Missort prevention system in a conveying system

• US 9,592,983 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Original Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Inventors: Costanzo, Mark, Myers, David Herbert, Fourney, Matthew L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Campbell, Keith R
• Application Number:
  US14/878,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20160101957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 198/502.1, 198/537, 198/358, 198/359, 193/2.R, 193/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/00 Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches sorting by hand only B07C7/00; separating solids from solids by sieving, screening, or sifting or by using gas currents or other separating by dry methods applicable to bulk material B07B
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 11/203 for articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/08 Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/44 Arrangements or applications of hoppers or chutes
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/20 Controlling associated apparatus

Abstract

A missort prevention system prevents missorts in a sortation conveying system. The missort prevention system includes a sensor for detecting the presence of an unexpected article on a chute transitioning articles off of a conveyor and a missort preventer for blocking the further passage of the unexpected article on the chute.

Claims

1. A method of preventing a missorted article from passing down a chute from a conveyor, comprising the steps of:

sensing the presence of a missorted article on a chute by generating a missort signal when a missort sensor is blocked outside of a selected time window; and

activating a missort preventer along the chute to block the missorted article.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating a missort preventer comprises the step of braking rollers forming a surface of the chute.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating a missort preventer comprises the step of lifting a hinged gate to block the missorted article on the chute.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating a missort preventer comprises the step of raising a barrier through the chute to create a blockade on the chute.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating a missort preventer comprises the step of lowering a gate over the chute to create a blockade on the chute.

6. A conveying system for sorting articles, comprising:

a conveyor for conveying articles in a direction of travel;

a first chute extending at an angle down from the side of the conveyor for receiving articles sorted off of the conveyor;

a missort sensor associated with the chute for generating a signal indicating a missort when the missort sensor is blocked outside of a selected time window; and

a missort preventer for selectively blocking the chute when the missort sensor generates a signal indicating a missort.

7. The conveying system of claim 6, wherein the missort sensor is a photoreflective sensor.

8. The conveying system of claim 6, wherein the first chute includes a plurality of rollers forming a conveying surface, and the missort preventer comprises a brake that selectively engages the rollers to prevent rotation of the rollers.

9. The conveying system of claim 6, wherein the missort preventer comprises a hinged gate that is selectively raised to form a blockade on the chute.

10. The conveying system of claim 6, wherein the missort preventer comprises a plurality of pins pushed through the chute to form a blockade on the chute.

11. The conveying system of claim 6, wherein the missort preventer comprises a gate in a frame that is selectively lowered to form a blockade on the chute.

12. A method of sorting articles, comprising the steps of:

directing the articles along a path of travel with a conveyor;

detecting the presence of a characteristic of the articles;

directing articles with a first characteristic from the conveyor to a first chute;

generating a missort signal when a missort sensor is blocked outside of a selected time window; and

blocking the first chute if the missort sensor is blocked outside of a selected time window.