Conveyor address system

Claim 2

In a belt conveyor wherein containers are transported between succesive stations, said containers and said stations being provided with cooperating address means whereby a predetermined destination is selected and said container is caused to be discharged thereat, the method of distributing empty containers to said stations as needed comprising providing said containers with a second address, operable in combination with said primary address, continuously circulating said empty containers on said belt conveyor, providing at least some of said stations with selectively operable means for sensing said second address, and selectively operating said sensing means as a condition of need of selected stations in responsE to which said containers are caused to discharge at said selected stations.

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1 comprising the steps of providing each station with a counter, counting the number of empty containers at said station and regulating the operation of said selected sensing means and discharging empty containers in response thereto.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 2 including the step transferring containers from one station to another by by-passing intermediate stations.

Claim 5

A conveyor having successive entry and discharge stations, apparatus for distributing containers between said stations comprising cooperative address and address sensing means respectively located on said container and at said stations for predetermining the destination of each of said containers, said address means including a contact interposed with said address sensing means, said contact being selectively operable in a first condition rendering said address complete and in a second condition rendering said address incomplete, said address sensing means including contact sensing means selectively operable to sense said contact in said first and second condition, and means for discharging said container at a selective station on sensing said complete address and at another selected station on sensing said contact in said second codition, whereby said contact may be placed in a predetermined position to cause said container to be distributed to a predetermined selected station or to circulate on said container until called by a selected station.

Claim 6

A conveyor having successive entry and discharge stations, apparatus for distributing containers between said stations comprising cooperative address and address sensing means respectively located on said container and at said stations for predetermining the destination of each of said containers, said address means including a contact interposed with said address sensing means, said contact being selectively operable in a first condition rendering said address complete and in a second condition rendering said address incomplete, said address sensing means including contact sensing means selectively operable to sense said contact in said first and second condition, and means for discharging said container at a selective station on sensing said complete address and at another selected station on sensing said contact in said second codition, whereby said contact may be placed in a predetermined position to cause said container to be distributed to a predetermined selected station or to circulate on said container until called by a selected station.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 4 including means for selectively operating said contact sensing means in response to the need for containers at selected stations, said containers otherwise continually circulating on said conveyor.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 5 including means for counting the number of containers at any given station and in response thereto operating said contact sensing means.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 4 in said contact comprises a contact bridge having a slide adjustable parallel to the contact bridge and moveable above or below a predetermined place of adjustment into and out of said complete or incomplete conditions.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the empty containers are provided with a pivotally moveable flap adapted to be moved into a position covering or uncovering said contact rendering said contact in one of said complete or incomplete conditions.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the contact means are arranged on the surface of the container opposite to the surface containing the primary destination system.