Roller shoe and slat sorter conveyor

A sorter conveyor method for use with an endless upwardly facing conveying surface movable in a conveying direction, the conveying surface defined by a plurality of slat surfaces separated by a plurality of slots extending in a transverse direction relative to the conveying direction, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of shoe assemblies, with each shoe assembly comprising a shoe disposed above the conveying surface and a carrier disposed below the conveying surface, and with each of the plurality of shoe assemblies extending through at least one of the slots in the conveying surface, and each shoe comprising an elongated roller shoe including a frame having downward slanting ends and a plurality of roller wheels extending above the surface of said frame mounted to axles movable in a vertical axis whereby an article resting on the rollers of said shoe depressing the rollers so they contact the slat surface and move an article resting thereon in a transverse direction at twice the speed of the shoe;
• coupling the shoe and the carrier together using a snap-fit connection;
• causing at least some of the shoe assemblies to move in the transverse direction which also moving thin the conveying direction with the conveying surface;
• upon exposure to an undesirable force acting upon the shoe, the shoe automatically detaching from the carrier at the snap-fit connection without damaging any part of the shoe assembly, including the snap-fit connection;
• after such detaching, fully reattaching the shoe to the carrier manually without the use of tools using the undamaged shoe, including the undamaged snap-fit connection.

A slat sorter conveyor and roller shoe apparatus, comprising:

• an endless upwardly facing conveying surface movable in a conveying direction, said conveying surface defined by a plurality of surfaces separated by a plurality of slots extending in a transverse direction relative to the conveying direction;
• a plurality of roller shoe assemblies, each roller shoe assembly comprising a roller shoe disposed above the conveying surface and a carrier disposed below the conveying surface, each of said plurality of said roller shoe assemblies extending through at least one of the slots in the conveying surface to permit each roller shoe assembly to move in the transverse direction while also moving in the conveying direction with the conveying surface;
• each one of said roller shoe assemblies including a plurality of roller wheels, each roller wheel formed of a material having a high friction surface, said roller wheel comprising a compressible polymer of a selected hardness, said roller wheel having a hub including a socket formed in said hub engaging said tapered cylindrical body and said flange releasably holding each of said split axles in position within said socket, said split axles being press fit in said hub and snapped into a locking position permitting vertical movement of said split axles within said grooved slot of said rolling shoe frame;
• each of said plurality of roller wheel assemblies comprising a snap-fit connection coupling said roller shoe and said carrier together, wherein said snap-fit connection has a structure which permits the roller shoe to detach from said carrier in response to a force acting on said roller shoe without damaging any part of said roller shoe assembly, and wherein the snap-fit connection has a structure that permits the roller shoe to be fully recoupled to said carrier manually without the use of tools after being detached from said carrier.

A slat sorter roller shoe assembly comprising:

• a roller shoe comprising:
• a) a frame including a first side rail and second side rail connected by opposing downward sloped end portions, said opposing end portions joining by a longitudinal center member disposed equal distance between the first side rail and second side rail, said frame including a base comprising a pair of longitudinal ribbed runners having end edges in cooperative engagement and in a slidable relationship with said slat, said frame including a recess at a selected location in said center member for receiving a plurality of drive projections extending upward from a top of said carrier;
• b) a plurality of roller wheels removably mounted on a split axles, each one having an outer cap with a circumferential flange extending around the proximal portion of said outer cap and a generally tapered cylindrical body extending there from;
• c) each end of said split axles cooperatively engage an opposing grooved slot formed in an opposing sidewall of a first channel and a second channel parallel and spaced apart and formed in a shoe frame between a longitudinal center member and said first side rail and said second side rail;
• d) each one of said plurality of roller wheels formed of a material having a high friction surface, said plurality of roller wheels comprising a compressible polymer of a selected hardness, each one of said plurality of roller wheels having a hub including a socket formed in said hub engaging said tapered cylindrical body and said circumferential flange releasably holding each of said split axles in position within said socket, said split axles being press fit in said hub and snapped into a locking position permitting vertical movement of said split axles within said grooved slot of said shoe frame;
• and
• said roller shoe including a snap-fit connection coupling said roller shoe and a carrier together, wherein said snap-fit connection has a structure which permits the roller shoe to detach from the carrier in response to an undesirable force acting on the roller shoe without damaging any part of the roller shoe assembly.

A slat sorter roller shoe assembly comprising:

• a roller shoe comprising:
• a) a frame including a first side rail and second side rail connected by opposing downward sloped end portions, said opposing end portions joining by a longitudinal center member disposed equal distance between the first side rail and second side rail, said frame including a base comprising a pair of longitudinal ribbed runners having end edges in cooperative engagement and in a slidable relationship with said slat, said frame including a recess at a selected location in said center member for receiving a plurality of drive projections extending upward from a top of said carrier;
• b) a plurality of roller wheels removably mounted on a split axles, each one having an outer cap with a circumferential flange extending around the proximal portion of said outer cap and a generally tapered cylindrical body extending there from;
• c) each end of said split axles cooperatively engage an opposing grooved slot formed in an opposing sidewall of a first channel and a second channel parallel and spaced apart and formed in a shoe frame between a longitudinal center member and said first side rail and said second side rail;
• d) each one of said plurality of roller wheels formed of a material having a high friction surface, said plurality of roller wheels comprising a compressible polymer of a selected hardness, each one of said plurality of roller wheels having a hub including a socket formed in said hub engaging said tapered cylindrical body and said circumferential flange releasably holding each of said split axles in position within said socket, said split axles being press fit in said hub and snapped into a locking position permitting vertical movement of said split axles within said grooved slot of said shoe frame;
• said roller shoe frame including a recess at a selected location for receiving a plurality of drive projections of a snap-fit connection extending upward from a top of a carrier including a vertical pin and horizontal guide wheel extending from the bottom of said carrier held in slidable engagement within a slot of a slat conveyor;
• and
• said roller shoe including a snap-fit connection coupling said roller shoe and said carrier together, wherein said snap-fit connection has a structure which permits the roller shoe to detach from the carrier in response to an undesirable force acting on the roller shoe without damaging any part of the roller shoe assembly.

A sorter conveyor method for use with an endless upwardly facing conveying surface movable in a conveying direction, said conveying surface defined by a plurality of slat surfaces separated by a plurality of slots extending in a transverse direction relative to the conveying direction, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of shoe assemblies, with each shoe assembly comprising a shoe disposed above said conveying surface extending through at least one of said plurality of slots in said conveying surface releasably coupled to a carrier disposed below said conveying surface by a snap-fit connection, with each shoe comprising an elongated roller shoe including a frame having downward slanting ends and a plurality of roller wheels extending above a surface of said frame mounted to axles movable in a vertical axis;
• said shoe coming into contact with an article on said conveying surface lifting said article onto said roller wheels, whereby an article resting on said roller wheels of said shoe depresses said rollers contacting said slat surfaces;
• moving an article resting on said roller wheels in a transverse direction at an article speed greater than a shoe speed;
• and
• causing said article resting on said roller wheels to move in a transverse direction and in a forward conveying direction with respect to said conveying surface.

A slat sorter conveyor and roller shoe apparatus, comprising:

• an endless upwardly facing conveying surface movable in a conveying direction, said conveying surface defined by a plurality of slat surfaces separated by a plurality of slots extending in a transverse direction relative to a conveying direction;
• a plurality of roller shoe assemblies, each roller shoe assembly comprising a roller shoe disposed above said conveying surface and a carrier disposed below said conveying surface, each of said plurality of said roller shoe assemblies extending through at least one of said slots in said conveying surface to permit each roller shoe assembly to move in said transverse direction while also moving in a forward conveying direction with said conveying surface;
• each shoe comprising an elongated roller shoe including a frame having downward slanting ends and a plurality of roller wheels extending above a surface of said frame mounted to axles movable in a vertical axis whereby an article resting on said roller wheels of said shoe depressing roller wheels contacting said slat surface and move an article resting thereon in a transverse direction at twice a speed of said shoe;
• and
• said roller shoe including a snap-fit connection coupling said roller shoe and said carrier together, said roller shoe having a frame including a recess at a selected location for receiving a plurality of drive projections of said snap-fit connection extending upward from a top of a carrier including a vertical pin and horizontal guide wheel extending from a bottom of said carrier held in slidable engagement within a slot of a slat conveyor.