SORTING UNIT FOR 1SELT CONVEYOR PLANTS

This invention refers to a sorting unit for belt

conveyor plants of the type comprising a first

sorting conveyor belt extending among first

transmission rollers and revolvingly oscillating

around a first oscilLation axis extending in

parallel and close to one of its longitudinal

edge, first actuating means to actuate the

first sorting belt and first control means

to rotate the first sorting belt around the first

oscillation axis, bringing it from a. rest

position, where it lays horizontally, flush with

further conveyor belts belonging ^' to said sorting

plant, to a delivery position, where it is

transversally sloping and vice versa.

As it is known, belt conveyor plants generally

comprise one or more main conveyor lines

consisting of consecutive conveyor belt chains,

along which sorting units,which can be singly and

selectively operated ,are interposed in order to

properly sort the objects transported by the main

conveyor line on different secondary lines.

There are nowadays different kinds of sorting

units, each one satisfying specific needs,

deriving for instance, from the number and the

disposition of secondary conveyor lines on which

objects must be sorted. As an example, a known

type of sorting unit is basically composed by a

flap which oscillates around an horizontal

axis, parallel to the longitudinal developmen

of the main conveyor line. The objects carried by

this conveyor line should selectively fall on a

first and on a second secondary conveyor line,

placed below the main line, depending on the

position of the flap.

Another, known type of sorting unit is represented

by a conveyor belt placed downstream a main

conveyor line after interposition of a chute.

This conveyor belt extends perpendicularly with

respect to the longitudinal development of the

main conveyor line, and can be selectively

operated in the opposite direction to deviate

the objects there conveyed by the chute on

secondary conveyor lines, developing in opposite

direction, consecutively to the belt itself.

Sorting units, consisting of a conveyor belt

extending on the continuation of the main conveyor

Line and revolving on one of its sides to

selectively address the objects to two different

secondary conveyor lines, have also been realized.

From what has been briefly described, it can be

noted that all sorting units known up to now,

originate different problems when the

corresponding conveyor plant is used to transport

and sort, for instance, folded clothings,

magazines, or in any case soft objects which

shall maintain a predetermined configuration and

orientation.

It is easy to imagine, in fact, that a folded

blouse or a similar article of clothing, if not

adequately packed up in a rigid box, as it is

frequently the case, upsets and rolls itself up

when it drops from the sorting unit on the

secondary conveyor line or, this occurs when the

objects fall from the main conveyor line on the

sorting unit, if the sorting unit itself is

composed by a conveyor belt which can be

operated in the two directions.

This drawback is due to the fact that in all

sorting units known at present, the object

transported is compelled to drop on the corner on

the secondary conveyor line or on the sorting

unit, or to strike against the surfaces of these

latter with _a certain angle.

Problems similar to the above mentioned one arise

when a sorting unit must send folded clothings or

soft objects directly to boxes prearranged under

it. In this situation the object of this invention

is to solve all the above mentioned drawbacks with

a sorting unit by which the objects coming from a

conveyor line can be made opportunely dropped on

another conveyor line or in a container

prearranged downstream the sorting unit itself.

Another object of the present invention is that

this sorting unit can easily be aligned with

sorting units of the. same kind to form multiple

sorting stations.

All but last object of this invention is ^" that this

sorting unit can easily be realized in the sector

indus ry.

These objects, and others still, which will become

more apparent hereinafter, are basically attained

by a sorting unit for belt conveyor plants, of the

type comprising a first sorting conveyor belt

extending among first transmission rollers and

revolving around a first oscillation axis

extending in parallel and close to one of its lon¬

gitudinal edge, first actuating means to actuate

the first sorting belt, first control means to

rotate the first sorting belt around the first

oscillation axis bringing it from a rest position,

in which it lays horizontally flush with

other conveyor belts being part of said sorting

plant, to a delivery position where it is

transversally sloping and viceversa, characterized

by the fact that it comprises a second sorting belt

extending among second transmission rollers and

placed aside the first sorting belt at the

opposite side of the first oscillation axis, as

well as revolvingly oscillating around a second

oscillation axis extending in parallell and in

correspondence of its longitudinal edge positioned

at the opposite side with respect to the first

sorting belt, second actuating means to actuate

said second sorting belt in the same direction and

at the same speed of the first sorting belt and

second control means to rotate the second sorting

belt around the second oscillation axis bringing

i from a rest position, in which it lays

horizontally -flush with said further

conveyor belts, to a delivery position, in which

it is transversally sloping, and viceversa, said

first and second control means simultaneously

operating on respective sorting belts, these

latter being symetrically aligned with respect to

further conveyor belts.

Further characteristics and advantages shall

better appear from the detailed description of a

preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a

sorting device for belt conveyor plants according

to this invention, made hereinafter with reference

to the accompanying drawings, given for indicative

and not exclusive purposes, in which:

— Figure 1 shows a schematic and interrupted plan

view of a conveyor plant provided with a sorting

unit according to the invention.

- Figure 2 shows a top view of the subject sorting

unit.

- Figure 3 is a frontal view of the sorting

unit.

With reference to the above mentioned figures,

1 indicates as a whole a sorting unit for belt

conveyor plants, according to the present

invention.

As it appears from figure 1, the sorting unit 1 is

part of a belt conveyor plant marked 2, and it can

be interposed between a main conveyor line 3 and

two secondary conveyor lines. tHore in particular

the sorting unit 1 operates, as it. will be better

clarified hereinafter, in such a way as to send

the objects coming from the main conveyor line 3,

in a selective way, to a first secondary conveyor

line 4, extending in line and complanarly to the

main line 3, or on a second secondary conveyor

line 5 extending according to a plan placed below

the main conveyor line 3 •

The number and the disposition of the secondary

conveyor lines is not relevant for the objects

of the present invention. In fact, as it appears

from figure 3 _> it can be foreseen that instead of

the second secondary conveyor line 5 _> a packing

box 6 or the like be prearranged under the sorting

unit 1 , in such a way that this latter can make

the objects coming from the main line 3 dropped

directly into the same.

Originally, according to this invention

the sorting unit 1 includes a first sorting

conveyor belt 7 and a second sorting conveyor belt

8, one at the side of the other and symetrically

extending in line with further conveyor belts 9

and 10, presented respectively by the main

conveyor line and by the first secondary

conveyor line 4 •

Preferably it is foreseen that the sura of widths

of the sorting belts 7 and 8 is equal to the

widths of conveyor belts 9 and 10.

As It is known,the sorting belts 7 and 8 are

composed by a plurality of belt elements 7 and 8A

extending, respectively, between first and second

transmission rollers 11 and 12.

The sorting belts 7 and 8 are furthermore

oscillating according to a first and a second

oscillation axis X-X and X'-X' respectively,

extending in parallel and in correspondence of the

opposite edges of the same, to be brought, as it

shall be better clarified hereinafter, from a rest

position in which they are horizontally positioned

in line with further conveyor belts 9 and 10, to a

discharge position where, as Indicated with a

dotted line in figure 3 _} they are transversally

tilted downward to let the carried objects drop into

box 6 or on the secondary conveyor line 5 _*

In addition, first and second operation means 13

and 14 are foreseen which operate on the first

sorting belt 7 and on the second sorting belt 8

respectively, as to give, through one of the

transmission rollers 11 and 12, a conventional

translatory conveying motion in the same direction

to the belts.

Originally, the operation means 13 and 14 are made

each one of an operation shaft 15 extending in

parallel to the longitudinal development of the

respective sorting belt 7 or 8, adjacent to its

farest side with respect to the other sorting

belt. To this purpose, each operating shaft 15 is

revolvingly supported, with respect to a fixed

structure lό, by supporting elements 17 clamped to

the fixed structure itself. In preference it is

foreseen that each operation shaft 15 is operated

in rotation in the direction of the rotation made

by the relevant sorting belt 7 or 8 when this

latter is brought from the rest position to the

discharge position, for the purposes which will

better appear hereinafter.

The rotary motion of the operation shafts 15 can

be obtained through transmission gears which can

be associated to each one of the shafts in

correspondence of half part of the flexible

coupling 18 and 19 placed respectively at the

opposite ends of these latter. These transmission

members can be operated both by an engine

associated to the sorting module 1 and by the main

3 or secondary 4 conveyor lines. Both the

transmission members and the engine, mentioned

above have not been illustrated and they will no

more be described as known per se and conventional

and in any case not decisive with a view to the

present invention.

To advantage, the hal -par s of flexible couplings

l8 and 19 allow also the motion transmission among

^' the operation shafts of several sorting units 1

when these are aligned in sequence in order to

sort the objects on several secondary lines or in

di ferent containing boxes.

Each one of the operation shafts 15 revolvingly

supports a couple of connection elements ^" 20 each

one of which, in its turn revolvingly supports

one of the transmission rollers 11 or 12 at one of

its ends.

Two bars 21 revolvingly engage the transmission

rollers 11 and the transmission rollers 12

respectively, from the opposite side at their ends

engaged by the connection elements 20.

Each operation shaft 15 transmits the motion to

the relevant sorting belt 7 or 8 through at least

a couple of conic gears 22 and 23 respectively

keyed on the shaft 15 and on one of the

transmission rollers 11 and 12. As it can be

noticed from figures 2 and 3, it is preferably

foreseen that connection elements 20 have a box-

shaped configuration, in such a way that gears 22

and 23 can be accomodated inside the same.

To the sorting belts 7 and 8 are furthermore

associated the first and second control means 24

and 25 respectively, simultaneously operating so

as to bring the relevant sorting belts 7 and 8

from the rest to the delivery position and

vicevers .

In a preferred embodiment it is foreseen that

these control means include each one at least a

fluid-dynamic cylinder 26 engaged to the fixed

structure 16 and operating on one of the

connection elements 20. In the case shown, two of

these fluid-dynamic cylinders 26 each one operat¬

ing on the relevant connection elements 20 are

foreseen on each sorting belt 7 and 8. If it were

foreseen only one fluid-dynamic cylinder 26 for

each sorting belt, connection elements 20 must be

rigidly connected one to each other so as to be

simultaneously operated by the fluid-dynamic

cylinder 26 .

After what has been described in a mainly

structural meaning, the operation of the sorting

unit according to the invention is the following.

When in rest position, sorting belts 7 and 8,

operated by the relevant operation shafts 15, form

a continuous surface with the conveyor belts 9 and

10, in such a way that the objects coming from the

main conveyor line 3 can be brought on the first

secondary conveyor line »

The positioning of the sorting belts 7 and 8 with

respect to the main conveyor line 3 is arranged in

such a way that the objects carried along the

sorting unit 1 result supported by both belts 7

and 8 substantially by two symetrically opposed

portions. This situation is clearly shown in

figure 3 in which one of these objects has been

represented with a dotted line and marked with

number 27.

When the object 27 translating on the sorting unit

1 is to be made dropped on the second secondary

conveyor line 5 or in the box 6, fluid-dynamic

cylinders 26 are simultaneously operated by known

and conventional means.

These ones, acting on connection elements 20,

force sorting belts 7 and 8 to rotate downward

around the axis of the relevant operation shafts

15, which represent the first and the second

oscillation axis X-X and X'-X', respectively. By

this rotation, belts 7 and 8 take the delivery

position and the object 27 is therefore subject to

drop on the secondary conveyor line 5 or in the

box 6, as shown in figure 3«

To advantage, as it easy to think, the immediate

and simultaneous lowering of the surfaces carrying

the object 27 allows that this maintains a

substantailly horizontal oritentation during its

free fall.

In this way, even if the object is for instance an

article of clothing or in any case an easily

deformable element it is not subject to get upset

or to curl up upon the impact with the surface

under the sorting unit.

This effect is reached thanks to the motion

transmission through gears 22 and 2 belts 7 and 8

are subject to slow down the carrying speed of the

object 27 when they are ^' brought from the rest

position to the discharge position.

This speed can even be nullified acting in such a

way that fluid-dynamic cylinders 26 give to the

relevant sorting belts 7 and 8 an angular velocity

equal to that of the operation shafts 15 _*

Immediately after that the object 27 has dropped,

sorting belts 7 and 8 are automatically brought

again, always through the fuid-dynamic cylinders

26, in the rest position to receive a new object

from the main conveyor line 3«

This invention so attains the proposed objects.

As it appears from what above stated, the subject

sorting unit operates in such a way as to make the

object dropped in the fittest way as to avoid, at

the moment of the impact, impact forces localized

on certain points of the object itself, which

would tend to cause a deformation of the same.

This makes the sorting module 1 adequate to sort

also soft objects) this could not be obtained in a

satisfactory way with the utilization ^' of sorting

units of the known type.

The subject sorting unit is furthermore easy to

carry out by the sector industry and shows a high

utilization versatility since it _. can easily be

applied to conveyor plants of any type. Naturally,

a number of modifications and variations can be

made to this invention, without leaving the

inventive concept characterizing it.

For example,the operation shafts and the gears can

be replaced by conventional belt and pulley

transmission usually employed in conveyor plants.

In this case, it would be waved the advantage to

obtain a slowing down or evenly a cancellation of

the object transport speed when sorting belts

are brough from the rest position to the delivery

one. Fuild-dynamic cylinders 26 can furthermore be

replaced, e.g. by coupling joints installed on the

operation shafts 15 and operating in such a way as

to make the connection elements 20 temporarily

integral with the shafts to obtain the lowering in

the sorting belts 7 and 8.