Apparatus and method for product counting, grouping and discharging

1. An apparatus to count, group and discharge products, comprising:

a delivery conveyor having a product sensor;

a grouping conveyor adjacent to the delivery conveyor having a plurality of containment areas to receive a plurality of products; and

a controller communicatively connected to the delivery conveyor, the grouping conveyor, and the product sensor,

the controller configured to count product traveling on the delivery conveyor during a grouping sequence then command the grouping conveyor to discharge a product group from the grouping conveyor during a discharge sequence at a predetermined product count;

wherein the grouping conveyor continuously advances at a first speed during the grouping sequence and continuously advances at a second speed during the discharge sequence, the second speed being faster than the first speed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the grouping conveyor is at substantially right angles to the delivery conveyor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines the product count from a determination of gaps between product on the delivery conveyor and a sensed product length.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the product length is determined by a calibrated speed of the delivery conveyor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller determines an initial product count by the number of product gaps and adds additional counts in proportion of a sensed product length beyond a predetermined single product length.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the product count adds one product count where the product length is substantially equal to a predetermined product length and adds two product counts where the measured product length is substantially greater than the predetermined product length.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller adds three product counts where the measured product length is substantially greater than twice the predetermined product length.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of containment areas is defined by a plurality of partitions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a chute for receiving the group of products and for holding them until an empty container is available into which the product can be deposited.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a duration of the discharge sequence is a time it takes the grouping conveyor to complete one rotation.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at completion of the discharge sequence one rotation of the grouping conveyor returns to the first speed.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the delivery conveyor continuously advances at a delivery speed while the grouping conveyor continuously advances at the first speed, and the delivery conveyor continuously advances at a discharge speed while the grouping conveyor continuously advances at the second speed, the delivery speed being faster than the discharge speed.

13. A method of counting, grouping and discharging products, the method comprising:

counting distributed products on a delivery conveyor using a product sensor;

delivering the products to a plurality of containment areas on a grouping conveyor;

continuously advancing the grouping conveyor at a first speed during the delivering;

discharging the products from the grouping conveyor upon reaching a predetermined product count; and

continuously advancing the grouping conveyor at a second speed faster than the first speed during the discharging.