Compact article unscrambler
First Claim
1. A package singulation conveyor comprising:
- a conveying surface traveling in a particular direction;
a diverting surface having at least a portion extending above said conveying surface and traveling upwardly and away from said conveying surface in a direction generally normal to said particular direction;
a radial belt turn conveyor; and
wherein packages traveling along said conveying surface having a portion extending to said diverting surface will be diverted from said conveying surface by said diverting surface to said radial belt turn conveyor, said diverting surface being defined by a rotating cylinder, said rotating cylinder being inclined with an end upstream with respect to said particular direction being lower than an opposite end thereof, and said belt turn conveyor rotating said packages and returning said packages to said conveying surface.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A compact article singulation and accumulation conveyor includes a receiving portion which receives articles in random order including clusters of side-by-side articles and a discharge portion from which articles are discharged in a single file singulated stream. A first conveying surface transports articles longitudinally from the receiving portion to the discharge portion. A recirculating bed removes side-by-side articles from a downstream portion of the first conveying surface to an upstream portion of the first conveying surface. The recirculating bed is made up of at least one peel-away conveyor having a second conveying surface adapted to move side-by-side articles laterally off the first conveying surface, at least one coupling conveyor having a third conveying surface adapted to move articles from the second conveying surface upstream and at least one return conveyor having a fourth conveying surface adapted to move articles from the third conveying surface to the first conveying surface. Each of the conveying surfaces may be defined by the upper surfaces of a plurality of powered rollers or traveling belts. Clusters of articles tend to recirculate around the recirculation bed and the first conveying surface and provide contact accumulation thereon as individual articles of the cluster are pulled away along the first conveying surface. An output section diverts packages having a width transverse the direction of conveyor travel which is greater than a particular dimension, rotates diverted packages, and returns the rotated packages to the conveyor.
82 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A package singulation conveyor comprising:
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a conveying surface traveling in a particular direction;
a diverting surface having at least a portion extending above said conveying surface and traveling upwardly and away from said conveying surface in a direction generally normal to said particular direction;
a radial belt turn conveyor; and
wherein packages traveling along said conveying surface having a portion extending to said diverting surface will be diverted from said conveying surface by said diverting surface to said radial belt turn conveyor, said diverting surface being defined by a rotating cylinder, said rotating cylinder being inclined with an end upstream with respect to said particular direction being lower than an opposite end thereof, and said belt turn conveyor rotating said packages and returning said packages to said conveying surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of removing from a conveying surface side-by-side packages and any package having a lateral dimension with respect to the direction of travel of said conveying surface which exceeds a particular dimension, comprising:
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providing a vertical guide surface adjacent one side of the conveying surface and a diverting device laterally spaced from said guide surface a distance substantially equal to the greatest lateral package dimension transverse the direction of travel of the conveying surface that is to travel downstream of the conveying surface, wherein said diverting surface has a substantially horizontal surface that engages the articles and moves laterally of said conveying surface;
conveying packages along the conveying surface;
diverting off the conveying surface any packages having any portion contacting said diverting device;
rotating packages diverted from the conveying line and conveying the rotated packages to a package unscrambler;
unscrambling the packages with the unscrambler; and
returning the rotated and unscrambled packages to the conveying surface. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of removing from a conveying surface side-by-side packages and any package having a lateral dimension with respect to the direction of travel of said conveying surface which exceeds a particular dimension, comprising:
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providing a vertical guide surface adjacent one side of the conveying surface and a diverting device laterally spaced from said guide surface a distance substantially equal to the greatest lateral package dimension transverse the direction of travel of the conveying surface that is to travel downstream of the conveying surface, wherein said diverting surface has a substantially horizontal surface that engages the articles and moves laterally of said conveying surface, and said diverting device including at least a portion extending above said conveying surface;
conveying packages along the conveying surface;
diverting off the conveying surface any packages having any portion contacting said diverting device; and
rotating packages diverted from the conveying line and returning the rotated packages to the conveying surface. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A conveying apparatus comprising:
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a conveying surface which conveys packages in a direction;
a diverting device positioned along said conveying surface to divert packages having a lateral dimension transverse the direction of travel of said conveying surface which is greater than or equal to a particular dimension;
a rotating device which rotates diverted packages approximately one quarter turn and then returns rotated packages to said conveying surface, and said rotating device being configured to return rotated packages upstream said diverting device; and
a package unscrambler upstream of said diverting device wherein said rotating device returns rotated packages to said unscrambler. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A conveying apparatus, comprising:
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conveying means for conveying packages in a particular direction, said conveying means having a conveying surface;
diverting means for diverting from said conveying means packages having a dimension transverse said particular direction which is greater than a particular dimension, said diverting means having a diverting surface extending above said conveying surface;
rotating means for rotating packages diverted by said diverting means approximately one quarter turn;
package unscrambling means for unscrambling packages rotated by said rotation means; and
means for returning rotated and unscrambled packages to said conveying means. - View Dependent Claims (24)
guide means extending in said particular direction along said conveying means; and
wherein said diverting means is spaced from said guide means a particular distance wherein packages having a dimension transverse said direction which is greater than said particular distance will be diverted by said diverting means off said conveying means.
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25. A package singulation conveyor comprising:
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a conveying surface traveling in a particular direction;
a diverting surface having at least a portion extending above said conveying surface and traveling upwardly and away from said conveying surface in a direction generally normal to said particular direction;
a radial belt turn conveyor, said belt turn conveyor including said diverting surface; and
wherein packages traveling along said conveying surface having a portion extending to said diverting surface will be diverted from said conveying surface by said diverting surface to said radial belt turn conveyor, and said belt turn conveyor rotating said packages and returning said packages to said conveying surface. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A package singulation conveyor comprising:
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a conveying surface traveling in a particular direction;
a rotating device;
a substantially horizontal diverting surface that engages and has at least a portion extending above said conveying surface and traveling away from said conveying surface in a transverse direction generally normal to said particular direction;
a diverter comprising a cylinder, said cylinder being inclined with an end upstream with respect to said particular direction being lower than an opposite end thereof, and said diverting surface being provided by said diverter; and
wherein packages traveling along said conveying surface having a portion extending to said diverting surface will be diverted from said conveying surface by said diverting surface to said rotating device. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A package singulation conveyor comprising:
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a conveying surface traveling in a particular direction;
a rotating device, said rotating device comprising a belt turn conveyor;
a generally horizontal diverting surface traveling away from said conveying surface in a transverse direction generally normal to said particular direction; and
wherein packages traveling along said conveying surface having a lateral dimension transverse said particular direction which is greater than or equal to a particular dimension are engaged and diverted from said conveying surface by said diverting surface to said rotating device, and said rotating device rotating said packages such that their lateral dimension is generally aligned with said particular direction and returning said rotated packages to said conveying surface. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A package singulation conveyor comprising:
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a conveying surface traveling in a particular direction;
a rotating device;
a diverter comprising a cylinder, said cylinder being inclined with an upstream end with respect to said particular direction being lower than an opposite end thereof, said diverter providing a generally horizontal diverting surface traveling away from said conveying surface in a transverse direction generally normal to said particular direction; and
wherein packages traveling along said conveying surface having a lateral dimension transverse said particular direction which is greater than or equal to a particular dimension are engaged and diverted from said conveying surface by said diverting surface to said rotating device, and said rotating device rotating said packages such that their lateral dimension is generally aligned with said particular direction and returning said rotated packages to said conveying surface.
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Specification