US 5,315,094 AGranted

Automated receiving station for inventorying stock items

AssigneeR. R. Donnelley & Sons Company

InventorDonald J. Lisy

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Abstract

An automated receiving station is provided for inventorying stock items. The receiving station comprises a plurality of independently driven conveyor sections arranged sequentially for moving items along a predetermined path from a deposit end to a removal end while reading bar coded labels on the items and weighing the items. Further, identification labels are affixed to those items not otherwise having labels. More specifically, the independently driven conveyor sections include a receiving conveyor section for sequentially receiving items thereon, a scanner conveyor section along which items thereon may be scanned for identifying indicia, a weighting conveyor section for weighting any of the terms positioned thereon and a labeler conveyor section for affixing identifying indicia onto any one of the items. The receiving station also includes an accumulator conveyor section adjacent the labeler conveyor section for receiving items therefrom and a delivery conveyor section where items can be picked up by a transport system or device.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An automated receiving station, comprising:

a plurality of conveyor sections arranged sequentially for moving an item along a predetermined path from a deposit end to a removal end, each of said conveyor sections being capable of moving in synchronization with an adjacent section;
a plurality of conveyor drivers for separately driving each of said conveyor sections;
control means for controlling each of said conveyor drivers, said control means being capable of coordinating the movements of adjacent conveyor sections;
scanning means positioned adjacent one of said conveyor sections for scanning an item for indicia and reading said indicia to determine identification information for said item when said item is positioned on said one of said conveyor sections;
said scanning means being in communication with computing means for automatically entering said identification is information for said item for storage in said computing means when said scanning means has read said indicia on said item, said scanning means being in communication with said control means for signalling for movement of said one of said conveyor sections and a subsequent adjacent conveyor section after said identification information has been automatically entered into said computing means;
and
data entry means in communication with said computing means for manually entering said identification information for said item for storage in said computing means when said scanning means has not read said indicia on said item, said data entry means also being in communication with said control means for signalling for movement of said one of said conveyor sections and a subsequent adjacent conveyor section after said identification information been manually entered into said computing means.

4 more elements

An automated receiving station for sequentially inventorying a plurality of stock items, said receiving station, comprising:

a receiving conveyor section for sequentially receiving items thereon, said receiving conveyor section having driving means for moving said items placed thereon, said items being moved by said driving means in a predetermined path;
a scanner conveyor section adjacent to said receiving conveyor section and movable in synchronization therewith, said scanner conveyor section having driving means for moving any of said items placed thereon in a predetermined path;
a weighing conveyor section adjacent to said scanner conveyor section and movable in synchronization therewith, said weighing conveyor section having driving means for moving any of said items placed thereon in a predetermined path;
a labeler conveyor section adjacent to said weighing conveyor section and movable in synchronization therewith, said labeler conveyor section having driving means for moving any of said items placed thereon in a predetermined path;
an accumulator conveyor section adjacent to said labeler conveyor section and movable in synchronization therewith, said accumulator conveyor section having driving means for moving any of said items placed thereon in a predetermined path;
a delivery conveyor section adjacent to said accumulation conveyor section and movable in synchronization therewith, said delivery conveyor section having driving means for moving any of said items placed thereon in a predetermined path;
control means for coordinating movements of adjacent ones of said conveyor sections;
a scanner positioned adjacent said scanner conveyor section for scanning any of said items positioned on said scanner conveyor section for identifying indicia thereon;
scale means integral with said weighing conveyor section for weighing any of said items positioned on said weighing conveyor section for determining weight information therefor;
computer means in communication with said scanner and said scale means for storing identifying and weight information for said items;
means for entering identifying indicia into said computer means;
and
labeler means for affixing identifying indicia onto any one of said items, said labeler means being positioned adjacent to said labeler conveyor section.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.