US2119919A - Classifying apparatus for postal matter - Google Patents

Description

June 1933- A. J. KNIGHT ET AL K 2,119,919

CLASSIFYING APPARATUS FOR POSTAL MATTER Filed April 14, 1936 Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLASSIFYING APPARATUS FOR POSTAL MATTER Application April 14, 1936, Serial No. 74,372 In Great Britain April 18, 1935 5 Claims.

This invention concerns improvements relating to classifying apparatus for segregating letters or letter-like articles (hereinafter termed letters) from parcels, packets or like objects (hereinafter termed parcels) and has for its object to provide a simple but effective apparatus.

According to the invention, such apparatus comprises a plurality of rollers disposed side by side in parallel or substantially parallel relationship with gaps between them large enough to pass the letters but not the parcels and adapted for being rotated in the same direction towards one side or in outward directions from an intermediate line towards the two sides. Postal matter placed in this apparatus is readily separated without damage into its components, the letters falling through the gaps, whilst the parcels remain upon the rollers. Helical formations may be provided upon or applied to the rollers in order to impart to the'parcels a longitudinal feed movement which can be utilized for their automatic discharge at one end of the apparatus.

According to a further feature of the invention, the rollers are given a slight slope towards the discharge end of the apparatus for the purpose of imparting the longitudinal feed movement to the parcels. The helical formations may then be dispensed with or a combination of the slope and helical formations may be utilized in order to obtain the desired efiect.

Embodiments of the invention by way of example will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section of one embodiment,

Fig. 2 a longitudinal section thereof illustrating additional features, and

Fig. 3 a longitudinal section of another embodiment.

In all forms of apparatus according to the invention, the spaced rollers are Preferably so disposed that, regarded from one end, they form a trough. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the trough is formed by rollers l which are arranged to rotate,

at the same speed, outwardly towards the two sides. Additional rollers 2 are provided at the said sides to form overhanging lips to the trough and thus to prevent the postal matter, which tends to be thrown towards the sides, from being projected out of the trough. In some cases, all of the rollers I may be arranged to rotate in the same direction. It is then necessary to provide the additional rollers 2 only upon the side towards which the postal matter tends to be thrown by the rollers. 7

The rollers l and Z are advantageously formed of r fa ed w t a mate a or example ru ber, which gives them a certain grip on the postal matter so that the latter is thoroughly agitated. In this agitation, the letters relatively quickly enter one or other of the gaps 3 between the rollers I and fall through the same, the said gaps being made of such width as to pass a predetermined thickness of letter. Since each gap 3 is bounded by at least one upwardly turning roller-part and since the rollers rotate at the same speed, there is no danger of letters or parcels being mangled between the said rollers. The

mixed matter may be brought to the apparatus by a conveyor-band 4 or chute and the separated letters may fall upon a conveyor-band 5 or chute whereby they are conducted to further apparatus. The parcels, on the other hand, remain upon the rollers. This form of apparatus has consequently to be charged with the mixed matter, and relieved of the parcels, in batches. Both ends of the trough are closed by end-plates 6 and the whole is surrounded by a housing 1.

Preferably, however, the apparatus is adapted for continuous charging and continuous discharge of parcels. Two arrangements for this purpose are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. In these arrangements, only one end (as illustrated the left-hand end at which the driving means NJ for the rollers is provided) of the trough is closed by a plate 6, whilst the other end opens into a chute8.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the rollers l and 2 are formed or provided with helical formations .9 designed to impart to the postal matter a longitudinal feed towards the open end of the trough. The latter is made or such length, however, that all of the letters will have 'been separated, i. e. will have dropped through the gaps 3 before the open end is reached. The parcels, on the other hand, pass out of the apparatus byv way of the chute 8 at the said open end and are conducted away wherever required. The helical formations 9 upon the rollers l and 2 may be constituted by rubber strip or ribbed facing or-by bristles, fibrous material or the like.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the rollers l and 2. are plain and the longitudinal feed movement is provided for by giving the said rollers a Slight separate the letters as quickly as possible from.

the parcels and to effect this separation with certainty. For this purpose, it is necessary to provide a variety of paths for the letters,'for these.

will be mixed up with and partly supported .by

parcels of all shapes and sizes from thick let-.

In normal mix-.-

ter-like packages upwards. tures of postal matter, a minority only of the letters will find their way to the three gaps in the bottom of the trough. The majority will be form-a steeply inclined wall-section. V a Apparatus with rollers of the number, arrange- ;mehtan'd relative size illustrated gives, an efiecmore or less quickly projectedagainst the sidewalls of the trough. However, these letters will not all arrive in one direction and in one posi-l tion and it is important that, as far as possible, 5 they shall not be impeded due to their arrival in directions and positions inappropriate tothe' positions of the gaps. It is found that much less 7 impedance is offered whenthe 'wall rollers are a so arranged as to present gaps at substantial 10 angles to each other, a maximum efiiciency'being'achieved when adjacent gaps are substantially at right angles to each other. The arrangement illustrated in the drawing hastwo such combinations ofgaps at each side wall: At the lower edge of each wall, one roller is set down- ,wai'dly from the line of the bottom of the trough to-.,.form a recess,r.between the said bottom and wall, .from which the gaps open in directions at right angles to each other. In the upper part of each wall, there is a roller set outwardly from the'line origeneral contour of the wall tov form a recess from which thegaps open in directions at right angles to each other. At least the next roller"above the outwardly set roller is set inwardly to form the lip. As illustrated, lip-rollers above the 'outwardlyset roller form a substanrtial ly vertical wall-section, while rollers between then-said roller and thel botto-m of the trough ti've result in the case of'normal mixed postal mattenf It will be understood, however, that a V smaller or larger number of 'rollersanda 'dif- "45, 1.:jClassifying apparatus for segregating letterslfrom'parcels, comprising a plurality of substantially parallel rollers disposed with gaps between them in an open trough-formation, including rollers forming the bottom of'the troughfor'mation, a roller set downwardly from the 'f'line of the said bottom at aside edgelthereof, rollers forming the fside walls of the trough for- Vn'iation', aroner set outwardly from the ,line of side Wall, and at :least one roller set inwardly above the last-named roller to form a hp at the top of the side-:wall, the downward andbutward setting of the rollers respectively so set forming recesses from which thegaps between the said rollers and the respectively adjacent rollers open (ill I in directions substantially at right'an'gles'to each fotne'r; V l v V 2. Classifying apparatus for segregating-letters from parcels compri'singan open trough-formation having a bottom consisting of a series of I 16.5 parallel rollers withaxes in a common plane and "a lowerparallel roller at each end of the series 7 with its axis in'a' plane below the axes of the said series of rollers; sides each formed 'by rollers parallel "with 'and above said lower roller with V V 70 axes in anoutwairdly inclinedplane, and an ou't- 'wajrdlypffset parallel roller "on an axis slightly V abo'vethe axlsoftheFuppermost side roller, all

adjace'ntrollers having gap'sfbet'ween them large enough to allow'letters'topassbut not-parcels and being adapted for being rotated so that of the parts of the trough-bottom rollers bounding -each gap at least one part is turning inwardly" of the troughfor'niation and that the top parts of the trough-side rollers turn outwardly from the trough-formation.

3. Classifying apparatus for segregating letters from parcels, comprising an open trough formation having a bottom consisting of a series of parallel rollers with axes in a common plane and a lower parallel roller at each end'of the series with its axis in a plane below the axes of 'the said series of rollers, sides each formed'by' rollers parallel with and above said lower roller with axes in an outwardly inclined ,Plane, an

outwardly offset parallel roller on. an axis slightly above the axis ofthe uppermost side roller and an additional rolleron-an axis above and dis! posed inwardly of the axis of the offset roller to form a lip on one side at least of the troughfori'nati'on, all adjacent rollers having gapsbee tween them large enough toallow letters to pass but not-parcels and being adapted for being rotated so that of thepartsof the trough-bottom rollers bounding each gapat least one part is turning inwardly of the trough formation. and

that the top parts of the trough-side rollers'turn V outwardly fromthe trough-formation.

4. Classifying apparatus for segregating-law ters from parcels, comprising an open trough formation having a bottom consisting of a series of'parallel rollerswith axes in a common plane and a'lower parallel roller at each end of the 5 I series of rollers, sides each formed byrollers parallel with an'dabove said lower roller with axes in an outwardly inclined plane, an outwardly offset parallel roller on an axis slightly above the axis of the uppermostside'roller and an a'clditional roller on an axis above and disposed inwardly oi the axis of the offset 'rollerto form a. lip on one side at least'of the trough-formation,

all 'adjacentrollers having gaps between them large enough to allow'let'ters to pass but not parcels, means for closing the trough atone end,

means for driving the rollers so that the top parts 7 of the side rollers turn outwardly from the trough-formation and atleast one partof the bottom rollers bounding each-gap turns inwardly of the trough-formation, and means for imparting a longitudinal feed to the parcels awa'y from the closed end of thetrough-formation. r

5. Classifying apparatus for segregating..let ters from parcels, comprising a pluralit'yof sub-V stantially parallel rollers disposedtwith gaps between them in an open trough-formation, the rollers constituting'a side wall of the said troughformation being atileast 'five'in number and in-- cluding'at least one roller whichis displaced from the general contour of the wall toforin' a recess inthewall from which gaps open in di-rections substantially at right anglesto each other, the rollers above the said displaced roller forming a-substantially vertical wall-section whilst the" rollers between the said roller and the bottom bf con the trough-formation form a wallsectio'n inf clined relatively to the first-named wall-section and thebo'tton l I ARTHUR 'JOHN KNIGHT.

H-UTBERT WILLIAM A DMAN.

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