A sorting device for piece goods includes a plurality of sorting cart elements each having at least one sorting element for receiving and dispensing the piece goods. In order to reduce the costs for the sorting device, the sorting device has at least one connecting cart element, which is free of sorting elements. The sorting cart elements and the at least one connecting cart element form a closed chain.

A sorting method, cross-belt system, and computer-storage media are provided for conveying and sorting items. The cross-belt system includes a plurality of interlocking palettes that form a conveyor belt. Each palette may be engaged by a series of rollers that are triggered to discharge items on the palettes to appropriate loading areas. The rollers are configured to move a belt of the palettes in one of at least two directions to a selected loading area that is positioned on either side of the cross-belt system.

An article sorting apparatus includes a conveyance path, a conveyor cell, a loading device, a positioning device, a sorting unit and a control device. The conveyor cell moves along the conveyance path in a first conveyance direction and conveys an article loaded thereon in a second conveyance direction that intersects the first conveyance direction. The loading device loads the article onto the conveyor cell. The positioning device is located opposite the loading device with respect to the conveyance path. The positioning device includes a contact member and a driving unit. The driving unit drives the contact member in the second conveyance direction and brings it into contact with the article loaded onto the conveyor cell. The sorting unit receives the article conveyed by the conveyor cell. The control device controls conveyance of the article in the second conveyance direction. The control device controls the driving unit of the positioning device.

A transportation system for objects, wherein a train formed by a plurality of carriages moves along a rail and transports objects, for example parcels. The train comprises first carriages, each of which is provided with a pair of first motor-driven rectilinear belts, arranged with their longer edges mutually parallel and perpendicular to the direction of feed of the train. The first carriages alternate with second carriages, each of which is provided with just one second motor-driven rectilinear belt arranged with its own longer edges perpendicular to the direction of feed of the train. The distance between an edge of a first belt of the first carriage and a facing edge of the second belt of the second carriage is greater than the distance between facing edges of the belts of the first carriage.

Machines for sorting objects having a series of carriages fixed at a given interval (P) to two drive belts configured to move along closed-loop paths in two parallel vertical planes are provided. Each path may include a top horizontal section and a bottom horizontal section joined together by two curved connecting end sections. Two end assemblies may be arranged at the curved end sections of the path. Each assembly may include crown gears which are configured to engage with the belts and a series of sliders which are configured to retain the carriages along a semicircular section close to the crown gears. The carriages are thus able to perform a rotary/translational movement along the end connecting sections and keep their support surface horizontally oriented.

An article conveyance apparatus couples a plurality of conveyor carriages for conveying articles and enables the coupled conveyor carriages to travel along a conveyance path K. The conveyor carriage is coupled by a coupling part to another conveyor carriage placed in the longitudinal direction with respect to a traveling direction H of the conveyor carriage. The conveyor carriage includes a load cell that is provided in the coupling part and measures a force applied between the conveyor carriages, and a controller that calculates a force F applied to wheels of the conveyor carriage, based on a tension T between the conveyor carriages calculated according to the force applied between the conveyor carriages and measured by the load cell.

In a run-up region provided upstream, in the transport direction, of a branch point in a main transport passage, a main transport mechanism and a branching transport mechanism both transport a transport case. When the transport case is fed to a branching transport passage, the main transport mechanism finishes transporting the transport case before the transport case reaches the branch point.

An apparatus for sorting and conveying, including: a cargo carrying assembly; a conveying assembly, configured to drive the cargo carrying assembly to move; where, the conveying assembly comprises a sprocket set and a chain drivingly connected to the sprocket set, the chain is pivotally connected with a roller, and the sprocket set is configured to be engaged with the roller to drive the cargo carrying assembly to move circularly; and a bearing assembly, disposed adjacent to the sprocket set and configured to bear the roller in response to the roller to be engaged with or disengaged from the sprocket set.

A roller shoe slat sorter conveyor system includes a conveyor forming an upwardly facing support surface. The support surface includes slots oriented transversely to the conveying direction and a plurality of roller shoe assemblies mounted for sliding movement along respective slots for transversely discharging objects from a medial position to either side of the conveying surface. Each roller shoe assembly includes a releasably mounted carrier disposed below the conveying surface. The releasable connection enables the roller shoe to detach from the carrier, and be manually reattached. The elongated roller shoe features downward slanting ends and includes a plurality of roller wheels extending above the surface of the shoe mounted to axles movable in a vertical axis whereby an article resting on the rollers of a shoe depresses the rollers so they contact the slat surface and move an article resting thereon at twice the speed of the shoe.

An example rail wheel chain conveyor includes a first rail spaced apart from a second rail to form a transport area therebetween. A conveyor belt is configured in the transport area as a loop for moving along a continuous path. A plurality of rocker arms are spaced apart from one another and configured to support the conveyor belt. Rail wheels on each side of the rocker arms ride on the rails. A chain is mounted to an underside of the conveyor belt by being rigidly attached to the rocker arm. The example rail wheel chain conveyor includes a primary drive system having a primary chainring mounted on a drive shaft and engaging with the chain, and a primary drive motor to rotate the drive shaft, thereby rotating the chainring and moving the conveyor belt along the continuous path.