The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 12, 1977
Filed:
Jul. 17, 1975
Peter D Hardy, Welwyn Garden City, EN;
The Metal Box Company Limited, Reading, EN;
Abstract
A conveyor handling system, includes three paths along which articles travel, and a diverter located in an intermediate portion of the paths and operative to effect transfer between the paths. Sensors located upstream and downstream of the diverter monitor the rate at which the articles arrive at and leave the diverter. A comparator is responsive to the downstream sensor to cause the diverter to direct the articles between the paths in such a sense as to maintain the rates of flow of articles along the three paths downstream of the diverter substantially equal. A control unit responds to the upstream sensor to determine whether there is sufficient space for each article to be transferred transversely of the direction of motion to an adjacent path without reducing a predetermined minimum spacing requirement for the articles in each path. If there is insufficient space to effect a transfer, the control unit acts to inhibit the diverter from performing such a transfer.