SORTING DEVICE

PURPOSE: To carry out smooth discharge action without damaging an article by carrying the article to sort to a discharge position by placing it on a discharge belt provided on a slat conveyor and discharging it at the discharge position as the discharge belt is rotated. CONSTITUTION: An article is carried by a slat conveyor 1 constituted by supporting a large number of discharge belt units for several links each on conveyor chains 7, 7, and the article reaches a designated discharge part. At this time, an elevating means of a drive unit 15 makes a drive belt contact with a discharge belt with the article placed on it, and a drive source drives the drive belt. The article is delivered to the designated discharge part by driving the discharge belt by frictional contact with the drive belt. Though the discharge belt moves even when it makes contact with the drive belt in the carrying direction of the slat conveyor 1, even when the drive belt is diagonally provided in the carrying direction, it is driven by the drive source so as to be at speed of not causing slippage between the drive belt and the discharge belt.