Patent ID: 8919542

Claim:
A positive displacement sorter, comprising: a plurality of parallel laterally extending slats and a pair of wheel assemblies, each interconnecting common end portions of said slats thereby defining an endless web that travels in a longitudinal direction, an upper surface of said web defining an article-conveying surface; a plurality of pusher shoes travelling along said slats in order to laterally displace articles on said conveying surface; a plurality of attachment mechanisms, each attaching an end portion of one of said slats to one of said wheel assemblies, wherein each of said attachment mechanisms comprises at least one locking member, wherein said locking member comprises a pin on said slat engaging an opening on one of said wheel assemblies; and a retraction tool that is adapted to retract said pin from said opening to allow the associated slat to be disconnected from said one of said wheel assemblies, wherein said pin retraction tool comprises a pivot that is adapted to engage one of said wheel assemblies to retract said pin from said opening in response to said retraction tool pivoting with said pivot against said one of said wheel assemblies.