Abstract: An article sorting method and a system to perform the method, in which a plurality of articles having different sorting destinations are sorted out in a highly efficient manner by one carriage. The article sorting system includes a carriage (3) movable along a track (5). This carriage has on it a plurality of conveying mechanisms (13a, 13b, 13c and 13d) which are provided on the carriage (3). On these conveying mechanisms, articles (11) can be placed. A control device (23) controls the operations of the plurality of conveying mechanisms (13a, 13b, 13c and 13d) independently of one another. The control device drives the conveying mechanisms (13a, 13b, 13c and 13d) individually according to the sorting destination data of the articles, so that a single or plural articles (11) are sorted out by the individual operations or combined operations of the driving mechanisms (15a, 15b, 15c and 15d).

Abstract: A change-over device is provided for a sorting conveyor. Projected members of slats forming the sorting conveyor are made of ferromagnetic substance such as iron alloy. Those projected members are guided by a guide rail which is installed on the rear side of the conveyor. The guide rail is made up of a main rail and a branch rail. The side wall of the branch rail is partially omitted near at the inlet of the branching portion of the guide rail where the branch rail branches from the main rail, and instead an upper side wall and a lower side wall are formed there by an electromagnet and a permanent magnet, respectively. When the electromagnet is energized, each projected member is attracted towards the upper side wall, and is then allowed to move along the lower side wall, thus being led into the branch rail. Thus, the articles on the conveyor are suitably sorted while being conveyed to the selected branch conveying path.

Abstract: The invention concerns a slat conveyor in which the extension of the pitch due to the wear of a chain can be easily adjusted without performing the construction work required for conventional conveyors. In the conveyor, slat supporting members support slats adjacent to one another in a travelling direction. Each of the slat supporting members is provided with a first connection portion and a second connection portion for connecting the adjacent slat supporting members and the second connection portion of a succeeding slat supporting member overlaps the first connection portion of a preceding slat supporting member.