Divider system

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/543,503, filed on Aug. 10, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The present disclosure relates to a divider system for dividing and diverting objects from an infeed lane into one or more discharge lanes.

Divider and diverting mechanisms are used in combination with conveyor mechanisms to convey objects received via an infeed such that the objects are divided between two or more discharge lanes and/or diverted to a selected one of the discharge lanes as required by the system including the divider, for example, to discharge the divided and/or diverted objects to one or more downstream processes, to balance the volume of objects fed to each of multiple downstream processes, to separate the objects by type and/or condition, etc. Divider systems which use a dividing force such as an air blast or mechanical force, such as a plunger force, to force an object on a conveyor to one side of the conveyor or the other to divide a sequence of conveyed objects between two discharge conveyors are known. The use of an air blast or plunger force to exert a dividing force on the object, especially taller and/or lightweight objects, can be destabilizing, potentially causing the object to tip or fall from the conveyor, which can result in a disruption of the conveyor operation. The dividing force in these systems may be triggered from an input signal received from a sensor, such as an electronic eye, which is configured to detect an objection condition. Delay associated with detection and transmission of the detection signal, additional delay associated with actuation delay of an air blast or plunger actuator, and/or variability in response time and/or dividing force associated with variability in pressure of the air blast due to environmental factors including temperature, humidity, etc., introduces variation into the response time and accuracy of such a dividing system. Changeover of such a divider system may require additional time for reprogramming of sensor eyes and pneumatic controls, air nozzle size, type and/or position adjustment, etc., for each different size, shape and/or weight of the object.

A divider system for dividing and selectively diverting objects from an infeed lane into one or more discharge lanes is provided. The divider system described herein includes a dividing screw set, a discharge screw set, a diverting mechanism, and a conveying mechanism for conveying a sequence of objects received to the divider system from an infeed lane through the dividing and discharge screw sets to one or more discharge lanes. The divider system receives objects from an infeed channel for division into first and second series of objects by the dividing screw set. The first series of objects is output to a first discharge screw of the discharge screw set and onto a first discharge belt, and conveyed by the first discharge screw through a discharge channel defined by the discharge screw set. The second series of objects is output to a second discharge screw of the discharge screw set and onto a second discharge belt, and conveyed by the second discharge screw through the discharge channel.

The dividing screw set has an input end for receiving objects from an infeed lane, and an output end for outputting the objects in divided series into a discharge channel defined by the discharge screw set. The dividing screw set has an infeed portion and a dividing portion, where the lead of the screw form in the dividing portion is greater than the lead of the infeed portion. The infeed portion includes a plurality of infeed pockets for sequencing, stabilizing and conveying objects received from the infeed lane to the dividing portion on a conveyor including split and tilted first and second discharge belts, such that, when a sequence of objects are conveyed into the dividing portion, alternating objects in the sequence are tilted into the dividing pockets of the first and second dividing screws, such that a first object in the sequence is divided and tilted into a dividing pocket of the first dividing screw, the second object in the sequence is divided and tilted into a dividing pocket of the second dividing screw, a third object in the sequence is divided and tilted into a dividing pocket of the first dividing screw, a fourth object in the sequence is divided and tiled into a dividing pocket of the second dividing screw, and so on in alternating fashion, to divide the sequence of objects into a first series of objects divided into the dividing pockets of the first dividing screw which are outputted from the first dividing screw onto the first discharge belt to be received into alternating discharge pockets of the first discharge screw, and a second series of objects divided into the dividing pockets of the second dividing screw which are outputted from the second dividing screw onto the second discharge belt to be received into alternating discharge pockets of the second discharge screw.

As an object of the first series is outputted from the dividing pocket of the first dividing screw onto the first discharge belt, the divided object is received into a discharge pocket of a first discharge screw, for conveyance to a first discharge lane. Similarly, as an object of the second series is outputted from the dividing pocket of the second dividing screw, the divided object is received into a discharge pocket of a second discharge screw, for conveyance to a second discharge lane. The diverting mechanism is actuable to selectively divert one or more objects from the discharge pockets of one of the discharge screws into empty discharge pockets of the other of the discharge screws, to form a diverted group of objects which are conveyed to a selected one of the discharge lanes. In an illustrative configuration, the diverting mechanism includes diverter elements which can be actuated, for example, by one of a servo, hydraulic, pneumatic, or magnetic actuator, to contact and divert the object from one discharge belt to the other. In one example, the diverter element is configured as a pivoting arm, which can include a contact surface which is contoured to gradually contact the objects being diverted, so as to gradually apply a diverting force to the objects without destabilizing the objects. Movement and actuation of the diverter elements, the dividing screws, the discharge screws, and the conveyor is controlled by a controller. Advantageously, the pockets defined by the dividing screw set and the discharge screw set stabilize and support the objects as the objects are conveyed, divided, diverted and/or discharged. The system is further advantaged by coordination of the rotation speed of the dividing and discharge screws with the belt speed of the conveyor by a controller, where the rotation speed and the belt speed are coordinated so no loading force (no drag or acceleration) is imposed by the conveyor on the objects being conveyed through the divider system, such that each of the objects is conveyed in a stable and controlled position through the divider system. Advantageously, the support provided by the screw sets enables dividing and diverting of relatively taller and/or lighter objects such as empty containers, while minimizing and/or eliminating potential for object tip over or jamming in the system.

The divider system can include one or more sensors for sensing a condition and/or state of the object, such as a color, shape, label, bar code, weight, component presence, size, etc. and for outputting a sensor signal indicating the condition and/or state of the object to the controller. The controller is configured to receive and analyze the sensor signal and to selectively divert one or more objects from one of the discharge belts to the other in response to the sensor signal. The controller can be configured to receive input signals from other devices and/or sensors, which may be upstream and/or downstream of the divider system, including signals indicating object flow and line balancing information from downstream processes receiving the divided objects from the discharge lanes of the divider system. The controller can use the input signals to selectively divert one or more objects from one of the discharge belts to the other in response to the input signal. A method for dividing and diverting objects using the divider system described herein is provided.

The use of screw sets to divide and convey the divided objects, and the use of mechanical diverters to divert divided objects into a diverted group, as described in detail herein, while stabilizing those objects using a discharge screw set, provides a divider system which can divide and divert objects at high speeds and with high accuracy of position on the conveyor, uniform spacing, and position stability, as compared with known systems which first sense an object presence and/or condition, transmit a signal, and actuate a burst of air or plunger to divert an unsupported object on a conveyor.

The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a divider system for selectively feeding objects from an infeed lane into one or more discharge lanes, the divider system including a conveying mechanism, a dividing mechanism including a dividing screw set and a discharge screw set, and a diverting mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the divider system of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective illustration of the divider system, showing a sequence of objects being divided by the dividing screw set into two series of objects and outputted to the discharge screw set for discharge in two discharge lanes;

FIG. 4 is a photographic image of a perspective top view of the divider system of FIG. 3 ;

FIGS. 5 through 7 are photographic images of the divider system, illustrating a sequence of objects being divided by the dividing screw set into two series of objects, each series of objects being conveyed on a respective discharge belt by a respective discharge screw;

FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of the divider system of FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of section 9 - 9 of the divider system of FIG. 8 , showing a object being conveyed in an infeed portion of the dividing screw set;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of section 10 - 10 of the divider system of FIG. 8 , showing objects being divided in a dividing portion of the dividing screw set;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of section 11 - 11 of the divider system of FIG. 8 , showing divided objects being outputted from the dividing screw set;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of section 12 - 12 of the divider system of FIG. 8 , showing divided objects being conveyed by the discharge screw set on the discharge belts;

FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective illustration of the divider system of FIG. 3 , showing a group of the divided objects being diverted by the diverting mechanism into a first one of the discharge lanes;

FIG. 14 is a schematic top view of the divider system of FIG. 13 ;

FIG. 15 is a photographic image of a perspective top view of the divider system of FIG. 13 showing a diverter element of the diverting mechanism diverting divided objects into a selected one of the discharge lanes;

FIG. 16 is schematic top view of the dividing screw set of the divider system of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 17 is a schematic top view of the discharge screw set of the divider system of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 18 is a schematic top view of the discharge screw set of FIG. 17 including a diverter;

FIG. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view of section 19 - 19 of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view of section 20 - 20 of FIG. 1 ;

FIGS. 21 through 27 are a series of photographic images showing a series of objects conveyed by the divider system of FIG. 1 , including:

FIGS. 21 through 24 showing the sequence of objects being divided into two series of objects by the dividing screw set, where each series of objects is discharged from the dividing screw set onto a respective discharge belt and conveyed by the discharge screw set to a respective discharge lane;

FIG. 25 showing actuation of one of the diverters of the diverting mechanism to divert the divided series of objects in the discharge screw set into one of the discharge lanes to form a diverted group of objects; and

FIG. 26 showing de-actuation of the diverting mechanism to cease diversion of the divided series of objects into the diverted group; and

FIG. 27 showing actuation of the other diverter of the diverting mechanism to divert the divided series of objects in the discharge screw set into the other of the discharge lanes to form a diverted group of objects.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numbers represent like components throughout the several figures, the elements shown in FIGS. 1-27 are not necessarily to scale or proportion. Accordingly, the particular dimensions and applications provided in the drawings presented herein are not to be considered limiting. Referring to FIGS. 1-5 , a divider system is indicated generally at 100 , and includes a conveying mechanism indicated generally at 20 , a dividing mechanism indicated generally at 40 , a diverting mechanism generally indicated at 72 , a drive mechanism indicated generally at 110 (see FIGS. 19-20 ) and a controller 104 . The divider system 100 includes a frame assembly 106 to which the conveying mechanism 20 , the dividing mechanism 40 , the diverting mechanism 72 , the drive mechanism 110 and the controller 104 are attached. The divider system 100 can be at least partially contained by a housing 102 , as shown in FIG. 2 .

The conveying mechanism 20 includes a conveyor generally indicated at 22 and driven by the drive mechanism 110 . The conveyor 22 includes an infeed belt 24 for conveying a sequence of objects 10 along an infeed lane 16 between infeed rails 18 A, 18 B to discharge belts 26 A, 26 B of the conveyor 22 . The discharge belts 26 A, 26 B include a flat portion 28 (see FIG. 9 ) to receive the objects 10 from the infeed belt 24 , and a peaked portion 30 (see FIGS. 10-12 ) for conveying the objects through the dividing mechanism 100 . In the peaked portion, the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B are tilted away and downward from a peaked center 32 and away from a longitudinal axis 94 of the conveyor 22 . The discharge belts 26 A, 26 B convey the sequence of objects 10 through the dividing mechanism 40 where the objects 10 are divided into two object series 12 A, 12 B, where, in the example shown in FIGS. 3-12 and as described in further detail herein, the objects 10 in the first series 12 A are divided onto a first discharge belt 26 A and the objects 10 in the second series 12 B are divided onto a second discharge belt 26 B. The object series 12 A, 12 B are conveyed, respectively, on discharge belts 26 A, 26 B to, respectively, discharge lanes 34 A, 34 B of an outfeed portion 90 to exit the conveyor 22 at an outfeed end 92 . In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the discharge lanes 34 A, 34 B are defined by discharge rails 36 A, 36 B and a lane separator 38 . The divider system 100 further includes a diverting mechanism 72 which, in the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 13-15 and as explained in further detail herein, can be selectively actuated to divert the series 12 A, 12 B of the divided objects 10 onto one of the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B to form a diverted group 14 of objects 10 , where the diverted group 14 of objects 10 are then conveyed via a respective one of the discharge lanes 34 A, 34 B to the outfeed end 92 of the conveyor 20 .

Referring to FIGS. 3-12 and FIG. 16 , the dividing mechanism 40 includes a dividing screw set indicated generally at 42 , and a discharge screw set indicated generally at 60 . The dividing screw set 42 includes first and second dividing screws 44 A, 44 B connected to drive units 118 A, 118 B such that each of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B is rotatable about a screw axis 98 (see FIG. 9 ). The dividing screw set 42 includes an input end 46 for receiving objects 10 from the infeed belt 24 , and an output end 48 for outputting the divided objects 10 in two object series 12 A, 12 B. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , object series 12 A is outputted to discharge belt 26 A for conveyance to discharge lane 34 A, and object series 12 B is outputted to discharge belt 26 B for conveyance to discharge lane 34 B. The dividing screws 44 A, 44 B are configured to be driven by drive units 118 in opposing directions relative to a longitudinal axis 94 defined by the conveyor 22 . In the present example, dividing screw 44 A is configured to rotate clockwise, and dividing screw 44 B is configured to rotate counter-clockwise, as viewed from the output end 48 of the dividing screw set 42 . As shown in FIGS. 5 and 16 , each of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B is a variable lead screw, having an infeed portion 52 with a thread form having a first lead L 1 , and a dividing portion 56 with a thread form having a second lead L 2 , where the second lead L 2 is greater (longer) than the first lead L 1 . The second lead L 2 defines a predetermined interval at which objects 10 are outputted from the output end 48 of the dividing screw set 42 . In a non-limiting example, the first lead L 1 is equal to the pitch P of the screw thread form, and the second lead L 2 is twice the pitch P of the screw thread form.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 8 and 16 , the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B are aligned such that the screw axes 98 of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B are parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis 94 , and are spaced laterally from the longitudinal axis 94 and relative to each other to define a dividing channel 50 including a plurality of infeed pockets 54 distributed along the longitudinal length of the infeed portion 52 of the dividing screw set 42 , and a plurality of dividing pockets 58 A, 58 B distributed along the longitudinal length of the dividing portion 56 of the dividing screw set 42 . The shape of each infeed pocket 54 is defined by the screw form of the infeed portion 52 of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B. As shown in FIGS. 5, 9 and 16 , in the infeed portion 52 , the thread forms of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B are aligned to form the plurality of infeed pockets 54 , such that each object 10 in the infeed portion is supported in a substantially upright position in a respective infeed pocket 54 , as shown in FIGS. 3, 9 and 16 , as the object 10 is conveyed through the infeed portion 52 from the input end 46 to the dividing portion 56 along a flat portion 28 of the conveyor 22 . In a non-limiting example, the height H of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B can be adjusted for the height, shape, size, and/or weight distribution of the object 10 , to stabilize the object 10 in the upright position and as such, prevent tipping of the object 10 , jamming of the object 10 in the dividing channel 50 , etc. It would be understood that the divider system 100 can include multiple sets of dividing screws 44 A, 44 B, each set 42 having a different thread form, lead combination, number of starts, pocket size, etc., for use with objects 10 of different shapes and sizes.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 8, 10, and 16 , in the dividing portion 52 , the thread forms of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B are offset to form a plurality of dividing pockets 58 A, 58 B which are longitudinally offset from each other, such that, due to the offset formation of the dividing pockets 58 A, 58 B and the larger lead L 2 of the thread form in the dividing portion 56 , the objects 10 in the dividing portion 56 are spaced along the longitudinal axis 94 of the dividing channel 50 and singulated from each other prior to being outputted from the output end 48 of the dividing screw set 42 . As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10-12 , the conveyor 22 , in the dividing portion 56 of the dividing channel 58 and continuing through the discharge channel 68 , is peaked such that each of the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B is tilted away and downward (as viewed on the page) from a central peak at a peak angle Ap. An object 10 in the dividing portion 56 will be tilted into one or the other of the dividing pockets 58 A, 58 B as the object 10 is conveyed into the dividing portion 56 , by the action of the dividing portion 56 of the one of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B including the dividing pocket 58 a , 58 B into which the object 10 is received, in combination with the tilting action of the peaked discharge belts 26 A, 26 B urging the object 10 to tilt into the dividing pocket 58 A, 58 B. The photographic images shown in FIGS. 5-7 and schematic FIGS. 8-12 illustrate the progression of a sequence of objects 10 being divided by rotation of the dividing screw set 42 into two object series 12 A, 12 B and outputted into the discharge screw set 60 while being conveyed on the peaked portion 30 of discharge belts 26 A, 26 B of conveyor 22 .

Referring now to FIG. 5 , shown is a sequence of objects 10 , which in the non-limiting example are containers sequentially labeled c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , c 4 , c 5 , c 6 , c 6 for illustrative purposes. The objects 10 have been received into the infeed portion 52 and conveyed sequentially through the dividing screw set 42 such that at the point in time shown in FIG. 5 , objects c 1 and c 2 are located in the dividing portion 56 , object c 3 is transitioning from an infeed pocket 54 of the infeed portion 52 to a dividing pocket 58 A of the dividing portion 56 , and objects c 4 , c 5 , c 6 are located in infeed pockets 54 . The conveyor 22 (see FIGS. 8 and 9 ) in the infeed portion 52 includes a flat portion 28 such that the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B in the infeed portion 52 are flat and such that the objects c 4 , c 5 , c 6 are supported in an upright position by the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B on the flat portion 28 , as shown in FIG. 9 .

The conveyor 22 transitions from a flat portion 28 in the infeed portion 52 to a peaked portion 30 in in the dividing portion 56 of the dividing mechanism, where in the dividing portion 56 each of the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B is peaked at a peak angle Ap (see FIGS. 8 and 10 ), such that, as object c 3 transitions into dividing pocket 58 A, object c 3 is tilted away from its upright position into the dividing pocket 58 A at a tilt angle At. The tilt angle At is a function of the peak angle Ap and the shape of the screw form and/or pocket depth in the dividing portion 56 of the dividing screw 44 A, 44 B. The tilt angle At can be increased by changing the shape of the dividing pocket 58 , for example, by increasing the depth of dividing pocket 58 in the dividing portion 56 . The tilt angle At can be affected by the shape, height, and center of gravity of the object 10 . In one example, the height H of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B relative to the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B can be adjustable, such that the height H of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B can be modified to adjust the tile angle At. As such, it would be understood that one or more of the shape (pitch, lead, pocket depth, etc.) of the divider screws 44 A, 44 B, the peak angle Ap of the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B, and the screw height H can be varied to establish the tilt angle At of the object 10 in the dividing pocket 58 , as the object 10 is progressed through the dividing portion 56 , to ensure the object 10 is stabilized in the respective one of the dividing pockets 58 A, 58 B and on the respective one of the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B to which the object 10 is divided, as it is conveyed along the conveyor 22 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 16 , and as illustrated in FIG. 10 , dividing pockets 58 A, 58 B are longitudinally offset from each other, such that, as the sequence c 1 , c 2 , etc. of objects 10 is conveyed from the infeed portion 52 to the dividing portion 56 of the dividing screw set 42 , the objects 10 are alternately divided between the first and second dividing screws 44 A, 44 B and first and second discharge belts 26 A, 26 B, such that every object 10 in the sequence is divided in a lateral direction which is opposite the previous and the subsequent objects 10 in the sequence. Referring to the sequence of objects 10 shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 17, and 21-22 , object c 1 is divided onto discharge belt 26 A and into dividing pocket 58 A of dividing screw 44 A, and the next sequential object c 2 is divided onto discharge belt 26 B and into dividing pocket 58 B of dividing screw 44 B. This dividing pattern continues as the sequence of objects 10 progresses through the dividing screw set 42 , as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 , with object c 3 being divided onto discharge belt 26 A and into dividing pocket 58 A, and object c 4 being divided onto discharge belt 26 B and into dividing pocket 58 B, and as further illustrated in FIGS. 23-24 , showing the division of the object sequence c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , c 4 , c 5 , c 6 , c 7 , c 8 into two object series 12 A, 12 B, where the first object series 12 A includes objects c 1 , c 3 , c 5 , c 7 (and so on) and is divided into dividing pockets 58 A and onto discharge belt 26 A, and the second object series 12 B includes objects c 2 , c 4 , c 6 , c 8 (and so on) and is divided into dividing pockets 58 B and onto discharge belt 26 B. As such, it would be understood that the division of the sequence c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , etc. of objects 10 into two object series 12 A, 12 B occurs by rotation of the dividing screw set 42 and lateral tilting of the object 10 on the conveyor 22 such that an object 10 in the sequence is singulated into one of the dividing pockets 58 A, 58 B and onto one of the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B, and the objects 10 which precede and are subsequent to that object 10 in the sequence are singulated into the other one of the dividing pockets 58 B, 58 A and onto the other one of the discharge belts 26 B, 26 A.

As shown in FIGS. 5 through 7 and further illustrated in FIGS. 21 through 24 , the objects 10 in each of the object series 12 A, 12 B are outputted from the dividing screw set 42 to a receiving end 64 of the discharge screw set 60 . As shown in the figures, objects 10 in the sequence of objects c 1 . . . cn are divided by rotation of the dividing screw set 42 and received alternately into a dividing pocket 58 A and a dividing pocket 58 B, where the divided objects 10 received into the dividing pocket 58 A are outputted at the output end 48 from the dividing pocket 58 A and received by the discharge screw 62 A to form a series of objects 12 A, and the divided objects 10 received into the dividing pocket 58 B are outputted at the output end 48 from the dividing pocket 58 B and received by the discharge screw 62 B to form a series of objects 12 B. The discharge screw set 60 includes first and second discharge screws 62 A, 62 B connected to a drive unit 118 such that each of the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B is rotatable about a screw axis 98 (see FIG. 11 ) to define a longitudinal axis 95 therebetween. The first and second discharge screws 62 A, 62 B each define a respective thread form such that during rotation of the discharge screw set 60 , the thread forms of the first and second discharge screws 62 A, 62 B are mirror images to each other relative to the longitudinal axis 94 . The discharge screw set 60 includes the receiving end 64 for receiving the objects 10 outputted from the dividing screw set 42 , and a discharge end 66 from which the objects 10 are conveyed to the outfeed portion 90 of the conveying mechanism 20 . The discharge screws 62 A, 62 B are configured to be driven by drive units 118 in opposing directions relative to the longitudinal axis 94 defined by the conveyor 22 . In the present example, discharge screw 62 A is configured to rotate clockwise, and discharge screw 62 B is configured to rotate counter-clockwise, as viewed from the discharge end 66 of the discharge screw set 60 . In the example shown in FIGS. 4 through 7 , each of the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B is a constant lead screw. In the example shown, the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B and the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B have the same pitch, and the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B have the same lead L 1 as the infeed portion 52 of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B. It would be understood that the example shown is illustrative and non-limiting, and, for example, the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B could have a lead which is variable from the receiving end 64 to the discharge end 66 to change the spacing of the objects 10 along the longitudinal axis, e.g., longitudinally, as they are conveyed through the discharge screw set 60 .

As shown in the figures, and as illustrated by FIGS. 17-18 , the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B are aligned such that the screw axes 98 of the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B are parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis 94 , and are spaced laterally from the longitudinal axis 94 and from each other to define the discharge channel 68 including a plurality of discharge pockets 70 A, 70 B distributed longitudinally, e.g., along the length, of the discharge screw set 60 . The shape of each discharge pocket 70 A, 70 B is defined by the screw form of the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B. As shown in FIGS. 5-7 and FIGS. 11 and 12 , the conveyor 22 , in the discharge channel 68 is peaked such that each of the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B is tilted away and downward (as viewed on the page) from a central peak at a peak angle Ap. As such, and as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and illustrated in FIG. 17 , an object 10 being outputted from the output end 48 of the dividing screw set 42 will be tilted into one of the discharge pockets 70 A, 70 B and conveyed in the tilted position along the conveyor 22 . In the example shown, the root (minor) diameter and crest (major) diameter of the screw form of the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B is relatively smaller, respectively, than the root (minor) diameter and the crest (major) diameter of the screw form of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B, such that, as the object 10 is outputted from the dividing screw set 42 into one of the discharge pockets 70 A, 70 B, the tilt angle At of the object 10 can increase, as shown in FIGS. 10-12 , as compared to the tilt angle At of the object 10 in the dividing pocket 58 A, 58 B, and such that the object series 12 A is further divided laterally from the object series 12 B as the object series 12 A and 12 B are conveyed by the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B through the discharge channel 68 . As shown in FIGS. 6-7 and 17 and in additional detail in FIGS. 22-23 , objects c 1 , c 3 , c 5 , etc. of the object series 12 A are discharged from dividing pocket 58 A as indicated by the arrow 120 and fed into discharge pockets 70 A of discharge screw 62 A, and conveyed by rotation of the discharge screw 62 A and movement of the discharge belt 26 A through the discharge channel 68 for discharge into the first discharge lane 34 A. Likewise, objects c 2 , c 4 , c 6 , etc. of the object series 12 B are discharged from dividing pocket 58 B as indicated by arrow 122 and fed into discharge pockets 70 B of discharge screw 62 B, and conveyed by rotation of the discharge screw 62 B and movement of the discharge belt 26 B through the discharge channel 68 for discharge into the second discharge lane 34 B.

FIGS. 6 and 7 and FIGS. 21-24 illustrate object series 12 A being divided from the sequence of objects 10 , such that objects c 1 , c 3 , c 5 , c 7 etc. are, as previously described, divided into a dividing pocket 58 A of dividing screw 44 A and outputted into a pocket 70 A of the discharge screw 62 A. As illustrated by the figures, the objects c 1 , c 3 , c 5 , c 7 etc. are singulated in the dividing portion 56 and outputted to the discharge screw 62 A such that every other discharge pocket 70 A is left empty as the objects c 1 , c 3 , c 5 , c 7 etc. are received by the discharge screw 62 A. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 17 and FIGS. 22 and 23 , for example, the discharge pocket 70 A between the discharge pocket 70 A in which object c 1 is positioned and the discharge pocket 70 A in which object c 3 is positioned is an empty pocket X 1 . As shown beginning with FIG. 21 , and illustrated in FIG. 17 , the objects c 1 , c 3 , c 5 , c 7 are outputted to every other discharge pocket 70 A, such that the empty pocket X 1 is maintained between longitudinally adjacent objects c 1 and c 3 , an empty pocket X 3 is maintained between longitudinally adjacent objects c 3 and c 5 , and so on. Likewise, as object series 12 B is divided into a dividing pocket 58 B and outputted to the discharge screw 62 B, every other discharge pocket 70 B is left empty as the objects c 2 , c 4 , c 6 , c 8 etc. are received by the discharge screw 62 B. The rotation of discharge screws 62 A, 62 B is coordinated such that each object 10 in series 12 A is conveyed in a discharge pocket 70 A which is laterally opposite an empty discharge pocket 70 B, and each object 10 in series 12 B is conveyed in a discharge pocket 70 B which is laterally opposite an empty discharge pocket 70 A (see FIGS. 22-23 and FIG. 17 ). Referring to FIGS. 22 and 17 , for example, an empty pocket X 2 is maintained in advance of object c 2 and an empty pocket X 4 is maintained between objects c 2 and c 4 output to discharge screw 62 B. Object c 1 is laterally opposite empty pocket X 2 , object c 2 is laterally opposite empty pocket X 1 , object c 3 is laterally opposite empty pocket X 4 , object c 4 is laterally opposite empty pocket X 3 , and so on. By dividing the object series 12 A, 12 B such that each object 10 in the series 12 A, 12 B is laterally opposite an empty pocket X in the discharge channel 68 , the objects 10 from series 12 A can be respectively diverted, by actuation of the diverter 74 A, into the respective laterally opposite empty pockets 70 B in discharge screw 62 B to form a diverted group 14 B, as shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 25 . Likewise, the objects 10 from series 12 B can be respectively diverted, by actuation of the diverter 74 B, into the respective laterally opposite empty pockets 70 A in discharge screw 62 A to form a diverted group 14 A, as shown in FIG. 27 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8 and FIGS. 24 and 26 , the object series 12 A is conveyed by the discharge screw 62 A and along the discharge belt 26 A to the discharge end 66 of the discharge screw set 60 , where the objects c 1 , c 3 , c 5 , etc. of the series 12 A are conveyed into the discharge lane 34 A for conveyance on the discharge belt 26 A through the conveyor outfeed portion 90 to the outfeed end 92 . Likewise, the object series 12 B is conveyed by the discharge screw 62 B and along the discharge belt 26 B to the discharge end 66 , where the objects c 2 , c 4 , c 6 , etc. of the series 12 B are conveyed into the discharge lane 34 B for conveyance on the discharge belt 26 B through the outfeed portion 90 to the outfeed end 92 . In a non-limiting example, the conveyor 22 in the outfeed portion 90 can be peaked as shown in FIG. 12 , such that objects 10 on the respective discharge belts 26 A, 26 B are tilted against the respective discharge rails 36 A, 36 B, to urge the objects 10 to remain in their respective discharge lane 34 A, 34 B and to stabilize and/or support the objects 10 in their respective discharge lanes 34 A, 34 B as they are conveyed through the outfeed portion 90 .

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , FIGS. 13-15 , and FIG. 27 , the divider system 100 includes a diverting mechanism 72 . In the example shown, the diverting mechanism includes a first diverter 74 A and a second diverter 74 B. the diverting mechanism 72 is in communication with the controller 104 such that each of the first and second diverters 74 A, 74 B are selectively actuable to divert the series 12 A, 12 B of the divided objects 10 onto one of the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B to form a diverted group 14 of objects 10 , where the diverted group 14 of objects 10 are then conveyed via a respective one of the discharge lanes 34 A, 34 B to the outfeed end 92 of the conveyor 20 . In an illustrative example shown in FIGS. 13-15 and FIG. 18 , the diverter 74 A includes a diverter element 76 A which is configured, in a non-limiting example, as a pivoting arm connected at a first end 84 A via a pivotable joint 82 A to a connecting member 80 A, such that the diverter element 76 A is pivotable about a pivot axis 96 A between a non-actuated position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and an actuated position shown in FIGS. 13-16 and FIG. 27 . In the actuated position the diverter element 76 A is pivoted to a diverter angle Ad as shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 18 , such that a second end 86 A of the diverter element 76 A pivots into the discharge channel 68 to contact objects 10 in the series 12 A and divert the objects in series 12 A from discharge belt 26 A to discharge belt 26 B, where each of the diverted objects in series 12 A is received into a respective empty pocket X in the discharge screw 62 B and conveyed by the discharge screw 62 B and discharge belt 26 B out of the discharge channel 68 to the discharge lane 34 B of the outfeed portion 90 . The diverter 74 A includes an actuator 108 A for actuating and de-actuating the diverter element 76 A. The diverter element 76 A, in the illustrative example, is connected to the actuator 108 A by a linkage 88 A actuable by the actuator 108 A to pivot the diverter element 76 A between the actuated and non-actuated positions. The linkage 88 A shown in FIG. 15 includes a rod and cylinder assembly for moving the diverter element 76 A. This example is non-limiting and it would be understood that other configurations of linkage 88 A could be used. The actuator 108 A can be, by way of non-limiting example, one of a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, a magnetically actuated servo mechanism, or other like actuator.

Each of the diverters 74 A, 74 B can include a respective second diverter element 78 A, 78 B, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13 . In the example shown, the first (upper) diverter element 76 A pivots into the discharge channel 68 to contact the upper portion (as viewed on the page) of the object 10 protruding above the discharge screw 62 A, and the second (lower) diverter element 78 A pivots into the discharge channel 68 via a clearance gap G between the conveyor 22 and the discharge screw 62 A, to contact the lower portion (as viewed on the page) of the object 10 . By contacting the object 10 both above and below the discharge screw 62 A with, respectively, the upper and lower diverter elements 76 A, 78 A, the object 10 is stabilized and supported as it is diverted from discharge belt 26 A to discharge belt 26 B and as the object 10 is diverted into its corresponding pocket 70 B in discharge screw 62 B. It would be understood that, for objects 10 which are shaped and/or sized such that the upper portion of the object 10 does not protrude above the discharge screw, the object 10 can be diverted using the lower diverter element 78 A only. In a non-limiting example, the lower diverter element 78 A is a pivoting arm connected at a first end 84 A via the pivotable joint 82 A to the connecting member 80 A, such that the diverter element 78 A is pivotable about the pivot axis 96 A. As illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 21-27 , each of the diverter elements 76 A, 76 B, 78 A, 78 B can include a contoured surface for contacting the objects 10 , such that, during selective actuation of any of the diverter elements 76 A, 76 B, 78 A, 78 B to divert the objects 10 , contact between the contoured surface and the diverted object 10 is gradual, such that the diverted object 10 remains stabilized through the diversion sequence.

FIGS. 13-14, 18 and 24-26 illustrate actuation of the diverting mechanism 72 using the diverter 74 A to selectively divert objects 10 from discharge belt 26 A to discharge belt 26 B to form a diverted group 14 B of objects 10 conveyed to discharge lane 34 B, and de-actuation of the diverter 74 A to resume conveyance of the divided series 12 A on discharge belt 26 A and to discharge lane 34 A. In FIG. 24 , after division of sequence c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , c 4 , etc. of objects 10 by the dividing screw set 42 into object series 12 A, 12 B, as previously described herein, and prior to actuation of the diverter 74 A, the first series 12 A of divided objects c 1 , c 3 , c 5 , etc. is shown being conveyed by discharge screw 62 A and discharge belt 26 A to discharge lane 34 A, and the second series 12 B of divided objects c 2 , c 4 , c 6 , etc. is shown being conveyed by discharge screw 62 B and discharge belt 26 B to discharge lane 34 B. In FIGS. 25 and 18 , in an illustrative example, the diverter 74 A is actuated by the actuator 108 A to initiate pivoting of the diverter element 76 A using linkage 88 A into the discharge channel 68 , such that second end 86 A of the diverter element 76 A pivots into contact with object cG, to apply a lateral force to divert the objects 10 of series 12 A, beginning with object cG, from their respective pockets 70 A to respective empty pockets XB of discharge screw 62 B, and from discharge belt 26 A to discharge belt 26 A, to form a diverted group 14 B. The diverted group 14 B, beginning with object cG, cH, and so on, is conveyed from the discharge channel 68 on discharge belt 26 B to the discharge lane 34 B. FIG. 25 shows the diverter element 76 A fully actuated, e.g., fully pivoted to the diverter angle Ad, such that in the fully pivoted position, the diverter element 76 A is contacting and diverting each object 10 of series 12 A as it is outputted from the dividing screw 44 A into an empty pocket XB in discharge screw 62 B.

In FIG. 26 , in an illustrative example, the diverter 74 A is shown being de-actuated by the actuator 108 A such that the diverter element 76 A is pivoted away from the diverted group 14 and out of contact with objects 10 in series 12 A, such that the objects 10 in series 12 A remain on discharge belt 26 A as they are conveyed, undiverted, through the discharge channel 68 to discharge lane 34 A, as shown in FIG. 26 . Summarizing the example shown in FIGS. 25-26 , the diverting mechanism 72 is actuated to divert objects 10 in object series 12 A from discharge screw 62 A to discharge screw 62 B and from discharge belt 26 A to discharge belt 26 B, such that the objects 10 in object series 12 B and the objects 10 in object series 12 A which have been diverted to discharge screw 62 B are discharged from discharge channel 68 to discharge lane 34 B as a diverted group 14 B, and the diverting mechanism 72 is subsequently de-actuated such that, as the diverter 74 A is retracted, the objects 10 in the object series 12 A remain on discharge belt 26 A and the object series 12 A, 12 B are again discharged on their respective discharge belts 26 A, 26 B. The example of diverting a plurality of objects 10 from a series 12 A, 12 B into a diverted group 14 is non-limiting, and it would be understood that the actuation and de-actuation of the diverting mechanism 72 can be controlled by the actuators 108 A, 108 B and/or the controller 104 to selectively divert, in a single actuation/de-actuation cycle, as few as a single object 10 or a plurality of objects 10 from one to another of the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B and discharge belts 26 A, 26 B.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4 and FIGS. 13-14 , the diverting mechanism 72 , in a non-limiting example, includes the first diverter 74 A and a second diverter 74 B. The second diverter 74 B is configured as described for the first diverter 74 A, such that the second diverter 74 B includes a diverter element 76 B which in a non-limiting example is configured as a pivoting arm connected at a first end 84 B via a pivotable joint 82 B to a connecting member 80 B, such that the diverter element 76 B is pivotable about a pivot axis 96 B between a non-actuated position shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 and an actuated position shown in FIG. 27 . In the actuated position the diverter element 76 B is pivoted to a diverter angle Ad as shown in FIG. 27 , such that a second end 86 B of the diverter element 76 B pivots into the discharge channel 68 to contact objects 10 in the series 12 B and divert the objects in series 12 B from discharge belt 26 B to discharge belt 26 A, where each of the diverted objects in series 12 B is received into a respective empty pocket X (see XA, XB in FIG. 18 ) in the discharge screw 62 A and conveyed by the discharge screw 62 A and discharge belt 26 A out of the discharge channel 68 to the discharge lane 34 A of the outfeed portion 90 . The diverter 74 B includes an actuator 108 B, indicated generally in FIG. 4 , for actuating and de-actuating the diverter element 76 B. In a non-limiting example the actuator 108 B is configured as described for actuator 108 A. The diverter 74 B can include a second diverter element 78 B (see FIGS. 11 and 13 ), where, in the example shown, the first (upper) diverter element 76 B pivots into the discharge channel 68 to contact the upper portion (as viewed on the page) of the object 10 protruding above the discharge screw 62 B, and the second (lower) diverter element 78 B pivots into the discharge channel 68 via a clearance gap G between the conveyor 22 and the discharge screw 62 B, to contact the lower portion (as viewed on the page) of the object 10 . By contacting the object 10 both above and below the discharge screw 62 B with, respectively, the upper and lower diverter elements 76 B, 78 B, the object 10 is stabilized and supported as it is diverted from discharge belt 26 B to discharge belt 26 A and as the object 10 is diverted into its corresponding pocket 70 A in discharge screw 62 A. It would be understood that, for objects 10 which are shaped and/or sized such that the upper portion of the object 10 does not protrude above the discharge screw, the object 10 can be diverted using the lower diverter element 78 B only. In a non-limiting example, the lower diverter element 78 B is a pivoting arm connected at a first end 84 B via the pivotable joint 82 B to the connecting member 80 B, such that the diverter element 78 B is pivotable about the pivot axis 96 B.

The diverting mechanism 72 can be actuated and de-actuated, for example, by commands and/or signals selectively outputted from the controller 104 to the diverters 74 A, 74 B, for example, via actuators 108 A, 108 B. The controller 104 can be in communication with one or more devices which provide data and/or signals to the controller 104 , such that the data and/or signals received by the controller 104 can be used by the controller 104 to determine when and for how long one or the other of the diverters 74 A, 74 B should be actuated. By way of non-limiting example, the devices in communication with the controller 104 can include equipment and/or devices which are upstream and/or downstream from the divider system 100 , where signals received from the equipment can include commands to divert the objects 10 to one or the other of discharge lanes 34 A, 34 B in response to conditions of the upstream and/or downstream equipment, including conditions related to line balancing and/or capacity requirements of the downstream equipment, equipment downtime due to changeover, set-up or other reasons, etc.

In another example, the devices in communication with the controller 104 can include one or more sensors which can be located upstream and/or downstream from the divider system 100 , and/or can be included in the divider system 100 , for outputting signals to the controller 104 which can be used by the controller 104 to determine whether actuation and/or de-actuation of diverting mechanism 72 and/or the diverters 74 A, 74 B is required. By way of example, one or more of the sensors can be operable as a photosensor for detecting color, shape, object condition, etc., a scanner such as a bar code scanner, a sensor to detect a dimension, weight, or other quantifiable, e.g., measurable characteristics of an object 10 , etc. In a non-limiting example, the divider system 100 can include at least one sensor to sense a condition of the object 10 , and to output a condition signal to the controller 104 which is indicative of the condition of the object 10 . By way of example, the condition may be an indication of the shape, size, color, type, or other identifying condition of the object 10 that may differentiate the object 10 from other objects 10 in the sequence of objects 10 located, for example, in the infeed lane 16 and/or in the infeed portion 52 of the dividing screw set 42 . The controller 104 , in response to the condition signal, can selectively output a command to the diverting mechanism 72 to divert the object 10 associated with the condition signal to one or the other of the discharge lanes 34 A, 34 B. In one example, the condition may be a color, label, bar code or other distinguishing feature of the object 10 which identifies the object 10 as one of a first type to be diverted to discharge lane 34 A or one of a second type to be diverted to discharge lane 34 B. In another example, the condition may be a feature of the object 10 which is used to determine if a standard for the object 10 has been met. For example, the object 10 can be configured as a liquid container enclosed by a cap, as shown in the photographs of FIGS. 21-27 , and the sensor can be configured to sense presence of the cap. The controller 104 can be configured to divert objects 10 with missing caps to one of the discharge lanes 26 A as rejected objects, and to divert objects 10 with caps present to the other of the discharge lanes 26 B as acceptable for further processing. In another example, the sensor can be configured to sense a fill condition of the container, for example, to detect a partially filled or empty container, such that the partially filled or empty container can be diverted to one of the discharge lanes 26 A, 26 B as a rejected object 10 . The examples provided herein are non-limiting, and it would be understood that one or more sensors can be included in the divider system 100 to sense object conditions which can cause the controller 104 to selectively actuate and/or de-actuate the diverting mechanism 72 .

The controller 104 , in a non-limiting example, is configured to control the drive mechanism 110 of the divider system 100 . In the example shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 , the drive mechanism 110 includes a drive motor 112 , synchro bars 114 and gearing 116 , which is arranged to concurrently drive rotation of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B, rotation of the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B, and movement of the conveyor 22 including discharge belts 26 A, 26 B. The controller 104 controls the drive mechanism 110 , including controlling the rotation speed of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B, the rotation speed of the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B and the belt speed of the conveyor 22 , such the conveying force imposed by the conveyor 22 on the objects 10 being conveyed in the dividing pockets 58 through the dividing channel 50 and/or on the objects 10 being conveyed in the discharge pockets 70 through the discharge channel 68 is at equilibrium with the conveying forces imposed on the objects 10 by the dividing pockets 58 and the discharge pockets 70 . It would be understood that when the forces imposed by the dividing pockets 58 , the discharge pockets 70 , and the discharge belts 26 (being driven by the conveyor 22 ) are controlled such that the forces are at equilibrium, the objects 10 are conveyed with no destabilizing drag force or destabilizing accelerating force imposed on the objects 10 relative to the conveying forces of the dividing pockets 58 and the discharge pockets 70 , such that the objects 10 are stabilized in the dividing pockets 58 and discharge pockets 70 and are retained in their respective pockets 58 , 70 as they are conveyed through the dividing channel 50 and discharge channel 68 . In one example, the rotation rate and pitch of each of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B and the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B is proportional to the conveyor speed such that there is no forward or reverse drag or force exerted by the screw face on the object 10 , e.g., such that the object 10 is moved through the divider mechanism 100 at the conveyor speed, and therefore remains upright and stable with the feeding force exerted on the object 10 by the screw form equivalent in direction and magnitude to the conveying force exerted on the object 10 by the conveyor. In one example, the controller 104 determines and controls the speed of the conveyor 22 and the revolution speed of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B and the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B, based on the pitch of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B and the pitch of the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B, such that the linear speed of the conveyor 22 , the linear speed of the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B, the linear speed of the dividing screws 44 A, 44 B and the linear speed of the discharge screws 62 A, 62 B are the same.

The illustrative example of a divider system 100 shown in FIGS. 1-27 is not intended to be limiting. It would be understood that the divider system 100 , including the dividing mechanism 40 and/or the diverting mechanism 72 can be configured within the scope of the description provided herein to divide and/or divert objects 10 of shapes, sizes and configurations other than those shown in the figures by modifying one or more of the dividing screw set 42 , the discharge screw set 60 , the diverting mechanism 72 , and/or the conveyor 20 including the infeed belt 24 , the flat and peaked portions 28 , 30 , the discharge belts 26 A, 26 B, and/or the outfeed portion 90 . By way of example, modifications anticipated within the scope of the description including various combinations of double and single lead screw forms, combinations and modification of screw pitch and pocket depth to accommodate the shape of the object 10 , modification of the width of the dividing channels 50 and/or the discharge channels 68 and/or the height of the dividing screw sets 42 and/or the discharge screw sets 60 relative to the conveyor 20 to accommodate and/or optimize stabilization of the object 10 , etc. By way of example, modifications anticipated within the scope of the description including various configurations of the diverting mechanism 72 , which can include modifications and/or variations of the shape and size of the diverter elements 76 A, 76 B, 78 A, 78 B, which can include arm configurations which are bent, curved, or otherwise shaped to adapt to the shape, size, weight, and/or other condition of the objects 10 being diverted. Further, the linkage 88 A, 88 B and/or the actuators 108 A, 108 B can be modified as required to accommodate the conditions of the objects 10 being diverted and/or modifications of the diverter elements 76 A, 76 B, 78 A, 78 B. for example, the actuators 108 A, 108 B can be actuated by one or more of hydraulic, pneumatic, magnetic, and electrical means, and the linkage 88 A, 88 B can be modified, for example, to actuate a diverter 74 A, 74 B configured other than a pivoting arm, for example, a plunger type diverter. The example of the conveyed object 10 shown in the figures is not limiting, and it would be understood that the object 10 can be other than a container, and could be one or more of a container, a carton, a case, a bottle, a can, etc., which could be positioned in and conveyed via the infeed pockets 54 , the dividing pockets 53 A, 58 B, and the discharge pockets 70 A, 70 B.

As used herein, the terms “a,” “an,” “the,” “at least one,” and “one or more” are interchangeable and indicate that at least one of an item is present. A plurality of such items may be present unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All numerical values of parameters, quantities, or conditions in this disclosure, including the appended claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about” or “approximately” whether or not “about” or “approximately” actually appears before the numerical value. “About” and “approximately” indicate that the stated numerical value allows some slight imprecision (e.g., with some approach to exactness in the value; reasonably close to the value; nearly; essentially). If the imprecision provided by “about” or “approximately” is not otherwise understood with this meaning, then “about” and “approximately” as used herein indicate at least variations that may arise from methods of measuring and using such parameters. Further, the terminology “substantially” also refers to a slight imprecision of a condition (e.g., with some approach to exactness of the condition; approximately or reasonably close to the condition; nearly; essentially). In addition, disclosed numerical ranges include disclosure of all values and further divided ranges within the entire disclosed range. Each value within a range and the endpoints of a range are all disclosed as separate embodiments. The terms “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” and “having” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated items, but do not preclude the presence of other items. As used in this disclosure, the term “or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items.

The above features and other features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention described herein, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. While some of the best modes and other embodiments for carrying out the claimed invention have been described in detail, various alternative designs and embodiments exist for practicing the invention.