ARTICLE SORTING INSTALLATION WITH AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR DISCHARGE MECHANISM

摘要

An article sorting installation arranged above a main conveyor belt and being adapted to move the transported articles sideways off said conveyor belt onto one of a plurality of smaller delivery belts which transport the articles to their places of final destination. The installation includes two endless chains arranged in parallel above the main conveyor belt and rotating vertically with a velocity equal to that of the main conveyor belt. The chains are linked by bars with one stripper being arranged slideably on each bar. Guide rails are provided above and along the two sides of the main belt for guiding the strippers in lateral direction. Junction rails interconnect the guide rails, and switches are arranged at each intersection for guiding the strippers from the guide rails into the junction rails. The switches are controlled electromagnetically and are operated according to a predetermined program for guiding simultaneously a plurality of strippers transversely across the conveyor belt, each stripper moving in a separate junction rail and all strippers being aligned in the direction of the belt travel. In the place of separate strippers at least two strippers may be connected to form a unit which is directed by only one switch to move in only one junction rail transversely across the main conveyor belt, thereby pushing an article off the main conveyor belt onto one of the delivery belts.