Apparatus and method for transferring electric energy onboard of the train of carriages of a sorting machine for operating electric equipment thereon
AssigneeSandvik AB
InventorsAttilio Soldavini, Renato Tacchi, Erminio Giana, Giuseppe Di Giovanni
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sorting system includes a train of carriages moving along a track. Each carriage has an electrically driven cross belt for onloading and unloading items to be sorted. Some, but less than all, of the carriages, i.e., master carriages, carry electricity generating equipment, such as a track-engaging wheel connected to an electrical alternator, for converting kinetic energy of the train into electric energy. That energy is made available to all of the carriages through wiring that interconnects the carriages.
Claims14
In a sorting system comprising a train of carriages driven along a track, each carriage having an electrically-activated item-displacement device mounted thereon for onloading and unloading items to be sorted, and an electric power generating mechanism carried by at least one of the carriages for converting kinetic energy of the train into electric energy for driving the item-displacement devices, the improvement wherein the electric power generating mechanism is electrically connected to a plurality of carriages of the train for supplying electric energy thereto.
A method of supplying electric energy to a train of carriages of a sorting system, each carriage having an electrically-activated item-displacement device for onloading and unloading items to be sorted, the method comprising the steps of:
- A) producing mechanical energy by engaging the track with a mechanical device disposed on at least one of the carriages which converts kinetic energy of the moving train into mechanical energy,
- B) converting the mechanical energy into electric energy on the at least one carriage, and
- C) supplying the electric energy to a plurality of carriages of the train for driving the item-displacement devices thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.