GB2144698A - A method for feeding articles to an apparatus with the articles presented according to a predetermined angular disposition, and apparatus for carrying out said method - Google Patents

Abstract

The process of the invention comprises the following steps: (a) sensing, by means of a pair of photocells 11, 12, the position of the article 6 to be conveyed on conveyor belt units 2, 3, 4 and 5 at least one unit 2 consists of a pair of conveyor belts 8, 9 located side by side and capable of being driven independently of one another; (b) comparing the angular position of the article 6, thus positioned, with respect to a predetermined position; (c) varying the running speed of at least one of the belts 8, 9 over a period sufficient to make the article 6 rotate until it is arranged in the desired position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A method for feeding articles to an apparatus with the articles presented according to a predetermined angular disposition, and apparatus for carrying out said method This invention relates to a method for feeding articles to an apparatus with the articles presented according to a predetermined angular disposition, and to a belt feeder for carrying out the method.

Because of this provision, the articles need not be charged onto the feeding apparatus in a particular disposition, with a consequent saving of time for the operator.

There are used, for instance in post offices or in mail-order organisations, sorting apparatus consisting of a series of conveying planes capable of sorting the articles that have been laid thereupon, and of discharging them towards predetermined collecting stations.

The articles are generally put on these sorting apparatus by means of feeding belts, each of which is connected to one or more charge stations. The operator will put the article on the feeding belt, after having codified it.

It often happens that the articles should be placed on the belt in a fixed arrangement, e.g. with one side parallel to the forward direction, while the most suitable angle at which the article should be transported on the conveying planes is different.

For instance, the case is quite frequent where the article to be sorted is to be placed on the feeder parallel to the forward direction, in order to favour the task of a bar-code scanner, while the feed belt, owing to space reasons, is set at a particular angle with respect to the conveying planes, whereby a different position of the article at the moment of charging would be desired.

Presently, special devices are used, allowing to lay the articles on the feed belt in a predetermined position.

For example, there are employed rails consisting of a pair of orthogonal planes, acting as guides for the articles which are thus properly arranged to be then placed on the feeder. Alternatively, fixed guides may be employed, or fixed guides coupled with rotary boxes orthe like, the aim being that of arranging the articles at a certain angular position at the moment of introduction, and of varying said angular position before charging the articles on the sorting apparatus.

These apparatus, however, besides being very complicate, do not meet fully with the requirement, because they allow angular rotations of the articles according to one or two fixed values only.

According to the present invention in one aspect there is provided a method for feeding articles to an apparatus, with the articles presented according to a predetermined angular disposition comprising the following steps: (a) detecting by means of sensors, the position of an article to be fed to the apparatus, after this has been placed on the feeding device; (b) comparing said position with a predetermined reference position; (c) rotating the article until the required angular position is reached; (d) correcting any position errors, aftering passing a checking station, before being fed to the apparatus; (e) effecting repeated operations when passing before an operating unit (e.g. a scanner) which requires a particular angular position.

It is therefore possible to charge the articles at a random disposition, with consequent saving of time on the operator's part, and less possibilities of errors.

According to the present invention in another aspect there is provided a belt feeder comprising a plurality of belt conveyor units disposed one after the other, one at least of said conveyor units consisting of a pair of conveyor belts disposed side by side and arranged to be driven at different speeds, there being provided, between said least one unit and the conveyor unit immediately proceeding it, a number of sensors for sensing the position of the incoming articles and for sending an impulse to a central electronic control unit connected to the motors that drive the belts of said at least one unit.

The invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the single Figure is a perspective view of a belt feeder for a sorting apparatus, providing the facility of correcting twice and consecutively the position of the conveyed articles, the first time to place them in such a way as to facilitate the task of a bar-code scanner, the second time to place them at the most suitable angular position for introduction into the apparatus.

The feeder for carrying out the process according to the invention comprises a series of conveyor belt units indicated by reference numerals 1 to 5, which discharge articles 6 to as many planes 7 of a sorting apparatus.

Belt units 2 and 4 each consist of a pair of belts 8 and 9 placed side by side which move parallel to and independently of each other, each actuated by an electric motor preferably of the permanent magnet, direct current type.

In correspondence to belt unit 3 there is a bar reader 10 of known type.

Units 1 and 2 are kept slightly spaced apart, so as to provide between them a pair of photocells 11 and 12 of known type. Photocells 11 and 12 and the optical reader 10 are connected to an electronic central unit, e.g. a microprocessor or the like, not shown, connected in turn to the motors which actuate the different belts, and in particular the pairs of belts 8 and 9.

The working takes place as follows: Belt units 1 to 5 are started all at the same speed and articles 6 are placed, at a random disposition on belt unit 1 when this passes before the various charge stations.

When each article 6 passes from belt 1 to belt 2, it intercepts photocells 11 and 12, which send off a signal to the control unit which, from the succession and interval of the signals coming from the photo cells, senses the position of the article 6 leaving belt unit 1. immediately after the processor senses the difference between the actually existing angular position and the desired one, and acts accordingly on the motors which control belts 8 and 9 of unit 2, varying the speed of either belt so as to arrange the article 6 at the desired position. Consequently, when the article 6 passes onto the belt unit 3, is already properly positioned and ready to be codified by the bar reader 10.

Then the article 6 passes to the successive unit 4, where it is further rotated until it is brought in the desired final position. In this case too, the rotation is effected by varying the running speed of one of belts 8 and 9, by means of the central processor.

For the actuation of belts 8 and 9 the permanent magnet direct current motors turned out to be particularly suitable, as they have considerable acceleration and deceleration characteristics which allow to vary the belt speed almost instantaneously, without presenting the inertia characteristics of the commonly used motors - even of the direct current ones.

Of course, by means of the electronic control devices it is possible to act as desired on the working of the feeder. For instance, it is possible to reverse the motion of belt 3 in case the bar reader 10 has not properly codified the article 6 to be sorted, so that the article passes again before the reader 10.

A substantial characteristic of the process according to the invention is therefore that of sensing, by means of photocells or the like, the disposition of the article to be sorted, adjusting its position in accordance with a required one, by rotating the article as it passes on a conveyor consisting of a pair of belts placed side by side, that can be driven to move at different speed rates, even in opposite directions.

The apparatus for carrying out this process provides for the alignment of a series of conveyor belts, some of which consist of a pair of parallel belts that can be driven to move at different speeds in order to cause the conveyed articles to rotate, before they pass onto the subsequent belt, to which devices of different kind can be coupled.

Many changes and variations may be effected without departing from the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (7)

1. A method for feeding articles to an apparatus, with the articles presented according to a predetermined angular disposition, comprising the following steps: (a) detecting by means of sensors, the position of an article to be fed to the apparatus, after this has been placed on the feeding device; (b) comparing said position with a predetermined reference position; (c) rotating the article until the required angular position is reached; (d) correcting any position errors, aftering passing a checking station, before being fed to the apparatus; (e) effecting repeated operations when passing before an operating unit (e.g. a scanner) which requires a particular angular position.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position of the article is sensed by means of photoelectric cells according to the succession and interval of the signals said cells transmit at the passage of the article.

3. A belt feeder for carrying out the process according to the previous claims, comprising a plurality of belt conveyor units disposed one after the other, one at least of said conveyor units consisting of a pair of conveyor belts disposed side by side and arranged to be driven at different speeds, there being provided, between said least one unit and the conveyor unit immediately proceeding it, a number of sensors for sensing the position of the incoming articles and for sending an impulse to a central electronic control unit connected to the motors that drive the belts of said at least one unit.

4. A belt feeder as claimed in claim 3, in which the sensors may be television units or non-optical sensor systems.

5. A belt feeder as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, in which permanent magnet direct current motors are provided for the actuation of the side by side belts.

6. A method for feeding articles to an apparatus with the articles presented according to a predetermined angular position, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

7. A belt feeder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.