ARTICLE CONVEYANCE/SORTING DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article conveyance/sorting device with smooth sorting action. SOLUTION: The article conveyance/sorting device is provided with slide shoes slidingly movably engaged with a plurality of slats constituting an endless slat conveyor, and guide means 23-24 for guiding the slide shoes. The guide means have a linear advancement guide member 23 for guiding the movement shoe in a conveying direction, and a branch guide member 24 for moving the slide shoe toward a branch conveyor at a branching position of the linear advancement guide member. At the branch position, a rotation type switching member 26 for switching a guide direction between the linear advancement guide member and the branch guide member is provided. The switching member 26 slides relative to the linear advancement guide member according to turning action and on at least a slide area of the switching member and the linear advancement guide member, a curvature is approximately equal. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT