ARTICLE GROUP ASSEMBLY AND FORWARDING CONVEYOR FOR WRAPPING MACHINES

Parallel feed conveyors deliver side by side rows of articles to side by side accelerating conveyors. The accelerating conveyors deliver groups of articles transversely across parallel side by side wrapping machine conveyors having package advancing flights in the plane of both conveyors and transversely across the end of the accelerating conveyors. The accelerating conveyors have two different speed drive connections, and adjustable cycle dividing switches driven at the same frequency as the cycle of the advancing flights of the wrapping machine conveyors function to engage the high speed drive to the accelerating conveyors during a fraction only of each package advancing cycle. The dividing switches also function to momentarily close article stop gates between the feed conveyors and the accelerating conveyors at about the beginning of each cycle of the machine.