while allowing non flat packages n to tumble downward from an elevated side edge 28 of the tilted belt across the belt and past a lower side edge 29 of course flat packages that are stacked atop other packages or that drop to the tilted conveyor on edge are likely to fall past the lower side edge along with the tumbling non flat packages the tilted conveyor belt 24 conveys the retained flat packages f in a direction of belt travel 30 a horizontal collection conveyor 32 parallel and adjacent to the lower side edge 29 of the tilted conveyor belt 24 receives all the non flat packages n and the few flat packages that tumble off the tilted belt and conveys them in the direction of belt travel 30 both the tilted conveyor belt 24 which conveys mostly flat packages and the horizontal conveyor 32 which conveys mostly non flat packages feed those initially separated packages onto a culling conveyor 34 to provide further culling if necessary although the high friction outer conveying surface of the tilted conveyor belt described constitutes one kind of retention means used to prevent flat packages from sliding off the lower side edge of the tilted conveyor belt other retention means may be used for example a raised barrier 33 upstanding from the outer conveying surface 26 and extending along its length near.