Patent ID: 7798306

Claim:
A diverter assembly for a positive displacement sorter apparatus having a plurality of interconnected slats that define a conveying surface adapted to convey articles in a longitudinal direction and having a plurality of pusher shoes adapted to move along at least one of the plurality of slats to laterally displace articles on the conveying surface, said diverter assembly comprising: a diverting track extending diagonally under the conveying surface; an actuator for selectively diverting at least one of the pusher shoes toward said diverting track; and a diverter nose positioned downstream of said actuator in the direction of movement of the pusher shoes, said diverter nose adapted to guide a pusher shoe that is at least partially diverted by said actuator to said diverting track even if that pusher shoe is not completely diverted by said actuator, said diverter nose further adapted to guide a pusher shoe away from said diverting track when that pusher shoe is not at least partially diverted by said actuator; wherein at least a portion of said diverter nose is adapted to move laterally and longitudinally when struck generally head-on by a portion of a pusher shoe to absorb impact of that pusher shoe and to move out of the way of that pusher shoe.