Sortation systems and related methods
First Claim
1. A conveyor system for intended use in conjunction with the sorting of articles, comprising:
- a first conveyor comprising a transpositor having an extended condition for bridging an upstream section of the first conveyor with a downstream section of the first conveyor and a retracted condition; and
a plurality of conveyor lanes, each arranged for receiving one or more articles deposited from the transpositor, said transpositor at least partially covering the plurality of conveyor lanes in the extended condition.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A conveying system for intended use in sorting articles and related methods of conveying and sorting articles are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises a first conveyor extending in a first direction and a second conveyor extending in a second direction, with the directions intersecting. A transfer conveyor, such as a transpositor conveyor, may be provided for transferring articles from one of the first conveyors to one of the second conveyors. The system may be used to sort articles delivered from one or more storage locations for distribution, or may instead be used to sort articles for delivery to one or more storage locations. Related aspects and methods are also described.
58 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A conveyor system for intended use in conjunction with the sorting of articles, comprising:
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a first conveyor comprising a transpositor having an extended condition for bridging an upstream section of the first conveyor with a downstream section of the first conveyor and a retracted condition; and a plurality of conveyor lanes, each arranged for receiving one or more articles deposited from the transpositor, said transpositor at least partially covering the plurality of conveyor lanes in the extended condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A conveyor system for intended use in conjunction with the sorting of articles, comprising:
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a first conveyor comprising a transpositor; and a second conveyor for receiving at least one article from the transpositor, the second conveyor adapted for selectively conveying the article in a first direction or a second direction. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A conveyor system for intended use in conjunction with the sorting of articles, comprising:
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a first conveyor comprising a transpositor; a second conveyor for receiving at least one article from the transpositor; and an actuator for raising and lowering the second conveyor relative to the first conveyor.
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17. A conveyor system for intended use in conjunction with the sorting of articles, comprising:
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a first conveyor including a transpositor; and a second conveyor for receiving at least one articles from the transpositor; an actuator for raising and lowering the second conveyor relative to the first conveyor; a controller for controlling the actuator to raise or lower the second conveyor based on a characteristic of the article. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for sorting articles, comprising:
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a first conveyor for conveying the articles in a conveying direction, the first conveyor including a transpositor; a second conveyor for receiving a first article from the transpositor and conveying the first article in a first direction transverse to the conveying direction; and a third conveyor for receiving a second article from the transpositor, said third conveyor for conveying the second article in a second direction generally opposite the first direction.
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22. A conveying system for conveying at least one article having a dimension, comprising:
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a transpositor for conveying the at least one article; a sensor for sensing the dimension of the at least one article; and an actuator for actuating the transpositor based on the sensed dimension of the article. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification