GB446667A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for use in sorting letters or like articles - Google Patents

Abstract

446,667. Endless - chain conveyers. ERICSSON TELEPHONES, Ltd., 67, Kingsway, London, and WILMAN, C. W., c/o Ericsson Telephones, Ltd., Beeston, Notting- ham. Oct. 4, 1934, No. 28391. [Class 78 (i)] [See also Groups XVIII and XXXVIII] Letters &c. to be sorted are placed on a conveyer and discharged therefrom on to predetermined cross conveyers 11, the sorting being effected by an electric relay system controlled by a keyboard 16. The letters may be removed from the conveyer 1 by electromechanical or electro-pneumatic means, e.g. a suction tube may be applied electromagnetically to the letter and, after lifting the letter, may be swung to a position in which the vacuum is broken and the letter dropped at a required station. Preferably, the conveyer is built of hinged trays 3, the pivotal axes 4 of which are coupled by side links 5 and have rollers 8 running in channel tracks 9. The conveyer runs over end drums built of side discs notched at the periphery to accommodate the rollers 8. The trays may remain open along the lower run of the conveyer or may be provided with springs to reclose them after discharge of the letters. The guide channels 9 are carried by standards 19 on ledges 17 between which run cross-conveyers 11 on which the letters are selectively discharged from the trays, the crossconveyers delivering the letters deposited thereon to receptacles 18. The actuation of the keys is rendered operative to result in the discharge of the letters on to the selected crossconveyers by the energizing of electromagnets 20, the armature 21 of which cause stops 23 to move into the path of the arms 24 on the trays, thereby tilting the trays to discharge their contents.