Abstract: A sorter conveyor having cross-belts for supporting and discharging article is disclosed, wherein the cross-belts are driven by interaction between a rotor moving with the cross-belts and stationary electric stator parts, wherein the rotor is arranged separate from the cross-belt and is connected to a drive roller with a transmission. Further is disclosed such sorter conveyors having tilt-trays driven by interaction between rotors moving with the tilt-trays and stationary electric stator parts, as well as such sorter conveyors which are driven along the stationary track by means of stationary linear motor stator parts interacting with the reaction means. Lastly, rotors and the manufacture of such rotors are disclosed.

Abstract: A conveyor system and the operation of a conveyor system will convey articles such as baggage at airports. A buffer arrangement is provided for storing and pre-sorting at least a part of the article-flow through the system. A conveyor system for conveying and sorting articles for a number of different destinations may be operated with a much lower number of stations for discharging the articles if the possibility of pre-sorting and temporarily storing the articles exists within the system. In particular, a storage rack can be provided for storing articles and the conveyor system comprising such a storage rack.

Abstract: A storage system for receiving, delivering and storing items, e.g. mail items, to be distributed. Items are stored in a flexible manner allowing sufficient space to be allocated to each item while ensuring that the total available space is utilised in an optimal manner. Items may be carried on trays. The size of the items is determined in order to allocate the correct amount of space. Items may be repositioned during non-operational periods in order to reduce time consumed during delivery of items from the system. Further, methods for receiving and delivering items to/from the system. A payment system is provided.

Abstract: A tilting mechanism comprising an article-supporting member, such as a tray or a conveyor belt for a sorter for transporting and sorting various articles is disclosed. The article-supporting member may be held tilted about two parallel axes each being fixed with respect to the tilting part or the stationary part and being movable along a predetermined path with respect to the other part. Further is disclosed a sorter comprising article-supporting members arranged on tilting mechanisms to tilt the members when passing curves and during induction of articles from the side of the sorter so as to prevent articles from sliding off the members and thus enable the sorter to operate at much higher conveying speeds than known sorters.

Abstract: A method for conveying and a conveyor system having a plurality of conveyor sections arranged in series transports articles. The articles can be accelerated on the conveyor system but adjacent conveyor sections have substantially the same speed when the articles are passed between them so as to reduce wear or damage to the articles.

Abstract: A conveyor system for sorting articles comprises a plurality of conveyor units adapted to run along a conveyor path having vertical and/or horizontal loops. The conveyor system comprises loading conveyors for loading articles onto the conveyor units, and wherein each or some of the loading conveyors and/or conveyor units comprise barrier means for stopping the displacement of an article in relation to the loading conveyor and/or conveyor units. The loading conveyor may be adapted to reorient or rotate an article during loading and to load an article having a length greater than the length of a single conveyor unit onto two or more contiguous conveyor units. The loading conveyor may load at least two articles onto one conveyor unit, so that the articles are arranged next to each other on the conveyor unit. The conveyor system comprises a control system for controlling, according to predetermined velocity ramps, the driving means for loading and unloading articles.

Abstract: A conveyor system for sorting articles to a plurality of receiving means is disclosed, in which cross-over means are arranged for shifting articles from a first conveyor, along which at least two induction stations and at least two discharge stations are arranged alternately, and to a second conveyor so as to short-cut the conveying path of articles that have been loaded onto the first conveyor at a first induction station and having the second discharge station as destination. Thereby, the conveying capacity of the first conveyor occupied by said articles is released as the articles do not pass the intermediate induction stations at which articles may be loaded onto the de occupied parts of the first conveyor and the sorting capacity of the conveyor system is increased. In particular, the system comprises two parallel conveyors and cross-over means for shifting articles between the two conveyors arranged so that the two conveyors function as short-cuts for each other.

Abstract: A conveyor for transporting articles of mixed sizes, such as luggage and/or mail has a plurality of interconnected conveyor units, each comprising an article supporting member, such as a tray or a conveyor belt or any other suitable supporting member. The article supporting members of the conveyor units may be used individually for transporting articles, and two or more consecutive conveyor units may in an aligned state to form a common article support surface for transporting articles larger than the individual article supporting member.

Abstract: An inductive energy transfer system supplies energy from a stationary primary rail to a number of movable secondary rails each connected to a movable unit. The system is particularly suited for conveyor units of a sorter system, each unit having an article support, the energy provided from the energy transfer system being used primarily for discharging articles from the article-support. The primary rail as well as the secondary rails are provided with legs so that the legs in an operational position are overlapping so as to reduce the losses caused by the air gap between the primary rail and the secondary rails. The movable units are each equipped with an electrical battery for smoothing the load from the movable unit on the primary side of the transfer system.

Abstract: A conveyor transports lightweight articles with a high degree of adaptability to the space it can occupy and the path along which the conveyor units can travel. The track of the conveyor has curving track sections connecting straight track sections having opposite transport directions and the individual conveyor unit comprises guide members that engage with stationary guides to prevent the article supporting member of the unit from tilting when passing straight as well as curving track sections. The article supporting members of the units are arranged between the main track and the stationary guides when the units are moving along the curving main track section. In particular, each unit may have first and second guiding members to prevent tilting of the article supporting member at curving and straight track sections, respectively, and both guiding members co-operate with their respective guides over a certain distance when the unit enters and leaves a curving track section.

Abstract: A conveyor is disclosed having a mechanism for driving an endless chain, which is used for driving and optionally also for supporting the article-supporting parts of the conveyor. The mechanism comprises a drive belt that engages and drives on a number of wheels on the chain. By driving on the periphery of the rotating wheels instead of directly on the chain itself, the force between the drive belt and the point of engagement with the chain is halved whereby the construction may be made substantially lighter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a conveyor system, for use, e.g., at airports for conveying luggage, which has a plurality of conveyor sections with variable conveying speed arranged in series and a method for operating same. The conveyed articles may be accelerated on the system and adjacent sections have substantially the same speed and optionally the same acceleration when the articles are passed between them. A downstream speed and optionally also a downstream acceleration is determined for each article being passed to an upstream end of a section. In particular, the invention relates to a conveyor system in which the conveyor sections each has a control unit for controlling the operation of the particular section and which control unit is able to communicate with the control units of the immediately adjacent sections, and the invention relates as well to a method for operating such a system and to the individual section.

Abstract: A method for conveying and a conveyor system having a plurality of conveyor sections arranged in series transports articles. The articles can be accelerated on the conveyor system but adjacent conveyor sections have substantially the same speed when the articles are passed between them so as to reduce wear or damage to the articles.

Abstract: Baggage handling conveyor system for conveying articles needed to be supported by trays as well as articles not needed such support, comprising a delivery platform for receiving articles, a storage device for storing trays and a conveyor for selectively and automatically moving a tray from the storage device to the delivery platform. The conveyor is movable between a position establishing a conveying connection between the storage device and the delivery platform, and a position disrupting the connection. Articles may be moved from the delivery platform to a predetermined destination. The system reduces the risk of, e.g., back injuries to the staff. The system is well suited for airport check-in counters.

Abstract: A system for and a method of singulating parcels stored in a bulk into a single file of parcels that are mutually separated, by leading the parcels between consecutive, perpendicular conveyor sections by chutes that are designed for providing the desired spreading of parcels in a transport direction and/or the desired narrowing of the flow of parcels in a direction transverse to the transport direction. A first chute leads parcels from an input conveyor section to an intermediate conveyor section so that parcels having different transverse positions will tend to be spread in the transport direction when passing from the input conveyor section to the intermediate conveyor section. A second chute leads parcels from an intermediate conveyor section to a receiving conveyor section so that parcels subsequently will have a significantly reduced mutual spacing in the direction transverse to the transport direction of the receiving conveyor section.

Abstract: The present invention provides an articulated conveyor for transporting articles on guide tracks having sections that curves in the horizontal and/or vertical plane. The conveyor comprises a plurality of interconnected uniform conveyor units each including a tiltably mounted article-supporting member.The units are mutually pivotally connected and each has a first covering sheet member pivotally mounted at one end of the supporting member and engaging with a guiding member of the adjacent conveyor unit so as to cover a possible gap between the second end of the supporting member and the adjacent guiding member in all mutual pivotal positions of neighboring conveyor unit, the first covering sheet member being supported by supporting means mounted on the supporting member.

Abstract: A conveyor comprises an endless loop of linked wheeled chassis members running in a guide track. The chassis members are T-shaped with the wheels of each member being attached to the ends of the cross-member of the T. A carrier is releasably attached to each of the chassis members and electrical power is generated by a hub-mounted generator attached to at least one of the wheels of each chassis member. The carriers are preferably in the form of cross-belt units driven by a.c. motors on the carriers whereby items placed on the units can be discharged transversely of the direction of movement of the conveyor.

Abstract: A sorter conveyor having laterally tiltable transport trays, instead of comprising a conventional transport chain driven by a driving station, in which a driving wheel or worm cooperates with the chain links, these being advanced arranged with guiding rails along a small mutual spacing and carrying both the transport trays and the tilt mechanisms associated therewith, which conventional arrangement causes considerable problems with respect to tolerances for both the longitudinal pitch of the chain links and the mounting of the guiding rails, comprises carts that are advanced along mutually widely spaced guiding rails (2), whereby the tolerance demands on the latter are reduced considerably; the carts are advanced by way of stationary linear motors (26), which renders any tolerance demands on the longitudinal pitch of the tray units entirely superfluous. Also the tilting mechanisms may be given a very simple design.

Abstract: In airports, large amounts of luggage have to be sorted and transported. Departing the luggage comes from check-in areas (14) to various finger conveyors (4) that radiate from a central area. A large amount of transit luggage must be handled directly between different finger conveyors (4). Arriving luggage comes from the finger conveyors for delivery to a central delivery area. The invention provides for a transportation system having a high degree of simplicity and clearness both in construction and in operative control. A central rotating conveyor system (2) receives luggage both from the check-in areas (14) and from individual conveyor loops (4) that extend along the separate finger conveyors, whereby departing luggage, as well as transit luggage can easily be sorted out to the correct finger conveyors (4), and arriving luggage conveyed to the central delivery area.

Abstract: A converyor sorting system wherein articles to be sorted are loaded on letter towable trays adapted to be moved past a plurality of unloading or receiving stations at which the articles are selectively unloaded. A control system is provided which includes a plurality of decentralized control units, with the control system being based upon the utilization of trays or the like having identification codes adapted to be detected in unloading stations so as to cause of actuation of the tilting off of the articles for the identified unloading station. Control units are provided to receive the load of the specific tray, the identity of which is detected by the loading of the tray.