A tracking system

Claim 1

A tracking system comprising a conveyor belt (11) for conveying a series of containers (12); an identification system (13) disposed at a predetermined point along said conveyor belt for generating an "identification signal" corresponding to each container passing thereby; an encoder (17) for generating a "count" signal corresponding to the total travel of said conveyor belt (11); and a tracking station (16) disposed along said conveyor belt (11) downstream of said identification system (13), a programmer means (31) to receive signals from said tracking station(16), and a read-out means (32) to receive signals from said programmer means (31) characterized in that said tracking station (16) includes a plurality of closely spaced sensors (23), each said sensor (23) being disposed to generate a "present" signal in response to a container (12) passing thereby; in that said programmer means (31) is connected to said identification system (13) said encoder (17) and said tracking station (16), said programmer means (31) including a store (33) to sequentially receive and store each "identification signal" from said identification system (13) and a corresponding "count" signal from said encoder(17) to identify each container (12), a plurality of zones (n) for sequentially receiving each said "identification signal" from said store (33), a first switch responsive to a "present" signal from a first of said sensors and a corresponding "count" signal from said encoder to pass a first of the "identification signals" in said store to a first of said zones, at least a second switch responsive to a "present" signal from a second of said sensors to pass an "identification signal" in an upstream zone to a downstream zone while erasing the "identification signal" from said upstream zone prior to an adjacent upstream sensor generating a "present" signal in response to another container passing thereby; and in that said read-out means (32) is connected to said programmer means (31) for receiving the "identification signal" from a last of said zones (n) in response to a "present" signal from a last of said sensors (23).

Claim 7

A method of tracking a series of containers on a con­veyor surface along an elongated path characterized in emitting a first signal in response to movement of the conveyor surface and increasing the value of said signal in response to continued movement of the conveyor surface in said path; thereafter detecting the passage of each container past a sensing means disposed along said path and storing the current value of said first signal in a store in response thereto; receiving and storing an identification signal corresponding to each container in said store in response to said detection of each container; detecting the passage of a first container past a first array of closely spaced sensors disposed along said path downstream of the sensing means; passing the identification signal from said store to a first of a plurality of zones while erasing the identification signal from said store in response to the detection of the first container at said first sensor; sequentially transferring each stored identification signal to said first zone in response to the associated container passing said sensing means and said first sensor in sequence; and sequentially passing the identification signal in one of said zones to a downstream zone in response to passage of an associated container past one of said sensors and prior to a sensor upstream of said one sensor generating a present signal in response to a second container passing thereby.

Claim 8

A method of tracking a series of containers on a con­veyor surface along an elongated path characterized in emitting a first signal in response to movement of the conveyor surface and increasing the value of said signal in response to continued movement of the conveyor surface in said path; thereafter detecting the passage of each container past a sensing means disposed along said path and storing the current value of said first signal in a store in response thereto; receiving and storing an identification signal corresponding to each container in said store in response to said detection of each container; detecting the passage of a first container past a first array of closely spaced sensors disposed along said path downstream of the sensing means; passing the identification signal from said store to a first of a plurality of zones while erasing the identification signal from said store in response to the detection of the first container at said first sensor; sequentially transferring each stored identification signal to said first zone in response to the associated container passing said sensing means and said first sensor in sequence; and sequentially passing the identification signal in one of said zones to a downstream zone in response to passage of an associated container past one of said sensors and prior to a sensor upstream of said one sensor generating a present signal in response to a second container passing thereby.