Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor arrangement for selecting among plural sources or... – By passive material-diverting means placed across the flow path
Patent
1990-02-26
1991-01-15
Skaggs, H. Grant
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor arrangement for selecting among plural sources or...
By passive material-diverting means placed across the flow path
1984771, B65G 3700
Patent
active
049846744
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
This invention relates to tilting carrier conveyors of the type used to sort packages, parcels or the like and more particularly to an apparatus and method for tipping the carriers of such a conveyor or sortation system.
Tilting carrier conveyor systems are known and are shown, for example, in Speaker U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,485: Speaker et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,448; Venzke U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,773; and Prydtz U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,785. The general arrangement of such systems includes a track and a driven conveying chain or the like on which are mounted a number of carriers, spaced along the chain. Each carrier has a portion, often similar to a tray, which is mounted for normal positioning essentially horizontally level and for tipping to one, the other, or both sides of the direction of movement of the chain. Parcels or the like to be sorted are carried on the trays and transported by the conveyor to a location where sorting is to occur. At the sorting location, trays or carriers are tipped to one side or the other to discharge the transported article from the conveyor. Typically, control over tipping is exercised by some sortation controlling means such as a computer which controls a tipping device.
Prior tipping devices have been pneumatically actuated cylinder devices in which some striker element or the like is moved upwardly into the path of an advancing carrier, to engage an actuating cam or the like on the carrier and cause tipping. As sortation speeds have increased, and the linear speed of the chain and carriers have risen, difficulty has been encountered in operating a tipping device quickly enough to achieve proper sortation while retracting the device from the path of an oncoming carrier so as to avoid damage to the sortation system. Where the mechanism provided for retraction of a reciprocating tipping device fails to operate as needed, substantial damage to a conveyor system follows, such as by demounting, destroying, or seriously damaging a series of carriers which strike an improperly retracted or unretracted tipping device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of this invention to achieve tipping of carriers in a conveying system of the type described while substantially eliminating the possibility of damage to the system. In realizing this object of the invention, a tipping device is contemplated which is operated by the movement of the carriers and which is reset into a retracted or non-tipping position by the action of a tipped carrier.
Yet a further object of this invention is to tip carriers of a sortation system of the types described in accordance with a method in which the tipping action is especially smooth and with minimal jarring or impact. In realizing this object of the present invention, a tipping method is followed in which the movements which occur in tipping are rotary, as distinguished from reciprocating or linear.
Yet a further object of this invention is to tip carriers of a sortation systems of the type described through controlled engagement thereof with a rotating segment of a wheel, released into the path of an oncoming carrier by a simple electromechanical actuator. In realizing this object of the present invention, speed of operation of a tipping device is accommodated to the operating speed of the system and the possibility of increasing the speed of operation of such systems is improved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an angled elevation view, from the side, of a tipping device in accordance with this invention, in a "cocked" position;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the device of FIG. 1 in a "fired" position; and
FIG. 3 is an elevation view, looking longitudinally, of a conveyor incorporation the tipping device of FIGS. 2 and 3, showing a carrier in conveying position and a tipping device in
REFERENCES:
patent: 3865226 (1975-02-01), Scata
patent: 4856642 (1989-08-01), Nicholson et al.
Gastineau Cheryl L.
Skaggs H. Grant
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