Material Handling Systems, Inc.

Sandvik Sorting Systems, Inc.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Jonathan Dean Terrell

Thomas Anthony Hillerich, Jr

Edward Ydoate

Paul Receveur

Madhav Devidas Patil

Errin Whitney Gnadinger

Steven Vann Schroader

Josiah Douglas

Derek Robert Sturm

Michael Alan McCue

David W Caldwell, Ii

Gregory Robert Sturm

Jon Todd Fuchs

Brandon Wayne Coats

Joshua Alan Wiley

Varun Gandhi Mukesh Gandhi

Nicholas Anderson Moore

Cyril David Bader

James L Hanna

A conveyor system includes a first robot singulator, a second robot singulator, and a picking area from which parcels of a bulk flow of parcels can be engaged and transferred by the first robot singulator or the second robot singulator. The conveyor system further includes a first place conveyor positioned downstream of the picking area and configured to receive parcels transferred by the first robot singulator. The conveyor system further includes a second place conveyor positioned downstream of the picking area and the first place conveyor, the second place conveyor configured to receive parcels transferred by the second robot singulator and to receive parcels from the first place conveyor. A buffering conveyor is positioned between the first place conveyor and the second place conveyor for regulating a rate at which parcels offloaded by the first place conveyor are transferred to the second place conveyor.

Conveyor system with multiple robot singulators and buffering conveyor

A parcel cart loading system includes: a conveyor; parcel carts for receiving parcels offloaded from the conveyor; a loading station where parcels are offloaded to the parcel carts; and a vision and control subsystem that is operably connected to a plurality of mobile robots. The vision and control subsystem acquires one or more images of parcel carts within a loading area of the loading station and determines if any of the parcel carts are fully loaded based on the image data. Each parcel cart determined to be fully loaded is autonomously transported out of the loading area and to its intended destination by one of the mobile robots within the system. Each parcel cart transported out of the loading area is replaced by another parcel cart from a queue area of the loading station by another mobile robot of the system.

Parcel cart loading system

A vacuum-based end effector for selectively engaging parcels includes a base plate to which a plurality of vacuum cups are mounted and configured to be placed in fluid communication with a vacuum source. Each vacuum cup includes a bellows having a distal end connected to a lip. The vacuum-based end effector further includes a linear actuator that is mounted to the base plate and includes an extendible arm to which at least one vacuum cup is operably connected. The linear actuator can be selectively actuated to extend the extendible arm and move the lip of the vacuum cup operably connected to the extendible arm below a common plane defined by the lips of vacuum cups which maintain a fixed position relative to the base plate to individually address a target parcel. The vacuum-based end effector can be combined with a robot to provide an improved system for selectively engaging parcels.

Vacuum-based end effector with extendible vacuum cup

A singulating system for parcels comprises: an inner wall; a first section comprised of a series of driven rollers, which are skewed relative to a longitudinal direction of travel, so that the parcels are conveyed not only in the longitudinal direction of travel, but also toward the inner wall; a second section for receiving the parcels from the first section, and then identifying and moving parcels in a side-by-side arrangement and/or parcels with an irregular shape; and a third section for receiving the parcels from the second section. In some embodiments, the singulating system also includes a visioning subsystem, including a camera for acquiring image data of the parcels as the parcels move toward or into the second section, and a computer to receive and analyze the image data from the camera to identify parcels in a side-by-side arrangement and/or parcels with an irregular shape.

Singulating system for parcels

An unstacking apparatus includes a feed conveyor for feeding stacks of items, and a decline unstacking section including at least first and second declined conveyors arranged in series. A stack of items being transferred from the feed conveyor to the first declined conveyor tilts forwardly to cause the items to slide forwardly off one another into a shingle arrangement on the first declined conveyor. The second declined conveyor includes an upstream end which is offset upwardly relative to a downstream end of the first declined conveyor, causing items to travel upwardly in order to pass from the first to the second declined conveyors. The second declined conveyor travels at a faster speed than the first declined conveyor for at least partially de-shingling the items. A transfer conveyor conveys items to an incline unstacking section which includes at least first and second incline conveyors arranged in series. A stack of items being transferred from the transfer conveyor to the first inclined conveyor tilts rearwardly to cause the items to slide rearwardly off one another into a shingle arrangement on the first inclined conveyor. The second inclined conveyor includes an upstream end which is offset downwardly relative to a downstream end of the first inclined conveyor, causing items to descend in order to pass from the first to the second inclined conveyors. The second inclined conveyor travels at a faster speed than the first inclined conveyor for at least partially de-shingling the items.

Unstacker for unstacking items conveyed in a bulk stream

A dual entry-double helix spiral delivery chute is provided which includes two spiral delivery chutes nested one above the other and being aligned with the same vertical axis. The two chutes are substantially identical in that they provide the same footprint as a single chute. Each chute, moreover, in addition to having an output port includes a top entry port and a side entry port downstream of the top entry port so that each chute can be served by two or more separate sorting machines receiving items from one or more separate sources.

Dual entry-double helix spiral chute

Articles are conveyed along a singulator conveyor system by being conveyed upwardly along an inclined first conveyor which is inclined at an angle of at least twenty-five degrees, so that any articles disposed atop other articles will fall off. The articles are discharged onto a second conveyor travelling horizontally at a linear speed at least twice that of the first conveyor in a direction substantially perpendicularly to a direction of travel of the first conveyor. The articles are then discharged from the second conveyor onto a third conveyor travelling generally horizontally at a linear speed at least twice that of the second conveyor in a direction substantially perpendicularly to the second conveyor. The articles are discharged from the third conveyor onto a slide which guides the articles downwardly onto a fourth conveyor which travels in the same direction as the third conveyor at the same speed as the third conveyor. The slide is transversely inclined toward an inner longitudinal edge of the fourth conveyor to guide articles downwardly toward that edge and into engagement with a vertical guide wall extending along that edge.

Conveying methods and apparatus

A diverter blade for displacing articles from a conveying surface includes a motor-driven, torque-transmitting metallic section, and a plastic section integrally molded to the metallic section. Portions of the metallic section are embedded within the plastic section to reinforce the plastic section and transmit torque thereto. The plastic section forms an article-contacting front wall, and includes diagonal reinforcing braces on a rear side of the front wall.

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, KY, United States of America

Jonathan Dean Terrell