CA1097263A - Sorting and singulating device for magazines or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

The specification describes a sorter comprising an elongated bed inclined downwardly to one side, a plurality of belts movable along the bed, and diverter means on the bed comprising a plurality of diverter fingers rockable on a common pivot axis below the surface of the bad and in a plane parallel thereto, the axis being inclined with respect to the path of the belts so as to extend upwardly and rearwardly, the diverter fingers extending downstream therefrom parallel to the belts, and means for moving the fingers between a first position in which the fingers are substantially flush with the bed and a diverging position in which the fingers are inclined upwardly from the bed so as to deflect an article being carried by the belts laterally off the bed.

Description

This is a diviqion oE Canadian Patent Appllcation Serial No. 277,536 filed May 3, 1977, entitled IlSorting and Singulating Device For Magazines or the Likel' BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the scanning, sorting and handling of magazines, periodicals, paperback books, or the like, - especially those which are provided with the Universal Products Code (U.P.C.) bar code.
It is estimated that billions of magazines are shipped from distributors to retailers each week, approximately 40% of which are returned to the distributor for credit or other dis-posîtion~ Sorting, arranging, counting, and totalling credits to retailers for these magazines, which come in random sizes and thicknesses and have difEerent dates of publication, prices, ' etc., are tasks which have presented serious problems and are expensive to carry out. Recently, many~magazine6 have been provided with markings known as the Universal Products Code .1 : (u.P.C~? bar code which are for the primary purpose of being scanned at the ~heckout counters of supermarkets or other ~ ;

retailers. Typically, the U.P.C. Bar Code for a magazine or ., other publication will indicate the publisher, title, and date -of publication in code form.
A conventional scanner such as one mainufactured by .:
~, Acroscan Corp of Warren, Michigan will convert this code for ~, :
~ purposes of entry into a computer.
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~ BRIEF SUMMARY QF THE INVE~TION
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It is an object of the present invention to provide a 28 sorting device which has novel and improved diverting means co-acting , ' . ., -, ~ ~97Z~3 with a belt conveyor, the conveyor and diverting means being so constructed that maga~ines being carr:led at high sp~ed alorlg the conveyor are positively and accurately deflected laterally off the conveyor at the proper location.
Briefly, the invention comprises a sorter comprising : an elongated bed inclined downwardly to one side, a plurality :~ oE belts movable along the bed, and diverter means on the bed comprising a plurality of diverter fingers rockable o~ a common pivot axis below the surface of the bed and in a plane parallel thereto, the axis being inc.lined with respect to the path. of : ~:
the belts so as to extend upwardly and rearwardly, the diverter ~:
fingers extending downstream therefrom parallel to the belts, ,.
and means for moving the fingers between a first position in which ~ .
the fingers are substantially flush with the bed anci a diverting position in which the fingers are inclined upwardly from the . bed so as to deflect an article being carried by the beles laterally off the bed.
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BP~IEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspec-tive view of the magazine scanner and soxter of this invention;
Figure 2 is a partly sectioned side elevational view o the sorter showing the hopper and separating means;
Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view in elevation showing the locking means for the forward hopper wall;
Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional plan v.iew ~:
showing the guide means for the forward hopper wall;
I0 Figure 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational view taken :
in the direction of the arrow S of Figure 2, parts being omitted, showing the actuating means for the stack lifting plates;
;- Figure 6 is a fragmen~ary top plan view of the sorter in the area of the separating fingers;
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view in elevation taken ~ alon~g the line 7-7 of Figure 6 and showing the actuating solenoids :
::~ for the separating fingers;
~ Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view in elevation taken : ~ .
: along the line 8-8 of Figure 6 and showing the resilient connec- ::
, tion between the separating finger actuating means and the fingers `

; as well as the stop means for the upper finger position;
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Figure 9 is a logic dlagram showing the means for synchronizing the ~ovement of the stack li:Eting plates and the separatlng fingers;
Figure 10, located acljacent Figure 8, is a fragmentary plan view of a por~ion of the sorter ~.howing the di.verting fingers and their mounting means;
Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view in ele~ation taken along the line 11~11 of ~igure 10 and showing the location o~
the diverting fingers between the.conveyor belts;
Figure 12 is a fragmentary elevational view taken in the direction of the arrow 12 of Figure 10 and showi~g the location:
of the finger pivot axis as well as the diverter actuating ~eans; -. . Figure 13 is a fragmentary elevational view ~aken in the direction of the arrow 13 of Figure 10 and showing the con-` nection between the finger actuating means and the aiverting ~: fingers; and .
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:~ Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showlng the inter~
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connections among the scanner, computer, shift registers~ and ~' . . , :~ diverter.
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20 : DESCRIPXION OF THE PREFERR~D EMBODIMENT : ;, The scanning and sortlng devica is generally indi~
cated a~ 21 and comprises an elongated base 22. The base may be provided ~ith removable side plates 23~ ~nd has at one end a hoppar generally indicated at 24 Eor the reception o~ stàcks :~
of randomly arranged magazines, periodicals,~paperback books or :-~
the like. The device is particularly intended for ~se with items of this nat~lre which carry along one edge or in o~le corner the ~: vertical bars which comprise the U.P.C~ bar code~ There~ore, .
the publications placed in hopper 24 will be so oriented that . 30 the U.P.C. bar code may be properly read by a conventiona~ U.P.C. .:
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code reader or scanner 25 located downstream from hopper 24.
A flat bed 26 e~tends along the top of base 22 fro~
beneath hopper 2~l to the exit end 27 of the machine. The bed is inclined downwardly to one side of the machine as seen in Figure 1, a shoulder 28 extending along the lower cdge of the bed along which the magazines will ride. A plurality of endless belts ~9 extend along and are supported by bed 27, four of such belts being shown in Figure 1. The belts are driven by a motor shown schematically at 31 in Figure 14 at the exit end of the device, idler pulleys 32 being located beneath hopper 2b~ and mounted on a shaft 33. The lower flights 34 of belts 29 are spaced below bed 26 and the upper flights pass through openings 35, one of which is seen in Figure 2.
A plurality of diverting means, such as two generally indicated a~ 36 and 37 in Figure 1, are located d~wnstream from scanner 25, the construction of which are d~scribed in detail below. These divertin~g means are adapted to deflect the proper publications to chutes 38 and 39 respective}y which lead to bîns (not shown), tables or other desired means for receiving the diverted magazines. Scoop-shaped ~embers 41 and 42 are mounted above the portîons of bed 26 immediately downstream from diver~ers 36 and 37 respectively. These members are spaced above the bed and conveyor belts so as to permit magaæines to pass beneath them, but will aid in deflecting magazines ~hich are diverted by the raising of the diverting means 36 and 37. A bin 43 is provlded at the exit end of the machine so that magaæines which pass diverting means 36 and 37 may be received~ ~ swingable cover 44 also may be provided immediately downstream from hopper : 24 for the protection of the separating means for the magaæines whlch are described below~ A cDntrol ætation 45 îs mounted on '-' ' ' ' ' : . ~

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:he machine ad~acent hopper 24, and a console 46 connected to ~
computer 47 ~Figure 14) is mounted ~d~acent the control statiorl.
In a typical use for machine 21, a batch oE magazines and other publications returned to a distributor from a retailer are divided into two groups, scannable publications and un-scannable returns, such as certain newspapers and precounted bundles of magazines. A stack of scannable publications is placed in hopper 24 after the retailer code number has been entered in computer 47 and any previous stack of publications has been cleared. Entry of a control code in the computer will start the flow of maga~ines from hopper 24 to scanner 25 At the scanner, the publication U.P.C. bar codes are "read" and compared with a iist of valid code numbers stored ln the computer memory. This will ini~iate predetcrmined command signals to divert the publication at the proper station. :
b Although.two diverting means are shown in the illustratea em-~ .
bodiment, a different ~Itmber could be provided. Publications that cannot be read for some reason could be di~erted to another location for different handling. Still other diverting stations ~.
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~ 2~ could be pro~ided for publications that must have their coYer6 .. . .
removed, are not v~lid returns, are to be returned to stock or.
the publisher, or to. be destroyed. Beca~se of the no~el ~eaeures of this inv.ention, the rate of scanning and sorting can be very high.
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: The construction of hopper 24 is shown best in Figures 2, 3 and 4, The hopper comprises a pair of side walls 48~ a ~ , .
~ relatively low rear wall 49 and a relatively high front ~all 5l~

:~ A g~te generally indicated a~ 52 is mounted rearwardly of front wall 51 and inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the bottom of the hopper. Gate 52 comprises a front plate 53 nnd rear plate . 6 .~ ` , . .

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. . , 54 in spaced rela~ion, the front plaee extending below the level of the rear pl~te. The plates are joined at both sldes by recessed members 55, and guides 56 are mounted on wa~ls 48 and fit between plates 53 and 54 to permit movement of the gate along its inclined path. A rearward extension 57 is provlded at the upper forward end oE the hopper, and an adjusting screw 58 i5 preferably moun~ed in member 57 and threadably mounted in a member 59 at the upper end oE gate 5~. Rotation of hand knoh 61 on screw 58 will move the gate along its inclined path to preselect the space between the lower lip 62 of pla~e 53 and ~he upper surface o bed 26. The space may be chosen so as to allow the thl~kest ma~azine in a batch to pass therethrough9 the magazines passing through an opening 63 in the-lower portio~ o~
wall 51. This lowermost magazine is indicated at~64, and additional magazines 65; 66, 67, etc. will be offset rearwardly by their engagement with front plate 53 and rea~ plate 54. A
pair of locking screws~68 are mounted in member 57 alongside knob 61 and are engageable with the top of member 59 to lock -:~:
the ~ate in its preselected position.
Additional means in the form of flat springs-69 are ~ ~ providsd for further causing stacked magszines to be offsst ;~ rearwardly as they pass outwardly from the hopper. These f~at ~ springs are secured at their rearward ends 71 to the lower .:
portion of front plate 53 in spaced parallel rela~ion, and will ~ ;
press down on magazines ss they psss through so that if there is more than one magazine passing through at a time, they wil].
be spread ou~ by frictional engagement with springs 69.
: Means are provîded at the bottom of hopper 24 for ~ lifting a stack of magaz;nes ofE belts 29 when it is desired to :
~ 30 interrupt the feed. This means comprises a plurality of spaced :.', :
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:parallel stack lifting plates 72, three such plates shown in the illustrated embodiment in~erposed between the four belts 29~
Plates 72 are ~ovable between a lower or sol:id line posltion shown in Figure ~ and in upper or dot-dash line position. When in their lower position, the plates permit the lowermost magazine in the hopper to engage belts 29 and be E~d forwardly. In their ::
upper or lifting position, the plates prevent the magazines from being fed.
The means for actuating plates 72 co~prises a.solenoid 73 mounted rearwardly of pulleys 32 and having an armature 74 connected by a link 75 to an arm 76 pivoted at 77 to the frame by means of upstanding brackets 78. Extensions 79 are secured ~- to arms 76 and are also rigidly secured to downward extensions ~ 81 on a cross ~ar 82, the rearward ends of plates 72 being . -~
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secured to bar 82. A downward extension 83 on arm 76 is engageable.
:' with an ad;ustable stop 84 mounted on.a bracket 8S. The forward : ' ends of pla~es 72 are slidably supported by bed 26 adj~acent ~he i: . . - `~ .
.~ forward end of the hopper : ~
. l - When solenoid 73~is:de-energi2ed, the weight of the :

magazines in hopper 24 will hold plates 72 ln their louer positlon~

Energization of solenoid 73 will raise the plates to their .
lifted positi~on, and in doing so will move them slightly rear~
wardly. Thus, when the solenoid is again de-energized there .will be a slight forward movement of the plates as they move to .:.
their lower position, aiding in the Eeeding of the magazines~
A plurali~y of magazine separating fingers 86 are located downstream from hopper 24. As illustrated, three fingers are shown disposed between the four belts 72, the outer ends 87 of the fingers being located at the downstream ends of sprlngs .
; 30 69. For this purpose, clearance notches 88 may be provided in ;: ~
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7~i3 ~he sp~ings as show~l in Figure 6.
The lnner ends of the Eingers are rockably mou~ted on a shaft 89, this shaft being rotatably supporte~ by brackets 91 carrying bearings 92, Brackets 91 are carried by a pair of-trans-verse plates 93 extending bet~een brackets 94 secured to the leas~ ' frame. At ~ the outer portions of fin~ers 86 may be fabri-cated of a low friction material so as to permit sliding of th~

~a~azines thereunder.

Fingers 86 are movable between a lower position shown an 5h~v~s in solid lines in Figure 2 and ~ upper position s~e~.in dot-dash lines. In their lower position, fingers 86 are urged clock-.:
wise in Figure 2 so that their tips 87 press downwardly against any magazine beneath them, and if the magazine slips past the downwardly urged fingers, their outer ends will then immediately engage bed 26. ln this position, the upright outer suraces 95 of the fingers, which are aligned, will block the further forwar~
movement of the next approaching maga~ine by engaging-its forward edge 96. The magazines themselves will be continually urged forwardly by belts 29 but will be positively prevented from further forward movement, so that the preceding maga~ine ~h~ch has slipped under the fingers will become spaced downstream.
The timed holding of fingers 86 in their lower position thus creates a gap or separation between the successive magazines, . .
permitting them to be properly scanned. In their upper position~
fingers 86 will be far enough above bed 26 to permit previously blocked maga~ine to pass therebeneath.
The means for shiftin~ fingers 86 between their positions comprises a pair of sole~oids 97 and 98 referred to as~ the down solenoid and up solenuid respectlvely. Thess solenoids are ~ounted on the downstream and upstream plates 93 by bracXets 99 and have plungers 101 and 102 which face each other. A bar 101 is ali~ned wit~
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the plungers and is slidably mounted below and between plates 93 by brackets 104 and 105, these brackets carrying downwardly extending brackets 106 which support bearings 107.
A pair of arms 108 are fixed to shaft 89 and have slotted upper portions 109 within which are disposed a pin 111 carried by an enlarged portion 112 of rod 103. Reciprocation of rod 103 will therefore cause rocking o:f shaEt 89. A pair of brackets 113 are fixed to the ou~er ends of shaft 89 ana carry adjustable scre~s 114, the lower ends of which have shoulders 115. These shoulders are slidably mounted on the un- :;

threaded lower ends 116 of screws 114 and are urged downwardly .. - , , ~.
by springs 117 against a cross bar 118 secured to the upper ::
. edges of the three fingers; as seen in Figure 6. Springs 117 I are held between shoulders 115 and shoulde~s 119 secured to screws 114. Thus, when shaft 89 is swung clockwise to move brackets 113 from their dot-dash line to their solid line pos~tion . in Figure 8, fingers 86 will be urged to their solid line position and will reach this position unless:they engage a ~-~ magazine~ in which case springs 117 will be temporaril.y com-~
pressed until the magazine slides out from under the fingers .
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~- and the latter snapped down against the bed.
. A pair of arms 120 are formed at the lower ends: of arms 108 and e~tend underneath the central portion of cross bar . .
. 118, as seen in Figure 6. ~hen solenoid 98 is energized, these ~` arms will lift cross bar 118 and thus raise fingers 86 to their lifted positions. A pair~of adjustable stops 121 are sec~rFd to rearward plate 93 by threaded collars 122 and are. engageable by the upper sur~ce of cross bar 118 to define the lifted ~`' position of fingers 86, as shown in Figure 8.
30 : Figure 9 shown a circuit diagram for controlling and . ~ 1 . ' ' ' . ' ' :

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~.: ' ~3~263 ,ynchroniæing the movement oE the stack lifting plates and spacing fingers. A photocell indicated schematically at 123 is loca~ed adjacen~ the outer ends of fingers 86 ~n a vertlcal plane indicated in dot-dash lines at 124 in Figure 2, immediately do~ns~ream of the vertical suraces 95 of fingers 86. This photocell will detect the arrival of the leadlng edge 96 of eac'n magazlne as the first portion of the maga~ine passes sur~aces 35 and therefore cannot be stopped by the fingers.
The operation of the system of Figure 9 may perhaps best be described with respect to a sequence with the initial condition being when the output of the pho~ocell is de-energized (no magazine in its path). 'rhis output, indicated a~ A in Figure 9, leads to a unit 1~5 which conver~s output A, for-example~
from 110 volts a.c. to 15 volts d.c. and has tw4 outputs B and C so arranged that when one is energized, the other is de-energized. With A de-energized, C will be de-energizea and B
energized. B leads to an AND gatP 126~ the output F of which is de-energized because its input D is de~energized. The input D
comes from the output of an AND gate 127 having C as one input.
And gate 127 is a sealed A~D gate between output D and input C.
Since C is de-energized at this point, so will D and F. F leads to an ad~ustable timer 128 having an output G which is energized when F is de-energized. G comprises the second input Df gate 127.
C has a branch leadlng to OR gate 1~9. The OtltpUt H
of OR gate 129 ~ill be de-energized at this point so that solenoia 73 will be de-energized and stack lifting plates 29 will be iTI
their lower position. Output D of AND gate 127 will be de-energized and output E energized so that solenoid 98 will be ~, energized and fingers 86 ln their raised position.

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When the leading edge 96 of the magazine passses photocell 123, A will become ener~lzed. This will cause C to become energiæed and ~ de-energlzed, G remainlng energized.
C will cause H to become energized, energizing solenoid 73 and moving plates 29 to their lifted position~ thus preventing further feeding of ~agazines from the hopper~ With C energiæe*, D will be energized and E de-energized, de-energizing solenoid 98 and ene~gizing solenoid 97 to lower fingers 86.
When the traili~g edge of the magazine sliding beneath fingers 86 passes photocell 123, i~s output A ~ill become de-energized. This will cause B to become energized and C de-energized, but output D of AND gate 127 will remain energized because of its sealed nat~re. With B and D energized 9 F will become energized and tlmer 128 will begin to time out. With - ~ ~-C de-energized, H will become de-energized which will de-energize solenoid 73 permitting the lifting plates 29 to descend ;~
by gravity and the weight of the stack above them. The~ lower-`l most magazine will thus be extracted from the stack and travel ~i ~ downstream. ~ -~
~` 20 When timer 128 times out, it9 output G ~ill become de-energized. This wîll cause output D of AND gate 127 to become de-energized, in turn causing the outptlt F of AND gate 126 to be de-energized. This will immediately energize the output G of timer 128.
De-energization of D will be accompanied by energization : .. ; .
-~ of E. This will energize solenoid 98 and de-energize ~olenoid 97, raising the separating fingers 86 which will meanwhlle have been holding back the succeeding magazine. It will thus be seen that, as soon as the trailing edge of each magazine leaves- the 3V photocell 123, stack lifting plates 29 will drop but separating ~ ~ .

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~`~397;~13 fingers 86 will be held in their lower position a short time longer to create the proper separation or spacing between the successive magaz-lnes.
Flgure 9 also shows means for manually raising and lowering the stack liting plates in the orm oE switches 131 and 132, voltage changing units 133 and 134, and AND unit 135, the output oE which is connected to OR gate lsq9. The operation .
of these controls, not being in themselves part of the present invention, need not be described in detail 10 Figures 10-13 show the construct:lon of one of the diverting means 36 or 37, the illustrated diverter being indi- . ;
cated generally at 36, The diverting means comprises a shaft 136 rotatably mounted between brackets 137 below the level of bed 26. The shaft extends at an angle upwardly and rear~ardly as seen in Figure 10 and is parallel to the plane of bed 26 which, as indicated previously, tilts downwardly to one side~
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~ Bed 2~ is cut away in the vicinity of the diverter to accomodate ~ :
~ : ~ -three fingers, 138, 139 and 140. These fingers are disposed between belts 72, finger 138 being located between the louermos~
belt 72a and the next belt 72b, finger 139 being:between belt~
72b and belt 72c and finger 140 between belts 72c and 72a. The fingers are of increasing leng~h so that their outer ends 141 : ~.
, are in line at right angles to~the path of movement of the belts~. -The inner ends of fingers 138, 139 and 140 are fixed to indi- ~.

vidual brackets 142, rotatably mounted on shaft 136, the fîn~ers. :~
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-- having a channel-shaped construction as seen in Figures 12 and 13. A bar 143 connects the underside oE brackets 142 and has ~.

a pair of downwardly extending parallel arms 144. A member 145 is `~ : .disposed between arms 144 and carries a pin 146 disposed in slots 147 thereof. The opposite ends oE member 145 are connected to . -13--s :.:
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~397Z~3 -~olenoids 148 and 149 respectively which are mounted on a bracket 151 bela~ the bed. Solenoid 148 when energized will move the fingers to a lower posltîon flush with bed 26 and slightly below the level of the upper surfaces of belts 29 so ~hat the fingers will not interfere with movement of the magaæines. Energiæation oE solenoid 149 will swing fingers up-warclly to their divertlng posltion as shown in Figure 1. Because of the geometrical arrangement of the parts, finger 140 will have the greatest movement and the fingers together will exert a positive deflecting movement on the magazines passing there-S~o~ :.
over, aided if necessary by ~e~-shaped members 41 or 42.
The operation of sorting device 21 is shown schematically in Figure 14, Scanner 25 will read the UPC code on each magaz~ne passing thereunder and will send this information through a scanner interface 152 to computer 47. The computer will take data derived from data terminals 153 and send back this information together with a "data ready" and diverter code or destination to the scanner interface.
When the magazine~reaches the exit end of the scanner it will pass a sensing device 154 such as a photocell which is indicated in Figure 1. This will send a "ready to read" eignal which causes the information from the scanner interface to enter one of a number of shift registers 155, 156, etc., depending upon the shift register number code received from a computer. The~
"ready to read" signal in effect~locate~ the magazine on the -conveyor at a precise point to start the shift register ~racking, the photocell lS4 thus acting to create a synchronizing polnt between th2 magazine on the ronveyor ~nd the shift register s$age~
Each shift register is provided with a number of stages which : .
; 30 are fed from an encoder 157 driven by mo~or 31 which drives belts ~ -14- -:; . ' . ''. `", : -, . . . .

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97'~,~3 ~9. The encoder feeds a pulse dl.vider 158 which sends shift pulses to the various shift registers. As soon a5 the first stage of a shi~t register has received a pu.lse, it wlll send a "data taken" signal back to the scanner interae which wlll reset the "data ready" and diverter code so as to prevent the false entry of data bits.
"On" signals from the stages of each shift register are ~ed to a selector switch 159 for that register~ For example~ in the case of shift register 1~ station 4 could be selected by switch 159. When an "on" signal from station 4 reaches the selector switch, a divert signal will be sent to a diverter interface 161. .
The diver~er interface will control operation of the up and down solenoids for that diverter (for example, 36 or 37) and will send a reset signal to the last stage of the shif~ -;:~ -register so that all the stages will move up one. ~-While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment - . of the invention disclosed îs well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention `
is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the sub~

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Claims (4)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A sorter comprising an elongated bed inclined down-wardly to one side, a plurality of belts movable along said bed, and diverter means on said bed comprising a plurality of diverter fingers rockable on a common pivot axis below the surface of said bed and in a plane parallel thereto, said axis being inclined with respect to the path of said belts so as to extend upwardly and rearwardly, said diverter fingers extending downstream therefrom parallel to said belts, and means for moving said fingers between a first position in which said fingers are substantially flush with said bed and a diverting position in which said fingers are inclined upwardly from said bed so as to deflect an article being carried by said belts laterally off said bed.

2. A sorter according to claim 1, said diverter fingers being of varying lengths whereby the downstream ends of said fingers are aligned at right angles to the path of said belt means.

3. A sorter according to claim 1, said means for moving said diverter fingers between their positions comprising brackets secured to said fingers, and a bar connecting said brackets.

4. A sorter according to claim 1, further provided with a concave scoop-like member mounted above said bed downstream of said diverter fingers.