Abstract: An article sortation system includes a plurality of transport units which are movable along a conveying path between induction stations and discharge stations along each side of the conveying path. Each transport unit has side by side loading and support capability and is operable to receive packages from induction stations and discharge the packages at an appropriate discharge station. The system includes a control which determines the destination of articles and resolves blocking conditions between articles at the induction stations or at the transport units. The system may include a reinduction station for receiving an article from a transport unit and reinducting the article onto a transport unit, in order to resolve a blocking condition between a pair of articles on the respective transport unit.

Abstract: An adjustable length conveyor bed includes conveyor sections that are movably positioned relative to one another and that include at least one belt support or roller at an upper portion of the respective sidewalls. A fixed roller support is mounted to one section and has a fixed roller rotatably mounted thereto. A continuous belt is reeved along a belt routing path around the rollers and defines a conveying surface at and along the support rollers. A guide roller is movable with the other section and relative to the fixed roller to maintain a generally constant tension in the belt as the conveyor bed is adjusted. The sections are movable relative to one another and securable at a desired degree of extension by securing the other section relative to the fixed roller support.

Abstract: A sortation system includes a metal frame member and a traveling member having a series of wheels supported by the frame member. The traveling member defines an upper surface that supports articles being sorted. A wear strip is provided between said frame member and the wheels. The wear strip is made up of at least one wheel support strip and a sound deadening material between the at least one wheel support strip and the frame member.

Abstract: A diverting assembly for diverting articles from a conveying surface includes a plurality of movable pushers that are associated with the conveying surface and adapted to move transversely across the conveying surface. A plurality of diverting tracks are configured to guide selected ones of the movable pushers across the conveying surface. A plurality of diverters are adapted to selectively divert at least one movable pusher along the diverting tracks when activated into a diverting state. The diverting tracks may include segments that are oriented at different angles with respect to each other. A controller may select a subset of at least two diverters from the plurality of diverters and activate them into the diverting state. The activation of the diverters may be simultaneous, or the downstream diverter may be activated prior to the upstream diverter being activated.

Abstract: A sortation system and method includes providing a sorter assembly and a slug-building assembly. Product is received by the sorter assembly and sorted to a series of sortation lanes. The slug-building assembly includes a plurality of supply lines supplying product for sorting by the sorter assembly. At least one of the supply lines includes an accumulation conveyor and a slug conveyor. Product is accumulated in slug portions at the accumulation conveyor. Slug portions are combined into product slugs at the slug conveyor. Product slugs are discharged from the slug conveyor for sorting by the sorter assembly.

Abstract: A sortation system and method of inducting product are useful with a sorter having a continuous member defining a plurality of transport positions of the continuous member and a plurality of sort destinations for receiving product discharged from the continuous member. At least one induction unit is provided including a plurality of tandem conveying units. Product is received with the at least one induction unit from a product source and discharged from the at least one induction unit to the continuous member. According to one aspect of the invention, the at least one induction unit follows the speed of the continuous member. This includes starting as soon as the continuous member is moving and decreasing in speed substantially only when the continuous member decreases in speed. The invention is useful with linear sorters, such as positive displacement sorters, and the like. The invention is also useful with carousel sorters, such as tilt-tray sorters and cross-belt sorters.

Abstract: An extendable conveying system for either loading product to or unloading product from a trailer includes an extendable section which defines a conveying surface. The system further includes a pullout section that defines a support surface. The pullout section has an extended position and a retracted position. When the pull-out section is in its extended position, its support surface at least partially extends from the conveying surface. The system further includes an energy-storing device connected with the pullout section and the extendable section. The energy-storing device stores energy as the pullout section is moved from either the extended or retracted position to the other of the extended or retracted positions. The energy storing device then delivers energy to the pull-out section as the pull-out section is moved from the other of the extended or retracted positions to the initial of the extended or retracted positions.

Abstract: A positive displacement sorter apparatus includes a plurality of interconnected slats defining an endless web, an upper run of the web defining a conveying surface conveying articles in a longitudinal direction. A plurality of pusher shoes move along the slats to laterally displace articles on the conveying surface. At least one diverting rail extends diagonally under said conveying surface and at least one diverter is associated with the diverting rail. The pusher shoes include a base and a member extending from said base below said conveying surface. The diverter includes an actuator that selectively actuates a member toward the diverting rail. The diverting rail has a terminal portion. The terminal portion and the member are configured to direct the member in the longitudinal direction in a substantially continuous motion after moving the pusher shoe laterally of said conveying surface. This reduces audible noise at the end of a divert.

Abstract: An automatic tray handling system for use with an article or mail sortation system, such as a flats mail sortation system, is operable to automatically remove filled or partially filled trays from individual sorter units and to replenish the sorter units with empty trays. The empty trays and/or filled trays are moved along at least one conveying surface adjacent to the sorter units. The automatic tray handling system includes a plurality of tray moving devices, which are operable to move the empty trays from the conveying surface to the sorter units, whereby the trays are at least partially filled by the sorter units. The tray moving devices are then further operable to move the at least partially filled trays from the sorter units to a conveying surface, whereby the filled trays may be conveyed to downstream operations, such as an automatic labeling station. Preferably, the empty trays are movable in a continuous loop about the mail sortation system.

Abstract: A roller conveyor includes opposite sidewalls and at least two tandem zones. Each zone includes a plurality of idler rollers rotatably mounted at and between the opposite sidewalls, and a drive system having a motorized or directly driven roller. The driven roller is operable to drive the idler rollers via a drive member, which is positioned substantially beneath the idler rollers and in substantially continuous contact with a lower portion of at least some of the idler rollers. The driven roller may be selectively operable to provide accumulation of at least two articles in each of the zones. The roller conveyor may include a control which is operable to selectively operate the driven roller, such as in response to at least one article sensor along the roller conveyor or in response to a current sensor for sensing a current draw by the driven roller.

Abstract: A pallet-handling device includes a support service adapted to supporting a pallet and at least one grasping arm. The at least one grasping arm grasps a portion of a pallet when in a pallet-grasping state. The pallet-handling device further includes an actuator. The actuator is responsive to a pallet at the support plate to cause the at least one grasping arm to be in the pallet grasping state.

Abstract: A chain conveyor includes a plurality of load rollers, a plurality of drive rollers, which are arranged in pairs, and a pair of spaced apart rows of interconnecting linkages aligned generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chain conveyor. The load rollers and the drive rollers are rotatably mounted between the linkages with the load rollers positioned between the pairs of drive rollers. The diameter of each load roller is larger than the diameter of each drive roller. The load rollers and the drive rollers are spaced along the longitudinal axis wherein the chain conveyor includes gaps between the outer surfaces of adjacent load rollers and between the outer surfaces of adjacent driver rollers.

Abstract: An article sortation system includes a plurality of transport units which are movable along a conveying path between induction stations and discharge stations along each side of the conveying path. Each transport unit has side by side loading and support capability and is operable to receive packages from induction stations and discharge the packages at an appropriate discharge station. The system includes a control which determines the destination of articles and resolves blocking conditions between articles at the induction stations or at the transport units. The system may include a reinduction station for receiving an article from a transport unit and reinducting the article onto a transport unit, in order to resolve a blocking condition between a pair of articles on the respective transport unit.

Abstract: A conveyor system includes a conveyor frame, at least one motor at the frame and a control circuit at the frame. The motor is configured to cause articles placed in at least one location on the conveyor system to be transported when the motor is energized. A first power source is housed within the frame and in electrical communication with the at least one motor. The first power source supplies power to the at least one motor. A second power source is also housed within the frame and in electrical communication with the control circuit. The second power source supplies power to the control circuit. The second power source is electrically isolated from the first power source such that electrical current from the first power source can be shut off without shutting off electrical current from the second power source.

Abstract: A roller conveyor which includes idler rollers which are drivable in a driving direction in response to rotational driving of a drive portion of the rollers, and which are freely rotatable in the driving direction relative to the drive portions of the rollers, in order to allow for coasting of articles or products on the roller conveyor. The rollers include one-way clutch devices which may drive the rollers in the driving direction in response to activation or engagement of a drive means to convey products along the conveyor. The clutch devices also allow the rollers to continue to rotate in the driving direction after the driving means has been deactivated or disengaged from the rollers. The roller conveyor thus may convey articles along multiple zones of the conveyor and may accumulate articles on the zones, such as in response to article sensors positioned along the roller conveyor.

Abstract: An adjustable assembly is configured to accommodate angular adjustment between adjacent belted conveyor sections. The adjustable assembly functions to position the belted conveyor sections so that one of the rollers of one belted conveyor section is aligned with the rollers of the other belted conveyor section in a direction of conveyance of the conveyor sections. The rollers are aligned such that an article on the belt of the upstream belted conveyor section does not substantially engage the aligned roller of the downstream belted conveyor section as the article is moved from the upstream belt onto the downstream belt. The adjustable assembly may provide a smooth transition between the conveyor sections throughout a range of angular adjustment of the adjustable assembly.

Abstract: A positive displacement sorter apparatus and method includes providing a plurality of slats being interconnected in an endless web, an upper run of the web defining a conveying surface, and a plurality of pusher shoes gliding along at least some of the slats to laterally displace articles on the conveying surface. A linear motor system is provided to propel the web and includes a plurality of linear motor secondaries at the slats and at least one primary for propelling the secondaries. A control system controls the primaries.

Abstract: A positive displacement sorter apparatus includes a plurality of interconnected slats defining an endless web, an upper run of the endless web defining a conveying surface. A plurality of pusher shoes are provided, each moving along at least one of the plurality of slats to laterally displace articles on the conveying surface. A linear motor propulsion system may be provided for propelling the web including at least one motor primary and a plurality of motor secondaries at the slats.

Abstract: The present invention provides a unique material support system which is capable of scanning RFID tags of a large number of items in the material support system in an automated manner. A material support system is provided for supporting items having RFID tags placed on the items. At least one item support is provided. Each of the at least one item support is adapted to support a horizontal row of items. At least one radio frequency antenna is positioned adjacent the at least one item support. An antenna support system is provided. The antenna support system transports the at least one radio frequency antenna along the horizontal row of items at the at least one item support.

Abstract: A diverter system for diverting articles being conveyed along the diverter system includes a plurality of diverter wheels arranged between opposite sidewalls of the diverter system. The diverter wheels are rotatably driven by a motorized roller and a plurality of drive members or bands reeved around the motorized roller and respective ones of the diverter wheels. The diverter wheels are steerable in response to pivotal or rotational movement of a drive gear that engages a gear plate of at least one of the wheels. The resulting pivotal movement of the at least one wheel causes a translational movement of a rack member extending along the row of diverter wheels which, in turn, causes a corresponding pivotal movement of the other wheels engaged with the rack member.