Method of and apparatus for separating articles conveyed on a conveyor system
First Claim
1. A method for separating from a group of articles being conveyed along a conveyor system, the leading article of the group, wherein the group of articles is conveyed by a first independently operable upstream conveyor towards a second independently operable downstream conveyor and the first conveyor is reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor after a substantial part of the leading article has passed onto the second conveyor, thereby introducing a speed differential between the leading article and the rest of the group and resulting in the leading article being drawn away from the rest of the group, wherein after a predetermined period of time, corresponding to the minimum distance required between the leading article and the rest of the group has elapsed, the first conveyor is returned to its normal operating speed relative to the second, wherein the presence of a leading article amongst a group of articles is determined by comparing the distance between the leading and trailing edges of the group with the maximum expected length of a single article, and wherein the distance between the leading and trailing edges of a group of articles is determined by scanning the first conveyor width-wise at a point along its path to detect each leading and trailing edge to pass the point, and measuring the length of time which elapses between the detection of each pair of leading and trailing edges.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for separating from a group of articles being conveyed along a conveyor system the leading article of the group, wherein the group of articles is conveyed by a first independently operable upstream conveyor (3) towards a second independently operable downstream conveyor (4), and the first conveyor (3) is stopped or reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor (4) after all or a substantial part of the leading article has passed onto the second conveyor (4). This introduces a speed differential between the leading article and the rest of the group and resulting in the leading article being drawn away from the rest of the group. Once the leading article has travelled forward on the second conveyor (4) by a distance sufficient to space it from the rest of the group, the first conveyor (3) is restarted.
67 Citations
50 Claims
- 1. A method for separating from a group of articles being conveyed along a conveyor system, the leading article of the group, wherein the group of articles is conveyed by a first independently operable upstream conveyor towards a second independently operable downstream conveyor and the first conveyor is reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor after a substantial part of the leading article has passed onto the second conveyor, thereby introducing a speed differential between the leading article and the rest of the group and resulting in the leading article being drawn away from the rest of the group, wherein after a predetermined period of time, corresponding to the minimum distance required between the leading article and the rest of the group has elapsed, the first conveyor is returned to its normal operating speed relative to the second, wherein the presence of a leading article amongst a group of articles is determined by comparing the distance between the leading and trailing edges of the group with the maximum expected length of a single article, and wherein the distance between the leading and trailing edges of a group of articles is determined by scanning the first conveyor width-wise at a point along its path to detect each leading and trailing edge to pass the point, and measuring the length of time which elapses between the detection of each pair of leading and trailing edges.
- 4. A method for separating from a group of articles being conveyed along a conveyor system, the leading article of the group, wherein the group of articles is conveyed by a first independently operable upstream conveyor towards a second independently operable downstream conveyor and the first conveyor is reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor after a substantial part of the leading article has passed onto the second conveyor, thereby introducing a speed differential between the leading article and the rest of the group and resulting in the leading article being drawn away from the rest of the group, wherein after a predetermined period of time, corresponding to the minimum distance required between the leading article and the rest of the group has elapsed, the first conveyor is returned to its normal operating speed relative to the second, wherein the difference in distance between the leading edge of the leading article and the leading edge of the rest of the group is determined and this distance is compared with a predetermined measure of length, and wherein when the distance between the leading edges is less than the predetermined measure, the first conveyor is not reduced in speed relative to the second until the leading edge of the leading article has travelled said predetermined measure beyond the transition point between the first and second conveyors.
- 9. Apparatus for separating from a group of articles being conveyed along a conveyor system the leading article of the group wherein said apparatus comprises sensor means for sensing the presence of a leading article in a group of articles, a first independently operable upstream conveyor, a second independently operable downstream conveyor, and control means whereby the first conveyor is reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor after a substantial part of the leading article has passed onto the second conveyor, thereby introducing a speed differential between the leading article and the rest of the group and resulting in the leading article being drawn away from the rest of the group wherein said means for sensing the presence of a leading article amongst a group of articles, comprises article sensing means scanning the width of the first conveyor, a timing device for measuring the length of time to elapse between the leading edge and the trailing edge of a group of articles passing said article sensing means, memory means in which is held a predetermined value corresponding to the time taken for a single article of maximum expected length to pass the article sensing means and comparator means for indicating when the measured time exceeds the predetermined value, thereby indicating the presence of a leading article.
-
19. A conveyor system, comprising:
-
(a) apparatus for separating from a group of articles being conveyed along a conveyor system the leading article of the group wherein said apparatus comprises sensor means for sensing the presence of a leading article in a group of articles, a first independently operable upstream conveyor, a second independently operable downstream conveyor, and control means whereby the first conveyor is reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor after a substantial part of the leading article has passed onto the second conveyor, thereby introducing a speed differential between the leading article and the rest of the group and resulting in the leading article being drawn away from the rest of the group wherein said means for sensing the presence of a leading article amongst a group of articles, comprises article sensing means scanning the width of the first conveyor, a timing device for measuring the length of time to elapse between the leading edge and the trailing edge of a group of articles passing said article sensing means memory means in which is held a predetermined value corresponding to the time taken for a single article of maximum expected length to pass the article sensing means and comparator means for indicating when the measured time exceeds the predetermined value, thereby indicating the presence of a leading article; (b) an additional conveyor for conveying groups of articles to be separated from each other to the said apparatus; and (c) a further conveyor for conveying articles from the said apparatus.
-
-
20. A method for separating the leading article from a group of randomly presented articles being conveyed by a first independently operable upstream conveyor towards a second independently operable downstream conveyor, wherein
(a) when the trailing edge of the leading article overlaps with the leading edge of the rest of the group the distance between the leading edge of the leading article and the leading edge of the rest of the group is compared with a first predetermined measure of length and the first conveyor is reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor when the leading edge of the leading article has travelled forward beyond the transition point between the first and second conveyors by a distance which is at least equal to said first predetermined measure of length; - and
(b) when there is no discernible overlap between the trailing edge of the leading article and the leading edge of the leading article, and the length of the group of articles is determined to exceed a second predetermined measure of length, the first conveyor is reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor when the leading edge of the group has travelled forward beyond the transition point between the first and second conveyors by a distance which is equal to said second predetermined measure of length. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
- and
-
34. A method for separating from a group of randomly presented articles being conveyed by a first independently operable upstream conveyor toward a second independently operable downstream conveyor the leading article of the group, wherein the first conveyor is reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor when the distance between the leading and trailing edges of the group is determined to exceed a predetermined measure of length, corresponding to the maximum expected length of a single article, and the leading edge of the group has travelled forward beyond the transition point between the first and second conveyors by a distance substantially equal to said predetermined measure of distance.
-
35. A method for separating from a group of randomly presented articles being conveyed by a first independently operable upstream conveyor toward a second independently operable downstream conveyor the leading article of the group, wherein the difference in distance between the leading edge of the leading article and the leading edge of the rest of the group is determined and this distance is compared with a predetermined measure of length and the first conveyor is reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor only after the leading edge of the leading article has travelled forward beyond the transition point between the first and second conveyors by a distance which is at least equal to said predetermined measure of length.
- 36. Apparatus for separating the leading article from a group of articles being conveyed along a conveyor system, wherein said apparatus comprises a first independently operable upstream conveyor, a second independently operable downstream conveyor, first article sensing means capable of determining the distance between the leading edge of a leading article and the leading edge of the rest of the group of articles, where the leading edge of the rest of the group of articles overlaps with the trailing edge of the leading article, first comparator means for comparing the said distance with a first predetermined measure of length, second article sensing means capable of determining the distance between the leading edge and the trailing edge of a single article or group of articles being conveyed along the first conveyor, second comparator means for comparing the said distance with a second predetermined measure of length, and control means whereby the first conveyor is stopped or reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor when the leading edge of a leading article, the trailing edge of which overlaps with the leading edge of the rest of the group, has travelled forward beyond the transition point between the first and second conveyors by a distance which is equal to said first predetermined measure of length, and when the leading edge of a group of articles has travelled forward beyond the transition point between the first and second conveyors by a distance which is equal to said second predetermined measure of length.
-
48. A conveyor system comprising:
-
(a) an apparatus for separating the leading article from a group of articles being conveyed along a conveyor system, wherein said apparatus comprises a first independently operable upstream conveyor, a second independently operable downstream conveyor, first article sensing means capable of determining the distance between the leading edge of a leading article and the leading edge of the rest of the group of articles, where the leading edge of the rest of the group of articles overlaps with the trailing edge of the leading article, first comparator means for comparing the said distance with a first predetemined measure of length, second article sensing means capable of determining the distance between the leading edge and the trailing edge of a single article or group of articles being conveyed along the first conveyor, second comparator means for comparing the said distance with a second predetermined measure of length, and control means whereby the first conveyor is stopped or reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor when the leading edge of a leading article, the trailing edge of which overlaps with the leading edge of the rest of the group, has travelled forward beyond the transition point between the first and second conveyors by a distance which is equal to said first predetermined measure of length, and when the leading edge of a group of articles has travelled forward beyond the transition point between the first and second conveyors by a distance which is equal to said second predetermined measure of length; (b) an additional conveyor for conveying groups of articles to be separated from each other to the said apparatus; and (c) a further conveyor for conveying articles from the said apparatus.
-
-
49. Apparatus for separating the leading article from a group of articles being conveyed along a conveyor system, wherein said apparatus comprises a first independently operable upstream conveyor, a second independently operable downstream conveyor, article sensing means capable of determining the distance between the leading edge of a leading article and the leading edge of the rest of the group of articles, where the leading edge of the rest of the group of articles overlaps with the trailing edge of the leading article, comparator means for comparing the said distance with a first predetermined measure of length, and control means whereby the first conveyor is stopped or reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor when the leading edge of a leading article, the trailing edge of which overlaps with the leading edge of the rest of the group, has travelled forward beyond the transition point between the first and second conveyors by a distance which is, at least, equal to said first predetermined measure of length.
-
50. Apparatus for separating the leading article from a group of articles being conveyed along a conveyor system, wherein said apparatus comprises a first independently operable downstream conveyor, article sensing means capable of determining the distance between the leading edge and the trailing edge of a single article or group of articles being conveyed along the first conveyor, comparator means for comparing the said distance with a second predetermined measure of length, and control means whereby the first conveyor is stopped or reduced in speed relative to the second conveyor when the leading edge of a group of articles has travelled forward beyond the transition point between the first and second conveyors by a distance which is, at least, equal to said second predetermined measure of length.
Specification