EP0072678B1 - Receptacle for flat sheet-like items - Google Patents

Receptacle for flat sheet-like items Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0072678B1
EP0072678B1 EP19820304278 EP82304278A EP0072678B1 EP 0072678 B1 EP0072678 B1 EP 0072678B1 EP 19820304278 EP19820304278 EP 19820304278 EP 82304278 A EP82304278 A EP 82304278A EP 0072678 B1 EP0072678 B1 EP 0072678B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
receptacle
items
conveyor
box
loading position
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP19820304278
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0072678A3 (en
EP0072678A2 (en
Inventor
Roy Charles Thake
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Post Office
Original Assignee
Post Office
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Post Office filed Critical Post Office
Publication of EP0072678A2 publication Critical patent/EP0072678A2/en
Publication of EP0072678A3 publication Critical patent/EP0072678A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0072678B1 publication Critical patent/EP0072678B1/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H29/00—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles
    • B65H29/26—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles by dropping the articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H31/00—Pile receivers
    • B65H31/28—Bands, chains, or like moving receivers

Definitions

  • This invention relates to receptacles for flat sheet-like items, for example letters.
  • each stacking box is provided with a pusher plate which automatically, upon a predetermined weight of letters being stacked in the box, moves across the box to eject the stack therefrom into a compartment of an associated receiver.
  • the stack of letters when this has built up, is completely ejected from the . stacking box rather than being moved in the box away from the stacking position and furthermore the machine requires a receiver to receive the ejected letters.
  • the object of the invention is to provide an arrangement which represents an improvement upon the known machine referred to above.
  • a receptacle for flat sheet-like items as incorporated'in an item sorting machine which includes conveyor means arranged to deposit the items in a laid flat position in the receptacle, in which the receptacle incorporated discharging means directed transversely of the direction of travel of the conveyor means and operable to move the items being deposited away from the loading position, is characterised in that the discharging means consist of a conveyor which is arranged to receive and support the items being deposited and a detector is provided which is responsive to the items stacking at the loading position to a predetermined extent, to initiate operation of the conveyor in the receptacle in such manner that apart from an initially formed stack, the items adopt a successively overlapping relationship in the receptacle.
  • a letter stacking system forming part of a letter sorting machine includes a receptacle box 1 and a conveyor 2 from which letters 7 are diverted by means of a diverter 3 to be deposited in the box.
  • the support for the letters in the box 1 comprises a second conveyor 4 which is directed transversely of the direction of the conveyor 2 and to initiate operation of this conveyor a light sensing device sensitive to the height of any stack of the letters in the box is provided, this sensing device having a manual override.
  • the box includes a lateral guide 5 and a curtain 6 which conveniently is of a soft transparent polymer.
  • the box is required to be emptied in a part filled condition, they may be driven out on demand by means of the above-mentioned manual override, so obviating the need for an operator to reach inside the box.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)

Description

  • This invention relates to receptacles for flat sheet-like items, for example letters.
  • In a letter sorting machine in which letters or similar postal items on a conveyor are each diverted into a selected one of a number of stacking boxes, the stacking boxes must clearly be closely watched and regularly emptied by the operator if the boxes are not to be allowed to become too full.
  • In one known form of letter sorting machine (U.S. Patent Specification No. 3,782,541) each stacking box is provided with a pusher plate which automatically, upon a predetermined weight of letters being stacked in the box, moves across the box to eject the stack therefrom into a compartment of an associated receiver. However in this arrangement the stack of letters, when this has built up, is completely ejected from the . stacking box rather than being moved in the box away from the stacking position and furthermore the machine requires a receiver to receive the ejected letters.
  • The object of the invention is to provide an arrangement which represents an improvement upon the known machine referred to above.
  • According to the invention, a receptacle for flat sheet-like items as incorporated'in an item sorting machine which includes conveyor means arranged to deposit the items in a laid flat position in the receptacle, in which the receptacle incorporated discharging means directed transversely of the direction of travel of the conveyor means and operable to move the items being deposited away from the loading position, is characterised in that the discharging means consist of a conveyor which is arranged to receive and support the items being deposited and a detector is provided which is responsive to the items stacking at the loading position to a predetermined extent, to initiate operation of the conveyor in the receptacle in such manner that apart from an initially formed stack, the items adopt a successively overlapping relationship in the receptacle.
  • In order that the invention may be more fully understood one form of receptacle in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:
    • FIGURE 1 shows a diagrammatic side view of the receptacle and
    • FIGURE 2 shows an end view looking into the receptacle of Figure 1.
  • Referring to the drawing, a letter stacking system forming part of a letter sorting machine includes a receptacle box 1 and a conveyor 2 from which letters 7 are diverted by means of a diverter 3 to be deposited in the box.
  • The support for the letters in the box 1 comprises a second conveyor 4 which is directed transversely of the direction of the conveyor 2 and to initiate operation of this conveyor a light sensing device sensitive to the height of any stack of the letters in the box is provided, this sensing device having a manual override.
  • Furthermore the box includes a lateral guide 5 and a curtain 6 which conveniently is of a soft transparent polymer.
  • In. operation, letters are deposited in the box in a horizontal or laid flat position initially to form a stack and in this regard the guide 5 and curtain 6 serve to constrain the letters as they enter the receptacle so that their longitudinai edges remain parallel with the rear of the receptacle thereby minimising skewing. The stacking continues until the height of the stack is sufficient to actuate the sensing device which then operates the conveyor 4 to move the stack towards the outer end of the box (the right hand end in Figure 1) and away from the loading position until the stack passes from the field of view of the sensing device. The curtain 6 being quite flexible does not impede movement of the stack as shown. In fact as each letter enters the box, it passes through the field of view of the sensing device and this causes momentary movement of the conveyor. This however is very small but it is advantageous in that it causes the stack to be formed leaning slightly inwardly (that is away from the open end of the box).
  • As further items enter the box after movement of the initially formed stack, they partially overlie the initially formed stack at an angle and this stack of "tiled" or successively overlapping letters increases in length until the incoming letters start to pile up when again the light sensitive device is operated. As the conveyor moves the letters towards the open end of the box, the piled letters drop down behind the others and movement of the conveyor is stopped. In this way a continuous stream of "tiled" or successively overlapping letters is formed. After a number of intermittent operations of the conveyor, the end of.the box is reached when the items may be removed in convenient quantity by the operator without interfering with the items remaining in the box or the incoming items.
  • If the box is required to be emptied in a part filled condition, they may be driven out on demand by means of the above-mentioned manual override, so obviating the need for an operator to reach inside the box.

Claims (5)

1. A receptacle for flat sheet-like items as incorporated in an item sorting machine which includes conveyor means (2) arranged to deposit the items in a laid flat position in the receptacle, in which the receptacle incorporates discharging means directed transversely of the direction of travel of the conveyor means (2) and operable to move the items being deposited away from the loading position, characterised in that the discharging means consists of a conveyor (4) which is arranged to receive and support the items being deposited and a detector is provided which is responsive to the items stacking at the loading position to a predetermined extent, to initiate operation of the conveyor (4) in the receptacle in such manner that apart from an initially formed stack, the items adopt a successively overlapping relationship in the receptacle.
2. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1, characterised by guide means (5,6) to assist the position of the items in the receptacle.
3. A receptacle as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the guide means include a flexible curtain (6) on the downstream side of the loading position in relation to the operation of the conveyor (4) in the receptacle.
4. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 characterised in that the detector is a light sensing device.
5. A receptacle as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the light sensitive device is provided with a manual override.
EP19820304278 1981-08-14 1982-08-12 Receptacle for flat sheet-like items Expired EP0072678B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8124916 1981-08-14
GB8124916 1981-08-14
GB8132651 1981-10-29
GB8132651 1981-10-29

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0072678A2 EP0072678A2 (en) 1983-02-23
EP0072678A3 EP0072678A3 (en) 1983-03-09
EP0072678B1 true EP0072678B1 (en) 1986-03-12

Family

ID=26280470

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19820304278 Expired EP0072678B1 (en) 1981-08-14 1982-08-12 Receptacle for flat sheet-like items

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0072678B1 (en)
DE (1) DE3269827D1 (en)

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE400245C (en) * 1923-05-05 1924-08-02 Cartonnagenindustrie Ag F Depositing device for machines for processing box workpieces
GB435333A (en) * 1934-05-08 1935-09-19 Thomas Cossar Improvements in delivery and counting apparatus for newspaper folding machines
NL238138A (en) * 1958-04-17
DE1160792B (en) * 1962-04-27 1964-01-02 Telefunken Patent Device for the uniform delivery of a conveyor line with mainly flat items
GB1313155A (en) * 1970-10-29 1973-04-11 Sherburn Design Ltd Collapsible frameworks for temporary structures
US3772971A (en) * 1971-05-27 1973-11-20 Taylor M L Batch stacker
US3744649A (en) * 1972-05-05 1973-07-10 Ward Machinery Co Squaring and bundle counting machine
GB1472616A (en) * 1973-10-04 1977-05-04 Eastman Kodak Co Sheet stacking bin
US3937456A (en) * 1974-09-26 1976-02-10 Fairchild Industries, Inc. Article stacking apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0072678A3 (en) 1983-03-09
DE3269827D1 (en) 1986-04-17
EP0072678A2 (en) 1983-02-23

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