Patent ID: 8684169

Claim:
A transfer device comprising: a main conveyor part having a first conveying surface; and a subsidiary conveyor part having a second conveying surface and arranged at the same area as the main conveyor part, the main conveyor part being designed to convey an article placed on the first conveying surface in one conveying direction, the subsidiary conveyor part being designed to convey an article placed on the second conveying surface in another direction transverse to the conveying direction of the main conveyor part, the subsidiary conveyor part being a roller conveyor having rollers, at least one of the rollers being a braking roller equipped with a brake comprising a surface that is configured to generate frictional forces against the article conveyed from the main conveyor part to the subsidiary conveyor part sufficient to cause the article to significantly decelerate as the article is conveyed from the main conveyor part to the subsidiary conveyor part and is engaged by the at least one roller, and the brake being designed to prevent the article from proceeding at least to the direction transverse to the conveying direction of the roller conveyor by a braking force acting between the article and the braking roller.