Back to results
US 6,607,065 B2Granted
High speed baggage diverter
AssigneeRapistan Systems Advertising Corp.
InventorGeorge W. Peppel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A diverter assembly according to the present invention includes a generally horizontal conveying surface, a pair of flipper assemblies, and an actuator for substantially concurrently actuating the flipper assemblies to an actuated position whereby the flipper assemblies are collinear. A driven diverting surface is defined on each flipper assembly wherein an article on the conveying surface is diverted when the article contacts one of the flipper assemblies when the flipper assembly is in its actuated position.
Claims63
A diverter assembly comprising:
- a generally horizontal conveying surface;
- a pair of flipper assemblies on opposite sides of said conveying surface that are collinear in an actuated position;
- a driven diverting surface defined on each flipper assembly;
- and
- an actuator for substantially concurrently actuating said flipper assemblies to said actuated position and driving said driven diverting surfaces wherein an article on said conveying surface is diverted wherein said actuator extends downwardly from said horizontal conveying surface no more than 18 inches.
2 more elements
A diverter assembly comprising:
- a generally horizontal conveying surface;
- a pair of flipper assemblies on opposite sides of said conveying surface that are collinear in an actuated position;
- a driven diverting surface defined on each flipper assembly;
- and
- an actuator for substantially concurrently actuating said flipper assemblies to said actuated position and driving said driven diverting surfaces wherein an article on said conveying surface is diverted, wherein said actuator comprises a motor and a clutch selectively connecting said motor with said flipper assemblies.
2 more elements
A method of diverting articles comprising:
- conveying articles in a generally horizontal direction at a conveying speed, said conveying including conveying articles on a conveying surface;
- positioning a diverting surface at an angle to the direction of travel of an article to horizontally dived the article in a diverting direction;
- and
- driving said diverting surface at a diverting speed greater than said conveying speed wherein a diverted article substantially maintains the same magnitude of speed in the conveying direction when diverted, wherein said diverting surface includes at least two surface portions on opposite sides of said conveying surface which are selectively positionable in a collinear to divert articles.
1 more element
A diverter assembly comprising:
- a conveying surface having a conveying direction and for conveying an article at a convoying speed;
- a pair of arms at opposite sides of said convoying surface, said anus mounted for pivotal movement between a non-diverting position wherein said arms are adjacent said conveying surface and a diverting position wherein said arms are pivoted across said conveying surface;
- a driven diverting surface defined at each of said arms;
- and
- a drive assembly for selectively substantially concurrently moving said anus between said diverting position and said non-diverting position wherein an article conveyed on said conveying surface is diverted in a diverting direction when the article contacts at least one of said arms when said at least one arm is in said diverting position, and said drive assembly driving said driven diverting surfaces and adapted to decouple movement of said arms from the driving of said driven diverting surfaces.
2 more elements
A diverter assembly comprising:
- a conveying surface having a conveying direction and for conveying an article at a conveying speed;
- a pair of arms at opposite sides of said conveying surface, said antis mounted for pivotal movement between a non-diverting position wherein said arms are adjacent said conveying surface and a diverting position wherein said arms are pivoted across said conveying surface;
- a driven diverting surface defined at each of said arms, wherein at least one of said driven diverting surfaces comprises a drive belt, said drive belt being driven by a driven roller;
- and
- a drive assembly for selectively substantially concurrently moving said arms between said diverting position and said non-diverting position wherein an article conveyed on said conveying surface is diverted in a diverting direction when the article contacts at least one of said arms when said at least one arm is in said diverting position, and said drive assembly driving said driven diverting surfaces at a speed approximately equal to the conveying speed divided by a cosine of an angle between said conveying direction and said diverting direction, said driven roller driven by said drive assembly, said driven roller including a driven axis about which said driven roller is driven, each of said arms pivoting about a pivot axis when pivoting between said non-diverting position and said diverting position, wherein said drive assembly is adapted to de-couple movement of said drive belts about said driven axes from movement of said arms about said pivot axes.
2 more elements
A diverter assembly comprising:
- a conveyor section having a generally horizontal conveying surface;
- a pair of arms at opposed sides of said conveying surface, said arms mounted for pivotal movement between a non-diverting position and a diverting position wherein at least a portion of said arms are pivoted across said conveying surface, and said conveying surface adapted to be selectively lowered at said arms when said arms are in said diverting position;
- and
- a drive assembly for selectively moving said arms between said diverting position and said non-diverting position wherein an article conveyed on said conveying surface is diverted in a diverting direction when the article contacts at least one of said arms when said at least one arm is in said diverting position.
1 more element
A diverter assembly comprising:
- a conveyor section having a generally horizontal conveying surface;
- a pair of arms at opposed sides of said conveying surface, said arms mounted for pivotal movement between a non-diverting position and a diverting position wherein at least a portion of said arms are pivoted across said conveying surface, and said conveying surface adapted to be selectively lowered at said arms when said arms are in said diverting position;
- a drive assembly for selectively moving said arms between said diverting position and said non-diverting position wherein an article conveyed on said conveying surface is diverted in a diverting direction when the article contacts at least one of said arms when said at least one arm is in said diverting position;
- and
- a driven diverting surface defined at each of said arms, said diverting surfaces comprise driven belts, wherein said driven belts are driven at a speed equal to a conveying speed of said conveying surface divided by a cosine of an angle between said conveying direction and said diverting direction, wherein said drive assembly is adapted to decouple movement of said driven belt from movement of said arms.
2 more elements
A diverter assembly comprising:
- a generally horizontal conveying surface;
- a pair of arms on opposed sides of said conveying surface, said arms mounted for pivotal movement between a non-diverting position wherein said arms are adjacent said conveying surface and a diverting position wherein at least a portion of said arms are pivoted across said conveying surface;
- a driven diverting surface defined at each of said arms, and said driven diverting surface having a vertical height of at least 12 inches;
- and
- a drive assembly for selectively moving said arms between said diverting position and said non-diverting position wherein an article conveyed on said conveying surface is diverted in a diverting direction when the article contacts at least one of said arms when said at least one arm is in said diverting position, wherein said drive assembly drives said driven diverting surfaces and said drive assembly is adapted to decouple movement of said driven diverting surfaces from movement of said arms.
2 more elements
A method of selectively diverting user-packed luggage to particular destinations, wherein the luggage may be made up of various sizes and configurations up to a maximum dimension, said method comprising:
- providing a pair of flipper assemblies at substantially each of said destinations, wherein each of said pair of flipper assemblies comprises a driven diverting surface having a height of at least one-half of said maximum dimension;
- providing an actuator;
- passing the luggage past the flipper assemblies in sequence;
- and
- actuating a respective pair of said flipper assemblies with the actuator at a desired destination for a selected luggage item;
- and
- driving the driven diverting surfaces of the respective pair of flipper assemblies with the actuator.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.