Sorting switch

A sorting switch comprising:

• a plurality of pallet support membes;
• means for moving the pallet support members sequentially around a closed course including an upper sorting portion and a lower return portion;
• said upper sorting portion of the course including spaced, parallel article conveying paths each extending the entire length of the upper article sorting portion of the course and with each of the pallet support members extending across both of the paths;
• a plurality of pallets each slidably supported on at least one of the pallet support members;
• said pallets being arranged in sets with alternate sets being normally aligned with opposite article conveying paths;
• means mounted for engagement with the pallets upon movement thereof along the upper sorting portion of the course for selectively diverting the pallets comprising a predetermined set out of alignment with the article conveying path normal thereto and into alignment with the opposite article conveying path;
• means mounted for engagement with the pallets during movement thereof along the return portion of the course for returning all of the pallets to their normal orientation relative to the course;
• each of the sets of pallets comprising a plurality of pallets;
• said diverting means comprising means for progressively diverting the pallets comprising a predetermined set out of alignment with the article conveying path normal to the set of pallets and into alignment with the opposite article conveying path;
• each of the pallets having a switch engaging member depending therefrom;
• and
• said diverting means comprising two switch means mounted on opposite sides of the upper sorting portion of the course, one for engagement with the switch engaging members depending from the pallets normally aligned with one of the article conveying paths and the other for engagement with the switch engaging members depending from the pallets normally aligned with the opposite article conveying path.

A sorting switch comprising:

• a plurality of pallet support members;
• means for moving the pallet support members sequentially around a closed course including an upper article sorting portion and a lower return portion;
• said upper article sorting portion of the course including spaced, parallel article conveying paths each extending the entire length of the upper article sorting portion of the course and with each of the pallet support members extending across both of the paths;
• a first plurality of pallets each slidably supported on at least one of the pallet support members and each normally aligned with one of the article conveying paths;
• a second plurality of pallets each slidably supported on at least one of the pallet support members and each normally aligned with the other article conveying path;
• the pallets comprising the second plurality being alternately positioned relative to the course with respect to the pallets comprising the first plurality;
• means mounted for engagement with the pallets comprising a first plurality upon movement thereof along the upper article sorting portion of the course for selectively diverting the pallets out of alignment with said one article conveying path and into alignment with said other article conveying path;
• means mounted for engagement with the pallets comprising the second plurality upon movement thereof along the upper article sorting portion of the course for selectively diverting the pallets out of alignment with said other article conveying path into alignment with said one article conveying path;
• and
• means mounted for engagement with the pallets during movement thereof along the return portion of the course for returning all of the pallets to their normal orientation relative to the course.

A sorting switch comprising:

• a pair of spaced, parallel drive chains defining therebetween a course including an upper article sorting portion and a lower return portion;
• a plurality of pallet support members each connected at its opposite ends to the two drive chains, said pallet support members being mounted at spaced intervals along the drive chains for movement thereby around the course;
• the upper article sorting portion of the course defining spaced, parallel article conveying paths each extending the entire length of the upper article sorting portion of the course and with each of the pallet support members extending across both of the article conveying paths during movement thereof along the upper article sorting portion of the course;
• a plurality of pallets each slidably supported on at least one of the pallet support members for sliding movement thereon between the two article conveying paths;
• said pallets being arranged in sets with each set including at least two adjacent pallets and with alternating sets of pallets being normally aligned with opposite article conveying paths during movement thereof along the upper article sorting portion of the course;
• means for selectively diverting the pallets comprising each set from alignment with the article conveying path normal to the set of pallets and into alignment with the opposite article conveying path;
• and
• means on the return portion of the course for engagement with the pallets to return the pallets of each set into alignment with the article conveying path normal thereto.

A sorting switch comprising:

• a pair of spaced, parallel drive chains defining therebetween a course including an upper article sorting portion and a lower return portion;
• a plurality of pallet support members each connected at its opposite ends to the two drive chains, said pallet support members being mounted at spaced intervals along the drive chains for movement thereby around the course;
• the upper article sorting portion of the course defining spaced, parallel article conveying paths each extending the entire length of the upper article sorting portion of the course and with each of the pallet support members extending across both of the article conveying paths during movement thereof along the upper article sorting portion of the course;
• a plurality of pallets each slidably supported on at least one of the pallet support members for sliding movement thereon between the two article conveying paths;
• said pallets being arranged in sets with each set including at least two adjacent pallets and with alternating sets of pallets being normally aligned with opposite article conveying paths during movement thereof along the upper article sorting portion of the course;
• means for selectively diverting the pallets comprising each set from alignment with the article conveying path normal to the set of pallets and into alignment with the opposite article conveying path;
• means on the return portion of the course for engagement with the pallets to return the pallets of each set into alignment with the article conveying path normal thereto;
• each of the pallets having a switch engaging member depending therefrom;
• and
• the diverting means comprising two switching means disposed on opposite sides of the upper sorting portion of the course and each for engagement with the switch engaging members depending from the pallets which are normally engaged with one of the article conveying paths to selectively divert the pallets into alignment with the opposite article conveying path.

A sorting switch comprising:

• spaced, parallel drive chains defining therebetween a course including an upper article sorting portion and a lower return portion;
• a plurality of pallet support members each connected at its opposite ends to the drive chains for movement thereby around the course and each including a substantially flat upper web and flanges depending from each edge of the web;
• the upper article sorting portion of the course including spaced, parallel article conveying paths each extending the entire length of the upper article sorting portion of the course and with each pallet support member extending across both of the article conveying paths;
• a plurality of pallets each slidably supported on one of the pallet support members and each having a switch engaging member depending therefrom;
• the pallets being arranged in sets with alternate sets of pallets being normally aligned with opposite article conveying paths;
• a pair of switch means mounted on opposite sides of the upper article sorting portion of the course each for engagement with the switch engaging members of the pallets normally aligned with one of the article sorting paths for selective actuation to divert the pallets comprising a predetermined set out of alignment with the article conveying path normal to the predetermined sets of pallets and into alignment with the other article conveying path;
• and
• means mounted on the return portion of the course for engagement with the switch engaging members of the pallets for returning all of the pallets to their normal orientation with respect to the course.