Abstract: An accumulation conveyor includes an endless drive belt that is juxtaposed with a multiplicity of rollers and at least one control device for selectively moving the drive belt into driving engagement with the rollers. The drive belt has a high-friction face engaging the rollers and a low-friction backing engaging the control device. The control device includes a support member having a cavity formed therein and a force-producing device in the cavity. A contact member is positioned between the force-producing device and rollers and reciprocates with respect to the rollers. A signal manifold is mounted to the support member and interconnects with the force-producing device and with signal manifolds of adjacent control devices.

Abstract: An article unscrambler and aligner is disclosed which receives articles of different sizes in random order and position, and using plural side-by-side lanes each of which lanes has driven article transport rollers at different speeds, which speeds are uniform for the length of the lane, but are progressively higher in each lane toward one side of the unscrambler in order to provide a lateral linear speed increase. This speed increase causes separation and rotation of the articles and also causes them to arrange in single file along one side of the unscrambler's surface and so discharge them onto a conveyor at the end of the unscrambler remote from that at which the articles were received. One or more lanes are composed of rollers of tapered diameter in order to make the lateral speed increase more uniform.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically delivering a laser beam [30] to an intricate colored region [23] of a treatment area [32], e.g. for laser photocoagulation treatment of venular malformations and other dermatological conditions. Reflected light from the treatment area [32] travels into the delivery console [28] to a color-sensitive detector which signals a control system to permit the laser beam [30] to be delivered to the treatment area [32] only when the beam is focused on a spot having a predetermined color. By scanning over the treatment region, the laser automatically treats only the area having a specified color. Since reflective optics are employed, the reflected light precisely indicates the color of the region where the treatment beam is focused. Reflective optics also provide a smaller and more precise spot size for the treatment beam.

Abstract: An extendable conveyor unit eliminates the necessity of a base unit by supporting the extendable units directly from the warehouse floor with a minimum amount of support structure. The extendable conveyor includes one or more extendable units, a stationary support for supporting the extendable units, and a conveying surface defined on an extended portion of the extendable units. The stationary support supports the extendable units between a fully extended position, wherein the extendable units extend from the support in the direction of the vehicle to be loaded and a fully retracted position in which the extendable units extend from the support in a direction opposite from the direction of the vehicle to be loaded. The conveying surface may be a gravity roller conveyor or it may be an endless belt.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for laterally diverting or shunting articles conveyed along a conveyor. An am or paddle is mechanically coupled to a rotating cam which drives the arm from a first or resting position parallel to the conveyor to a deflecting position across the conveyor at a first velocity profile and from the deflected position back to the resting position at a second, greater velocity profile in a single revolution of the cam. Velocity profiles can be optimized for the application by specification of the cam's geometry. Cycle times of 400 milliseconds, or 150 cycles per minute, are possible.

Abstract: An accumulation conveyor includes a product sensor that is positioned along the conveyor at a particular zone for sensing the presence of product at that zone and for causing actuation of the zone upstream of that product sensor with respect to product movement along the accumulation conveyor. The product sensor includes an arm that is selectively positioned in the path of product being conveyed, a switch having an actuation member juxtaposed with the arm, and a force-producing member responsive to actuation of the downstream zone actuator in order to apply a force to the switch and, in turn, retract the sensor. This may be accomplished by physically locating the product sensor within the downstream zone and providing an actuator for that downstream zone that is mechanically coupled to the product sensor physically located within that zone.

Abstract: An extendable conveyor unit supports the extendable units directly from the warehouse floor with a minimum amount of support structure. The extendable conveyor includes one or more extendable units, a stationary support for supporting the extendable units, and a conveying surface defined on an extended portion of the extendable units. The stationary support supports the extendable units between a fully extended position, wherein the extendable units extend from the support in the direction of the vehicle to be loaded and a fully retracted position in which the extendable units extend from the support in a direction opposite from the direction of the vehicle to be loaded. The conveying surface may be a gravity roller conveyor or it may be an endless belt. When the conveying surface is an endless belt, an elevating unit may be provided with the stationary support in order to elevate the conveying member above the extendable unit at the stationary support to match up with a discharge or receiving conveyor.

Abstract: An article unscrambler and aligner is disclosed which receives articles of different sizes in random order and position, and using plural side-by-side lanes each of which lanes has driven article transport rollers at different speeds, which speeds are uniform for the length of the lane, but are progressively higher in each lane toward one side of the unscrambler in order to provide a lateral linear speed increase. This speed increase causes separation and rotation of the articles and also causes them to arrange in single file along one side of the unscrambler's surface and so discharge them onto a conveyor at the end of the unscrambler remote from that at which the articles were received. One or more lanes are composed of rollers of tapered diameter in order to make the lateral speed increase more uniform.

Abstract: A pneumatic accumulation conveyor has an anti-singulation control capable of deactivating the drive of a zone if the product sensor for that zone and substantially all of the product sensors downstream of that zone sense the presence of product in order to produce an accumulation portion with no zones actuated and is capable of activating the drive of a zone if any of the drives downstream of the associated zone are actuated in order to produce a transport portion in which all zones upstream of any actuated drive are actuated to transport product without singulation of any upstream grouped product. The accumulation conveyor is controlled by retractable product sensors positioned at particular locations along the product conveyor in order to sense the presence of product at the particular locations.

Abstract: An extendable conveyor for conveying product having a base unit, at least two extendable units selectively nested within each other and the base unit and a conveying member supported by the base unit and any extended portions of the extendable units, each of the extendable units is supported by a cantilever support system from the next most inward extendable unit or the base unit, the cantilever support system for each extendable unit including at least one rearward support member on each extendable unit engaging the next most inward extendable unit or the base unit and at least one forward support member on the next most inward extendable unit of the base unit supporting the extendable unit, at least the rearward support members or the forward support members being laterally aligned in a vertical plane adjacent a lateral perimeter of the conveying member in order to allow a reduced range in width of the extendable units and thereby a wider conveying surface relative to the width of the base unit.

Abstract: A non-powered, self-position-adjusting track intersection pin guide, or switch, is provided having a plate member that pivots in the plane of the crossing guide tracks that move article diverter shoes of a positive displacement sortation conveyor in a predetermined manner relative to the supporting surface of the conveyor. The plate member pivots between a first position guiding the diverter shoe guide elements along a first path and a second position guiding the diverter shoe guide elements along a second path. The plate member includes first and second cam members defining first and second cam surfaces. First and second guiding surfaces are additionally defined on the plate member, whereby the cam surfaces are selectively positioned in the first and second paths for actuations by a guide element moving along the respective path in order to rotate the cam surfaces and the guiding surfaces about a common pivot in order to guide movement of the guide elements.

Abstract: A conveyor system including an induction subsystem for producing a desired spacing between packages as they are discharged from a single induction line or merged from multiple lines. Each induction line includes a conveyor and a speed controller for controlling the running speed of the conveyor in a manner that discharges a package as close as possible to a time necessary to provide a desired gap with a previously-discharged package. Each induction line is operated by two servo-controlled motors, with the speed of the downstream motor being controlled in a manner that will provide desired spacing between inducted packages and with the speed of the upstream motor being controlled as a selectable ratio to the speed of the downstream motor. This provides an initial controllable gap between packages to reduce the range of gaps experienced by the induction control. In another embodiment, a sortation subsystem is operated at a higher line speed than the induction subsystem from which it receives packages.

Abstract: A conveyor for unscrambling and discharging in single file articles received in random order and orientation from side-by-side sources, the conveyor having a plurality of rollers arranged in parallel relationship to each other, the central axes of the rollers being parallel and skewed to the side frame of the conveyor, a plurality of intermediate roller support frame members spaced from the side frame and extending lengthwise to the transport surface, aligned rollers on each side of each of the intermediate frame members being separate and independent from the rollers on the opposite side thereof, certain ones of the intermediate frame members being parallel to the side frame, the intermediate frame members dividing the article transport surface of the conveyor into a plurality of article transport zones with one of the transport zones at the article receiving end of the conveyor having a width which is a minor portion of the total width of the conveyor and means driving the rollers thereof at a higher periph

Abstract: A conveying apparatus for selective lateral alignment of packages with laterally spaced apart right-hand or left-hand vertical planes includes a conveying surface made up of support members connected together in an endless web and a pair of diverting shoes mounted to each support member. A network of guide tracks guides the movement of one of each pair of guide shoes along either a non-diverted path or a diverted path to laterally divert packages. Diverted packages are aligned by the other of each pair of shoes guided by the guide tracks in a fixed path.

Abstract: An article conveying system of the type having a conveying surface defined by the uppermost ones of a plurality of slats interconnected in an endless web for displacing articles laterally with respect to the conveying surface and including a diverter shoe movably mounted to each slat, includes a system of parallel tracks and diverting gates to independently selectively move one or more diverter shoes laterally while maintaining lengthwise alignment of the selected shoes in order to displace an article without rotation of the article. A control senses both the position of articles and the position of shoes in order to determine the relative spacing between shoes and articles. This allows the control to determine whether a shoe assigned to an article interferes with another article to accommodate article spacing of less than one shoe. Articles may be displaced using only one or two shoes by determining that the shoe is properly positioned with respect to the article.

Abstract: A sortation system includes a plurality of slats connected at opposite ends in spaced relation with each other to a pair of endless chains. The slats define a conveying surface moving longitudinally along a frame. A plurality of diverter shoes are provided. Each diverter shoe is movably mounted on one of the slats for lateral movement with respect to the conveying surface. Each slat is defined by a wall formed as a right cylinder including an outer surface having a planar upper portion defining the conveying surface, each diverter shoe having a support portion including a substantially continuous glide surface surrounding the wall, the glide surface having substantially the same configuration as the outer surface of the slat.