Article diverging sorting apparatus

Abstract

An article diverging sorting apparatus includes a multiplicity of spherical sorting rollers arranged in plural rows both in a conveyance direction aligned with an article conveyance path or line and in a crosswise direction transverse to the conveyance direction over a plurality of consecutive conveyance areas along the article conveyance line. The spherical sorting rollers contained in every conveyance area are simultaneously turned about respective vertical axes to move between a first position aligned with the conveyance direction and a second position aligned with a sorting direction deflected at an acute angle from the first position such that the angle of deflection of the spherical sorting rollers becomes greater in a downstream one of the conveyance areas than in an upstream one of the conveyance areas. An article is gradually turned or deflected toward the sorting direction as it is conveyed by the spherical sorting rollers. The article is delivered from the downstream conveyance area onto a diverging belt conveyor during which time the orientation of this article is corrected by an orientation correcting member until the article assumes a position aligned with a conveyance direction of the diverging belt conveyor. With this construction, the diverging sorting apparatus can orient articles toward the sorting direction even when the articles are fed at relatively small intervals.