US 6,585,101 B2 · Double width sorter

Abstract

A sortation system includes a plurality of transport units movable along a conveying path. Each of the transport units is capable of carrying side-by-side articles thereon. The plurality of carriages pass at least one induction station and at least one discharge station along the conveying path. Each of the carriages is capable of transferring an article from one side of the carriage to the other side of the carriage. Each of the carriages may be capable of receiving an article on one side of the carriage when another article is already positioned on the other side of the carriage, and/or may be capable of substantially simultaneously discharging side-by-side articles to discharge stations at opposite sides of the conveying path, and/or may be capable of receiving an article on one side of the carriage without moving an article already positioned on the carriage.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A sortation system comprising:

a plurality of carriages which are coupled together and continuously movable along an endless conveying path, said plurality of carriages passing at least one induction station and at least one discharge station, each of said plurality of carriages being adapted to carry side-by-side articles, each of said plurality of carriages being capable of transferring an article from one side of said carriage to the other side of said carriage, each of said plurality of carriages being capable of receiving an article on one side of said carriage when another article is already positioned on the other side of said carriage.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/290,829Filed 8 Nov 2002 · continuation

Priority

4 Oct 1999

Published

US 2003/0066736 A110 Apr 2003

Granted

1 Jul 2003

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B65G 17/345
Having flat surfaces, e.g. platforms, grids, forks: the surfaces being equipped with a conveyor
B65G 47/96
Devices for flexing or tilting travelling structures; Throw-off carriages: devices for tilting links or platform
B65G 2201/02
Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled: articles
B65G 2201/0288
Articles: signatures, i.e. sections of printed magazines, papers or books

Family

Application60/157,504Us provisional application · filed 4 Oct 1999

Application09/675,237Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Sep 2000

US 2003/0066736 A1Pre-grant publication · published 10 Apr 2003

US 6,478,138 B1Parent of this continuation

US 6,585,101 B2This patent

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

Double width sorter

Life of this patent

Double width sorter

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29