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:
Aug. 19, 2008
Filed:
Mar. 08, 2007
David W Zeitler, Caledonia, MI (US);
Martin R Doane, Rockford, MI (US);
Douglas L Milliman, Hastings, MI (US);
David W Zeitler, Caledonia, MI (US);
Martin R Doane, Rockford, MI (US);
Douglas L Milliman, Hastings, MI (US);
Dematic Corp., Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Abstract
An induction subsystem for a conveyor sortation system and method of inducting articles includes providing a plurality of tandem conveying surfaces. The speeds of the conveying surfaces are individually controllable. At least one sensor is provided for sensing articles on at least one of the conveying surfaces. A control is responsive to the at least one sensor for controlling the speeds of said conveying surfaces in a manner that controls relative positions of articles. The control defines a plurality of feedback-gapping algorithms. Each of the feedback-gapping algorithms is defined between adjacent conveying surfaces for adjusting relative speeds of those adjacent conveying surfaces as a function of at least one parameter of the articles. The control controls relative positions of articles with the feedback-gapping algorithms beginning with a pair of adjacent conveying surfaces and cascading through adjacent pairs of adjacent conveying surfaces.