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US 5,135,102 AGranted
Sorting conveyor
AssigneeQuipp, Incorporated
InventorsChrister A. Sjogren, J. D. Houseman, Henri T. Paets
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bundle distribution system is comprised of tilt tray carriers coupled in tandem forming a continuous loop, each carrier being a link in the loop. A top loader which is positioned above the track so as to minimize the space required therefor, is capable of dropping signature bundles onto the desired tray with great accuracy. The top loader also orients bundles delivered thereto at an angle which compensates for tilting of the bundle as it leaves the top loader thereby assuring that bundles are dropped upon each carrier in a predetermined orientation, without tumbling.
Claims29
Loader means for accurately loading discrete items successively delivered to the loader means upon a desired one of a plurality of moving platforms arranged one behind the other and coupled to one another comprising:
- conveyor means positioned above the path of movement of said platforms for receiving the item to be delivered to said moving platforms and having a conveying surface moving in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said moving platforms;
- pusher means arranged above said conveyor means and on one side of said conveyor means and being linearly movable substantially along the path of movement of said movable platforms from a first position adjacent said one side of said conveyor across said conveyor to a second position to engage said item while being displaced from said conveyor means to prevent contact with said conveyor means wherein the distance between said first and second positions is sufficient to push said item off of said conveyor means;
- said pusher means including drive means for accelerating said pusher means to a value sufficient to move said item completely off of the conveyor means and onto the desired moving platform.
Means for loading an item upon a moving platform comprising:
- conveyor means positioned above the path of movement of said platform for receiving the item to be delivered to said moving platform and having a conveying surface moving in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said moving platform;
- pusher means arranged on one side of said conveyor means and being movable substantially along the path of movement of said movable carrier from a first position adjacent said one side of said conveyor across said conveyor to a second position wherein the distance between said first and second positions is sufficient to push said item off of said conveyor;
- said pusher means including drive means for accelerating said pusher means to a value sufficient to move said item completely off of the conveyor means;
- said conveyor means conveying surface being inclined at an angle in the direction of movement of said moving platform sufficient to compensate for tilting of the item as it is pushed off of said conveyor surface so that said item falls substantially squarely upon the receiving surface of said moving platform.
1 more element
Means for loading an item upon a moving platform comprising:
- conveyor means positioned above the path of movement of said platform for receiving the item to be delivered to said moving platform and having a conveying surface moving in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said moving platform;
- pusher means arranged on one side of said conveyor means and being movable substantially along the path of movement of said movable carrier from a first position adjacent said one side of said conveyor across said conveyor to a second position wherein the distance between said first and second positions is sufficient to push said item off of said conveyor;
- said pusher means including drive means for accelerating said pusher means to a value sufficient to move said item completely off of the conveyor means;
- said drive means further comprising:
- servo motor means;
- first pulley means driven by said motor means;
- second driven pulley means spaced from said first pulley means;
- closed loop belt means entrained about said first and second pulley means and extending in a direction substantially parallel to said guide means;
- clamping means for clamping said pusher means to said belt means at a position along one run of said belt means extending between said first and second pulley means;
- and
- power means for applying a substantially triangular-shaped drive signal to said servo-motor.
8 more elements
Means for loading an item upon a moving platform comprising:
- conveyor means positioned above the path of movement of said platform for receiving the item to be delivered to said moving platform and having a conveying surface moving in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said moving platform;
- pusher means arranged on one side of said conveyor means and being movable substantially along the path of movement of said movable carrier from a first position adjacent said one side of said conveyor across said conveyor to a second position wherein the distance between said first and second positions is sufficient to push said item off of said conveyor;
- said pusher means including drive means for accelerating said pusher means to a value sufficient to move said item completely off of the conveyor means;
- said drive means further comprising:
- servo motor means;
- first pulley means driven by said motor means;
- second driven pulley means spaced from said first pulley means;
- closed loop belt means entrained about said first and second pulley means and extending in a direction substantially parallel to said guide means;
- clamping means for clamping said pusher means to said belt means at a position along one run of said belt means extending between said first and second pulley means;
- and
- means for applying a driving signal to said servo-motor for initially accelerating said servo-motor to a maximum angular velocity from a zero velocity and thereafter decelerating said servo-motor from a maximum velocity to zero velocity for moving said pusher means from said first position to said second position.
8 more elements
A method for operating a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a bundle upon a selected one of a plurality of moving carriers coupled end-to-end and moving along a path having a substantially linear path portion as the carrier moves past the bundle dispensing station, said bundle dispensing apparatus comprising a conveyor belt means aligned transverse to said linear path portion;
- a pusher plate positioned and a gate member positioned adjacent said conveyor belt and being movable along substantially parallel paths which are parallel to said linear path portion, said method comprising the steps of:
- moving the bundle onto said conveyor means;
- positioning said gate means across said conveyor means to block movement of a bundle beyond said gate means;
- moving the bundle onto said conveyor means;
- moving said conveyor means in a direction to advance said bundle means toward said gate means;
- halting said conveyor means when said bundle engages said gate means;
- and
- rapidly, linearly moving said pusher means in the same direction of movement as said carriers whereby the bundle engaged by said pusher means is pushed off of said conveyor means at a velocity to cause said bundle to move completely off of said conveyor means and experiences a free-fall drop under the influence of gravity and the force imparted to the bundle by said pusher means to fall precisely upon the desired one of said carriers.
5 more elements
A method for operating a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a bundle upon a moving carrier along a path having a substantially linear path portion as the carrier moves past the bundle dispensing station, said bundle dispensing apparatus comprising a conveyor belt means aligned transverse to said linear path portion;
- a pusher plate positioned and a gate member positioned adjacent said conveyor belt and being movable along substantially parallel paths which are parallel to said linear path portion, said method comprising the steps of:
- moving the bundle onto said conveyor means;
- positioning said gate means across said conveyor means to block movement of a bundle beyond said gate means;
- moving the bundle onto said conveyor means;
- moving said conveyor means in a direction to advance said bundle means toward said gate means;
- halting said conveyor means when said bundle engages said gate means;
- and
- rapidly moving said pusher means in the same direction of movement as said carriers whereby the bundle engaged by said pusher means is pushed off of said conveyor means at a velocity to cause said bundle to move completely off of said conveyor means and experiences a free-fall drop under the influence of gravity and the force imparted to the bundle by said pusher means to fall precisely upon said carrier;
- and
- said conveyor means being inclined at an angle to the horizontal sufficient to compensate for tipping of said bundle as it leaves said conveyor means, further comprising the step of moving the pusher means at an angle which is substantially the same as the angle of inclination of said conveyor means.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.