Patent ID: 9284133
Filing Date: 2016-03-15
CPC Classification: B65G,B65H,G06F,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A conveyor system for carrying a shingled stream of items along at least two possible transport paths, the items having a maximum bending angle above which a plastic deformation occurs on at least some of the items, the conveyor system including: a pair of juxtaposed outgoing endless-belt conveyor units, each defining a corresponding outgoing portion of the transport paths; an incoming endless-belt conveyor unit having a downstream end portion and defining an incoming portion of the transport paths, the downstream end portion of the incoming endless-belt conveyor unit including a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt forming juxtaposed first and second conveyor belt runs between which the items are frictionally engaged when carried along the incoming portion of the transport paths, the first and second conveyor belt runs being supported by a plurality of corresponding lengthwise-disposed first and second rollers, respectively; and a diverter provided within the downstream end portion of the incoming conveyor unit, the diverter being selectively movable between two angular positions, each angular position corresponding to one of the transport paths, the diverter including a plurality of diverter segments that are lengthwise-juxtaposed with reference to one another and that are each pivotally mounted around a corresponding transversal pivot axis, each diverter segment supporting one of the first rollers for the first conveyor belt run and one of the second rollers for the second conveyor belt run, the first roller of each diverter segment being urged towards the second conveyor belt run using at least one biasing device carried by the corresponding diverter segment, each biasing device generating a biasing force that is independent of the angular position of the corresponding diverter segment.