System for sorting articles using a double carrying tray

• US 6,460,681 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: W & H Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WL Systems Incorporated (W.L. Systems)
• Inventors: Coutant, Ralph, Iversen, Alfred W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, JOSEPH C
• Application Number:
  US09/585,011
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 198/370.04, 198/370.03, 198/704, 198/349.95, 209/583, 209/577, 209/584, 209/587, 209/559, 209/576, 209/912, 209/900
• US Class Current: 198/370.04
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/06 Linear sorting machines in which articles are removed from a stream at selected points
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/082 In which the objects are carried by transport holders and the transport holders form part of the conveyor belts conveyors with carriers B65G47/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/965 tilting about a sided-axis, i.e. the axis is not located near the center-line of the load-carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/912 Endless feed conveyor with means for holding each item individually

Abstract

A system for sorting articles, the system having a track which defines a route starting at least one loading point, the route continuing on to a plurality of destination points and arriving back at the loading point. The system also has at least one tray for conveying an article from the loading point to a selected one of the destination points. The tray comprises a first and a second half pivotally coupled to each other. The track includes a first segment for momentarily tilting a leading end of the tray upward relative to a trailing end of the tray and possibly downward again, and a second segment for laterally tilting the first half and the second half of the tray at an angle. The first and second segments selectively maneuver an article loaded in the tray to a bottom corner thereof prior to the tray reaching the selected destination point in order to substantially reduce the jarring of the article during the discharge thereof at the selected destination point. A scanner is provided for scanning an identification-code disposed on the article. The scanner is coupled to a controller which determines the selected destination point using the information obtained by the scanner from the identification-code disposed on the article.

Claims

1. A system for sorting articles, comprising:

a track defining a route starting at at least one loading point and continuing onto a plurality of destination points;

at least one tray for conveying articles from said at least one loading point to selected ones of said destination points, said at least one tray having a leading end and a trailing end and a first half and a second half, said first half being pivotally coupled to said second half;

wherein said track includes first means for momentarily tilting said leading end of said at least one tray upward relative to said trailing end of said at least one tray, and second means for laterally tilting said first half at an angle and said second half at an opposite angle.

2. The system for sorting articles according to claim 1 wherein said first and second means selectively maneuver articles loaded in said first half and said second half to a bottom corner thereof prior to at least one tray reaching said selected ones of said destination points in order to substantially reduce the jarring of the articles during the discharge thereof at said selected ones of said destination points.

3. The system for sorting articles according to claim 1, further comprising third means for momentarily tilting said leading end of said at least one tray downward relative said trailing end of said at least one tray to maneuver said articles toward said leading edge of said tray, said third means located between said first means and said second means.

4. The system for sorting articles according to claim 1, further comprising tray driving means for driving said at least one tray along said track.

5. The system for sorting articles according to claim 1, wherein said first half and said second half of said at least one tray includes means for enabling articles to be selectively discharged from said first half and said second half of said at least one tray when said at least one tray reaches said selected ones of said destination points.

6. The system for sorting articles according to claim 1, further comprising diverter means for causing the articles to be discharged from said first half and said second half of said at least one tray at said selected ones of said destination points.

7. The system for sorting articles according to claim 6, further comprising controller means coupled to said diverter means for selectively activating said diverter means.

8. The system for sorting articles according to claim 1, further comprising controller means for determining said selected one of said destination points using information relating to the location of said at least one tray on said track and the articles loaded thereon.

9. The system for sorting articles according to claim 8, further comprising:

tray driving means for driving said at least one tray along said track,

speed measuring means coupled between said controller means and said tray driving means, for monitoring the speed of said tray driving means, said controller means using the speed of said tray driving means and a sensed reference location of said tray to determine the location of said at least one tray on said track.

10. The system for sorting articles according to claim 8, further comprising scanning means coupled to said controller means, for scanning an identification-code disposed on the articles loaded on said first half and said second half of said at least one tray and an article sensor for sensing presence of the articles on said first half and said second half of said at least one tray.

11. The system for sorting articles according to claim 10, further comprising diverter means coupled to said controller means and associated with said destination points of said track, for causing articles to be discharged from said first half and said second half of said at least one tray at said selected one of said destination points, said controller activating said diverter means in response to information received from said speed measuring means and said scanning means.

12. The system for sorting articles according to claim 10, wherein said article sensor comprises an identification-code reader associated with said track such that said at least one tray passes under said identification-code reader as said at least one tray moves along said track and said identification-code reader reads the identification-code disposed on the articles to determine whether said at least one tray includes said articles.

13. The system for sorting articles according to claim 10, wherein said article sensor comprises a vision-type sensor associated with said track such that said at least one tray passes under said vision-type sensor as said at least one tray moves along said track and said vision-type sensor determines whether said at least one tray includes said articles.

14. The system for sorting articles according to claim 10, wherein said article sensor comprises a photosensor associated with said track such that said at least one tray passes over said photosensor as said at least one tray moves along said track, said at least one tray including a base with a plurality of apertures which enables said photosensor to scan through said base and determine whether said at least one tray includes said articles.

15. The system for sorting articles according to claim 1, wherein said first half and said second half of said at least one tray includes raised rib sections in a base portion thereof to provide stabilization in said tray for specific article types.

16. The system for sorting articles according to claim 15, wherein said specific article types include round objects.

17. The system for sorting articles of claim 1 wherein:

said track comprises a drive track for moving said tray and a plurality of support rails for supporting said tray, and

said second means for laterally tilting said first and second tray halves comprises a change in relative elevation between the drive track and the tray support rails.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein each said tray half includes a roller for rolling on one of the support rails.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein each said roller comprises a cylindrical wheel affixed to the tray with a positive camber angle to reduce lateral rocking of the tray as it travels along the track.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein each said roller comprises a cylindrical wheel affixed to the tray with a positive camber angle to reduce lateral rocking of the tray as it travels along the track.

21. A system for sorting articles, comprising:

a track defining a route starting at at least one loading point and continuing on to a plurality of destination points;

at least one tray for conveying articles from said at least one loading point to a selected one of said destination points, said at least one tray having a leading end and a trailing end and a first half and a second half, said first half being pivotally coupled to said second half;

wherein said track includes at least a first segment for orienting said at least one tray in a horizontal position in order that said at least one tray can be loaded with articles at said at least one loading point, at least a second segment for momentarily tilting said leading end of said at least one tray upward relative to said trailing end of said at least one tray, and at least a third segment for laterally tilting said first half at a first angle from said horizontal position and for laterally tilting said second half at a second angle from said horizontal position, wherein said first angle and said second angle are opposite angles.

22. The system for sorting articles according to claim 21 wherein said second and third segments of said track selectively maneuver articles loaded in said first half and said second half of said at least one tray to a bottom corner thereof prior to said at least one tray reaching said selected one of said destination points in order to substantially reduce the jarring of the articles during the discharge thereof at said selected one of said destination points.

23. The system for sorting articles according to claim 21, further comprising a fourth segment for momentarily tilting said leading end of said at least one tray downward relative to said trailing end of said at least one tray to maneuver said articles toward said leading edge of said tray prior to reaching said third segment, said fourth segment coupled between said second segment and said third segment.

24. The system for sorting articles according to claim 21, further comprising:

a drive chain coupled to said at least one tray for pulling said at least one tray along said track; and

an electric motor for driving said drive chain.

25. The system for sorting articles according to claim 21, wherein said first half and said second half each includes a discharge door and latch means for opening said discharge door to discharge articles when said at least one tray reaches said selected one of said destination points.

26. The system for sorting articles according to claim 25, further comprising a diverter associated with each of said destination points, one of said diverters being operative for activating said latch means to discharge articles from said at least one tray at said selected one of said destination points.

27. The system for sorting articles according to claim 26, further comprising controller means coupled to said diverters for selectively activating said one of said diverters.

28. The system for sorting articles according to claim 21, further comprising controller means for determining said selected one of said destination points using information pertaining to the location of said at least one tray on said track and the articles loaded thereon.

29. The system for sorting articles according to claim 28, further comprising:

a motor; and

an encoder coupled to said controller means and said motor for monitoring the speed of said motor in revolutions/minute and converting the speed into a digital signal representing a linear dimension, said controller means using said digital signal representing said linear dimension and a sensed reference location of said tray to determine the location of said at least one tray on said track.

30. The system for sorting articles according to claim 28, further comprising a scanning means coupled to said controller means, for scanning an identification code disposed on articles loaded on said at least one tray and an article sensor for sensing presence of the articles on said at least one tray.

31. The system for sorting articles according to claim 30, further comprising a plurality of diverters coupled to said controller means, each one of said diverters associated with one of said destination points, one of said diverters being operative for causing articles to be discharged from said first half and said second half of said at least one tray at said selected ones of said destination points, said controller selectively activating one of said diverters in response to information received from said encoder and said scanning means.

32. The system for sorting articles according to claim 30, wherein said article sensor comprises an identification-code reader associated with said track such that said at least one tray passes under said identification-code reader as said at least one tray moves along said track and said identification-code reader reads the identification-code disposed on the articles to determine whether said at least one tray includes said articles.

33. The system for sorting articles according to claim 30, wherein said article sensor comprises a vision-type sensor associated with said track such that said at least one tray passes under said vision-type sensor as said at least one tray moves along said track and said vision-type sensor determines whether said at least one tray includes said articles.

34. The system for sorting articles according to claim 30, wherein said article sensor comprises a photosensor associated with said track such that said at least one tray passes over said photosensor as said at least one tray moves along said track, said at least one tray including a base with a plurality of apertures which enables said photosensor to scan through said base and determine whether said at least one tray includes said articles.

35. The system for sorting articles according to claim 30, wherein said controller means provides an operator of said system with a plurality of graphical user interface screens.

36. The system for sorting articles according to claim 21, wherein said first half and said second half of said at least one tray each includes raised rib sections in a base portion thereof to provide stabilization for articles loaded in said tray.

37. The system for sorting articles of claim 21 wherein:

said track comprises a drive track for moving said tray and a plurality of support rails for supporting said tray, and

said second means for laterally tilting said first and second tray halves comprises a change in relative elevation between the drive track and the tray support rails.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein each said tray half includes a roller for rolling on one of the support rails.

39. A system for sorting articles, comprising:

a track defining a route starting at at least one loading point and continuing on to a plurality of destination points;

at least one tray for conveying articles having an identification code disposed thereon, from said at least one loading point to a selected one of said destination points, said at least one traying having a first half and a second half pivotally coupled;

an article sensor for determining whether said articles is disposed within said at least one tray;

scanning means for scanning the identification-code disposed on the articles loaded in said at least one tray; and

controller means for determining said selected one of said destination points using the identification-code disposed on the articles, wherein said track momentarily tilts a leading end of said at least one tray upward relative to a trailing end of said at least one tray, and laterally tilts said first half at an angle and said second half at an opposite angle.

40. The system for sorting articles according to claim 39 wherein said track selectively maneuvers articles loaded in said first half and said second half to a bottom corner thereof prior to said at least one tray reaching said selected one of said destination points in order to substantially reduce the jarring of the articles during the discharge thereof at said selected one of said destination points.

41. The system for sorting articles according to claim 39, further comprising:

a motor; and

an encoder coupled to said controller means and said motor for monitoring the speed of said motor in revolutions/minute and converting the speed into a digital signal representing a linear dimension, said controller means using said digital signal representing said linear dimension to determine the location of said at least one tray on said track.

42. The system for sorting articles according to claim 39, wherein said track momentarily tilts said leading end of said at least one tray downward relative said trailing end of said at least one tray to maneuver said articles toward said leading edge of said tray, wherein the downward tilting of said leading end occurs after the upward tilting of the leading and before the lateral tilting of said first half and said second half.