Apparatuses and methods for controlling the spacing of and ejecting conveyed objects

Apparatus for controlling spacing of objects conveyed by a horizontally-oriented conveyor and for selectively ejecting individual objects from the horizontally-oriented conveyor, the apparatus comprising:

• a vertically-oriented conveyor belt positioned adjacent the horizontally-oriented conveyor, the vertically-oriented conveyor belt including a plurality of flights that can be actuated from a retracted state to an extended state and a plurality of ejectors colocated with the flights such that each flight comprises a directly adjacent ejector, the ejectors being adapted to be selectively actuated from a retracted state to an extended state, wherein the flights when extended limit travel of the objects to control their relative spacing along the horizontally-oriented conveyor and wherein the ejectors when actuated eject the object limited by its associated flight;
• a stationary actuation member adapted to actuate the flights when they are near the horizontally-oriented conveyor;
• and
• a stationary ejector actuator adapted to, separate from actuation of the flights, selectively actuate individual ejectors.

A conveyor belt comprising:

• an outer surface;
• an inner surface;
• a plurality of flights located at predetermined positions along the length of the conveyor belt, the flights comprising object interfaces and being adapted to be actuated from a retracted state in which the object interface is generally parallel to the outer surface of the conveyor belt to an extended state in which the object interface is generally perpendicular to the outer surface of the conveyor belt, wherein the flights when extended limit travel of objects conveyed by a separate conveyor to control their relative spacing along the separate conveyor;
• and
• a plurality of ejectors colocated with the flights such that each flight comprises a directly adjacent ejector and the flights and ejector form pairs, the ejectors being adapted to be selectively actuated from a retracted state in which they do not interact with an object limited by its directly adjacent flight to an extended state in which the ejector ejects the object limited by its directly adjacent flight.

A conveyor belt module comprising:

• a body that defines a front surface, a rear surface, a leading edge, and a trailing edge;
• a flight pivotally mounted to the module body, the flight comprising an object interface and a body, the object interface being adapted to limit travel of an object being conveyed by an adjacent conveyor and the flight body defining a cam surface adapted to contact an actuation member and pivot the flight outward from the module body, the flight being actuable from a retracted state in which the object interface is generally parallel to the front surface of the module body to an extended state in which the object interface is generally perpendicular to the front surface of the module body;
• and
• an ejector pivotally mounted to the module body adjacent the flight, the ejector comprising an object interface, a body, and an actuation element that extends out from the ejector body, the ejector object interface being adapted to eject an object being limited by the flight and the actuation element being adapted to contact an ejector actuator and pivot the ejector, the ejectors being adapted to be selectively actuated from a retracted state in which they do not interact with the object being limited by the flight to an extended state in which the ejector ejects the object being limited by the flight.

A method for controlling spacing of objects conveyed by a horizontally-oriented conveyor operated at a first linear speed and for selectively ejecting objects from the horizontally-oriented conveyor, the method comprising:

• operating a vertically-oriented conveyor belt adjacent the horizontally-oriented conveyor at a linear speed that is slower than the first linear speed, the belt comprising a plurality of colocated flights and ejectors;
• extending the flights when they are positioned alongside the horizontally-oriented conveyor such that the flights are substantially perpendicular to a direction of travel of the objects;
• limiting travel of the objects conveyed by the horizontally-oriented conveyor with the extended flights;
• selecting an object limited by one of the flights to be ejected;
• and actuating the ejector colocated with the flight that limits the selected object so as to move the selected object off of the horizontally-oriented conveyor.