Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for grouping randomly oriented articles traveling on a conveyor, said conveyor having an in-feed end, an out-feed end and a predetermined width. The apparatus comprises an inspection head located in a fixed position above the conveyor, the inspection head for capturing images of the articles traveling on the conveyor, a grouping unit located in a fixed position relative to the conveyor and downstream of the inspection head and a control unit for receiving and processing the captured images from the inspection head. The grouping unit comprises a plurality of individually controllable pins, the individually controllable pins each moveable between a buffering position wherein the pin arrests movement of an article in alignment with the pin and a grouping position wherein the pin allows the article to move to a grouping location.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 1, 2008
Date of Patent:
September 9, 2014
Assignee:
Montrose Technologies Inc.
Inventors:
Jeffrey Clark Radema, John Lawrence, Andrew Martin Peters, Derek Carl Thorslund
Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for grouping randomly oriented articles traveling on a conveyor, said conveyor having an in-feed end, an out-feed end and a predetermined width. The apparatus comprises an inspection head located in a fixed position above the conveyor, the inspection head for capturing images of the articles traveling on the conveyor, a grouping unit located in a fixed position relative to the conveyor and downstream of the inspection head and a control unit for receiving and processing the captured images from the inspection head. The grouping unit comprises a plurality of individually controllable pins, the individually controllable pins each moveable between a buffering position wherein the pin arrests movement of an article in alignment with the pin and a grouping position wherein the pin allows the article to move to a grouping location.
Type:
Application
Filed:
August 1, 2008
Publication date:
April 12, 2012
Applicant:
MONTROSE TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Inventors:
Jeffrey Clark Radema, John Lawrence, Andrew Martin Peters, Derek Carl Thorslund