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:
May. 30, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 19, 1997
Raed Y Darwish, Grapevine, TX (US);
Richard Patrick, Denton, TX (US);
Mannesmann Dematic Rapistan Corp., Grand Rapids, MN (US);
Abstract
A pusher assembly for diverting the flow of articles on a conveyor includes a pusher arm that provides smooth engagement of the articles with minimal impact and a return path of the pusher which travels through the space previously occupied by the article being sorted. Consequently, the pusher assembly enables minimum spacing between articles on the conveyor and increases the sortation rate of the pusher assembly. The pusher assembly includes a pusher and a driver, which is coupled to the pusher. The driver moves the pusher from an initial retracted position adjacent the conveyor to a first diverting position, wherein the pusher pivots about a point spaced downstream from a downstream end of the pusher so that an upstream end of the pusher moves into contact with the side of the article. The driver further moves the pusher such that the pusher pivots about the upstream end so that the downstream end of the pusher rolls and moves into contact with the side of the article. The driver then pivots the pusher about an intermediate portion such that the upstream end of the pusher moves out of the path of on coming articles and the downstream end continues to push against the side of the articles to rotate the article in a direction substantially orthogonal to the flow of the conveyor. This movement is followed by the driver pivoting the pusher in an opposite direction about the intermediate portion to disengage the pusher from the article and to return the pusher to its initial retracted position.