High rate bulk flow sortation
First Claim
1. A mixed article sortation system that is adapted to organize a bulk flow of articles into separate destinations, the mixed articles being of various sizes and shapes, said system comprising:
- at least two bulk flow singulators each configured to receive a bulk flow of mixed articles being of various sizes and shapes and to arrange the bulk flow of articles to respective first and second single-file flows of articles;
a first article induct that arranges the first single-file flow of mixed articles from said one of said singulators to a first flow of gapped articles separated by gaps and a first article sensor that receives the first single-file flow of gapped mixed articles and senses at least the identity and weight of each article in the first single-file flow of gapped mixed articles;
a second article induct that arranges the single-file flow of mixed articles from the other of said singulators to a second flow of gapped mixed articles separated by gaps and a second article sensor that receives the second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles and senses at least the identity and weight of each article in the second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles;
a combiner that combines the first and second single-file flow of gapped articles from the first and second article sensors into a third single-file flow of articles; and
a positive displacement sorter, said sorter receives the third single-file flow of articles from the combiner and sorts the articles to separate destinations.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mixed article sortation system and method of sorting the bulk flow of mixed articles being of various sizes and shapes to separate destinations includes at least two bulk flow singulators, each configured to receive a bulk flow of mixed articles and arrange the articles to respective first and second single-file flows. A first article induct arranges the first flow of articles from one of the singulators to a first flow of gapped articles and a first article sensor senses the identity and weight of each article. A second article induct arranges the single-file flow of articles from the other singulator to a second flow of gapped articles and a second article sensor senses the identity and weight of each article in said second single-file flow. A combiner combines the first and second single-file flow of articles into a third single-file flow of articles. A sorter receives the third single-file flow of mixed articles and sorts the articles to separate destinations.
42 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A mixed article sortation system that is adapted to organize a bulk flow of articles into separate destinations, the mixed articles being of various sizes and shapes, said system comprising:
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at least two bulk flow singulators each configured to receive a bulk flow of mixed articles being of various sizes and shapes and to arrange the bulk flow of articles to respective first and second single-file flows of articles; a first article induct that arranges the first single-file flow of mixed articles from said one of said singulators to a first flow of gapped articles separated by gaps and a first article sensor that receives the first single-file flow of gapped mixed articles and senses at least the identity and weight of each article in the first single-file flow of gapped mixed articles; a second article induct that arranges the single-file flow of mixed articles from the other of said singulators to a second flow of gapped mixed articles separated by gaps and a second article sensor that receives the second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles and senses at least the identity and weight of each article in the second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles; a combiner that combines the first and second single-file flow of gapped articles from the first and second article sensors into a third single-file flow of articles; and a positive displacement sorter, said sorter receives the third single-file flow of articles from the combiner and sorts the articles to separate destinations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A mixed article combiner that combines first and second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles into a third single-file flow of mixed articles, the mixed articles being of various sizes and shapes, said combiner comprising:
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a first conveyor receiving the first single-file flow of gapped mixed articles that are edge aligned on said first conveyor along an imaginary line; a second conveyor that is generally parallel with and adjacent said first conveyor, said second conveyor receiving the second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles and having pusher shoes that reach said imaginary line at a farthest lateral extent of said pusher shoes when in a diverted state; and a control, said control monitoring articles to establish relative positions between articles of the first and second single-file flows of gapped mixed articles and diverting at least one of said pusher shoes thereby diverting an article on said second conveyor to laterally displace that article to said first conveyor into a space between articles on said first conveyor, wherein articles exit said first conveyor in a merged stream of edge-aligned articles along said imaginary line as the third single-file flow. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of sorting the bulk flow of mixed articles to separate destinations, the mixed articles being of various sizes and shapes, said method comprising:
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receiving a bulk flow of mixed articles being of various sizes and shapes at two bulk flow singulators and arranging the bulk flow of articles to first and second single-file flows of mixed articles; arranging the first single-file flow of mixed articles to a first flow of gapped mixed articles separated by gaps and sensing at least the identity and weight of each article in said first flow of gapped mixed articles; arranging the second single-file flow of articles to a second flow of gapped mixed articles separated by gaps and sensing at least the identity and weight of each article in the second flow of gapped mixed articles; combining the first and second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles into a third single-file flow of articles; and sorting the articles from the third single-file flow of mixed articles to separate article destinations.
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26. A method of combining first and second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles into a third single-file flow of articles, the mixed articles being of various sizes and shapes said method comprising:
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receiving the first single-file flow of gapped mixed articles with a first conveyor that are edge aligned on said first conyeyor along an imaginary line; receiving the second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles with a second conveyor that is generally parallel with and adjacent said first conveyor and having pusher shoes that reach said imaginary line at a farthest lateral extent of said pusher shoes when in a diverted state; and monitoring articles to establish relative spacing between articles of said first and second single-file flows of gapped mixed articles and diverting at least one of said pusher shoes thereby diverting an article on said second conveyor to laterally displace that article onto said first conveyor into a space between articles on said first conveyor, wherein articles exit said first conveyor in a merged stream of edge-aligned articles along said imaginary line as the third single-file flow.
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27. A mixed article combiner that combines first and second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles into a third single-file flow of mixed articles, the mixed articles being of various sizes and shapes, said combiner comprising:
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a conveying surface defined by upper surfaces of upper slats that are interconnected in a longitudinally travelling web and pusher shoes that each travel along at least one of said slats to laterally displace an article on said conveying surface from the second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles to the first flow of gapped mixed articles to create the third single-file flow of mixed articles, wherein articles in the first flow of gapped mixed articles are edge aligned along an imaginary line, wherein said pusher shoes reach said imaginary line at a farthest lateral extent of said pusher shoes when in a diverted state; a control, said control monitoring articles to establish relative positions between articles of the first and second single-file flows of gapped mixed articles and diverting at least one of said pusher shoes thereby diverting an article from the second single-file flow of gapped mixed articles to displace that article into a space between articles in the first single-file flow of gapped mixed articles, wherein said combiner edge-aligns articles along said imaginary line supplied in said third single-file flow.
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Specification