Abstract: A product handling apparatus, components of a product handling apparatus, a method of handling products and a software program for controlling a product handling apparatus. The apparatus includes an induct area, in which products are inducted or fed, either automatically or manually, into the product handling apparatus, an identification area, in which the product configuration, the product type and the product title are identified, a labeling area, in which product labels are printed, applied to each product and verified, and a product sorting area, in which the products are sorted into the individual customer order product collection locations for packaging and shipment to the customer. In the product sorting area, products are diverted by air knife diverter mechanisms, and stackable products are stacked in stacker assemblies. An “endless” main conveyor assembly conveys products from the induct area, through the product handling apparatus, to the product sorting area.

Abstract: A printing/applicator station (10) for use in for printing labels and attaching labels to unlabeled objects (11) at a rate of at least 200 objects per minute includes conveyors (12, 13) feeding the objects (11) at a rate of at least 200 objects per minute past a labeling machine (24) that applies labels at a rate of at least 200 per minute. The objects (11) are then fed past a printing machine (15) at the rate of at least 200 per minute. A supervisory computer (16) stores information corresponding to different titles and different customers, and transmits this information over a network (17) to the printer (15), where it is printed on the labels (37) already attached to the objects. One of the conveyors (12) is oriented at an angle of approximately twenty degrees from perpendicular to the first conveyor (13) to support the objects as they are fed at high speed.