Crossbelt sorter system and method of sorting articles
First Claim
1. A crossbelt sorter system, comprising:
- a track assembly;
a plurality of carriers attached to each other to travel along said track assembly, each of said carriers having a plurality of trolleys, wherein each of said trolleys comprises at least one wheel and a bogie bracket mounting said at least one wheel, wherein said bogie bracket of each of said trolleys is mounted to the associated one of said carriers to pivot in at least two different directions wherein said track assembly comprises curves in vertical and horizontal planes at a same location thereof and wherein said bogie bracket of at least one of said trolleys is adapted to move with respect to the carrier in a third direction perpendicular to said at least two different directions in addition to being mounted to pivot in said at least two different directions to support the associated said carriers as it moves through said vertical and horizontal planes; and
a propulsion system that is adapted to propel said carriers along said track assembly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A crossbelt sorter system and method of sorting articles includes a track assembly and a plurality of carriers attached to each other to travel along the track assembly. Each of the carriers includes at least front and rear corner portions thereof and a trolley at each of the front and rear corner portions. Each trolley is configured to travel along the track assembly. A hitch assembly joins adjacent ones of the carriers. A propulsion system propels the carriers along the track assembly. Each trolley is mounted to the associated carrier to pivot in at least two different directions. In this manner, the track assembly may have one or more spiral portions thereof. Each trolley is adapted to pivot in the two different directions to support the associated carrier as it moves through the spiral portion.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A crossbelt sorter system, comprising:
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a track assembly; a plurality of carriers attached to each other to travel along said track assembly, each of said carriers having a plurality of trolleys, wherein each of said trolleys comprises at least one wheel and a bogie bracket mounting said at least one wheel, wherein said bogie bracket of each of said trolleys is mounted to the associated one of said carriers to pivot in at least two different directions wherein said track assembly comprises curves in vertical and horizontal planes at a same location thereof and wherein said bogie bracket of at least one of said trolleys is adapted to move with respect to the carrier in a third direction perpendicular to said at least two different directions in addition to being mounted to pivot in said at least two different directions to support the associated said carriers as it moves through said vertical and horizontal planes; and a propulsion system that is adapted to propel said carriers along said track assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A crossbelt sorter system, comprising:
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a track assembly; a plurality of carriers attached to each other to travel along said track assembly, each of said carriers and a plurality of trolleys, wherein each of said trolleys is mounted to the associated one of said carriers to pivot in at least two different directions wherein said track assembly having curves in vertical and horizontal planes at a same location and each said trolley is adapted to pivot in said at least two different directions to support the associated said carriers as it moves through said vertical and horizontal planes; and a propulsion system that is adapted to propel said carriers along said track assembly; wherein each said trolley is mounted with a spherical bearing in order to pivot in said at least two different directions, wherein each said trolley includes a horizontal biasing member that is adapted to bias that trolley into lateral engagement with said track assembly, wherein each said trolley includes an override that allows said horizontal biasing member to be overridden for separation of the associated said trolley from said track assembly. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A crossbelt sorter system, comprising:
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a track assembly; a plurality of carriers attached to each other to travel along said track assembly, each of said carriers comprising at least front and rear corner portions thereof, a trolley at at least one chosen from said front corner portion and said rear corner portion, said trolley is configured to travel along said track assembly, and a hitch assembly joining adjacent said rear portion of one of said carriers with a front portion of the other of said adjacent carriers; and a propulsion system that is adapted to propel said carriers along said track assembly; wherein said track assembly comprises at least two rails that have a surface shape that is at least partially circular in cross section and wherein each of said trolleys comprises at least one V-oriented set of upper wheels at an upper portion thereof, said upper wheels each mounted on a plane that intersects the plane of the other of said upper wheels, wherein each of said trolleys includes at least one lower wheel below said upper wheels. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A crossbelt sorter system, comprising:
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a track assembly; a plurality of carriers attached to each other to travel along said track assembly, each of said carriers comprising at least front and rear corner portions thereof, a trolley at at least one chosen from said front corner portion and said rear corner portion, said trolley is configured to travel along said track assembly, and a connection member connecting a front portion of said carrier to a rear portion of said carrier; a hitch assembly joining adjacent said rear portion of one of said carriers with a front portion of the other of said adjacent carriers; and a propulsion system that is adapted to propel said carriers along said track assembly, wherein said propulsion system includes a drive fin attached to said connection member, wherein said drive fin is propelled by a prime mover to propel said carriers. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A crossbelt sorter system, comprising:
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a track assembly; a plurality of carriers attached to each other to travel along said track assembly, each of said carriers comprising a lower carriage portion attached to the lower carriage portions of adjacent ones of said carriers and at least one upper carriage portion that is separably attached to said lower carriage portion, said upper carriage portion comprising a motorized roller, another roller, and a support for said rollers and a conveyor belt reeved about said rollers; a propulsion system that is adapted to propel said carriers along said track assembly; and a divert trigger that is adapted to prompt said conveyor belt to discharge a load thereon to a particular location along said track assembly, wherein said divert trigger comprises a flag on one chosen from one of said carriers and said track assembly that is adapted to selectively interrupt a photo beam at the other of said one of said carriers and said track, wherein said flag is adapted to block said photo beam to prompt said conveyor belt to discharge a load thereon. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A crossbelt sorter system, comprising:
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a track assembly; a plurality of carriers attached to each other to travel along said track assembly and a plurality of trolleys at each of said carriers that are adapted to move along said track assembly, each of said trolleys including a bogie bracket supporting at least one wheel for supporting that trolley travelling along said track assembly, wherein said track assembly guides movement of said plurality of carriers; and a propulsion system that is adapted to propel said carriers along said track assembly, said propulsion system comprising at least one travelling member extending along a portion of said track assembly and engaging said bogie brackets of at least some of said trolleys sequentially to propel said carriers as those trolleys pass and said propulsion system. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of sorting articles, comprising:
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positioning articles on individual conveyor belts of a crossbelt sorter, transporting the conveyor belts to particular destinations and discharging the articles at said particular destinations; said transporting the conveyor belts comprising the conveyor belts being mounted to carriers, each of said carriers being coupled to other of said carriers and propelled along a track assembly; said track assembly having curves in both vertical and horizontal planes at a same location and supporting said carriers to travel along said track assembly with trolleys, each of said trolleys comprises at least one wheel and a bogie bracket mounting said at least one wheel, wherein said bogie bracket of each of said trolleys is pivotally mounted to the associated one of said carriages and capable of pivoting in at least two different directions and wherein said bogie bracket of at least one of said trolleys is adapted to move with respect to the carrier in a third direction perpendicular to said at least two different directions in addition to being mounted to pivot in said at least two different directions to support the associated said carriers as it moves in said vertical and horizontal planes.
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Specification