Pre-angling of articles for sortation
First Claim
1. A method of sorting articles using a positive displacement sorter having a plurality of slats arranged in parallel to define a conveying surface moving in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of pusher shoes, each of said shoes travelling laterally along at least one of said slat, at least one diverting rail arranged diagonally under said conveying surface and at least one diverting station upstream of the diverting rail for selectively diverting at least two pusher shoes to said at least one diverting rail, whereby said at least two pusher shoes travel laterally across said conveying surface in a diagonal path when diverted to said at least one diverting rail by said at least one diverting station in order to divert an article to a take-away lane, said method comprising:
- pre-orienting articles prior to the articles arriving at said diverting station wherein a side of each pre-oriented article is oriented at an orientation that is at an angle to said longitudinal direction when the articles reach the diverting station; and
operating said at least one diverting station causing said pusher shoes to engage the side of a pre-oriented article and diverting the pre-oriented article without substantial further rotation of that article.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of sorting articles using a positive displacement sorter having a plurality of slats arranged in parallel to define a conveying surface moving in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of pusher shoes, each of said shoes travelling laterally along at least one of said slat and a diverting station comprising at least one diverting rail arranged diagonally under said conveying surface and at least one diverting switch for selectively diverting at least two pusher shoes to the diverting rail whereby the pusher shoes travel laterally across said conveying surface in a diagonal path in order to divert an article to a take-away lane includes pre-orienting articles prior to the diverting station wherein a side of each article is oriented at approximately a same orientation as the diagonal path and operating the at least one diverting switch and diverting at least one article that is pre-oriented.
46 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of sorting articles using a positive displacement sorter having a plurality of slats arranged in parallel to define a conveying surface moving in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of pusher shoes, each of said shoes travelling laterally along at least one of said slat, at least one diverting rail arranged diagonally under said conveying surface and at least one diverting station upstream of the diverting rail for selectively diverting at least two pusher shoes to said at least one diverting rail, whereby said at least two pusher shoes travel laterally across said conveying surface in a diagonal path when diverted to said at least one diverting rail by said at least one diverting station in order to divert an article to a take-away lane, said method comprising:
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pre-orienting articles prior to the articles arriving at said diverting station wherein a side of each pre-oriented article is oriented at an orientation that is at an angle to said longitudinal direction when the articles reach the diverting station; and operating said at least one diverting station causing said pusher shoes to engage the side of a pre-oriented article and diverting the pre-oriented article without substantial further rotation of that article. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of sorting articles using a positive displacement sorter having a plurality of slats arranged in parallel to define a conveying surface moving in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of pusher shoes, each of said shoes travelling laterally along at least one of said slat and a diverting station, at least one diverting rail arranged diagonally under said conveying surface and at least one diverting station upstream of the diverting rail for selectively diverting at least two pusher shoes to said at least one diverting rail, whereby said at least two pusher shoes travel laterally across said conveying surface in a diagonal path when diverted to said at least one diverting rail by said at least one diverting station in order to divert an article to a take-away lane, said method comprising:
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pre-orienting articles prior to the articles arriving at said diverting station wherein a side of each pre-oriented article is oriented at approximately a same orientation as said diagonal path; and operating said at least one diverting station and diverting the pre-oriented article without substantial further rotation of that article. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification