Transfer car for a conveyor system

A transfer car for a conveyor system having a number of opposed conveyor sections each defining an aisleway between the ends of each of the opposing sections, comprising:

• a chassis having a right edge and an opposite left edge;
• means associated with said chassis for propelling said transfer car in a first direction along a track through the aisleways between the opposed conveyor sections;
• and
• a transfer conveyor assembly movably mounted on said chassis including:
• an article transfer component defining a transfer axis that is non-parallel with said first direction, said transfer component further defining a width along said transfer axis that is less than a length across the aisleway between the ends of the opposed conveyor sections along said transfer axis, said transfer component configured for receiving articles from one of the opposed conveyor sections;
• and
• a drive mechanism operably connected to said transfer component to reciprocate said transfer component along said transfer axis between a first position in which said transfer component extends beyond said right edge adjacent an end of one of the opposed conveyor sections to a second position in which said transfer component extends beyond said left edge adjacent an end of another of the opposed conveyor sections.

A conveyor system comprising:

• a plurality of supply conveyors, each having a discharge end;
• a plurality of receiving conveyors, each having a receiving end, said receiving conveyors disposed apart from said supply conveyors to define an aisleway therebetween having a length there across;
• and
• a transfer car including;
• a chassis;
• means associated with said chassis for propelling said transfer car in a first direction through said aisleway;
• and
• a transfer conveyor assembly mounted on said chassis including:
• an article transfer component defining a transfer axis that is nonparallel with said first direction, said transfer component further defining a width along said transfer axis that is less than said length across said aisleway, said transfer component configured for receiving articles from one of said supply conveyors;
• and
• a drive mechanism operably connected to said transfer component to reciprocate said transfer component along said transfer axis between a first position adjacent said discharge end of one of said supply conveyors and a second position adjacent said receiving end of one of said receiving conveyors.