The movable ends of the members are adjacent each other and a drive assembly is connected to each of the lane defining members to move concurrently the movable ends in opposite directions and bring the intake lane into alignment with a predetermined one of the discharge lanes.

Abstract: A grid finger assembly for a carton filling machine has a finger holder having a body with a slot in one end thereof adapted to seat a grid element, a retainer cavity in its other end, and a multiplicity of finger receiving recesses extending axially into the body of the holder from the cavity and about its periphery. The body also has at least one retainer recess extending inwardly thereinto from the cavity and disposed inwardly of the finger receiving recesses. A multiplicity of elongated fingers formed from a flexible, form retaining synthetic resin, have a bifurcated end portion with spaced arms seated in the finger receiving recesses of the finger holder, and an elongated body portion depending therefrom and inclined outwardly from the axis of the finger holder. A retainer has its axis parallel to the axis of the holder and has one end dimensioned and configured to seat in the retainer cavity of the finger holder, and an axial projection seating in the retainer recess of the finger holder.

Abstract: A carton flap opening assembly for use in a carton conveying apparatus having a frame and a conveyor. The assembly includes a horizontally disposed arm having a mounting portion at one end and a flap engaging portion extending therefrom. The flap engaging portion has a generally planar trailing edge section at its outer end, and a depending arcuate leading edge portion with an upwardly extending end section therebehind. A rotating mechanism has mounting means supporting the mounting portion of the arm for rotation of the arm about a vertical axis spaced to one side of the conveyor path. A vertical motion mechanism supports the rotating mechanism and thereby the arm for movement vertically relative to the plane of the associated conveyor path and a control mean for operating the rotating and vertical motion mechanisms in response to the position of a carton moving along the conveyor path.