| 摘要 |
Article-handling apparatus for the sorting and dispensing of articles. The apparatus includes multiple holding conveyors, stacked one over another, for the temporary, tiered storage of articles passing through the apparatus. Articles travel into the apparatus on a supply conveyor, and are directed to selected ones of multiple, upright gravity operated feed chutes through operation of a remotely controlled diverter. The feed chutes deposit the articles on transfer conveyors disposed at different elevations in the apparatus, and the transfer conveyors then carry the articles to different ones of the stacked holding conveyors. An article-assembling means associated with each transfer conveyor may be actuated to remove a row of articles on a transfer conveyor and deposit such on a holding conveyor. The transfer conveyors also are used in the unloading of holding conveyors, and have off-bearing extremities arranged to deposit articles discharged therefrom into the feed ends of multiple, upright, gravity operated delivery chutes. The delivery chutes deposit articles on a common receiving conveyor. When handling articles of different types, and with these articles sorted by operation of the diverter, a classified storage of articles is produced on the holding conveyors. By controlling the discharge of articles from the delivery chutes, a series of articles may be collected on the receiving conveyor with such being a predetermined assortment of the different types of articles being handled.
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