Item transporting system

Claim 2

In an item transporting system including a loading station for depositing items on a conveyor, a conveyor, and an unloading station for removing items from the conveyor, the combination comprising: means for generating signals with a repetition rate related to the operating speed of said loading station, means for detecting the existence of a backlog of said items, awaiting removal from said conveyor, of a selected magnitude, and control means responsive to said signals and the detected backlog of said items for generating control signals indicating the variation required in the difference between the operating speeds of said loading and unloading stations to reduce said backlog.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1, further comprising: driving means for operating said loading station; wherein said driving means is responsive to said control signals for varying the operating speed of said loading station.

Claim 4

In an item transporting system including a loading station for depositing items on a conveyor, a conveyor, and an unloading station for removing items from the conveyor, the combination comprising: means for generating signals representing the rate at which said loading station is depositing items on said conveyor at said loading station''s current operating speed, means for detecting the existence of a backlog of said items awaiting removal from said conveyor including a first number of said items, and means responsive to said signals and the detected backlog of said items for reducing the operating speed of said loading station to a first level.

Claim 5

In an item transporting system including a loading station for depositing items on a conveyor, a conveyor, and an unloading station for removing items from the conveyor, the combination comprising: means for generating signals representing the rate at which said loading station is depositing items on said conveyor at said loading station''s current operating speed, means for detecting the existence of a backlog of said items awaiting removal from said conveyor including a first number of said items, and means responsive to said signals and the detected backlog of said items for reducing the operating speed of said loading station to a first level.

Claim 6

The system of claim 3, further comprising: means for detecting the existence of a backlog of said items awaiting removal from said conveyor including a second number of said items, and means responsive to said signals and the detected backlog including said second number of said items for reducing the operating speed of said loading station to a second level.

Claim 7

The system of claim 3 wherein said means for generating signals further comprises: signalling means mechanically connected to said conveyor for generating electrical pulses with a repetition rate equal to the rate at which said loading station is depositing items on said conveyor at a given operating speed.

Claim 8

In an item transporting system including a loaDing station, a conveyor, and an unloading station, the combination comprising: means for generating pulses with a repetition rate equal to the rate at which said loading station deposits items on said conveyor, detection means positioned at a selected point along said conveyor for generating a selected signal level when no gaps are detected between said items at said point on said conveyor, means responsive to said pulses for generating timing pulses, a first circuit responsive to said timing pulses and the signal generated by said detection means for generating an output signal indicating the absence of said gaps, a second circuit responsive to the output signal of said first circuit and said timing pulses for generating a control signal, and means responsive to said control signal for varying the difference between the rate at which said items are deposited on and removed from said conveyor.

Claim 9

In an item transporting system including a loaDing station, a conveyor, and an unloading station, the combination comprising: means for generating pulses with a repetition rate equal to the rate at which said loading station deposits items on said conveyor, detection means positioned at a selected point along said conveyor for generating a selected signal level when no gaps are detected between said items at said point on said conveyor, means responsive to said pulses for generating timing pulses, a first circuit responsive to said timing pulses and the signal generated by said detection means for generating an output signal indicating the absence of said gaps, a second circuit responsive to the output signal of said first circuit and said timing pulses for generating a control signal, and means responsive to said control signal for varying the difference between the rate at which said items are deposited on and removed from said conveyor.

Claim 10

The item transporting system of claim 6 wherein said first circuit comprises: delay means for delaying said timing pulses a selected interval, a logic circuit responsive to a delayed timing pulse and said signal level generated by said detection means for generating a selected signal, and a bi-stable device responsive to the selected signal generated by said logic circuit for generating said output signal indicating the absence of gaps between said items.

Claim 11

The item transporting system of claim 6 wherein said second circuit comprises: a logic circuit responsive to the output of said first circuit and said timing pulses for generating a selected signal, and a bi-stable device responsive to the selected signal generated by said logic circuit for generating said control signal.