Patent ID: 8113334

Claim:
A conveyor system for intended use in conjunction with the sorting of articles, comprising: a plurality of first substantially continuous endless belt or chain conveyors extending in a first direction, each providing a first continuous, uninterrupted conveying surface for the articles; and a plurality of second substantially continuous endless belt or chain conveyors extending in a second direction, each of said first conveyors overlapping the plurality of second conveyors, each at least one of said second conveyors providing a second conveying surface below at least one of the first conveyors, said second conveying surface arranged for conveying any articles transferred from one or more of the first conveyors, wherein an intersection is formed between each first conveyor and second conveyor, and wherein the first conveyors are positioned above the second conveyors; and means adjacent each intersection for transferring one or more articles from each first conveyor to the associated second conveyor adjacent the intersection, said means comprising a portion of each first conveyor capable of assuming a drop down position for delivering one or more of the articles to the second conveyor.