Patent ID: 8069968

Claim:
An apparatus for discharging an article from a main transport path into a branching transport path, comprising: a first conveying device configured for gripping an article intermittently and for transporting the article in the main transport path in a main transport direction; a second conveying device; and a diverter; said first conveying device including: a rotationally symmetrical roller connected to said diverter; a conveyor belt bearing against said roller; and a mating conveyor element; said conveyor belt and said mating conveyor element being configured for gripping an article intermittently in a clamping region between said conveyor belt and said mating conveyor element and for transporting the article thus gripped; said second conveying device being configured for gripping an article intermittently and for transporting the in the article branching transport path; said diverter being mounted for pivoting to and fro about a diverter pivot axis between a rest position and at least one discharging position; and being configured for deflecting an article in each discharging position into the branching transport path and for leaving the article in the main transport path in the rest position; and said roller being connected to the diverter in such a way that a lever arm is formed between an axis of symmetry of said roller and said diverter pivot axis; and pivoting of said diverter into a discharging position causes said roller, said conveyor belt bearing against said roller, and said clamping region to be displaced perpendicularly with respect to said diverter pivot axis; a diverter drive configured for pivoting said diverter out of the rest position into a standard discharging position, and wherein said diverter is mounted such that an article which is being transported and comes into contact with the diverter is capable of pivoting the diverter beyond the standard discharging position.