Apparatus for supplying an article sorting machine conveyor, a method for using this apparatus

The invention relates to an apparatus for supplying a conveyor of an article sorting machine. It also relates to a method for using this apparatus. The apparatus essentially comprises a storage system (1) constituted by a plurality of belts (t.sub.1 . . . t.sub.n) and a tilting chair-like support (2) able to occupy a raised position (P.sub.1) and a lowered position P.sub.2. The articles are placed on the first belt t.sub.1 only when the latter is completely free of articles and when the following belt is also free. Movement of the said belt is then commenced. Movement of each of the following belts is only commenced when the belt following it is free. The final belt t.sub.n is put into movement when it carries an article and when the support (2) is free and in the raised position P.sub.1. When a free rack (4) of conveyor (5) arrives at the right of the support, tilting takes place and the article then drops into rack (4).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to an apparatus for supplying a conveyor of an 
article sorting machine. It also relates to a method for using such an 
apparatus and to any sorting machine equipped with such an apparatus. 
Article sorting machines are generally constituted by a conveyor which 
carries the articles to be sorted from the intake station or stations to 
the sorting or so-called "discharge" stations. When the articles are of a 
uniform nature, uniformly positioned and carry an automatically readable 
code, the articles can be individually gripped and presented in an 
automatic mechanical manner. When this is not the case, an operator must 
manually carry out the aforementioned operations. In both cases, it is 
also necessary to place the articles on the conveyor, this problem being 
inadequately solved in the present state of the art. Thus, either this 
operation is carried out automatically with a serious risk of error or it 
is carried out manually and the operator must devote a large part of his 
or her time and attention to seeking out the available locations and then 
to correctly placing the articles in these locations. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the present invention is therefore to obviate or ameliorate 
the foregoing disadvantages. It therefore relates to an apparatus 
permitting the semi-automatic supply of the conveyor of a sorting machine. 
This apparatus makes it possible for the operator to introduce the 
articles to be sorted at his own speed, i.e. as a function of his personal 
dexterity, the nature of the articles to be sorted, the quality of their 
arrangement, and the legibility of the code. Thus, the number of tasks 
which the operator has to perform is reduced by on the one hand 
eliminating the times required for seeking and waiting for an available 
location on the conveyor, whilst on the other hand contributing to the 
speed and accuracy of the movement. This apparatus solves the problems of 
speed, reliability, and ergonomy caused by the placing or introducing of 
articles on a conveyor of a sorting machine. 
Therefore, the present invention relates to an apparatus effecting a 
storage between the operator and the conveyor, as well as the automatic 
placing of the article in a case or rack available on the conveyor. The 
invention more specifically relates to an apparatus for supplying the 
conveyor of an article sorting machine. The apparatus comprises a storage 
system having a plurality of endless belts (t.sub.1 . . . t.sub.n) each of 
which is moved when it carries a single article and when the belt which 
immediately follows it, bearing in mind the travel direction f.sub.1 of 
the belt, carries no article, a tilting chair-like support located in the 
extension of the storage system, which is able on the one hand to occupy a 
raised position P.sub.1 when it is empty and to receive in this 
configuration an article coming from the final belt contiguous with the 
support and on the other hand is able to occupy a lowered position P.sub.2 
after having undergone a tilting movement after which the article carried 
by the support drops into an empty case or rack of the conveyor appearing 
to the right of the support synchronously with the tilting movement. The 
components cooperate with one another particularly as a result of 
information supplied by a set of position detectors (C.sub.1 . . . 
C.sub.n, d.sub.1 d.sub.2), the information being utilized by a control 
device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus according to the invention 
essentially comprises two components, namely a storage system 1 and a 
tilting chair-like support 2. These two components cooperate with one 
another for ensuring the storage and then the automatic despositing or 
introduction of articles into the empty racks such as 4 of a conveyor 5 
which conveys said articles from an intake station to a discharge station. 
The storage system 1 is constituted by a plurality of endless belts, 
whereof only two 6, 7 are shown in the drawings. The belts 6, 7 are 
displaced by pulleys 8, 9, 10, etc (the direction of travel being given by 
the arrow f.sub.1), whilst the pulleys 8, 9, 10 are driven by motors 80 
and 90. The belts 6, 7 are preferably fitted into one another as shown in 
FIG. 2 to ensure a better travel path, i.e. a better transfer of the 
articles. 
The tilting support 2 ensures the transfer of the articles onto the 
conveyor 5 and is constituted by a notched plate 11 (the teeth of the 
notched plate 11 being given the reference numeral 111 in FIG. 2). Plate 
11 is fixed to a frame 12 which pivots about a horizontal shaft 13 
positioned above conveyor 5 and perpendicular to the conveying direction 
f.sub.2. Support 2 can occupy two positions, namely a so-called raised 
position P.sub.1 and a so-called lowered position P.sub.2. It occupies 
position P.sub.1 for receiving an article 15 fed to it by the final belt 
of storage system 1. After tilting, the support is located in position 
P.sub.2, and the article 15 carried by it falls into a free rack 4 of 
conveyor 5. When article 15 has dropped onto rack 4, the support 2 
automatically reassumes its raised position P.sub.1 and a new cycle can 
start. 
The tilting of support 2 is controlled by a control device 14 which 
previously has allocated to the article 15 on support 2 an available rack 
4. The latter arrives at the right of support 2 synchronized with the 
tilting movement, which is effected by the action of a cam 20 which moves 
with rack 4. This type of control ensures a perfect reproducibility of the 
relative movements between the support and the rack. The design of cam 20 
ensures both the bringing to the desired speed of the article 15 carried 
by the support 2 and the most favourable movement for transfer of the 
article 15 between the support 2 and the rack 4. The positive discharge of 
the support 2 takes place by an engagement of the notched plate 11 
carrying the article 15 by fingers such as 21 moving synchronously with 
the movement of rack 4. According to one embodiment, fingers 21 are 
rendered integral with the rear wall 22 of rack 4 (bearing in mind the 
direction of movement of the conveyor given by arrow f.sub.2). Whilst 
interfitting with the teeth 111 of plate 11, fingers 21 displace article 
15, which drops into rack 4 when it has been disengaged from the plate 11 
of the chair-like support. Support 2 can be brought into its raised 
position P.sub.1 by any appropriate means, e.g. spring 16. 
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the coordination of the 
movements of the essential components constituting the invention by means 
of a set of position detectors arranged in a particular way. The storage 
system 1 is constituted by a plurality of endless belts t.sub.1, t.sub.2 . 
. . t.sub.i, t.sub.i+1 . . . t.sub.n. 
Successive sequences must be examined. The first sequence corresponds to 
the starting up of the first belt t.sub.1 on which the operator places an 
article. The second corresponds to the starting up of a particular belt 
positioned between the first belt t.sub.1 and the last belt t.sub.n (in 
the drawing it is a question of belts t.sub.2 . . . t.sub.i and 
t.sub.i+1). Another sequence corresponds to the starting up of the final 
belt t.sub.n cooperating with the tilting support 2. Detectors are 
provided along the path of the articles for supplying information to the 
control device 14 making it possible to determine the presence or absence 
of an article at support 2 and each of the belts of storage system 1. The 
detectors are C.sub.1, C.sub.2 . . . C.sub.i, C.sub.i+1, C.sub.n. A 
detector C.sub.c detects the passage of an article from belt t.sub.n to 
support 2. Finally, two position detectors d.sub.1 and d.sub.2 make it 
possible to respectively detect the raised position P.sub.1 or lowered 
position P.sub. 2 of support 2. 
The apparatus according to the invention functions in the following way. 
During the first stage, an operator places the article to be conveyed on 
the first belt t.sub.1. If detector C.sub.1 detects the absence of an 
article on belt t.sub.2, belt t.sub.1 is started up and moves the article 
towards the following belt. In the opposite case (that is if belt t.sub.1 
is not vacant), the system is blocked, a pilot light lights up and the 
operator must wait for the article on the belt t.sub.1 to be removed from 
belt t.sub.1 and for the latter to be brought into the vacant state before 
placing a further article on it. 
The second sequence corresponds to the progressive advance of each article 
from a belt of a given row to the belt of the following row. For example, 
for the starting up of the belt of row t.sub.i, so that it can displace 
the article which it carries, the following belt t.sub.i+1 must not be 
carrying an article. The control device 14 can determine whether belt 
t.sub.i+1 is free by examining the information supplied by the upstream 
and downstream detectors. Thus, any risk of the simultaneous presence of 
two articles on a belt of a given row is obviated. 
Finally, when the article reaches the belt preceding the final belt 
t.sub.n, the process of the third sequence is started. Different 
conditions must be fulfilled for the movement of belt t.sub.n. Support 2 
must be in the raised position P.sub.1, this information being supplied by 
position detector d.sub.1. In addition, the support 2 must not be carrying 
any article. The absence of any article is established as a result of a 
control enquiry relating to all the actions previously undergone by the 
support. Finally, belt t.sub.n must carry an article, which can be 
detected by means of detector C.sub.n. As stated hereinbefore, the tilting 
of the support into its lowered position P.sub.2 detected by detector 
d.sub.2 takes place as soon as there is an available conveyor rack to the 
right of said support. The integral fingers 21 of the rack 4 then engage 
with the chair-like support plate 11 and remove from the latter the 
article which it is carrying. 
An apparatus according to the invention can cooperate with any conveyor 
having racks with a rear wall in the form of a comb. It can also cooperate 
with a conveyor able to bring about a movement which is synchronous with 
its displacement of a comb-like member used for discharging articles from 
the support onto the conveyor. 
The present invention is applicable to any sorting installation, 
particularly including the sorting of large photographic packs, e.g. 
magazines.