| 摘要 |
<p>The invention relates to a method for controlling the travel of articles through an article transport mechanism 2 having a multiplicity of lines of travel for the articles to different destinations 3, which method comprises observing the passage of an article past one of a plurality of sensor units 1 mounted in series along the lines of travel and identifying the identity and/or the destination of that article from information passed to the said one sensor unit 1 from a preceding sensor unit 1, comparing the actual travel duration of the article from that preceding sensor unit 1 to the said one sensor unit with the expected duration of that travel to establish that the observed article is a valid article conforming to the identity and/or destination information provided from the preceding sensor unit 1, transmitting the information of the passage of the article and its identity and/or destination to a succeeding sensor unit 1 along the line of travel and, where required, actuating means 4 for diverting the article onto a different line of travel 2 or into its final destination 3 off the transport mechanism 2. The invention also provides a sensor assembly and a sensor unit for use in the method of the invention and an article transport mechanism incorporating such sensor units and sensor assemblies.</p> |
