High speed, compound, belted diverter and method of operating same
AssigneeUnited Parcel Service of America, Inc.
InventorHenri Bonnet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor diverter that is capable of engaging objects, such as packages of varying size and weight, traveling at high speed along a conveyor, without dataaging impact, and can reliably divert such objects off the conveyor to an output location without any decrease in conveyor speed. The diverter may include a frame pivotally mounted for rotation about an axis adjacent to the conveyor, a belt mounted about a pair of pulleys, one of which is movable against a spring. The belt deforms upon contact by the articles. After an article and the diverter come into engagement with each other, the swinging speed of the diverter, and, optionally, the speed of the diverter belt, may be accelerated to increase the exit speed of the article.
Claims20
A conveyor system, comprising:
- a conveyor defining a path along which articles on said conveyor are carried;
- and
- a diverter mounted adjacent to said conveyor opposite a discharge location at which selected articles are discharged from said conveyor, said diverter being pivotally mounted for movement from a clear position beside said path to a discharge position across said path;
- said diverter comprising:
- a frame;
- a pair of pulleys positioned on said frame;
- a belt fitted on said pulleys;
- and
- means for driving said belt around said pulleys;
- said frame defining a recess behind a run of said belt facing articles approaching on said conveyor, said run of said belt deforming into said recess under the force of an article contacting said diverter by an amount responsive to the force of said article on said belt.
A diverter for discharging articles from a moving conveyor, comprising:
- a frame pivotally mounted for rotation about an axis adjacent to said conveyor;
- a pair of pulleys positioned on said frame, one of said pulleys being movably mounted and yieldably urged away from the other pulley;
- a belt fitted on said pulleys;
- and
- means for driving said belt around said pulleys;
- said frame being shaped to allow a run of said belt facing articles approaching on said conveyor to deform upon contact by said articles.
A diverter for discharging articles from a moving conveyor, comprising:
- means for swinging a diverter arm to contact articles passing on said conveyor;
- said diverter arm comprising:
- a pair of pulleys positioned on said diverter arm, one of said pulleys being movably mounted and yieldably urged away from the other pulley;
- a belt fitted on said pulleys;
- and
- means for driving said belt around said pulleys;
- said diverter arm being shaped to allow a run of said belt facing articles approaching on said conveyor to deform upon contact by said articles.
A method of diverting articles from a conveyor, comprising the steps of:
- rotating a diverter arm out over said conveyor to contact an article on said conveyor;
- accelerating the speed of rotation of said diverter arm after said arm contacts said article through a range of movement of said arm;
- and
- imparting motion along said diverter arm to said article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.