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US 11,142,406 B2Granted
Automated parcel singulator
AssigneeNational Presort, Inc.
InventorBrent Daboub
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated parcel singulator includes a conveyor system, a control and monitoring system, an infeed table, and a hopper system. The hopper system stores and dispenses parcels and boxes onto the infeed table. The infeed tables singulates and moves the boxes and parcels, so that when the boxes and parcels are placed on the conveyor system they form a single line of packages.
Claims17
An automated parcel singulator for selectively transferring parcels from a hopper system onto a linear conveyor system, the automated parcel singulator comprising:
- an infeed table comprising:
- a first conveyor disposed approximately perpendicular to the hopper, the first conveyor being configured to receive the parcels from the hopper system and transfer the parcels to a second conveyor;
- and
- the second conveyor disposed approximately perpendicular to the first conveyor, the second conveyor being configured to selectively transfer the parcels from the first conveyor to the linear conveyor system, the second conveyor also being disposed approximately perpendicular to the linear conveyor system;
- at least a first controller;
- at least one position sensor configured to determine a gap between parcels on the linear conveyor system and to relay such gap determination to the first controller;
- and
- at least one width sensor configured to determine the width of the parcels and to relay such width determination to the first controller as the parcels move along the first conveyor or the second conveyor, the width sensor being located so as to detect the width of the parcels while the parcels are at or upstream of an interface between the second conveyor and the linear conveyor system;
- wherein the parcels are selectively held on and transferred from the second conveyor onto the linear conveyor system, based upon the widths of the parcels on the second conveyor and the gaps between parcels moving along the linear conveyor system, as determined by the position sensor, the width sensor, and the first controller;
- and
- wherein the first conveyor is reversible such that the first conveyor can feed the parcels onto a third conveyor, if the second conveyor is full.
8 more elements
An automated parcel singulator for selectively transferring parcels from a hopper system onto a linear conveyor system, the automated parcel singulator comprising:
- an infeed table comprising:
- a first conveyor disposed approximately perpendicular to the hopper, the first conveyor being configured to receive the parcels from the hopper system and transfer the parcels to a second conveyor;
- and
- the second conveyor disposed approximately perpendicular to the first conveyor, the second conveyor being configured to selectively transfer the parcels from the first conveyor to the linear conveyor system, the second conveyor also being disposed approximately perpendicular to the linear conveyor system;
- at least a first controller;
- at least one position sensor configured to determine a gap between parcels on the linear conveyor system and to relay such gap determination to the first controller;
- and
- at least one width sensor configured to determine the width of the parcels and to relay such width determination to the first controller as the parcels move along the first conveyor or the second conveyor, the width sensor being located so as to detect the width of the parcels while the parcels are at or upstream of an interface between the second conveyor and the linear conveyor system;
- wherein the parcels are selectively held on and transferred from the second conveyor onto the linear conveyor system, based upon the widths of the parcels on the second conveyor and the gaps between parcels moving along the linear conveyor system, as determined by the position sensor, the width sensor, and the first controller;
- wherein at least one of the conveyors oscillates at a speed of the linear conveyor system.
7 more elements
An automated parcel singulator for inserting packages into a linear conveyor system from a hopper, the automated parcel singulator comprising:
- a controller;
- and
- an infeed table comprising:
- an input connected to the hopper;
- a first output connected to the linear conveyor system by a first conveyor connected to a second conveyor at a right angle between the first conveyor and the second conveyor forming a first corner;
- a second output connected to the linear conveyor system by a third conveyor connected to a fourth conveyor at a right angle between the third conveyor and the fourth conveyor forming a second corner;
- a corner sensor spanning from a first side of the second conveyor to an adjacent second side of the second conveyor;
- and
- an upstream sensor located a first distance upstream of the first output, the upstream sensor located on the linear conveyor system;
- wherein the corner sensor is configured to provide the controller whether a package is located in the first corner;
- wherein the first distance is as wide as the first output;
- and
- wherein the controller can determine when to eject a package onto the linear conveyor system based upon the upstream sensor.
10 more elements
An automated parcel singulator for selectively transferring parcels from a hopper system onto a linear conveyor system, the automated parcel singulator comprising:
- an infeed table comprising:
- a first conveyor disposed approximately perpendicular to the hopper, the first conveyor being configured to receive the parcels from the hopper system and transfer the parcels to a second conveyor;
- the second conveyor disposed approximately perpendicular to the first conveyor, the second conveyor being configured to selectively transfer the parcels from the first conveyor to a third conveyor, the second conveyor also being disposed approximately perpendicular to the third conveyor;
- the third conveyor disposed approximately perpendicular to the second conveyor, the third conveyor being configured to selectively transfer the parcels from the second conveyor to the linear conveyor system, the third conveyor also being disposed approximately perpendicular to the linear conveyor system;
- at least a first controller;
- at least one position sensor configured to determine a gap between parcels on the linear conveyor system and to relay such gap determination to the first controller;
- and
- at least one width sensor configured to determine the width of the parcels and to relay such width determination to the first controller as the parcels move along the first conveyor, the second conveyor, or the third conveyor, the width sensor being located so as to detect the width of the parcels while the parcels are at or upstream of an interface between the third conveyor and the linear conveyor system;
- wherein the parcels are selectively held on and transferred from the third conveyor onto the linear conveyor system, based upon the widths of the parcels on the third conveyor and the gaps between parcels moving along the linear conveyor system, as determined by the position sensor, the width sensor, and the first controller;
- and
- wherein the first conveyor is reversible such that the first conveyor can feed the parcels onto a third conveyor, if the second conveyor is full.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.