US 5,634,562 AGranted

Method and apparatus for separating, feeding and sorting

AssigneeElectroCom Automation, Inc.

InventorGerald A. Isaacs

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for separating, feeding and sorting stacked products utilizes a computer controlled conveyor transport path. The transport path comprises infeed, separating and output sections. The infeed section includes an infeed conveyor and feed roller to regulate downstream movement into the separating section. The separating section includes a plurality of individually and selectively controlled friction feeder rolls arranged on a laterally tilted incline plane. The method and apparatus includes sensors along the separating section for determining position and relative movement of products. Through computer control, individual feeder rolls or sets of feeder rolls on the inclined plane are selectively energized to separate underlying products from stacked overlying or overlapping products. The foregoing process is repeated until all products in a stack have been separated into individual units. After separation the individual products are discharged through the output section for further processing.

Claims16

Dependent claims

Apparatus for transporting and processing products, comprising:

a conveyor having a plurality of separately driveable feeder elements for transporting products along a transport path, said feeder elements having a dimension in the direction of the transport path substantially smaller than substantially all of the products to be transported, such that during normal operation a single product simultaneously overlaps at least two contiguous feeder elements and periodically simultaneously overlaps at least three contiguous feeder elements;
a plurality of sensors positioned to receive a product signal from a location between contiguous feeder elements for identifying the location of single or stacked products on the conveyor, at least one of said sensors generating a position signal;
means for separating a product from a stack of products, said means for separating responsive to the position signal and including means for selectively controlling the feeder elements under a located product stack to augment surface friction contact between the feeder elements and a product within the product stack, and means for subsequently driving selected ones of the feeder elements under the product stack beginning with feeder elements under the downstream edge of said located product stack and selectively adding additional upstream feeder elements until movement is detected to strip the product from the product stack;
means for maintaining a predetermined separation between consecutive separated products;
scanner means for reading an identifying code on each product in the product stream and comparing the identifying code with a list of reference bar codes stored in memory, and generating a sorter code signal;
and
a diverter responsive to the sorter code signal for sorting each product in the product stream into one of a plurality of predesignated receptacles according to the scanned identifying code.

4 more elements

Apparatus for transporting and processing products along a transport path, comprising:

a conveyor having a plurality of separately driveable feeder elements for transporting products, said feeder elements having a dimension in the direction of the transport path substantially smaller than substantially all of the products to be transported, such that during normal operation an individual product simultaneously overlaps at least two contiguous feeder elements and periodically simultaneously overlaps at least three contiguous feeder elements;
means for separating an individual product from a stack of products into a product stream, including:
means for selectively driving at least the two most downstream contiguous feeder elements underneath said product;
a plurality of sensors, individually positioned to receive a product position signal from a location between contiguous feeder elements, thereby detecting a first position of the product and at least one of said sensor means outputing a position signal;
means for comparing a position signal first in time to a position signal later in time and thereby detecting movement from one feeder element to another, said means for comparing generating an output signal;
means for receiving the output signal from said means for comparing and selectively activating ones of said contiguous feeder elements supporting said product until detection of product movement;
means for receiving the output signal from said means for comparing and pausing activation of the contiguous feeder elements supporting said product upon detection of product movement;
and
means for repeating the above cycle until separation of an individual product from said stack of products.

6 more elements

In an apparatus for processing products moving in a transport direction on a transport path, including a conveyor having a plurality of separately driveable feeder elements having a dimension in the transport direction substantially smaller than substantially all of the products to be transported, such that during normal operation an individual product simultaneously overlaps at least two contiguous feeder elements and periodically simultaneously overlaps at least three contiguous feeder elements, a method for separating an individual product from a stack of products comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving product position signals from locations between two contiguous feeder elements;
(b) determining from the product position signals a first position of a product or stack of products along the transport path;
(c) determining from the product position signals a second position of a product or stack of products along the transport path;
(d) comparing the first position of said product or stack of products along the transport path with the second position to detect movement;
(e) selectively activating at least the two most downstream contiguous feeder elements supporting said product or stack of products;
(f) detecting additional movement of said product or stack of products in response to the selective activating;
(g) selectively activating additional ones of said contiguous feeder elements supporting said product or stack of products until detection of movement;
(h) pausing activation of the contiguous feeder elements supporting said product or stack of products upon detection of movement;
and
(i) repeating steps (a) through (h) until separation of an individual product from said stack of products.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/480,458Filed 7 Jun 1995 · division
Priority: 5 Oct 1990
Granted: 3 Jun 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B65G 43/08
Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting: control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged
B07C 1/04
Forming articles into a stream; Arranging articles in a stream, e.g. spacing, orientating: forming a stream from a bulk; Controlling the stream,…
B65G 47/28
Arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles: during transit by a single conveyor
B65G 47/31
During transit by a series of conveyors: by varying the relative speeds of the conveyors forming the series

Family

Serial593,783Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Oct 1990
Serial996,152Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Dec 1992
US 5,201,397 AParent of this continuation · filed 13 Apr 1993
Serial351,879Parent of this division · filed 8 Dec 1994
US 5,562,195 AParent of this division · filed 8 Oct 1996
US 5,634,562 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.