Distributed sorter drive using electro-adhesion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9499346-B2
Application number	US-201514703965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2015
Priority date	May 15, 2014
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A sorter drive for propelling travelling members of a sorter along a path, in which the sorter has a plurality of interconnected travelling members that travel along a path and sortation members carried by the travelling members, with the sortation members adapted to discharge articles to particular destinations, according to an aspect of the invention, includes an endless drive member and an electro-adhesion system. The endless drive member engages the travelling members. The electro-adhesion system increases attraction of the endless drive member and the travelling members.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A sorter, comprising
a plurality of interconnected travelling members that travel along a path;
sortation members carried by said travelling members, said sortation members adapted to discharge articles to particular destinations; and
a drive that is adapted to propel said travelling members along said path, said drive comprising an endless drive member engaging said travelling members, a motor to propel said endless drive member and an electro-adhesion system connected with said endless drive members in order to drive said interconnected travelling members with electro-adhesion, said electro-adhesion system energizes the endless drive member to increase attraction of said endless drive member and said travelling members through electro-adhesion in order to provide sufficient force between said endless drive member and said travelling members in a sheer direction to propel the travelling members with the endless drive member.

2. The sorter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said travelling members comprise a plurality of slats and said sortation members comprise pushers that travel along said slats to divert articles from a conveying surface, said slats connected in an endless web having an upper portion that defines said conveying surface and a return portion, said endless drive engaging a lower surface of said upper portion or an upper surface of said lower portion.

3. The sorter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said slats are metallic.

4. The sorter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said travelling members comprise interconnected carriages and said sortation members comprise cross belts or tilting surfaces supported by said carriages, said carriages travelling generally horizontally in a closed loop for receiving articles to said sortation members from inducts and discharging articles laterally to destinations, said endless drive engaging a lower surface of said carriages.

5. The sorter as claimed in claim 4 wherein said endless drive member comprises a belt.

6. The sorter as claimed in claim 3 wherein said endless drive member comprises a belt.

7. The sorter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said endless drive member comprises a belt.

8. The sorter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said endless drive member comprises a belt.

9. The sorter as claimed in claim 8 including a plurality of said drives distributed along said path.

10. The sorter as claimed in claim 4 including a plurality of said drives distributed along said path.

11. The sorter as claimed in claim 3 including a plurality of said drives distributed along said path.

12. The sorter as claimed in claim 2 including a plurality of said drives distributed along said path.

13. The sorter as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of said drives distributed along said path.

14. The sorter as claimed in claim 13 wherein said electro-adhesion system energizes the entire said endless member in a single zone of energization.

15. The sorter as claimed in claim 14 wherein said electro-adhesion system substantially constantly energizes the entire said endless member thereby providing said single zone.

16. The sorter as claimed in claim 9 wherein said electro-adhesion system energizes the entire said endless member in a single zone of energization.

17. The sorter as claimed in claim 16 wherein said electro-adhesion system substantially constantly energizes the entire said endless member thereby providing said single zone.

18. The sorter as claimed in claim 4 wherein said electro-adhesion system energizes the entire said endless member in a single zone of energization.

19. The sorter as claimed in claim 18 wherein said electro-adhesion system substantially constantly energizes the entire said endless member thereby providing said single zone.

20. The sorter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electro-adhesion system energizes the entire said endless member in a single zone of energization.

21. The sorter as claimed in claim 20 wherein said electro-adhesion system substantially constantly energizes the entire said endless member thereby providing said single zone.

22. A sorter drive for propelling travelling members of a sorter along a path, said sorter having a plurality of interconnected travelling members that travel along a path and sortation members carried by said travelling members, said sortation members adapted to discharge articles to particular destinations, said drive comprising:
an endless drive member that is adapted to engage said travelling members, a motor to propel said endless drive member and an electro-adhesion system connected with said endless drive member in order to drive said interconnected travelling members with electro-adhesion; and
said electro-adhesion system energizes the endless drive member to increase attraction of said endless drive member and said travelling members through electro-adhesion in order to provide sufficient force between said endless drive member and said travelling members in a sheer direction to propel the travelling members with the endless drive member.

23. The sorter drive as claimed in claim 22 wherein said endless drive member comprises a belt.

24. The sorter drive as claimed in claim 23 wherein said electro-adhesion system energizes the entire said endless member in a single zone of energization.

25. The sorter drive as claimed in claim 24 wherein said electro-adhesion system substantially constantly energizes the entire said endless member thereby providing said single zone.

26. The sorter drive as claimed in claim 22 wherein said electro-adhesion system energizes the entire said endless member in a single zone of energization.

27. The sorter drive as claimed in claim 26 wherein said electro-adhesion system substantially constantly energizes the entire said endless member thereby providing said single zone.

Assignees

• Dematic Corp

Inventors

• Triesenberg Iii Thomas H
• Pilarz Nolan R
• Schuitema Dennis J

Classifications

• B65G17/345

  the surfaces being equipped with a conveyor · CPC title

• B65G47/46

  and distributing, e.g. automatically, to desired points (in tube mail systems B65G51/36) · CPC title

• B65G23/14 Primary

  Endless driving elements extending parallel to belt or chain {(B65G23/18 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65G47/844

  the article-engaging elements being pushers transversally movable on the supporting surface, e.g. pusher-shoes · CPC title

• B65G23/00

  Driving gear for endless conveyors; Belt- or chain-tensioning arrangements · CPC title