Quantum Conveyor Systems, Inc.

Other

Air Lane Systems Inc.

Hans J Lem

Richard J Bowman

William E Koehler

William Pong

Michel L Plasse

Gerald R Grispart

Robert J Koehler

A conveyor system ( ) for transporting items in a first direction and diverting the items to the appropriate ones of a plurality of stations ( ) spaced from one another in the first direction. The system includes at least one diverter region (DR) and a diverter ( ) arranged in each diverter region. Each diverter diverts items transported by the conveyor to the appropriate ones of the stations in response to corresponding fire signals. The conveyor system further includes a source of destination information ( ) identifying the stations to which the items transported by the conveyor are to be diverted. The conveyor system also includes a controller system ( ) connected to each diverter and the source for generating, and providing to each diverter, the fire signal for each item transported by the conveyor based on destination information from the source regarding to which one of the stations the item is to be diverted.

Multi-fire and variable fire diverter conveyor system and method

Featured is a device controller in a system having a multiplicity of such controllers and a conveying system and method for controlling a multiplicity of devices using such controllers. Each controller includes a plurality of bi-directional communications ports, a processor that processes information and provides outputs, where at least one output controls the device, and an applications program for execution within the processor that includes instructions and criteria for processing the information and providing the processor outputs. Specifically, the applications program includes instructions and criteria for communicating information between and among controllers; instructions and criteria for processing information received by a controller; and instructions and criteria for modifying the operation of a device responsive to the communicated information. For a conveying system having a multiplicity of conveying sections, a controller is provided for each section. Preferably, the applications program for a conveying system controller also includes the instructions and criteria needed to operate any one of a number of different conveying section types. Further, the conveying system controller includes a memory for storing parameters that are used so the corresponding conveying system section operates in the desired fashion.

Device controller with intracontroller communication capability, conveying system using such controllers for controlling conveying sections and methods related thereto

Featured is a sorting/diverting apparatus that diverts articles from a plurality of moving belts, the sorting/diverting apparatus including a plurality of rollers that are rotatably mounted to a support frame and a moving mechanism that moves the support frame back and forth between two positions. The controller controls the moving of the support frame and the operation of the drive motor so as to divert/sort the articles. Each controller includes bi-directional communications ports, a processor that processes information and provides outputs, and an applications program for execution within the processor that includes instructions and criteria for processing the information and providing the processor outputs to control the apparatus.

High speed sorting/diverting apparatus, an apparatus controller and systems using same

A conveyor system ( ) for transporting items in a first direction and diverting the items to one of a plurality of stations ( ). The system comprises at least one diverter region (DR), and a diverter ( ) arranged in the one of the at least one diverter regions. The diverter diverts the items transported by the conveyor in the first direction to one of the plurality of stations ( - and - ) adjacent said diverter that are spaced from one another in the first direction, when positioned in a diverter region of the conveyor, in response to a fire signal. The conveyor system further includes a source of destination information ( ) identifying one of the plurality of stations to which the items transported by the conveyor are to be diverted. The conveyor system also includes a controller system ( ) connected to the at least one diverter and the source for generating, and providing to said at least one diverter, a fire signal for each item transported by the conveyor based on destination information from the source regarding which one of the plurality of stations the item is to be diverted. Further, the conveyor system is capable of activating the diverter so as to divert items when the item is aligned with either a central axis (A) or a divert axis (B), as a function of item length L .

Featured is a sorting/diverting apparatus that diverts articles from a plurality of moving belts that are at a nominal base height. The apparatus includes a support frame, a plurality of rollers that are rotatably mounted to the support frame, a moving mechanism that moves the support frame back and forth between first and second position. The rollers also are mounted so as to be parallel to the moving belts. In the first position the rollers are disposed below the nominal base height and in the second position at least a portion of the rollers is disposed above the base height. The apparatus further includes a drive motor and a drive mechanism that mechanically interconnects the drive motor and each of the rollers. Also featured is an apparatus controller that controls the moving of the support frame and the operation of the drive motor. Preferably, the controller is operated so the rollers are simultaneously rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction when in the second position. Each controller includes bi-directional communications ports, a processor that processes information and provides outputs, and an applications program for execution within the processor that includes instructions and criteria for processing the information and providing the processor outputs. Also featured is a system using the above described controller and apparatus and a tick signal generator that provides a periodic signal input to the controller for inter alia article position tracking.

High speed sorting/diverting apparatus, an apparatus controller and

Device controller with intracontroller communication capability,

The tracking signal generating device disclosed herein is adapted to be utilized between successive conveying sections in which articles are transported at a nominal height. A resilient suspension supports an elongate roller so that it projects above the nominal height of the conveying sections in the absence of an article being transported, but is deflected downwardly by the passage of an article from one section to the next. A sensor responsive to the downward deflection provides a signal indicating the presence of an article and an encoder driven by rotation of the roller generates signals indicating the length of an article passing the device.

Tracking device

A conveyor system for transporting articles up a steep gradient and having a continuous belt having article engaging lugs projecting from only the outer belt face. Conventional flat idler rollers are employed for turning the direction of the belt between the transport path and a return flight. A conventional flat drive roller is provided in the return flight between the first and second idler rollers with first and second segmented idler rollers directing the belt under tension in a wrap around the drive roller which engages only the back face of the belt with the lugs passing between segments of the segmented idler rollers.

Conveyor system

In the diverter turn assembly disclosed herein, an array of wheels are mounted on rocking frames so as to be vertically shiftable between a first position which the wheels are retracted below the nominal top surface of the conveyor and a second position in which they are raised above that level so as to engage articles being transported by the conveyor system. The wheels are individually adjustable as to angular orientation and are driven at respective preselected speeds to permit an article to be diverted and/or reoriented with respect to the nominal conveyor path.

Conveyor system diverter turn assembly

In the conveyor system disclosed herein, a plurality of elongate lifting assemblies are interleaved with parallel moving belts on which articles are transported. Each lifting assembly utilizes an air bag which is supported in an upwardly facing, rigid, U-shaped channel and which, when inflated, lifts a longitudinally-flexible, inverted, U-shaped channel member. The channel members include respective lips which engage and locally limit upward movement of the inverted channel member to a height sufficient for lifting articles on the conveyor out of driving contact with the moving belts. The ends of the inverted channel members are fixed or fastened with the upper surface of that part of the inverted channel below the level of the moving belts. Accordingly, when the air bags are inflated, the moving belts can drive successive articles up on to the resulting ramp surface of the inverted channels without developing crushing pressures between adjacent articles.

Article accumulating conveyor system

The invention comprises one or more feed conveyors in communication with a sorting conveyor, so that items placed on the feed conveyors can be transferred to the sorting conveyor. Where more than one feed conveyor is used, their outputs are first run through a merge conveyor so that the outputs are compatible with use of a single sorting conveyor. A device for reading a code that has been placed on the item to be sorted is provided and a computing device to which such reader is connected is programmed to determine which diverter is to be activated by a particular code read by the reader. A timing device is provided that, when used in conjunction with the computing device, integrates the travel time of an item along the sorting conveyor to determine when the item has reached the particular diverter required to be activated to cause the item to be properly sorted. A control signal emanates from the computing device when the timer has completed its cycle and is used to switch on the pertinent diverter. Each diverter has two deflectors and an endless drive system to which the deflectors are attached in such a way as to cause them to move in a direction transverse to that of the sorting conveyor. The deflectors are mounted 180.degree. away from each other on the endless drive system so that when one deflector has been used to cause a diversion in a particular direction, the other deflector is in place to be used for the next diversion.

Growing community of inventors

Franklin Lakes, NJ, United States of America

Hans J Lem