Start/stop control of conveying means
US4236604A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 1979 |
| Grant date | Dec 2, 1980 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 30, 1999 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65G2203/044
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A start/stop control arrangement for material handling systems, particularly automated checkout systems in retail stores. From a beam sensing device at the delivery end of the incoming conveyor a control is derived not only for stopping the conveyor in response to the detection of the arrival at that end of a product but also a time control for automatically stopping the conveyor in response to no such product being detected by that device for a predetermined time. The arrangement may be incorporated in the amplifier unit which serves to amplify the output of the beam of the beam sensing device. Alternatively, and as shown herein, the arrangement may be implemented by a plug-in accessory module designed to be interposed between two cooperating plug-in modules--one of them mounting the above sensor amplifier--which provide for the first of these two controls only. Provisions are also made for double-using the arrangement for the start/stop control of the conveyor outgoing from the checkout stand.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.