Patent ID: 8757353
Filing Date: 2014-06-24
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
1. A sortation conveyor for selectively diverting articles carried by said sortation conveyor traveling in a downstream longitudinal direction laterally at a divert location, said sortation conveyor having a lateral direction transverse to said longitudinal direction, said sortation conveyor comprising: a. an endless conveying surface configured for movement in said downstream longitudinal direction; b. a switch associated with said divert location; c. a divert guide path disposed downstream of said switch, said divert guide path comprising a plurality of divert angles; d. a plurality of pushers carried by said endless conveying surface and configured to travel therewith, each of said plurality of pushers configured to be selectively diverted by said switch to travel along said divert guide path so as to engage and divert a selected one of said articles; and e. at least a portion of said divert guide path configured to laterally accelerate at least one pusher of a diverted set of one or more of said pushers traveling along said portion when said at least one pusher of said diverted set first contacts said selected one of said articles.