Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Vereinzeln, Identifizieren und Sortieren von Guetern aus einer ungeordneten Menge von Guetern verschiedener Art

DE 10028979 A UPAB: 20020306 NOVELTY - The equipment recognizes and classifies individual items. They are picked up by a grip (14) from the heap. Markings, labels or characteristics of the goods are recognized, identifying them. A conveyor (20) takes them to a unit sorting them in accordance with the identification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for corresponding equipment. Preferred features: The location of the grip is changed from one gripping cycle to the next. Grip and/or goods are moved relatively from cycle to cycle, or the goods undergo continuous motion. Should an attempt at grasping be fruitless, the gripping location is changed on the next cycle. Grip and/or items undergo translation and/or rotary motion. Labelling is by means of a transponder returning stored information to the recognition unit. Should one grasp pick up several goods or be fruitless, this is detected by the recognition unit. Should several items be picked up, on detection they are released back to the heap. The recognition unit identifies, classifies and/or records the items in terms of quantity. Each item is held by a separate conveying grip (18) of the conveyor unit (20). The grip is a mechanical- or suction unit. Several grips may be included in the transport unit. Grips can swing from a transfer position into a transport position. USE - To separate, identify and sort products from random mixture of e.g. textiles. In an example of application, the wash is sorted for high temperature-, or for colored washing cycles, in a large laundry. ADVANTAGE - In contrast with earlier methods, the new approach saves the industry the high costs of manual sorting. Transponder labelling assures positive identification. It is possible to return groups of articles to the heap, when they are picked up together, or to place them in a separate bin, for manual inspection and e.g. separation of knotted items