Article sorting system
First Claim
1. A system for organizing a plurality of articles, comprising:
- (a) a system computer;
(b) a plurality of section computers each connected to said system computer;
(c) a plurality of section conveyer assemblies, one of said plurality of section conveyor assemblies operably connected to one of said plurality of section computers, respectively; and
(d) a plurality of picking machines operably connected with each of said plurality of section computers and said respective section conveyor assembly, each of said plurality of picking machines comprising;
(1) a picking machine frame;
(2) a picking machine computer mounted on said picking machine frame and connected to said section computer for enabling a selected number of articles to be removed from said picking machine;
(3) a suction mechanism movably mounted on said picking machine frame and connected to said picking machine computer;
(4) stack conveying means on said picking machine frame for delivering a stack of articles to a first position; and
(5) means for moving said suction mechanism to pick up an uppermost articles from said stack of articles at said first position and moving said uppermost article to a bin, wherein said bin rests atop said respective section conveyor assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system for organizing the assembly of a retailer'"'"'s order. The system of the invention includes a system computer, conveyor assemblies and multiple sections. Each section includes an assembly section computer which controls multiple picking machines, a section conveyor, printers, and bundlers. Multiple bins are filled with articles, such as magazines, by the picking machines; the section conveyor then transports each bin to their next respective picking machine to be filled with that title location'"'"'s magazine. Once a bin has been serviced by each picking machine of each title location, the contents of the bin are ejected and bundled by a bundler. Then, all bundles of a retailer'"'"'s order are assembled at a palletizing area awaiting to be loaded into the delivery truck. The system of the invention coordinates the retailer'"'"'s order in sequence with the orders of other retailers so that the orders are organized within the routeman'"'"'s truck so that each order is dropped off in sequence along the route. Each retailers'"'"' order is output out of the system such that the delivery truck is loaded so that the first delivery to a retailer is the first order to be taken off the delivery truck, and at the second stop of the delivery truck the second retailer'"'"'s order is the next order of bundles to be taken off the delivery truck.
53 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for organizing a plurality of articles, comprising:
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(a) a system computer;
(b) a plurality of section computers each connected to said system computer;
(c) a plurality of section conveyer assemblies, one of said plurality of section conveyor assemblies operably connected to one of said plurality of section computers, respectively; and
(d) a plurality of picking machines operably connected with each of said plurality of section computers and said respective section conveyor assembly, each of said plurality of picking machines comprising;
(1) a picking machine frame;
(2) a picking machine computer mounted on said picking machine frame and connected to said section computer for enabling a selected number of articles to be removed from said picking machine;
(3) a suction mechanism movably mounted on said picking machine frame and connected to said picking machine computer;
(4) stack conveying means on said picking machine frame for delivering a stack of articles to a first position; and
(5) means for moving said suction mechanism to pick up an uppermost articles from said stack of articles at said first position and moving said uppermost article to a bin, wherein said bin rests atop said respective section conveyor assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for organizing a plurality of articles, comprising:
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(a) a system computer;
(b) a plurality of section computers each connected to said system computer;
(c) a plurality of section conveyor assemblies, one of said plurality of section conveyor assemblies operably connected to one of said plurality of section computers, respectively;
(d) a plurality of picking machines operably connected with each of said plurality of section computers and said respective section conveyor assembly;
(e) a plurality of section output sensors and scanners connected to said system computer, one of said plurality of section output sensors and scanners located at an output of said plurality of section conveyor assemblies, respectively;
(f) a plurality of system conveyor assemblies, one of said plurality of system conveyor assemblies being operably connected to one of said plurality of section conveyor assemblies, respectively, and connected to said system computer;
(g) a final conveyor assembly operably connected to an output end of said plurality of system conveyor assemblies and connected to said system computer;
(h) an accumulation area having accumulation conveyor assemblies associated with each of said system conveyor assemblies, respectively, each of said accumulation conveyor assemblies having an input end located adjacent to the output end of said system conveyor assembly, and each of said accumulation conveyor assemblies having an output end adjacent to the input end of said final conveyor assembly, said accumulation area having a length of thirty feet.
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18. A system for organizing a plurality of articles, comprising:
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(a) a system computer;
(b) a plurality of section computers each connected to said system computer;
(c) a plurality of section conveyor assemblies, one of said plurality of section conveyor assemblies operably connected to one of said plurality of section computers, respectively; and
(d) a plurality of picking machines operably connected with each of said plurality of section computers and said respective section conveyor assembly, each of said plurality of picking machines comprising;
(1) a picking machine frame;
(2) a picking machine computer mounted on said picking machine frame and connected to said section computer;
(3) a suction mechanism movably mounted on said picking machine frame and connected to said picking machine computer;
(4) stack conveying means on said picking machine frame for delivering a stack of articles to a first position;
(5) means for moving said suction mechanism to pick up an uppermost article from said stack of articles at said first position and moving said uppermost article to a bin, wherein said bin rests atop said respective section conveyor assembly; and
(6) a bin sensor mounted on said picking machine frame and connected to said picking machine computer for detecting a location of said bin.
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19. A system for organizing a plurality of articles, comprising:
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(a) a system computer;
(b) a plurality of section computers each connected to said system computer;
(c) a plurality of section conveyor assemblies, one of said plurality of section conveyor assemblies operably connected to one of said plurality of section computers, respectively;
(d) a plurality of picking machines operably connected with each of said plurality of section computers and said respective section conveyor assembly;
each of said plurality of picking machines comprising;
(1) a picking machine frame;
(2) a picking machine computer mounted on said picking machine frame and connected to said section computer;
(3) a suction mechanism movably mounted on said picking frame and connected to said picking machine computer;
(4) stack conveying means on said picking machine frame for delivering a stack of articles to a first position;
(5) means for moving said suction mechanism to pick up an uppermost articles from said stack of articles at said first position and moving said uppermost article to a bin, wherein said bin rests atop said respective section conveyor assembly; and
(6) a pneumatic cylinder mounted on said picking machine frame and connected to said picking machine computer for engaging said bin.
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Specification