Patent ID: 8785800

Claim:
A method for sorting objects in accordance with a predefined sorting feature and using a sorting system, the sorting system containing a measuring device, a feed transport device, a series of a plurality of receiving devices, a series of a plurality of intermediate storage units disposed in parallel, and for each of the intermediate storage units a feed connection path from the feed transport device to the intermediate storage unit and a removal connection path from the intermediate storage unit to a receiving device, which method comprises the following steps of: measuring for each of the objects, via the measuring device, a value of the sorting feature for an object; selecting for each of the objects, an intermediate storage unit in accordance with the value of the sorting featured measured; transporting each of the objects, via the feed transport device, to the feed connection path leading to the intermediate storage unit selected; redirecting the object into the feed connection path; transporting the object in the feed connection path to the intermediate storage unit selected; subsequently transporting the object in an assigned removal connection path away from the intermediate storage unit selected to the receiving device; transporting the objects, via the feed transport device, in such a way that a sequence of the objects transported is formed and for each of the intermediate storage units, the objects are transported from the intermediate storage unit into the receiving device such that all the objects from the intermediate storage unit are disposed directly one behind another in the receiving device; detecting a last object in the sequence of the objects transported in the feed transport device; triggering a procedure for emptying each of the intermediate storage units when the last object in the sequence of the objects transported in the feed transport device has been transported into the intermediate storage unit because the intermediate storage unit was selected for the sorting feature value of the object, or the object in the feed transport device has been transported past the feed connection path to the intermediate storage unit because a subsequent intermediate storage unit in a series of the intermediate storage units was selected for the sorting feature value of the object; and performing the emptying of the intermediate storage unit by transporting all of the objects in the intermediate storage unit in an assigned removal connection path to the receiving device.