# US 10,766,715 B2 · High speed diverter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,715 B2 - Document ID: US10766715B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/128,093 - Filed: 2018-09-11 - Published: 2019-03-21 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-15 - Assignees: Shuttleworth, Inc. - Applicants: Shuttleworth, LLC - Inventors: Gregory C. Stroud; Rhett E. Craig - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766715B2 ## CPC - B65G 47/71: the articles being discharged {or distributed} to several {distinct separate} conveyors {or to a broader conveyor lane} - B07B 13/05: using material mover cooperating with retainer, deflector or discharger (B07B13/065 - B07B13/075 take precedence) - B07C 5/3412: {according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality class, contents or incorrect indication (sorting according to size measured by light-responsive means B07C5/10; sorting according to optical properties B07C5/342; for packages B65D79/02; for information carriers G06K7/00)} - B07C 5/36: Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution {(sorting according to destination B07C3/003, B07C3/02)} - B65G 47/648: {about a vertical axis} - B65G 47/766: {Adjustable ploughs or transverse scrapers} - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - B07B: SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL (wet separating processes, sorting by processes using fluent material in the same way as liquid B03; combinations of dry separating apparatus with wet separating apparatus B03B; using liquids B03B, B03D; sorting by magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges or vortex apparatus for carrying out physical processes B04; hand sorting, postal sorting, sorting by switching or other devices actuated in response to detection or measurement of some feature of articles or samples of material B07C) - B07C: POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D33/06, B23Q7/12) ## Abstract A system for diverting objects traveling along a conveyor includes an upstream conveyor segment having an inlet end and an outlet end and a downstream conveyor segment having an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment is located to receive items from the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment. A conveyor shift mechanism is linked to both the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment and the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment for carrying out lateral movement of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment in one lateral direction while simultaneously carrying out lateral movement of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment in an opposite lateral direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for diverting objects traveling along a conveyor, comprising: an upstream conveyor segment having an inlet end and an outlet end; a downstream conveyor segment having an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment is located to receive items from the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment; a conveyor shift mechanism linked to both the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment and the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment for carrying out lateral movement of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment in a first lateral direction while simultaneously carrying out lateral movement of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment in a second lateral direction that is opposite the first lateral direction; wherein the conveyor shift mechanism comprises a rotatable arm below the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment and the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment, the rotatable arm having a first side linked to an underside of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment and a second side linked to an underside of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the first side of the rotatable arm includes a first transfer link that rides within and along a first guide slot of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment, and the second side of the rotatable arm includes a second transfer link that rides within and along a second guide slot of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the first transfer link comprises a first pin member and the second transfer link comprises a second pin member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein the first pin member rotates during movement within the first guide slot, and the second pin member rotates during movement within the second guide slot. ### Claim 5 A system for diverting objects traveling along a conveyor, comprising: an upstream conveyor segment having an inlet end and an outlet end; a downstream conveyor segment having an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment is located to receive items from the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment; a conveyor shift mechanism linked to both the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment and the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment for carrying out lateral movement of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment in a first lateral direction while simultaneously carrying out lateral movement of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment in a second lateral direction that is opposite the first lateral direction; wherein the conveyor shift mechanism comprises a rotatable arm having a first side linked to the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment and a second side linked to the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment; wherein the first side of the rotatable arm includes a first transfer link that rides within a first guide slot of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment, and the second side of the rotatable arm includes a second transfer link that rides within a second guide slot of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment; wherein the first transfer link comprises a first pin member and the second transfer link comprises a second pin member; wherein the first pin member rotates during movement within the first guide slot, and the second pin member rotates during movement within the second guide slot; wherein the first guide slot is fixed at an underside of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment, and the second guide slot is fixed at an underside of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 wherein the first guide slot is linear and the second guide slot is linear. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the conveyor shift mechanism includes a motor located below the rotatable arm and connected to selectively rotate the rotatable arm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein the motor includes an output shaft operatively connected to the rotatable arm between the first side and the second side such that the rotatable arm is rotatable back and forth about a rotation axis that located at an intermediate point between the first side and the second side. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein: the inlet end of the upstream conveyor segment is pivotable about a first pivot axis that is proximate the inlet end and has a fixed position, the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment is also pivotable about the first pivot axis, and the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment pivots about the first pivot axis to achieve lateral shifting of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment; the outlet end of the downstream conveyor segment is pivotable about a second pivot axis that is proximate the outlet end and has a fixed position, the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment is also pivotable about the second pivot axis, and the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment pivots about the second pivot axis to achieve lateral shifting of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein: the inlet end of the upstream conveyor segment is positioned adjacent an infeed conveyor and maintains a substantially unchanged lateral position relative to the infeed conveyor; the outlet end of the downstream conveyor segment is positioned adjacent an outfeed conveyor and maintains a substantially unchanged lateral position relative to the outfeed conveyor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein: a footprint defined by the motor and the rotatable arm is located entirely within both a lateral movement footprint of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment and a lateral movement footprint of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 wherein the motor has a substantially vertical output axis that passes through a central portion of the rotatable arm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the upstream conveyor segment has a width dimension that is smaller than a width dimension of the downstream conveyor segment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: at least one stop positioned to contact a portion of one of the upstream conveyor segment or the downstream conveyor segment so as to limit lateral shifting of both the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment and the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein a lateral position of the stop is adjustable. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the at least one stop comprises a first stop on one lateral side and a second stop on an opposite lateral side. ### Claim 17 A system for diverting objects traveling along a conveyor, comprising: an upstream conveyor segment having an inlet end and an outlet end; a downstream conveyor segment having an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment is located to receive items from the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment; a conveyor shift mechanism linked to both the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment and the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment for carrying out lateral movement of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment in a first lateral direction while simultaneously carrying out lateral movement of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment in a second lateral direction that is opposite the first lateral direction; wherein the conveyor shift mechanism comprises: a rotatable arm below the upstream conveyor segment and the downstream conveyor segment, the rotatable arm having a first side linked to an underside of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment and a second side linked to an underside of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment; and a motor connected to rotate the arm, the motor positioned below the rotatable arm and having a substantially vertical output axis that passes through the rotatable arm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein: the conveyor shift mechanism further comprises: a controller connected to selectively control operation of the motor to repeatedly pivot the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment and the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the first side of the rotatable arm is linked to the underside of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment via a first slot and pin arrangement at the underside of the outlet end of the upstream conveyor segment, and the second side of the rotatable arm is linked to the underside of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment by a second slot and pin arrangement at the underside of the inlet end of the downstream conveyor segment. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein a pin of the first slot and pin arrangement rides within and along a slot of the first slot and pin arrangement, and a pin of the second slot and pin arrangement rides within and along a slot of the second slot and pin arrangement.