Conveyor Switch
First Claim
1. A switch comprising:
- an alignment conveyor having a conveying surface extending longitudinally in a conveying direction from an upstream end to a downstream end and laterally in width from a first side edge to a second side edge and including;
a carryway having bearing surfaces,at least one conveyor belt advancing along the carryway in the conveying direction and forming the conveying surface, wherein the conveyor belt includes rollers rotatable on axes oblique to the conveying direction, the rollers extending upward through the thickness of the belt into supporting contact with conveyed articles along the carryway and downward into rolling contact with the bearing surfaces in the carryway,wherein the conveying surface is divided into a first region extending laterally inward from the first side edge and a second region extending laterally inward from the second side edge and wherein the rollers in the first region are oriented to rotate to direct conveyed articles in the first region toward the first side edge and the rollers in the second region are oriented to rotate to direct conveyed articles in the second region toward the second side edge;
a pre-alignment conveyor advancing articles in the conveying direction and feeding the articles selectively to the first and second regions of the conveying surface at the upstream end of the alignment conveyor.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sorting switch for diverting articles from one or more infeed conveyors to two or more outfeed conveyors. A pre-alignment conveyor receives articles from one or more infeed conveyors and selectively diverts individual articles into two or more lateral regions for delivery to an alignment conveyor downstream. The alignment conveyor more precisely aligns the articles within each of the regions for delivery to outfeed conveyors at the downstream end of the alignment conveyor. The alignment and pre-alignment conveyors are realized as belt conveyors with rollers arranged to rotate universally or on axes in specific orientations. In some versions, a belt'"'"'s rollers roll on bearing surfaces whenever the belt is advancing. In other versions, rollers are selective actuated by moving bearing surfaces. In yet other versions, rollers are not contacted by bearing surfaces at all.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A switch comprising:
an alignment conveyor having a conveying surface extending longitudinally in a conveying direction from an upstream end to a downstream end and laterally in width from a first side edge to a second side edge and including; a carryway having bearing surfaces, at least one conveyor belt advancing along the carryway in the conveying direction and forming the conveying surface, wherein the conveyor belt includes rollers rotatable on axes oblique to the conveying direction, the rollers extending upward through the thickness of the belt into supporting contact with conveyed articles along the carryway and downward into rolling contact with the bearing surfaces in the carryway, wherein the conveying surface is divided into a first region extending laterally inward from the first side edge and a second region extending laterally inward from the second side edge and wherein the rollers in the first region are oriented to rotate to direct conveyed articles in the first region toward the first side edge and the rollers in the second region are oriented to rotate to direct conveyed articles in the second region toward the second side edge; a pre-alignment conveyor advancing articles in the conveying direction and feeding the articles selectively to the first and second regions of the conveying surface at the upstream end of the alignment conveyor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A switch comprising:
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a first conveyor receiving articles from an infeed conveyor, the first conveyor including; a roller belt advancing in a conveying direction and having rollers extending through the belt and arranged to rotate on axes oblique to the conveying direction; a bearing surface underlying the roller belt and selectively actuatable between a first position out of contact with the rollers and a second position contacting the rollers and causing the rollers to rotate as the roller belt advances, whereby articles conveyed atop the rollers with the bearing surface in the second position are pushed to one side of the roller belt by the rotating rollers as the roller belt advances; a second conveyor advancing in the conveying direction and receiving articles from the first conveyor, the second conveyor including; at last one roller belt extending in width from a first side to a second side and having rollers extending through the belt and arranged to rotate on axes oblique to the conveying direction, wherein the at least one roller belt includes a first region extending inward from the first side positioned to receive articles pushed to one side on the first conveyor and a second region extending inward from the second side positioned to receive the other articles, bearing surfaces underlying at least a portion of the rollers to cause the rollers to rotate by contact with the bearing surfaces as the at least one roller belt advances in the conveying direction, wherein the rollers in the second region are in constant contact with the underlying bearing surfaces and are arranged to rotate on second oblique axes oriented to direct articles conveyed atop the rollers in the second region toward the second side, and wherein the rollers in the first region are out of contact with the bearing surfaces or are in contact with the underlying bearing surfaces and arranged to rotate on first oblique axes oriented to direct articles conveyed atop the rollers in the first region toward the first side.
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14. A switch for distributing articles received from an infeed conveyor to a plurality of outfeed conveyors, the switch comprising:
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an alignment conveyor advancing from an upstream end to a downstream end in a conveying direction and having a conveying surface divided laterally in width between first and second sides into a plurality of lanes, each terminating in an associated outfeed position marking an outfeed conveyor at the downstream end of the alignment conveyor, wherein articles received in each lane at the upstream end are directed to the associated outfeed position of the lane as the articles are conveyed from the upstream end to the downstream end of the alignment conveyor; a pre-alignment conveyor, disposed at the upstream end of the alignment conveyor and extending from an upstream end to a downstream end in the conveying direction, conveying articles received from an infeed conveyor at the upstream end of the pre-alignment conveyor and selectively shifting the articles laterally to distribute the articles among the lanes of the alignment conveyor; wherein the alignment conveyor includes at least one roller belt having article-supporting rollers extending through the belt and rotatable on axes oblique to the conveying direction and bearing surfaces underlying the roller belt and contacting at least a portion of the rollers to cause the rollers to rotate and direct articles laterally as the roller belt advances in the conveying direction; wherein the pre-alignment conveyor includes at least one roller belt having article-supporting rollers arranged to enable articles conveyed atop the rollers to be directed laterally across the pre-alignment conveyor as the roller belt advances. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification