Patent ID: 7422097

Claim:
An apparatus ( 1 ) for sorting packages, comprising means ( 2 ) for supplying the packages to at least a manipulating station ( 3 ) for their manipulation and orientation, said manipulating station ( 3 ) comprising at least a manipulator head ( 7 ); at least a belt conveyor ( 6 ) associated with the manipulating station ( 3 ), the manipulator head ( 7 ) being movable by rotating about a substantially vertical axis, for orienting the packages on an upper surface ( 6 a ) of the conveyor belt ( 6 ) contemporaneusly to a movement of the packages caused by an advancing of said conveyor belt ( 6 ), characterized in that the manipulator head ( 7 ) is movable by translation according to axes of an orthogonal Cartesian triad and said means ( 2 ) for supplying the packages comprise a pair of conveyor belts ( 4 , 5 ) movable with variable and independent speeds in order to put the packages in step before their supply to the manipulating station ( 3 ), wherein each conveyor belt is associated with: at least an actuating motor (M 4 , M 5 ); at least a photocell (B 4 , B 5 ) for detecting the presence of a package on a belt; at least a sensor (SQ 4 , SQ 5 ) cooperating with a correspondent actuating motor (M 4 , M 5 ) for counting the RPM of said motor, and at least a processor for increasing a counter as a function of the RPM of the motor of a first belt ( 4 ) whereon a package positioned ahead is detected; decreasing the velocity of advance of the first belt as a function of the value assumed by the counter; decreasing the counter according to the RPM of the motor of a second conveyor belt ( 5 ) whereon a package positioned behind is detected; and increasing the velocity of advance of the second conveyor belt as a function of the value assumed by the counter.