Sortation conveyor
First Claim
1. A method of selectively diverting articles disposed on an endless conveying surface moving in a downstream longitudinal direction at a divert location, comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a plurality of pushers mounted on said endless conveying surface and traveling therewith; and
b. moving said endless conveying surface in said downstream direction;
c. initially contacting a selected one of said articles to be diverted with at least one pusher of a diverted set of one or more pushers while said at least one pusher is traveling along a divert guide path at an initial contact divert angle, said initial contact angle being less than 20°
; and
d. guiding said diverted set of one or more pushers along said divert guide path through a plurality of divert angles subsequent to said step of initially contacting.
18 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sortation conveyor has a divert guide path which is configured to guide pushers to engage articles disposed on an endless conveying surface at an initial impact which does not result in an out of control situation even at high speeds. The divert guide path is disposed at a plurality of divert angles, and guides pushers to engage articles at a low initial contact divert angle and first lateral speed and to accelerate the articles to a final divert angle and second, higher, lateral speed. The pushers may be undergoing lateral acceleration at the time initial contact is made with the articles.
48 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of selectively diverting articles disposed on an endless conveying surface moving in a downstream longitudinal direction at a divert location, comprising the steps of:
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a. providing a plurality of pushers mounted on said endless conveying surface and traveling therewith; and b. moving said endless conveying surface in said downstream direction; c. initially contacting a selected one of said articles to be diverted with at least one pusher of a diverted set of one or more pushers while said at least one pusher is traveling along a divert guide path at an initial contact divert angle, said initial contact angle being less than 20°
; andd. guiding said diverted set of one or more pushers along said divert guide path through a plurality of divert angles subsequent to said step of initially contacting. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of selectively diverting one or more pushers mounted on an endless conveying surface moving in downstream longitudinal direction, from a home path into contact with a selected article of a plurality of articles disposed on said endless conveying surface, comprising the steps of:
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a. diverting said one or more pushers from said home path onto a first path; b. thereafter causing said one or more pushers to travel along said first path at an initial angle, followed by an intermediate angle, then followed by a final angle, said angles being measured relative to said downstream longitudinal direction, said intermediate angle being greater than said initial and said final angle; b. thereafter causing said one or more pushers to contact said selected article. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of selectively diverting articles disposed on an endless conveying surface moving in a downstream longitudinal direction at a divert location, comprising the steps of:
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a. providing a plurality of pushers mounted on said endless conveying surface and traveling therewith; and b. moving said endless conveying surface in said downstream direction; c. initially contacting a selected one of said articles to be diverted with at least one pusher of a diverted set of one or more pushers while said at least one pusher is traveling along a non-linear divert guide path; and d. guiding said diverted set of one or more pushers along said divert guide path through a plurality of divert angles subsequent to said step of initially contacting. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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Specification