US4214663A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor
Assignee: Oscar Lucks Co
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Filing: 1977-07-11
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Granted: 1980-07-29
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Expires: 1997-07-11
Abstract
Abstract Objects on a delivery conveyor are detected by a photo-detector connected to a multi-bit shift register which is clocked by a pulse generator connected to the delivery conveyor. A NOR gate is connected between two outputs of the shift register and the shift register resets to erase information relating to undersized objects. Another circuit having NAND gates connected to a series of shift register outputs and to a counter connected to the pulse generator determines the presence of objects over a base size. A comparator connected to the counter provides a signal to a microprocessor, connected to the shift register resets, to erase information relating to an oversize object. Another section connected to the intermediate output of the shift register detects the location and length of gaps between adjacent objects. This section provides information to the microprocessor which through its connections to the shift register erases information relating to the leading object if the gap is too small. Signals leaving the shift register enter a second shift register and are monitored at variable output points by the micro-processor. A detector adjacent to a receiving conveyor detects sections to be loaded. A circuit connected to this detector and a pulse generator connected to the receiving conveyor generate signals fed into a multi-bit shift register also having outputs connected to the microprocessor. The microprocessor determines the alignment of an object and a receiving position and turns on an air jet to effect a transfer.
Inventors
- 👤 Fredrick R. Schopp
- 👤 Gordon A. Edmundson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 09:39
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G47/00; B65G47/52; B65G47/525; B07; B07C; B07C5/00; B07C5/36; B07C5/361; B07C5/363; B07C5/365; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S209/00; Y10S209/922
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor of the type having a longitudinal portion thereof juxtaposed the delivery conveyor along a portion of the delivery conveyor intermediate to its ends comprising: (a) means for detecting the position of the objects on the delivery conveyor; (b) means for detecting the position of the selected sections of the receiving conveyor; (c) means for transferring objects from the intermediate portion of the delivery conveyor transversely with respect to the direction of travel of the delivery conveyor to the receiving conveyor sections; and (d) means, responsive to the object detection means and the receiving section detection means, for actuating the object transfer means to effect the transfer of an object from the delivery conveyor to a section of the receiving conveyor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor of the type having a longitudinal portion thereof juxtaposed the delivery conveyor along a portion of the delivery conveyor intermediate to its ends comprising: (a) means for detecting the position of the objects on the delivery conveyor; (b) means for detecting the position of the selected sections of the receiving conveyor; (c) means for transferring objects from the intermediate portion of the delivery conveyor transversely with respect to the direction of travel of the delivery conveyor to the receiving conveyor sections; and (d) means, responsive to the object detection means and the receiving section detection means, for actuating the object transfer means to effect the transfer of an object from the delivery conveyor to a section of the receiving conveyor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected seections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer actuation means includes means for determining a positional proximity of an object to be transferred, the transfer means and a receiving section on the receiving conveyor to actuate the transfer means to effect a transfer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
198 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 2 wherein the object position detection means comprises means for detecting the passage of an object on the delivery conveyor and means for detecting the movement of the delivery conveyor and wherein the transfer actuation means comprises a shift register having a clock input connected to the delivery conveyor movement detection means, a data input connected to object passage detection means so that the input signals which are introduced into the shift register are shifted in a manner corresponding to the changing position of objects on the delivery conveyor, a plurality of outputs, and an output connected to the positional proximity determination means, and a plurality of reset inputs so that information in the shift register relating to an object may be erased before it reaches the positional proximity determination means, and means for determining if there is an undersized spacing between two objects on the delivery conveyor and producing an input to a shift register reset for selectively erasing information in the shift register relating to one of the objects that is too closely spaced.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the object position detection means comprises means for detecting the passage of an object on the delivery conveyor and means for detecting the movement of the delivery conveyor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
95 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the transfer actuation means includes an object shift register having a data input connected to the object passage detection means, a clock input connected to the delivery conveyor movement detection means so that the input signals which are introduced onto the shift register are shifted in a manner corresponding to the changing position of objects on the delivery conveyor, and an output which corresponds to the position of the transfer means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
122 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 5, wherein the receiving section detection means comprises means for detecting the passage of the receiving sections and means for detecting the movement of the receiving conveyor and wherein the transfer actuation means further comprises a receiving section shift register having a data input connected to the receiving section detection means, a clock input connected to the receiving conveyor movement detection means so that the input signals which are introduced into the shift register are shifted in a manner corresponding to the changing position of the receiving sections, and an output which corresponds to the position of the transfer means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 6 wherein the positional proximity determination means comprises a logic system having inputs connected to the object shift register output and to the receiving section shift register output producing an output in response to the appearance of signals at both inputs to actuate the transfer means and effect an object transfer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transfer actuation means includes an object filter so that objects which do not meet selected dimensional criteria will not be transferred.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
158 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 8, wherein the object position detection means comprises means for detecting the passage of an object on the delivery conveyor and means for detecting the movement of the delivery conveyor and wherein the object filter comprises a filter shift register having a clock input connected to the delivery conveyor movement detection means, a data input connected to the object position detection means so that the input signals which are introduced into the shift register are shifted in a manner corresponding to the changing position of objects on the delivery conveyor, a plurality of outputs, an output connected to the input of the positional proximity determination means, and a plurality of reset inputs so that signals in the shift register relating to a dimensionally unsuitable object may be erased before it reaches the positional proximity determination means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
80 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 9, wherein the object filter further comprises means, connected between two outputs of the filter shift register and to the shift register reset, for determining if an object is undersized which produces an output to erase the signals corresponding to an undersized object from the shift register to prevent a transfer of the object from the delivery conveyor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
76 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 9, wherein the object filter further comprises means, connected at its input to an output of the shift register, for determining if an object is oversized which produces an output to erase the signals corresponding to an oversized object from the shift register to prevent a transfer of the object from the delivery conveyor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
106 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 11, wherein the oversize object determination means comprises a counter having its input connected to an output of the shift register, a comparator having its input connected to the counter which produces an output in response to the counter achieving a selected value and means, connected at its input to the comparator output and at its output to a shift register reset, for selectively erasing information in the shift register relating to the particular object that is oversized without erasing information on other objects.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
80 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 12, wherein the object filter further comprises means, connected between two outputs of the filter shift register and to the shift register reset, for determining if an object is undersized which produces an output to erase the signals corresponding to an undersized object from the shift register to prevent a transfer of the object from the delivery conveyor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
80 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 13, wherein the transfer actuation means further comprises means, connected to the shift register inputs, for determining if there is an undersized spacing between two objects on the delivery conveyor and producing an input to a shift register reset for selectively erasing information in the shift register relating to one of the objects that is too closely spaced.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transfer means comprises a plurality of transfer devices sequentially positioned along the delivery conveyor and wherein the transfer actuation means can selectively actuate the transfer devices.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
131 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 15 wherein the object detection means comprises means for detecting the passage of an object on the delivery conveyor and means for detecting the movement of the delivery conveyor and wherein the transfer actuation means comprises a shift register having a clock input connected to the delivery conveyor movement detection means, a data input connected to the object passage detection means so that the input signals which are introduced into the shift register are shifted in a manner corresponding to the changing position of objects on the delivery conveyor, a plurality of outputs connected to the positional proximity determination means which correspond to the positions of the transfer devices.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
87 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 16 wherein the shift register has a plurality of reset inputs connected to the positional proximity determination means and the positional proximity determination means provides a signal to the shift register to erase the information relating to an object which has been acted upon by a transfer device to transfer it so that downstream transfer devices will not try to transfer a previously transferred object.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
133 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 17 wherein the receiving section detection means comprises means for detecting passage of a receiving section and means for detecting the movement of the receiving conveyor and wherein the transfer actuation means comprises a receiving section shift register having a clock input connected to the receiving conveyor movement detection means, a data input connected to the receiving section passage detection means so that the input signals which are introduced into the shift register are shifted in a manner corresponding to the changing position of receiving sections on the receiving conveyor and a plurality of outputs connected to the positional proximity determination means which correspond to the position of the transfer devices.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
88 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 18 wherein the receiving section shift register has a plurality of reset inputs connected to the positional proximity determination means and the positional proximity determination means provides a signal to the receiving section to erase the information relating to a receiving section which has been filled by a transfer so that downstream transfer devices will not try to transfer an object into the previously filled pocket.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
A transfer apparatus for selectively transferring objects from a delivery conveyor to selected sections of a receiving conveyor, as claimed in claim 19, wherein the transfer devices comprise air jets each having a control valve.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-07-29 | 1984-01-28 | 1984-07-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-07-29 | 1988-01-28 | 1988-07-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-07-29 | 1992-01-28 | 1992-07-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |