CA2441618A1 - Side conveyor disc including quick-change features - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a conveying and diverting apparatus for selectively discharging conveying parcels having a lower surface from a conveying path. The conveying and diverting apparatus comprises a conveyor configured for conveying parcels along the conveying path by supporting the lower surfaces of the parcels, the conveyor defining an elongate gap transverse to the path. A substantially planar disc is rotatably mounted about an axis substantially parallel to the conveying axis, the disc having a substantially circular periphery. A disc supporting shaft is substantially rigidly attached to and supports the disc, and means rotatably mount the disc supporting shaft relative to the conveyor gap along an indexing rotational axis such that the disc supporting shaft pivots about an axis substantially perpendicular to that of the conveying axis such that the when the disc is at a first indexed position, the disc interferes with the parcels in the conveyor path, but when the disc is at a second indexed position, the disc does not interfere with the parcels in the conveyor path. Means selectively index the disc supporting shaft about its longitudinal axis while the disc supporting shaft is rotating such that parcels on the conveyor may be correspondingly selectively discharged from the conveying path upon the indexing of the disc supporting shaft which causes the disc to contact the lower surfaces of the parcels and to discharge the parcels.