Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Condition responsive means controls separating means
Patent
1991-08-26
1994-07-05
Dayoan, D. Glenn
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Condition responsive means controls separating means
209583, 209900, 198349, 1983496, B07C 500
Patent
active
053259726
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a method of controlling a sorting system and to a sorting system comprising a sorter conveyer having loading carrying trays or sections that can be loaded with articles, during movement of the conveyor, may be actuated to unload the articles in a selective manner to selected unloading or receiving stations, among a plurality of stations disposed along the moving or conveying path of the conveyor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally single conveyor sections or trays are laterally tiltedly arranged such that the unloading may be effected by a selected actuation of associating tilting mechanism for these trays; however, it has been proposed to effect an unloading operation by using stationary deflector means which, in selected unloading station, may be introduced into the moving path of the articles for guiding articles to that particular unloading station.
The unloading stations can be placed rather close to each other and each having an almost minimized dimension in the conveying direction, whereby it is important that the unloading operations be effected with high accuracy, i.e. during the movement of the relevant trays through relatively short, well defined lengths. The development has gone in the direction of a central control of these and many other functions in the system, because from a central control system is is possible to account for the location of all the trays, when the tray passages are detected at a single place only. Based on such detections a central control unit, which is informed of the destination code and of the time and place of loading of each article, will be able to actuate the unloading at just the selected unloading station, when only the conveyor itself is constructed with the required accuracy, here particularly with respect to a highly uniform pitch of the trays, such that each of the trays will be located just at the place that can be calculated based on the number of tray passages subsequent to the passage of each of the trays at the place of detection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the recognition that considerable advantages are achievable by working with a decentralized control in connection with the use of local detectors for the passage of the trays at the single unloading stations, and thus the invention breaks with the general trend of development. It has already been realized that in large systems with highly developed controlling and supervising functions a limit area for the capacity of commercially available data processing equipment is being reached, and just the concerned sorter systems are very well suited to be subdivided into some different functional entities with coordinated, but otherwise individually controlled functions, such that a really extensive and effective controlling will be achievable in a system which, as a whole, will be relatively inexpensive.
As a first expression of a decentralized and simplified control, the invention proposes to make use of a detectable physical identification marking of the single tray sections of the conveyor, while at all loading and unloading stations detector means should be provided, capable of detecting these markings and being connected to a separate control unit that receives information of the destination codes of the articles and of the identity of the trays on which the articles have been loaded. Correspondingly this control unit may, in a selective manner, be operative to actuate the detector means of the single relevant unloading stations such that these detector means in any given unloading station will be programed to react on the occurrence of a tray unit having just the identification marking, which in connection with the data read-in is associated with the relevant destination code of the article. The sensor means at the unloading station may then be adapted to cause an actuation of the unloading means in just this unloading station, whereby this actuation can be effected as a result of a detected arrival of the tray to the relevant position,
REFERENCES:
patent: 3695462 (1972-10-01), Sullivan
patent: 3803556 (1974-04-01), Duffy
patent: 3880298 (1975-04-01), Habegger et al.
patent: 4106636 (1978-08-01), Ouimet et al.
patent: 4854439 (1989-08-01), Ueda
patent: 4921087 (1990-05-01), Nakamura
Kofoed Ralph
Prydtz Ole
Dayoan D. Glenn
Kosan Crisplant A/S
Nguyen Tuan N.
LandOfFree
Method of controlling sorting systems, and a sorting system thus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method of controlling sorting systems, and a sorting system thus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method of controlling sorting systems, and a sorting system thus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-791509