Methods and apparatus for the automatic loading of multiple items on the same unit of a cross-belt sorting machine

A loading station for loading items onto a sorting unit movable in a first direction of travel at the loading station, the loading station comprising:

• a feeding section for feeding items and including an orienting structure for orienting the items in a second direction of travel oriented perpendicularly to the first direction of travel,
• the feeding section further including a transfer conveyor and a feeding conveyor disposed upstream of the transfer conveyor, the transfer conveyor comprising a drivable endless belt mounted on a frame that is slidable along the second direction of travel relative to the feeding conveyor, wherein the transfer conveyor is operable to discharge each item with a substantially zero velocity along the second direction of travel;
• and
• a loading conveyor having an inlet and disposed beneath the transfer conveyor for receiving items discharged from the transfer conveyor and loading the items onto the sorting unit;
• the loading conveyor defining a third direction of conveyance extending at 45° relative to each of the first and second directions of travel as the loading station is viewed from above.

A method for loading multiple items onto a mobile sorting unit of an item-sorting mechanism, comprising the steps of:

• A) determining destinations of the items, for establishing an order of loading of the items onto the sorting unit;
• B) conveying the items along a feeding section;
• C) actuating a reversing mechanism for reversing the order of multiple items conveyed in step B if the order thereof does not conform to the order of loading;
• D) subsequent to step C conveying the items onto a transfer conveyor defining a direction of conveyance disposed above a loading section arranged to load the items onto the sorting unit;
• and
• E) actuating the transfer conveyor for transferring the items onto the loading section at zero speed in the direction of conveyance of the transfer conveyor, while the loading section is non-driven.