Direct transfer sorting system

A carrier for a sorting system which comprises a plurality of walls that define a space in which an object can be positioned to be transported by said carrier, means for moving said carrier along a predetermined path, a plurality of gates that normally close the bottom of said space to enable aid object to be held and transported by said carrier, means for opening and closing said gates, one of said gates being dimensioned and normally positioned to overlie and to block movement of said object into a predetermined area below said carrier and also to selectively direct said object into a second predetermined are which is below the level of said carrier and which is displaced in one direction from the first said predetermined area, another of said gates being dimensioned and normally positioned to overlie, and to block movement of said object into, said first said predetermined area and also to selectively direct said object into a third predetermined area which is below the level of said carrier and which is displaced in a further direction from said first said pre-determined area, said one gate being selectively moveable from its normal position to a first moved position and said other gate being selectively moveable from its normal position to primary moved position to free said object for movement to said first said predetermined area, said one gate being selectively moveable from its normal position to a second moved position while said other gate is still in its normal position to a second moved position while said other gate is still in its normal position to free said object so said other gate can guide said object toward said third predetermined area, said other gate being selectively moveable from its normal position to a secondary moved position while said one gate is still in its normal position to free said object so said one gate can guide said object toward said second predetermined area, whereby said gates selectively hold said object within said space, free said object from said space and guide it into said first said predetermined area, free said object from said space and guide it into said second predetermined area, or free said object from said space and guide it into said third predetermined area.

A transporting and sorting carrier for a sorting system which comprises a plurality of walls that define a space in which an object can be disposed, means for transporting said carrier along a path, a plurality of gates, means operably associated with said gates as said carrier moves along said path, at least certain of said gates being normally disposed in predetermined position to coact with said plurality of walls by said means operably associated therewith to hold an object within said space during the transporting of said object by said carrier, said gates inclining downwardly from said walls to converge toward each other to define a closed bottom for said carrier, said gates having the lower edge thereof defined by fingers which are interleaved, the fingers on one of said gates projecting downwardly in one direction past the fingers of another of said gates whenever said gates are in said pre-determined position, the fingers on said other gate projecting downwardly in a different direction past the fingers of said one gate whenever said gates are in said pre-determined positions, and said one gate selectively remaining in its predetermined position while, said other gate is moved away from its normal predetermined position by said means operably associated therewith to permit said object to slide along said fingers of said one gate and thereby be guided for movement in said one direction.

A transporting and sorting carrier movable along a path for a sorting system which comprises a plurality of walls that define a space in which an object can be disposed, means for moving the carrier along said path, a plurality of gates which are normally disposed in predetermined positions to coact with said plurality of walls to hold an object within said space during the transporting of said object by said carrier, latches that normally hold said gates in said predetermined position, said latches being movable as said carrier moves along said path to enable said gates to be disposable in different relative positions of inclination to permit said object of all from said space, one of said latches being movable while another of said latches remains unmoved to enable said gates to be disposed in one of said positions of inclination to guide said object toward a further one of said plurality of predetermined areas adjacent said carrier as said object falls from said space, both of said latches being movable to enable said gates to be disposed in positions to guide said object toward a still further one of said plurality of predetermined areas adjacent said carrier as said object falls from said space, and a tripping mechanism adjacent said predetermined areas that selectively moves said one latch while leaving said other latch unmoved, said tripping mechanism selectively moving said other latch while leaving said one latch unmoved, and said tripping mechanism selectively moving both of said latches.

A sorting system for articles comprising:

• a plurality of carriers arranged for movement in a predetermined path including an article loading station and a plurality of article unloading stations, each carrier having a generally rectangular-body having a series of adjacent and opposing walls shaped with an open upper end for receiving articles and an open bottom, and said path comprises a track about which said plurality of carriers are arranged to move, the track comprising continuous confronting and parallel trackways defining an elongated and endless track.
• transporting means for moving said plurality of carriers in said aforementioned predetermined path and including drive means connected to each carrier and being operated to move with respect to said elongated and endless track, the drive means including rollers associated with each trackway and connected to said carriers on opposite sides thereof.
• a plurality of receptacles at each of said unloading stations which are proximately located relative to one another to constitute a group of receptacles at each unloading station,
• each carrier having a bottom provided with a plurality of independently-mounted, selectively-movable gates that are normally closed to receive an article at said loading station for movement to one of said unloading stations, said gates being located along the open bottom of said carriers and pivotally mounted for movement about opposing walls of each carrier, said gates having interleaving fingers which intermesh with one another when the gates are in their normally closed position;
• means operably associated with said gates to selectively open said gates along the bottom of each carrier to a predetermined selected position as each carrier approaches a selected unloading station, and
• said independently-mounted, selectively movable gates when opened to a pre-determined selected position being arranged for sliding, laterally-directed releasing and guiding movement of an article from its associated carrier into a selected one of the group of receptacles at said selected unloading station, wherein said pivotally mounted gates are also spring-biased on said opposing walls to urge said gates to a fully open position, and said means for selectively opening said gates includes latch block means having a series of position stops for said gates to selectively dispose and hold said gates in predetermined relative positions of different inclination as said spring-biased pivotally mounted gates are released by said latch block means to move to said predetermined relative positions of different inclinations.