US3710923A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Article sorting installation with an endless conveyor discharge mechanism
Assignee: Fromme Foerderanlagen GmbH
•
Filing: 1970-09-25
•
Granted: 1973-01-16
•
Expires: 1990-09-25
Abstract
Abstract An article sorting installation arranged above a main conveyor belt and being adapted to move the transported articles sideways off said conveyor belt onto one of a plurality of smaller delivery belts which transport the articles to their places of final destination. The installation includes two endless chains arranged in parallel above the main conveyor belt and rotating vertically with a velocity equal to that of the main conveyor belt. The chains are linked by bars with one stripper being arranged slideably on each bar. Guide rails are provided above and along the two sides of the main belt for guiding the strippers in lateral direction. Junction rails interconnect the guide rails, and switches are arranged at each intersection for guiding the strippers from the guide rails into the junction rails. The switches are controlled electromagnetically and are operated according to a predetermined program for guiding simultaneously a plurality of strippers transversely across the conveyor belt, each stripper moving in a separate junction rail and all strippers being aligned in the direction of the belt travel. In the place of separate strippers at least two strippers may be connected to form a unit which is directed by only one switch to move in only one junction rail transversely across the main conveyor belt, thereby pushing an article off the main conveyor belt onto one of the delivery belts.
Inventors
- 👤 S Zimmer
- 👤 K Weller
- 👤 H Fromme
- 👤 F Nadler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 07:23
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G47/00; B65G47/74; B65G47/84; B65G47/841; B65G47/845
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
288 words
An article sorting installation with an endless conveyor discharge mechanism for moving transported articles sideways off conveyor belt (3) onto one of a plurality of delivery belts (24), said installation including endless chains (6,7) arranged in parallel to either side of said conveyor belt, each chain rotating vertically along an oblong path between two chain wheels (8,10; 9, 11) and wherein slotted hollow bars (19) connect opposite links of both chains, with strippers (21) being slidably mounted on said bars; the installation including further a middle guide rail adapted to guide said strippers in the middle when said strippers move along the upper tract of said oblong path, and two side guide rails (22 l, 22r) adapted to guide said strippers in parallel to the sides of said conveyor belt when said strippers move along the lower tract of said oblong path, and with junction rails (22z) interconnecting said guide rails by means of switches (23r) arranged at the intersection of said side guide rails and said junction rails, said switches being adapted to guide said strippers from said side guide rails to either one of said junction rails, wherein the improvement comprises means for maintaining a plurality of adjacent strippers aligned in the direction of the conveyor belt and for guiding simultaneously said plurality of adjacent strippers transversely across the conveyor belt from one guide rail via said junction rails into the opposite guide rail at one of said delivery belts, said means comprising a plurality of switches arranged in the guide rail opposite to the end of a delivery belt and a corresponding number of junction rails allocated to said switches, said switches being operated simultaneously for simultaneously guiding one separate stripper into each junction rail.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
288 words
An article sorting installation with an endless conveyor discharge mechanism for moving transported articles sideways off conveyor belt (3) onto one of a plurality of delivery belts (24), said installation including endless chains (6,7) arranged in parallel to either side of said conveyor belt, each chain rotating vertically along an oblong path between two chain wheels (8,10; 9, 11) and wherein slotted hollow bars (19) connect opposite links of both chains, with strippers (21) being slidably mounted on said bars; the installation including further a middle guide rail adapted to guide said strippers in the middle when said strippers move along the upper tract of said oblong path, and two side guide rails (22 l, 22r) adapted to guide said strippers in parallel to the sides of said conveyor belt when said strippers move along the lower tract of said oblong path, and with junction rails (22z) interconnecting said guide rails by means of switches (23r) arranged at the intersection of said side guide rails and said junction rails, said switches being adapted to guide said strippers from said side guide rails to either one of said junction rails, wherein the improvement comprises means for maintaining a plurality of adjacent strippers aligned in the direction of the conveyor belt and for guiding simultaneously said plurality of adjacent strippers transversely across the conveyor belt from one guide rail via said junction rails into the opposite guide rail at one of said delivery belts, said means comprising a plurality of switches arranged in the guide rail opposite to the end of a delivery belt and a corresponding number of junction rails allocated to said switches, said switches being operated simultaneously for simultaneously guiding one separate stripper into each junction rail.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
308 words
An article sorting installation with an endless conveyor discharge mechanism for moving transported articles sideways off conveyor belt (3) onto one of a plurality of delivery belts (24), said installation including endless chains (6, 7) arranged in parallel to either side of said conveyor belt, each chain rotating vertically along an oblong path between two chain wheels (8, 10; 9, 11) and wherein slotted hollow bars (19) connect opposite links of both chains, with strippers (21) being slidably mounted on said bars; the installation including further a middle guide rail adapted to guide said strippers in the middle when said strippers move along the upper tract of said oblong path, and two side guide rails (22 l, 22r) adapted to guide said strippers in parallel to the sides of said conveyor belt when said strippers move along the lower tract of said oblong path, and with junction rails (22z) interconnecting said guide rails by means of switches (23r) arranged at the intersections of said side guide rails and said junction rails, said switches being adapted to guide said strippers from said side guide rails to either one of said junction rails, wherein the improvement comprises means for maintaining a plurality of adjacent strippers aligned in the direction of the conveyor belt and for guiding simultaneously said plurality of adjacent strippers transversely across the conveyor belt from one guide rail via said junction rails into the opposite guide rail at one of said delivery belts, said means comprising a plurality of strippers rigidly interconnected and aligned in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt to form a unit, said unit being provided with one head portion for guiding said unit in said rails, and at least one switch and one junction rail being arranged opposite to a delivery belt for guiding said unit transversely across said conveyor belt.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
308 words
An article sorting installation with an endless conveyor discharge mechanism for moving transported articles sideways off conveyor belt (3) onto one of a plurality of delivery belts (24), said installation including endless chains (6, 7) arranged in parallel to either side of said conveyor belt, each chain rotating vertically along an oblong path between two chain wheels (8, 10; 9, 11) and wherein slotted hollow bars (19) connect opposite links of both chains, with strippers (21) being slidably mounted on said bars; the installation including further a middle guide rail adapted to guide said strippers in the middle when said strippers move along the upper tract of said oblong path, and two side guide rails (22 l, 22r) adapted to guide said strippers in parallel to the sides of said conveyor belt when said strippers move along the lower tract of said oblong path, and with junction rails (22z) interconnecting said guide rails by means of switches (23r) arranged at the intersections of said side guide rails and said junction rails, said switches being adapted to guide said strippers from said side guide rails to either one of said junction rails, wherein the improvement comprises means for maintaining a plurality of adjacent strippers aligned in the direction of the conveyor belt and for guiding simultaneously said plurality of adjacent strippers transversely across the conveyor belt from one guide rail via said junction rails into the opposite guide rail at one of said delivery belts, said means comprising a plurality of strippers rigidly interconnected and aligned in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt to form a unit, said unit being provided with one head portion for guiding said unit in said rails, and at least one switch and one junction rail being arranged opposite to a delivery belt for guiding said unit transversely across said conveyor belt.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
An article sorting installation as claimed in claim 2, wherein said unit comprises three strippers interconnected by chain links, and wherein the head portion is provided on the intermediate stripper.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
An article sorting installation as claimed in claim 2, wherein two switches and two junction rails are provided opposite to the end of each delivery belt and wherein the distance between said junction rails is at least equal to the distance of three strippers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2666535A
Cited
US3542215A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-16 | 1976-07-17 | 1977-01-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-16 | 1980-07-17 | 1981-01-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-16 | 1984-07-17 | 1985-01-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |