Apparatus for channelling rows of articles into selected conveyors

Claim 1

A re-routing apparatus for selectively channelling articles conveyed in at least two side-by-side arranged rows to one of a first and a second article advancing means, comprising (a) an inclined chute having a top input end arranged for simultaneously receiving articles belonging to different rows and a bottom discharge end towards which the articles slide on said chute; (b) a base plate extending from below said chute and being inclined downwardly in a conveying direction; said base plate having a receiving end situated underneath the discharge end of said chute for receiving the articles sliding off said discharge and; said base plate having a discharge end spaced from said receiving end in a direction parallel to said conveying direction; (c) a plurality of parallel, generally vertically oriented, mutually spaced separating walls arranged above said base plate and defining therewith a plurality of side-by-side arranged, alternating first and second channels; the number of said first channels and the number of said second channels at least equalling the number of said rows of articles; each channel having an upstream end corresponding to the receiving end of said base plate and a downstream end corresponding to the discharge end of said base plate; said first channels being arranged to supply articles to said first article advancing means and said second channels being arranged to supply articles to said second article advancing means; each said separating wall having a vertical height dimension in a zone of said chute; said vertical height dimension being at the most one half of a width dimension of each said channel measured perpendicularly to the conveying direction; (d) a separate pivot means for supporting an end of each separating wall for rotation about an axis perpendicular to said base plate and located at a downstream end of each wall for allowing a swinging motion of each separating wall about its said end thereof in a plane generally parallel to said base plate; and (e) actuating means connected to each separating wall for moving said separating walls in unison into a first position in which articles are received solely by said first channels from said chute and into a second position in which articles are received solely by said second channels from said chute; a distance between the first and second positions of any said separating wall at said upstream end of said channels substantially equalling said width dimension.