Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesell Schaft

Siemens Electrocom, L.p.

Korber Supply Chain Logistics Gmbh

Michele Vitalini

Ricardo N Schiesser

Christoph Hofmann

Torsten Tanz

Oliver Schitthelm

Juergen Braun

Dominik Graefer

Richard Herrin

Jürgen Braun

A conveying system transports items, such as postal items, along a main conveying direction. A conveying route includes segments that are arranged one behind the other along the main conveying direction. The segments have conveyors arranged parallel to one another and the segments are offset relative to one another in a transverse direction. The conveyors are driven and activated individually by a control unit. The items are conveyed along the main conveying direction by transferring an item from a preceding segment to a following segment that is offset relative to the preceding segment and then transporting the item on the following segment. Items with small dimensions, which rest on just one conveyor can also be manipulated during the transportation.

Conveying system with segments and method for transporting individual items

An inclined conveyor section includes transport rollers aligned obliquely on the conveyor section defining a preferred transport direction. The conveyor section is configured to receive parcel or piece goods upstream at a first position on a first side, transport them along the preferred transport direction and discharge them from a second side opposite the first side, downstream at a second position downstream of the first position. The transport rollers are one behind the other and rotatable. Drive rollers are controllable, drivable and disposed below the transport rollers for driving the transport rollers by frictional. A high degree of flexibility in the configuration of the transport rollers and independence of length, width and inclination angle defined by the preferred transport direction are provided in contrast to most existing inclined conveyors with transport rollers having only slight flexibility and/or complicated drives. A method for transporting parcel goods is also provided.

Transverse conveyors

A conveyor chute is suitable for use as a store for goods, such as packages and pieces of luggage. The conveyor chute has at least one sliding section with an inclined sliding surface with a direction of fall along the sliding surface as well as a sliding width. The sliding section has a width adjusting mechanism which allows the goods to be distributed across at least part of the sliding width and which thus allows the conveyor chute to be used in an improved manner for storing the goods.

Conveyor chute comprising a width adjusting mechanism

A sorting apparatus for sorting piece goods (), having at least a first moving transport unit () for transporting at least one piece good () in a main transport direction (), the first transport unit () has a chassis () for the movement, a transfer unit () which moves the piece good () in a transfer direction (), and a drive unit () fixed to the first transport unit () for driving the piece good () in the transfer direction (). The sorting apparatus has a coupling device () for coupling the chassis () to the drive unit () at least for a period of time.

Sorting apparatus for sorting piece goods

A tilt tray sorter conveyor for piece goods is provided. The conveyer includes wagons which are coupled to each other to make a ring or train, or are employed individually, and are moved along rails, each wagon having a carrying tray. Each carrying tray is pivoted to both sides about a pivot which is arranged centrally underneath the carrying tray and runs in the direction of travel, by a tilt drive arranged on the wagon, from a horizontal transport position into an unloading position to release goods conveyed by the wagon. In order to enable a flexible operational discharge of the tiling movement of the carrying tray, at least one flexible form-fitting or force-fitting traction mechanism is arranged underneath the carrying tray and hinged to both sides, the traction mechanism working with a drive to apply a traction force to the carrying tray in the tilting direction.

Tilt tray sorter conveyor

A system and method for manipulating articles includes providing a bed having at least one conveying surface. The conveying surface is adapted to move articles in a direction of conveyance from an upstream end to a downstream end of the bed. At least one sensor is provided to determine the position of any articles on the bed. Selected articles are moved in the direction of conveyance at a speed that is generally higher than articles traveling on the bed that have yet to be manipulated and the articles are selectively rotated.

Conveyor system with distributed article manipulation

A passive discharge mechanism for discharging articles from a trolley at selected locations is disclosed. The trolley may be equipped with on-board intelligence for communicating with an external controller, monitoring the trolley's location, and signaling actuation of a moveable member for engaging the passive discharge mechanism as the trolley reaches a selected destination for an article conveyed by the trolley. In one aspect the passive discharge mechanism comprises a transverse conveyor; in another aspect the passive discharge mechanism includes a tilt-type tray. A trolley for conveying articles along a monorail having arcuate portions includes a rigid frame having a longitudinal axis and opposed ends is also disclosed. A pair of rotatable yokes are coupled to the frame adjacent to the opposed ends of the frame for rotational movement around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis as the trolley car travels along an arcuate portion of the monorail, each of the yokes having a pair of opposed arms extending from the mainframe, a pair of guide wheels mounted on each of the opposed arms for rotational contact with a guide surface of the monorail, and a load bearing wheel mounted adjacent to each of the opposed ends of the rigid frame, each of the load bearing wheels being rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis for rotational movement around the axis as the trolley car travels along an arcuate portion of the monorail, the load bearing wheels extending through an uppermost portion of the rigid frame and contacting an upper load bearing surface of the monorail.

Growing community of inventors

Nuremberg, Germany

Michele Vitalini