Track-type sortation system

A sortation system, comprising:

• a track arrangement having a series of sort stations, wherein each sort station includes a sort station identifier;
• a series of carriers movable on the track arrangement independently of each other, wherein the carriers are adapted to carry items destined to be deposited at the sort stations, and wherein each carrier includes a selectively actuable item discharge arrangement and a signal emitter associated with each carrier that stores information corresponding to a destination sort station according to the one or items carried by the carrier;
• and
• an actuator for selectively operating the selectively actuable item discharge arrangement of each carrier, wherein each signal emitter is operable to emit an actuation signal to the actuator associated with a selected one of the sort stations;
• wherein the sort station identifiers interact with the signal emitters to selectively operate the actuators and actuate the item discharge arrangements of the carriers to discharge the one or more items carried by each carrier at the destination sort station for the carrier;
• wherein the actuator associated with each sort station comprises a signal receiver, wherein the signal receiver of a selected one of the sort stations receives the actuation signal from the signal emitter of one of the carriers and is operable to respond to the actuation signal to operate the actuator so as to actuate the item discharge arrangement of the carrier.

A method of sorting items, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of carriers movable on a predetermined path, wherein the predetermined path comprises a track having a movable drive arrangement, wherein the track includes a series of sort stations;
• placing one or more items in each carrier;
• assigning each carrier a destination sort station according to the one or more items placed within the carrier, wherein information identifying the destination sort station is stored on the carrier;
• providing a unique identifier for each sort station;
• asynchronously moving the carriers on the predetermined path by operation of the drive arrangement such that the drive arrangement moves the carriers on the predetermined path independent of each other;
• comparing the unique identifiers of the sort stations with the information identifying the destination sort station stored on each carrier to ascertain whether the carrier is in the vicinity of its destination sort station;
• and
• discharging the one or more items from each carrier at the destination sort station when the carrier identifies the unique identifier for the destination sort station.

A method of sorting items, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of carriers movable on a predetermined path, wherein the predetermined path comprises a track having a movable drive arrangement, wherein the track includes a series of sort stations;
• placing one or more items in each carrier;
• assigning each carrier a destination sort station according to the identity of the item placed within the carrier;
• providing a unique identifier for each sort station;
• moving the carriers on the predetermined path by operation of the drive arrangement;
• utilizing the unique identifiers of the sort stations to ascertain whether each carrier is in the vicinity of its destination sort station;
• and
• discharging the one or more items from each carrier at the destination sort station when the carrier identifies the unique identifier for the destination sort station;
• wherein the step of providing a unique identifier for each sort station comprises emitting a sort station identification signal in the vicinity of each sort station, wherein the carrier includes a receiver for receiving the sort station identification signal.

A method of sorting items, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of carriers movable on a predetermined path, wherein the predetermined path has a series of sort stations;
• placing one or more items in each carrier;
• assigning each carrier a destination sort station according to the identity of the item placed within the carrier;
• providing a unique identifier for each sort station;
• moving the carriers on the predetermined path;
• utilizing the unique identifiers of the sort stations to ascertain whether each carrier is in the vicinity of its destination sort station;
• and
• discharging the one or more items from each carrier at the destination sort station when the carrier identifies the unique identifier for the destination sort station;
• wherein the step of providing a unique identifier for each sort station comprises emitting a sort station identification signal in the vicinity of each sort station, wherein the carrier includes a receiver for receiving the sort station identification signal,
• wherein the carrier includes an emitter, and wherein the step of discharging the one or more items from the carrier is carried out in response to an actuation signal emitted by the carrier in response to the carrier receiving the sort station identification signal of its destination sort station;
• wherein each carrier includes a selectively actuable discharge mechanism, and wherein each sort station includes an actuating mechanism movable from an inoperative position to an operative position in response to the actuation signal emitted by one of the carriers.

A method of sorting items, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of carriers movable on a predetermined path, wherein the predetermined path comprises a track having a movable drive arrangement, wherein the track includes a series of sort stations;
• placing one or more items in each carrier;
• assigning each carrier a destination sort station according to the identity of the item placed within the carrier;
• providing a unique identifier for each sort station;
• moving the carriers on the predetermined path by operation of the drive arrangement;
• utilizing the unique identifiers of the sort stations to ascertain whether each carrier is in the vicinity of its destination sort station;
• and
• discharging the one or more items from each carrier at the destination sort station when the carrier identifies the unique identifier for the destination sort station;
• wherein the step of utilizing the unique identifiers of the sort stations is carried out on the carrier by software associated with the carrier which analyzes the unique identifiers of the sort stations to determine whether each sort station is the destination sort station assigned to the carrier.

In a sortation system including a track arrangement having a series of sort stations, the improvement comprising:

• a movable drive arrangement associated with the track arrangement;
• a series of carriers movable on the track arrangement by operation of the movable drive arrangement, wherein each carrier is adapted to receive and transport one or more items on the track arrangement, wherein each carrier includes a selectively actuable item discharge arrangement and a programmable carrier destination member, wherein the carrier destination member is operably configured to store information identifying a destination sort station for the carrier;
• means for supplying destination sort station information to the carrier destination member according to the one or more items carried by the carrier;
• an actuator for selectively operating the selectively actuable item discharge arrangement of each carrier;
• and a unique identification arrangement associated with each sort station;
• wherein the carrier destination member interacts with the unique identification arrangement of each sort station for matching the destination sort station of the carrier with the unique identification arrangement of a selected one of the sort stations to selectively operate the actuators and actuate the item discharge arrangements of the carriers for discharging the one or more items carried by each carrier at the destination sort station for the carrier.

In a sortation system including a track arrangement and a series of carriers movable on the track arrangement, wherein the track arrangement includes a series of sort stations adapted to receive one or more items from the carriers, the improvement comprising:

• an actuator located at each of the sort stations, wherein each actuator is movable between an operative position and an inoperative position;
• a carrier destination arrangement associated with each carrier for indicating a destination sort station for the carrier to discharge one or more items carried by the carrier, and
• a signal emitter at each sort station which emits a signal unique to the sort station, wherein the carrier destination arrangement interacts with the unique signal of each sort station for matching the destination sort station of the carrier with the unique signal of a selected one of the sort stations, and wherein the carrier destination arrangement is interconnected with the movable actuator of the destination sort station for moving the actuator to the operative position to discharge the one or more items carried by the carrier at the destination sort station;
• wherein each carrier includes a receiver that receives the signals from the signal emitters at the sort stations, and interacts with the actuator for moving the actuator between the operative and inoperative positions.