Discharge stacking station for sortation conveying system

Abstract

A discharge stacking station for a sortation conveying system uses a reciprocating stacking member to stack orders of articles onto an accumulation tray for the station in an aligned series. Articles are provided in singular fashion from a core conveyor for the sortation conveying system onto the reciprocating stacking member via an inclined chute. The reciprocating stacking member preferably has a floor and a backstop wall which are mounted for reciprocating sliding motion along a small portion of the accumulation tray for the stacking station at a loading end of the tray. A stationary stop member is disposed above the floor of the reciprocating stacking member. When a photoelectric eye senses the passing of an article onto the reciprocating stacking member, a computer controlled actuator pulls the reciprocating stacking member towards the stationary stop member to a retracted position. The stationary stop member pushes the article from the floor of the reciprocating stacking member, thereby causing the article to drop onto the accumulation tray. The actuator then returns the reciprocating stacking member to its original position ready for accepting the next article. When returning to the article receiving position, the reciprocating stacking member pushes the dropped article incrementally along the accumulation tray. This process is repeated for each respective article, thus creating a series of articles stacked on edge and side-by-side on the accumulation tray from which attending workers are able to efficiently and conveniently remove the articles and pack orders for distribution.