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Apparatus for laterally deflecting articles

  • US 4,369,873 A
  • Filed: 01/10/1979
  • Issued: 01/25/1983
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1978
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for laterally deflecting specific articles selected with respect to one criterion from a first conveyor means to a second conveyor means for the deflected articles, said apparatus comprising:

  • (a) deflecting segments each having an oblique working face, said segments being(i) stationary in the direction of advance of said articles to be deflected;

    (ii) extensible and retractable in such a manner that the working faces of individual segments are flush with the working faces of the preceding segments and together form a deflecting surface leading from said first conveyor means to said second conveyor means; and

    (iii) the width of each segment being less than about one-half of the sum of the dimension of the articles in the direction of advance and their distances from each other;

    (b) operating means which operate on the individual segments to extend and retract them;

    (c) detecting means which generate control signals each time an article passes the same; and

    (d) delay means which delay the control signals in response to the velocity of said conveyor means, the distance between said detecting means and each of said individual deflecting segments, and the reaction time and the extending and retracting time of said segments, whereby at any given point in time only those segments are extended or will be extended which at this point in time or immediately thereafter are necessary for deflecting an article, and whereby said segments do not move at the time an article which is to be deflected is contacting said segments.

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