Luggage sortation device

In a luggage merging device for handling randomly sized, shaped, and weighted luggage comprising:

• a. a first conveyor belt adapted to carry luggage;
• b. first means for driving the working surface of said first conveyor belt in a first direction;
• c. a luggage guiding means mounted adjacent to said first conveyor belt such that the working surface thereof is generally perpendicular to the working surface of said first conveyor belt and is disposed at an angle to the first direction;
• d. a second conveyor belt having a high coefficient of friction mounted adjacent to said first conveyor belt such that the working surface thereof is generally perpendicular to the working surface of said first conveyor belt and is disposed parallel to the first direction;
• and
• e. second means for driving the working surface of said second conveyor belt in the direction opposite to the first direction
• the improvement comprising a buck roller mounted adjacent to said first conveyor belt and the upstream end of said second conveyor belt, said buck roller being mounted for rotation about an axis at least generally perpendicular to the working surface of said first coneyor belt, being disposed so that the peripheral surface thereof extends beyond the working surface of said second conveyor belt into the converging path for luggage carried by said first conveyor belt, and being driven about its axis of rotation in the direction such that the peripheral surface which extends in to the converging path moves in the direction of said working surface of said first conveyor belt, whereby said luggage which approaches the luggage merging device is laterally shifted away from said second conveyor by said buck roller and is prevented from scuffing against said second conveyor.