Semi-automatic conveyor control system

Claim 1

IN A CONVEYOR SYSTEM OF THE TYPE IN WHICH A MAIN BELT TRANSPORTS PACKAGES LOADED THEREON TOWARD DISCHARGE STATIONS ALONG ITS PATH, IN WHICH TRANSFER MECHANISMS ARE PROVIDED AT THE STATIONS FOR REMOVING PACKAGES FROM THE BELT, AND IN WHICH AN ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM HAVING A MANUALLY OPERATED KEYBOARD PRODUCING CODED ROUTING INFORMATION FOR EACH PACKAGE LOADED ON THE BELT IS CONTROLLED BY THE INFORMATION TO SELECTIVELY OPERATE THE TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR REMOVING THE PACKAGES AT SELECTED DISCHARGE STATIONS, IN COMBINATION THEREWITH A PACKAGE LOAD MECHANISM ADJACENT THE BELT PATH, A STORAGE BELT ON WHICH PACKAGES ARE MANUALLY LOADED AND A LOAD BELT, SAID LOAD BELT OPERABLE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID MAIN BELT, A BUFFER MEMORY INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE KEYBOARD AND THE CONTROL SYSTEM RECEIVING AND STORING ROUTING INFORMATION FOR EACH PACKAGE INCIDENT TO THE OPERATION OF THE KEYBOARD, MEANS MOVING THE STORAGE AND LOAD BELT IN STEPS TO ADVANCE THE PACKAGES TO A LOAD POSITION AT WHICH THE LAGGING EDGE THEREOF ON THE LOAD BELT IS STOPPED AT A PREDETERMINED POINT ADJACENT THE LOAD MECHANISM FOR TRANSFER TO THE MAIN BELT, MEANS ADVANCING THE ROUTING INFORMATION IN THE BUFFER MEMORY COINCIDENT WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE PACKAGES ON THE STORAGE AND LOAD BELTS, AND CIRCUIT MEANS INITIATING THE OPERATION OF THE LOAD MECHANISM AND TRANSFERRING ROUTING INFORMATION OF TRANSFERRED PACKAGES FROM THE BUFFER MEMORY TO THE CONTROL SYSTEM.