Sortation conveyor
View Patent ↗A sortation conveyor has a divert guide path which is configured to guide pushers to engage articles disposed on an endless conveying surface at an initial impact which does not result in an out of control situation even at high speeds. The divert guide path is disposed at a plurality of divert angles, and guides pushers to engage articles at a low initial contact divert angle and first lateral speed and to accelerate the articles to a final divert angle and second, higher, lateral speed. The pushers may be undergoing lateral acceleration at the time initial contact is made with the articles.
1. A method of selectively diverting articles disposed on an endless conveying surface moving in a downstream longitudinal direction at a divert location, comprising the steps of:
a. providing a plurality of pushers mounted on said endless conveying surface and traveling therewith; and
b. moving said endless conveying surface in said downstream direction;
c. initially contacting a selected one of said articles to be diverted with at least one pusher of a diverted set of one or more pushers while said at least one pusher is traveling along a divert guide path at an initial contact divert angle, said initial contact angle being less than 20°; and
d. guiding said diverted set of one or more pushers along said divert guide path through a plurality of divert angles subsequent to said step of initially contacting.
2. The sortation conveyor of claim 1 , wherein said initial contact angle is less than 19°.
3. The sortation conveyor of claim 1 , wherein said initial contact angle is less than 17°.
4. The sortation conveyor of claim 1 , wherein said initial contact angle is less than 15°.
5. The sortation conveyor of claim 1 , wherein said initial contact angle is less than 10°.
6. The sortation conveyor of claim 1 , wherein said initial contact angle is less than 5°.
7. The sortation conveyor of claim 1 , wherein said initial contact angle is less than 3°.
8. The method of any of claims 1 - 7 , comprising, prior to the step of initially contacting said selected article, the step of positioning said selected article on said endless conveying surface so as to be initially contacted by said at least one pusher.
9. The method of any of claims 1 - 7 , where said endless conveying surface is moved at a speed of at least 600 feet per minute.
10. The method of any of claims 1 - 7 , wherein the step of initially contacting comprises the step of causing said at least one pusher to travel along a non-linear divert guide path.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said non-linear divert guide path is arcuate.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said non-linear divert guide path is parabolic.
13. The method of claim 10 , comprising the step of causing said at least one pusher to travel along a linear divert guide path subsequent to the step of guiding said diverted set of one or more pushers along a divert guide path through a plurality of divert angles.
14. The method of any of claims 1 - 7 , wherein the step of initially contacting comprises the step of causing said at least one pusher to travel along a linear divert guide path.
15. The method of claim 14 , comprising the step of causing said at least one pusher to travel along a linear divert guide path subsequent to the step of guiding said diverted set of one or more pushers along a divert guide path through a plurality of divert angles.
16. A method of selectively diverting one or more pushers mounted on an endless conveying surface moving in downstream longitudinal direction, from a home path into contact with a selected article of a plurality of articles disposed on said endless conveying surface, comprising the steps of:
a. diverting said one or more pushers from said home path onto a first path;
b. thereafter causing said one or more pushers to travel along said first path at an initial angle, followed by an intermediate angle, then followed by a final angle, said angles being measured relative to said downstream longitudinal direction, said intermediate angle being greater than said initial and said final angle;
b. thereafter causing said one or more pushers to contact said selected article.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said intermediate divert angle is greater than about 10°.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein said intermediate divert angle is greater than about 15°.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein said intermediate divert angle is approximately about 20°.
20. The method of any of claims 16 - 19 wherein said final divert angle is less than about 10°.
21. The method of any of claims 16 - 19 wherein said final divert angle is less than about 5°.
22. The method of any of claims 16 - 19 wherein said final divert angle is approximately 3°.
23. The method of any of claims 16 - 19 wherein said final divert angle is approximately half of said intermediate divert angle.
24. A method of selectively diverting articles disposed on an endless conveying surface moving in a downstream longitudinal direction at a divert location, comprising the steps of:
a. providing a plurality of pushers mounted on said endless conveying surface and traveling therewith; and
b. moving said endless conveying surface in said downstream direction;
c. initially contacting a selected one of said articles to be diverted with at least one pusher of a diverted set of one or more pushers while said at least one pusher is traveling along a non-linear divert guide path; and
d. guiding said diverted set of one or more pushers along said divert guide path through a plurality of divert angles subsequent to said step of initially contacting.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein said non-linear divert guide path is arcuate.
26. The method of claim 24 , wherein said non-linear divert guide path is parabolic.
27. The method of claim 24 , comprising the step of causing said at least one pusher to travel along a linear divert guide path subsequent to the step of guiding said diverted set of one or more pushers along a divert guide path through a plurality of divert angles.