The “Core” of the LocalHub 

This refers to the sections of the LocalHub which are designed for efficient handling of the thousands of boxes that are filled, delivered, collected and emptied every day. The systems here borrow much from the best of the internet grocers and online stores. The various sections of the core provide:

Box emptying

A large number of boxes contain recyclables as they are returned to the LocalHub. The PaperBox typically contains paper or cardboard only but the  OmniBox is designed with dividers that can split it into four sections of variable size. As boxes return to the LocalHub, they are inverted as they pass over the appropriate open-topped container. Where the dividers have been used to separate different categories of recyclables, the appropriate corner of the  OmniBox is left open while the other three sections are blocked as it passes over each of the four possible collecting bins.

Cleaning of boxes

Having been emptied, some boxes may need to be cleaned. PaperBox, which are continually reused by the same customer are unlikely to require cleaning but those used for food deliveries and recyclable collection should probably be steam cleaned to the same hygiene level that we are used to with, say, our reusable milk bottles today.

Manual filling of boxes

Post, newspapers, breakfast and many other categories of goods will be placed into boxes by hand - at least initially. In some cases, such as when sorting mail, it is important to have many boxes open and within reach - much like the pigeon-holes in a traditional sorting office. In such cases, whole walls may be used to present hundreds or thousands of boxes, all open, end-on so that items can easily be placed in any one by hand.

In other cases, where boxes are to be filled with items chosen from a relatively small number of options - such as breakfast pastries, it is more appropriate to “flow” boxes past an operator who can put the appropriate goods into each one that passes - in accordance with instructions presented on a screen next to the belt on which the boxes arrive.

Automated filling of boxes

Initially relatively few goods will be placed into boxes automatically. SolidsBox can easily be filled with bulk solids such as dry pet food or washing powder using a simple hopper. Liquids can also be piped from bulk storage tanks through pipes directly into specially designed LiquidsBox.

Routing of boxes

Boxes can be moved around the system on conveyor belts and miniature elevators. To be able to move boxes anywhere in three dimensions, conveyor belts running North-south may be at one level while those running East-West (i.e. at right angles to the first) are above these. Elevators at the intersections allow boxes to be moved from one layer to another while hydraulic rams push boxes from elevator to neighbouring conveyor and vice versa. Some of these elevators only transfer boxes between the two layers of conveyor belt while others extend to the floors above and/or below the sorting level.

With at least three conveyor belts running in each of the two orthogonal directions, and several elevators, the system is extremely fault tolerant so mechanical failure or a belt or elevator can be corrected during planned maintenance windows overnight rather than have to interrupt routing during the day.

Containerisation of boxes

Around the edges of the routing floor are larger conveyors (probably chain driven rather than belts) which carry the OmniPod that are loaded onto delivery vans. OmniPod on these belts can be aligned horizontally so that a routing conveyor can carry boxes into a specific slot in the OmniPod. Each OmniPod can also be raised or lowered as it fills so that successive layers of boxes can be loaded from a single conveyor belt.

As full OmniPods are offloaded from delivery vans, the boxes within them are routed to the emptying and cleaning areas then to be filled and finally are sorted into the appropriate OmniPod ready to be loaded onto a delivery van again.

Infrastructure