OVERHEAD REVERSE DIVERT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20190315575A1
• Filed: 04/11/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell & Howell LLC (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Bell & Howell LLC (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Middelberg, Neal J., Adcock, Craig S., Howard, Taner Lee, Paul, Mark Gerard, Johnson, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 10,994,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/025 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/642 in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/71 the articles being discharged or distributed to several distinct separate conveyors or to a broader conveyor lane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/82 Rotary or reciprocating members for direct action on articles or materials, e.g. pushers, rakes, shovels means for pushing glass articles onto a conveyor C03B9/453
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/841 Devices having endless travelling belts or chains equipped with article-engaging elements

Abstract

An overhead reverse diverter for diverting cartons passing under the diverter along a primary transport path, the diverter including a diverter frame arranged over a space through which the cartons move along the primary transport path, a divert belt, and one or more divert paddles attached to the divert belt. The divert belt may be movable along a movement profile when the diverter is triggered to divert one or more of the cartons from the primary transport path, such that the one or more divert paddles are configured to sweep through the space through which the cartons pass as the divert belt moves along the movement profile to divert one or more of the cartons from the primary transport path along one or more divert paths.

Claims

1. An overhead reverse diverter for diverting cartons passing under the diverter along a primary transport path, the diverter comprising:

a diverter frame over a space through which the cartons are moveable along the primary transport path;

a divert belt; and

one or more divert paddles attached to the divert belt;

wherein the divert belt is movable along a movement profile when the diverter is triggered to divert one or more of the cartons from the primary transport path, such that the one or more divert paddles are configured to sweep through the space as the divert belt moves along the movement profile to divert one or more of the cartons from the primary transport path along one or more divert paths.

2. The diverter of claim 1, wherein the one or more divert paddles comprise at least three divert paddles.

3. The diverter of claim 1, wherein the one or more divert paths comprise a plurality of divert paths.

4. The diverter of claim 3, wherein two or more divert paths of the plurality of divert paths are arranged on opposite sides of the primary transport path proximate to the space through which the cartons pass under the diverter.

5. The diverter of claim 4, wherein the two or more divert paths are oriented substantially orthogonally to the primary transport path.

6. The diverter of claim 3, wherein the movement profile comprises oscillating forward and reverse movements of the divert belt, such that the diverter is configured to divert the cartons onto the plurality of divert paths in an alternating manner.

7. The diverter of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more divert paths comprise a first divert path; and

the diverter is configured to divert at least one of the cartons onto the first divert path from the primary transport path.

8. The diverter of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more divert paths comprise a first divert path and a second divert path;

the diverter is configured to divert a first subset of the cartons onto the first divert path from the primary transport path when a first condition is detected; and

the diverter is configured to divert a second subset of the cartons onto the second divert path from the primary transport path when a second condition is detected.

9. The diverter of claim 8, wherein the diverter is configured to allow a third subset of the cartons to continue beyond the diverter along the primary transport path.

10. The diverter of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first and second conditions comprises an error condition.

11. The diverter of claim 1, wherein the movement profile has a variable speed and/or force.

12. The diverter of claim 1, wherein the one or more divert paddles are configured for repeated actuation without the one or more divert paddles returning to a zero position.

13. The diverter of claim 1, comprising a first divert spindle and a second divert spindle, wherein:

the first and second divert spindles are attached to the diverter frame, such that the first and second divert spindles are spaced apart from each other in a plane that is not parallel to a transport direction of the cartons along the primary transport path;

the divert belt wraps around and frictionally engages with the first and second divert spindles; and

at least the first divert spindle is configured to be driven by a rotary force, such that the divert belt is driven about the first and second divert spindles.

14. The diverter of claim 13, comprising a divert motor configured to generate the rotary force imparted to the first divert spindle;

wherein the second divert spindle is an idler spindle that rotates as the divert belt is rotatably driven by the first divert spindle.

15. The diverter of claim 14, comprising a transfer case configured to transfer the rotary force from the divert motor to the first divert spindle.

16. The diverter of claim 13, wherein:

the first divert spindle is coupled to a divert belt drive shaft, which is rotatably coupled to the diverter frame; and

the second divert spindle is coupled to a divert belt idler shaft, which is rotatably coupled to the diverter frame.

17. The diverter of claim 13, wherein the plane in which the first and second divert spindles are spaced apart is oriented substantially orthogonally to the transport direction of the cartons along the primary transport path, such that the movement profile of the divert belt is oriented substantially orthogonally to the transport direction of the cartons along the primary transport path.

18. The diverter of claim 1, wherein:

the movement profile of the divert belt comprises movements of the divert belt in at least two directions; and

the at least two directions are substantially diametrically opposite from each other.

19. The diverter of claim 1, comprising at least one homing sensor configured to detect when at least one of the one or more divert paddles is in a zero position.

20. The diverter of claim 1, comprising at least one trigger sensor configured to detect when one or more of the cartons are in a divert position under the diverter.

21. The diverter of claim 1, comprising a stop plate configured to stop multiple cartons, which are to be diverted from the primary transport path onto a first divert path of the one or more divert paths, in a divert position under the diverter.

22. The diverter of claim 21, wherein the stop plate is movable into and out of the primary transport path based on a number of cartons to be diverted substantially simultaneously from the primary transport path onto the first divert path.

23. The diverter of claim 1, wherein the cartons are transported along the primary transport path and under the diverter by a transport conveyor.

24. A method of diverting cartons from a primary transport path using an overhead reverse diverter, the method comprising:

moving the cartons along the primary transport path;

positioning a diverter frame over a space through which the cartons move along the primary transport path;

attaching a divert belt to the diverter frame so that the divert belt is suspended over the primary transport path;

attaching one or more divert paddles to the divert belt;

triggering a movement of the divert belt along a movement profile;

sweeping at least one of the one or more divert paddles across the primary transport path; and

diverting one or more of the cartons from the primary transport path onto one or more divert paths.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more divert paddles comprise at least three divert paddles.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more divert paths comprise a plurality of divert paths.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising arranging two or more divert paths of the plurality of divert paths on opposite sides of the primary transport path proximate to the space through which the cartons pass under the diverter.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the two or more of the plurality of divert paths are oriented substantially orthogonally to the primary transport path.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the movement profile comprises oscillating forward and reverse movements of the divert belt, such that the cartons are diverted onto the plurality of divert paths from the primary transport path in an alternating manner.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more divert paths comprise a first divert path, such that at least one of the cartons is diverted onto the first divert path from the primary transport path.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more divert paths comprises a first divert path and a second divert path, the method comprising:

diverting a first subset of the cartons onto the first divert path from the primary transport path when a first condition is detected; and

diverting a second subset of the cartons onto the second divert path from the primary transport path when a second condition is detected.

32. The method of claim 31, comprising allowing a third subset of the cartons to continue beyond the diverter along the primary transport path.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein at least one of the first and second conditions comprises an error condition.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the movement profile has a variable speed and/or force.

35. The method of claim 24, comprising repeatedly actuating the one or more divert paddles to sweep across the primary transport path without returning to a zero position.

36. The method of claim 24, comprising:

attaching a first divert spindle and a second divert spindle to the diverter frame, such that the first and second divert spindles are spaced apart from each other in a plane that is not parallel to a transport direction of the cartons along the primary transport path;

wrapping the divert belt around the first and second divert spindles to frictionally engage the divert belt with the first and second divert spindles; and

rotating, via a rotary force, the first divert spindle, such that the divert belt is driven about the first and second divert spindles.

37. The method of claim 36, comprising:

generating the rotary force using a divert motor;

transmitting the rotary force to the first divert spindle; and

rotating the first divert spindle;

wherein the second divert spindle is an idler spindle that rotates as the divert belt is rotatably driven by the first divert spindle.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein transmitting the rotary force to the first divert spindle comprises attaching a transfer case to transfer the rotary force from the divert motor to the first divert spindle.

39. The method of claim 36, comprising:

coupling the first divert spindle to a divert belt drive shaft, which is rotatably coupled to the diverter frame; and

coupling the second divert spindle to a divert belt idler shaft, which is rotatably coupled to the diverter frame.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the plane in which the first and second divert spindles are spaced apart is oriented substantially orthogonally to the transport direction of the cartons along the primary transport path, such that the movement profile of the divert belt is oriented substantially orthogonally to the transport direction of the cartons along the primary transport path.

41. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the movement profile of the divert belt comprises movements of the divert belt in at least two directions; and

the at least two directions are substantially diametrically opposite from each other.

42. The method of claim 24, comprising detecting, using at least one homing sensor, when at least one of the one or more divert paddles is in a zero position.

43. The method of claim 24, comprising detecting, using at least one trigger sensor, when one or more of the cartons is in a divert position under the diverter.

44. The method of claim 24, comprising:

stopping, using a stop plate, multiple cartons, which are to be diverted from the primary transport path onto a first divert path of the one or more divert paths, in a divert position under the diverter; and

diverting the at least two of the cartons along the first divert path.

45. The method of claim 44, comprising moving the stop plate into and out of the primary transport path based on a number of cartons to be diverted substantially simultaneously from the primary transport path onto the first divert path.

46. The method of claim 24, wherein the cartons are transported along the primary transport path and under the diverter by a transport conveyor.