Abstract: For allowing a reduction in the processing capacity to be accommodated without a delay in a system, in which articles are supplied and transferred to an article processing device (8) from an article delivering device (4) in a regularly clock-cycled supply stream, articles are not transferred to the article processing device when there is no processing capacity. Instead, they are conveyed onwards along a return track (9) and are re-introduced into the supply stream at a return point (6) upstream of the transfer point (7). For each re-introduction of a returned article into the supply stream, a gap is produced in the supply stream in a gap formation point (5) upstream of the return point (6).

Abstract: For allowing a reduction in the processing capacity to be accommodated without delay in a system, in which articles are supplied and transferred to an article processing device (8) from an article delivering device (4) in a regularly clock cycled supply stream, articles are not transferred to the article processing device when there is no processing capacity. Instead they are conveyed onwards along a return track (9) and are re-introduced into the supply stream at a return point (6) upstream of the transfer point (7). For each re-introduction of a returned article into the supply stream, a gap is produced in the supply stream in a gap formation point (5) upstream of the return point (6). For synchronizing returned articles and gaps, the length (in clock cycles) of the return track (9) is matched to the length (in clock cycles) of the supply track (3) from the gap formation point (5) to the return point (6) and to a time difference (in clock cycles) between a non-transfer and formation of a corresponding gap.