US3880751A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Conveyors with lateral discharge apparatus
Assignee: Speaker Motion Systems Inc
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Filing: 1973-12-27
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Granted: 1975-04-29
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Expires: 1993-12-27
Abstract
Abstract A tilted belt sorter includes a belt angularly oriented with a guide wall at the lower belt edge to support parcels or other loads in longitudinal spaced relation. A plurality of downwardly moving adjacent gates are formed in the wall for lateral dropping discharging into chutes. Each gate is formed with a partial closure wall portion located in the trailing portion of the gate window or opening with the gate in the open position. The closure wall may be a generally wedge shaped member interconnected to the top leading edge of the gate. The inclined edge projects downwardly toward the moving parcels and defines a rising edge surface from an intermediate point in the gate opening to the terminal end of the gate opening. Alternatively, the leading edge of each gate may be provided with a generally wedge shaped edge portion overlapped with the adjacent gate such that the dropping of any given gate exposes the gate opening with the inclusion therein of the trailing wedge portion of the adjacent leading gate. A similar gate opening may also be developed by a pivoting gate which is pivotally mounted along the upper end of the trailing-most edge of the gate such that the leading edge of the gate provides a complete gate opening for the discharging parcel while the trailing portion defines the continued inclined stop wall. The gates minimize the requiring parcel spacing.
Inventors
- 👤 Gary J Wirth
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 00:52
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G47/00; B65G47/34; B65G47/74; B65G47/78
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
175 words
IN A CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR MOVING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL LOAD UNITS IN PHYSICALLY LONGITUDINALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP IN A LONGITUDINAL PATH AND SELECTIVELY LATERALLY MOVING OF SAID UNITS ALONG A LATERAL PATH AT PRESELECTED DISCHARGE STATIONS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, DISCHARGE GASTE MEANS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE MOVING LOAD UNITS IN SAID LATTERAL PATH OF LOAD UNITS WITH A LEADING PORTION AND A TRAILING PORTION AND DEFINING A STOP WALL IN SAID LATERAL PATH, MEANS FOR LOWERING OF SAID GATE MEANS DOWNWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID LOAD UNITS AND DEFINING A GATE OPENING WITH A LEADING PORTION AND A TRAILING PORTION AND PERMITTING LATERAL DISCHARGE ALONG SAID LATERAL PATH, AND PARTIAL CLOSURE MEANS FOR PARTIALLY COLSING OF THE TRAILING PORTION OF THE GATE OPENING DEFINED BY A LOWERED GATE MEANS, SAID PARTIAL CLOSURE MEAND INCLUDING AN INCLINED WALL SURFACE LOCATED WITHIN SAID DISCHARGE OPENING, SAID WALL SURFACE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY UPWARDLY WITHIN THE OPENING AND THEREBY DIRECTING A LOAD UNIT UPWARDLY WITHIN THE OPENING AS THE LOAD UNIT MOVES THROUGH THE CORRESPONDING PORTION OF THE DISCHARGE OPENING.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
175 words
IN A CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR MOVING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL LOAD UNITS IN PHYSICALLY LONGITUDINALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP IN A LONGITUDINAL PATH AND SELECTIVELY LATERALLY MOVING OF SAID UNITS ALONG A LATERAL PATH AT PRESELECTED DISCHARGE STATIONS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, DISCHARGE GASTE MEANS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE MOVING LOAD UNITS IN SAID LATTERAL PATH OF LOAD UNITS WITH A LEADING PORTION AND A TRAILING PORTION AND DEFINING A STOP WALL IN SAID LATERAL PATH, MEANS FOR LOWERING OF SAID GATE MEANS DOWNWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID LOAD UNITS AND DEFINING A GATE OPENING WITH A LEADING PORTION AND A TRAILING PORTION AND PERMITTING LATERAL DISCHARGE ALONG SAID LATERAL PATH, AND PARTIAL CLOSURE MEANS FOR PARTIALLY COLSING OF THE TRAILING PORTION OF THE GATE OPENING DEFINED BY A LOWERED GATE MEANS, SAID PARTIAL CLOSURE MEAND INCLUDING AN INCLINED WALL SURFACE LOCATED WITHIN SAID DISCHARGE OPENING, SAID WALL SURFACE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY UPWARDLY WITHIN THE OPENING AND THEREBY DIRECTING A LOAD UNIT UPWARDLY WITHIN THE OPENING AS THE LOAD UNIT MOVES THROUGH THE CORRESPONDING PORTION OF THE DISCHARGE OPENING.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
84 words
The conveying apparatus of claim 1 wherein a conveying endless belt is mounted with the plane of the belt angularly related with respect to a horizontal plane to carry said load units and gravity biasing the conveyed load units downwardly toward the lower end of the belt, said gate means projecting upwardly above the lower edge of the belt and defining a sliding stop wall along which the units are slidably transferred with the belt, said gate means being located in said wall means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The conveying apparatus of claim 1 wherein said partial closure means are connected to and move with the gate means,
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The conveying apparatus of claim 3 wherein said gate means include a plurality of individual gates.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The conveying apparatus of claim 1 having means for positively positioning said gate means between the raised and lowered positions, said means being operable to initiate raising of the gate means with a parcel within the gate opening.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
181 words
A tilt sorter comprising a conveying member mounted angularly related with respect to a horizontal plane and theeby gravity biasing conveyed load units downwardly toward the lower edge of the conveying member, a wall means at the lower edge of the conveying member projecting upwardly from the supporting surface and defining a stop wall, said wall means including gate means movable downwardly below the plane of said conveying member to thereby permit lateral gravity assisted discharge of said conveying units, said gate means including a leading portion movable with its upper wall below the top plane of the conveying member so as to provide an unrestricted discharge opening for movement of the units, a partial closure member in trailing portion of the opening and having an inclined waLl extending upwardly of said discharge opening with the gate in the discharge position so as to support a trailing unit aligned with the trailing portion of the discharge opening and thereby maximizing the discharge opening for a discharging unit while minimizing the opening for other units and thereby minimizing spacing between adjacent units.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
181 words
A tilt sorter comprising a conveying member mounted angularly related with respect to a horizontal plane and theeby gravity biasing conveyed load units downwardly toward the lower edge of the conveying member, a wall means at the lower edge of the conveying member projecting upwardly from the supporting surface and defining a stop wall, said wall means including gate means movable downwardly below the plane of said conveying member to thereby permit lateral gravity assisted discharge of said conveying units, said gate means including a leading portion movable with its upper wall below the top plane of the conveying member so as to provide an unrestricted discharge opening for movement of the units, a partial closure member in trailing portion of the opening and having an inclined waLl extending upwardly of said discharge opening with the gate in the discharge position so as to support a trailing unit aligned with the trailing portion of the discharge opening and thereby maximizing the discharge opening for a discharging unit while minimizing the opening for other units and thereby minimizing spacing between adjacent units.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The sorter of claim 6 wherein said gate means includes a plurality of adjacent aligned gate elements defining immediately adjacent discharge openings, and said partial closure means being connected to the gate elements.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
The sorter of claim 6 wherein said gate means includes a generally rectangular gate member defining an elongated gate opening, said partial closure member being a generally wedge shaped member having a flat inclined top wall extending longitudinally upwardly across the trailing portion of the gate opening.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
64 words
The sorter of claim 6 wherein said conveying member is a belt mounted with the plane of the belt angularly related with respect to a horizontal plane, said wall means extends along the lower edge of the belt and projects upwardly above the top surface of the belt and defining a sliding stop wall along which the units are slidably transferred with the belt.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
The sorter of claim 9 wherein said gate means includes a leading top wall movable downwardly to the plane of said belt to provide a continuous lateral gravity assisted discharge surface, said partial closure member including a flat wall extending upwardly from said top wall of a lowered gate means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
The sorter of claim 6 wherein said gate means includes a generally rectangular gate member defining an elongated gate opening, said partial closure member including a generally wedge shaped member secured to the upper wall of the rectangular gate member and extending longitudinally partially across the trailing portion of the gate member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
98 words
The sorter of claim 9 wherein said gate means includes generally rectangular gate wall members corresponding essentially to the length of the gate opening and movable normal to the belt to locate the upper wall of said rectangular gate member in the top plane of the belt, each of said rectangular members including a generally wedge-shaped leading portion extending longitudinally of the belt structure and mounted in overlapping relationship with an immediately adjacent gate member whereby the dropping of the one gate member exposes the leading wedge-shaped of the immediately preceding gate member to define said partial closure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
115 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of said gate means includes a gate member pivotally mounted for movement in the plane normal to the plane of the belt, each of said gate means being pivotally mounted adjacent the trailing ends thereof, the leading end thereof being selectively positioned to locate the gate in the stop wall position and being pivoted downwardlly such as to lower the leading portion of the gate below the plane of the belt to thereby provide a completely unrestricted discharge opening portion with the trailing portion of the gate member angularly extending across the discharge opening and having an upper wall portion thereof shaped to define the inclined wall surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
100 words
The sorter of claim 9 wherein said gate means includes generally rectangular gate wall members corresponding essentially to the length of the gate opening and movable normal to the belt to locate the upper wall of said rectangular gate member completely in the top plane of the belt, each of said rectangular members including a generally wedge-shaped leading portion extending longitudinally of the belt structure and mounted in overlapping relationship with an immediately adjacent gate member whereby the dropping of the one gate member exposes the leading wedge-shaped portion of the immediately following gate member to define said partial closure.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
116 words
The sorter of claim 9 wherein each of said gate means includes a gate member pivotally mounted for movement in the plane normal to the Plane of the belt, each of said gate means being pivotally mounted adjacent the trailing ends thereof, the leading end thereof being selectively positioned to locate the gate in the stop wall position and being pivoted downwardly such as to lower the leading portion of the gate below the plane of the belt to thereby provide a completely unrestricted discharge opening portion with the trailing portion of the gate member angularly extending downwardly across the discharge opening and having an upper wall portion thereof shaped to define the inclined wall surface.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The sorter of claim 15 wherein said gate member has a flat top wall defining said inclined wall surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
The sorter of claim 6 wherein said partial closure member mounted in fixed relation with the trailing portion of the gate opening to maintain said partial closure thereof when the corresponding gate means moves downwardly.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
80 words
The method of laterally removing loads from a conveying means, comprising moving the loads in spaced relation along a given path in a first direction past a plurality of gate openings at selected unloading stations, said gate openings extending longitudinally of the path and having a leading portion and a trailing portion, selectively moving the loads laterally from said given path and through said gate openings, and moving the loads progressively upwardly within the trailing portion of the gate opening.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
80 words
The method of laterally removing loads from a conveying means, comprising moving the loads in spaced relation along a given path in a first direction past a plurality of gate openings at selected unloading stations, said gate openings extending longitudinally of the path and having a leading portion and a trailing portion, selectively moving the loads laterally from said given path and through said gate openings, and moving the loads progressively upwardly within the trailing portion of the gate opening.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-04-28 | 1978-10-28 | 1979-04-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-28 | 1982-10-28 | 1983-04-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-28 | 1986-10-28 | 1987-04-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |