Device for identifying and sorting objects

• US 5,101,983 A
• Filed: 12/14/1990
• Issued: 04/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel Italia Societa Per Azioni
• Original Assignee: Meccanizzazione Postale E Automazione SPA
• Inventors: Scata, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Huppert, Michael S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WACYRA, EDWARD MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/627,679
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 209/3.1, 209/3.3, 209/539, 209/552, 209/583, 209/584, 209/563-566, 209/606, 209/698, 209/900, 209/912, 209/917, 209/924, 209/925, 209/933, 209/934, 198/370, 198/718, 198/721, 198/725, 198/728, 198/733, 198/734
• US Class Current: 209/583
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3412 according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality class, contents or incorrect indication sorting according to size measured by light-responsive means B07C5/10; sorting according to optical properties B07C5/342; for packages B65D79/02; for information carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/36 Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution sorting according to destination B07C3/003, B07C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 19/02 for articles, e.g. for containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 19/225 for article conveyors, e.g. for container conveyors B65G19/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/38 by dumping, tripping, or releasing load carriers by flexing or tilting travelling structures B65G47/94
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/49 without bodily contact between article or load carrier and automatic control device , e.g. the destination marks being electrically or electronically detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/917 Endless belt pusher feeding item

Abstract

A device for identifying and sorting objects includes a low-friction surface for supporting parcels to be identified and sorted, each provided with a bar code on at least one side thereof, a dragging mechanism capable of conveying parcels from a staging area to a sorting area via a readout station which identifies each parcel by means of its bar code, and a plurality of trap doors, responsive to the readout station and located at predetermined positions on the low-friction surface, through which the identified parcels are selectively discharged and thereby routed to a corresponding plurality of intermediate or final destinations. The dragging mechanism comprises a pair of pulleys between which a flexible cable is operatively engaged which in turn pulls a plurality of drag arms over the low-friction surface.

Claims

1. A device for identifying and sorting objects, each provided with a bar code applied on at least one side thereof, said device comprising:

a low-friction surface for supporting the objects to be sorted and defining a staging area and a sorting area, said low-friction surface extending substantially in the form of a closed loop;

dragging means running over said low-friction surface for conveying the objects along a path defined on said surface from the staging area to the sorting area, said dragging means further comprising

a pair of pulleys,

a flexible transmission member extending between and about said pulleys,

a plurality of drag arms each fixed to said transmission member and adapted to run over said low-friction surface,

identifying means for reading said bar codes and thereby identifying said objects, and

a plurality of trap doors responsive to said identifying means and each located at a respective predetermined position on said path.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said low-friction surface has two parallel rectilinear sections which are connected at either end by a respective one of two semicircular sections inside each of which a respective one of said pulleys is located, and wherein said path extends along both said rectilinear sections and along at least one of said semicircular sections.

3. A device according to claim 2, further comprising a conveyor belt for removing selected objects from the low-friction surface, said conveyer belt being located downstream from one of said rectilinear sections, with a part of the belt being aligned flush with and forming part of an adjacent semicircular portion of said low-friction surface.

4. A device according to claim 2, further comprising a deposit station for the objects to be sorted disposed between the two rectilinear sections, said deposit station further comprising two planes, each inclined toward a respective rectilinear section of the low-friction surface, and each provided with a ledge for retaining the objects until they are placed on the low-friction surface.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of said drag arms comprises in arm having one end connected to the flexible transmit member and extending outwardly at a predetermined a in the direction of movement of said drag arm.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein each said arm further comprises a plurality of small rollers, each pivotally mounted about a respective vertical axis and each having an exposed circumferential surface facing the direction of movement of the drag arm.