Patent ID: 6629593
Filing Date: 2003-10-07
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
A method for determining a control point of an article traveling on a conveyor system comprising:providing a first conveyor having a downstream end, said first conveyor having a first article conveying surface; providing a second conveyor having an upstream end aligned with said downstream end of said first conveyor, said second conveyor having a second article conveying surface operating at least occasionally at a different speed than said first article conveying surface; defining a reference point at a known location with respect to said first conveyor; detecting a change in the speed of an article due to said article having moved sufficiently from said first conveying surface to said second conveying surface such that the speed of said article is controlled by said second conveying surface rather than said first conveying surface; and determining a position of the article with respect to the reference point when said change in speed is detected and defining a control point for the article based on the position determination.