US3750880A - Distributor for rectangular flat items - Google Patents

Distributor for rectangular flat items Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3750880A
US3750880A US00266743A US3750880DA US3750880A US 3750880 A US3750880 A US 3750880A US 00266743 A US00266743 A US 00266743A US 3750880D A US3750880D A US 3750880DA US 3750880 A US3750880 A US 3750880A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
items
path
distributing
disposed
rollers
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 - Lifetime
Application number
US00266743A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
P Petrovsky
M Bohm
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.)
Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Original Assignee
Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
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 Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH filed Critical Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3750880A publication Critical patent/US3750880A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C3/00—Sorting according to destination
    • B07C3/02—Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
    • B07C3/06—Linear sorting machines in which articles are removed from a stream at selected points

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT An item distriburo having a horizontally dipsosed main conveying path with a plurality of vertically disposed distributing paths branching downwardly from the main path through switches and distributin Appl. No.: 266,743
  • the present invention relates to a distributor for rectangular flat items, such as letters in particular, in which, from a horizontally disposed main conveying path, on which the items are transported lying down flat, a plurality of vertically disposed distributor conveying paths branch off downwardly via a switch arrangement. A plurality of stacking compartments are arranged, one under the other, along the perpendicular conveying paths in such a manner that the edges of the items which are disposed perpendicular to the conveying direction are always moved parallel to themselves.
  • German Patent No. 1,277,606 A distributor with the above-mentioned features is disclosed in German Patent No. 1,277,606. This distributor is constructed in such a manner that one perpendicular row of stacking compartments is disposed between each two adjacent distributing paths. Thus the same number of distributing paths is required as there are rows of stacking compartments.
  • stacking compartments are disposed on both sides of each distributing path so that two perpendicular rows of stacking compartments are disposed between each two adjacent distributing paths.
  • a perpendicular distributing path and two perpendicular rows of stacking compartments which are operatively associated with the distributing paths by means of a switch are combined into a structural unit.
  • each unit is provided with its own motor to drive its conveying means.
  • a particularly advantageous arrangement of the distributing paths results when stacking compartments of one row are vertically offset with respect to those of the other row by one-half the vertical distance between the stacking compartments of one row.
  • the distributing paths may then be constructed of a relatively small number of conveying elements in that on each side of the conveying path, and in association with the individual stacking compartments, there is a movable, i.e., resiliently mounted, roller, a switch tongue and a fixed roller which are arranged to follow one another. Because of the offset arrangement of the stacking compartments a movable roller on one side of the conveying path can then be disposed to cooperate with a fixed roller of the other side.
  • FIG. I is an elevational view showing a distributor with two vertically disposed distributing paths that branch off from a horizontally disposed main conveying path.
  • FIG. 2 is an elevational view to an enlarged scale of one of the vertically disposed distributing paths, with the associated stacking compartments, of another embodiment of a distributor.
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 5 is a partly schematic, partly elevational view of a mail distributor which is provided with a main conveying path having a controllable position correction device.
  • FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of part of the arrangement of FIG. 5 and taken in the direction of arrow VI of FIG. 5.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates part of an item conveying system according to the invention including two vertically disposed distributing paths, generally indicated at l, which branch off from a horizontally disposed main conveying path 20 formed in a known manner of rollers and conveyor belts and in which the items are transported in a horizontal orientation. Switches 21 are disposed between the horizontal path 20 and the vertically disposed conveying paths 1.
  • Each path I is associated with stacking compartments 3 and 4, in a manner to be described in detail below. It can be seen that, in contradistinction to the above-mentioned known distributor, there are always two rows of vertically disposed stacking compartments 4 and 3 between each two adjacent distributing paths 1.
  • the conveying and guide elements, to be described below, of a distributing path 1 of the distributor are disposed on a vertically arranged U-shaped member 2.
  • the stacking compartments 3 and 4 are formed by individual stack bottoms 3' or 4, respectively, and continuous walls 5 and 6.
  • Each stack bottom is mounted on guide means (not shown) to be perpendicularly movable in a known manner and can be lowered, as the height of its stack increases, against a setting force down to the position indicated by dashed lines.
  • a stack bottom arrangement of this kind is shown in US. Pat. No. 2,124,858 for instance. As can be seen particularly in FIG.
  • the stack ing compartments 3 of the left row are vertically offset with respect to the stacking compartments 4 of the right row by onehalf the distance between the stacking compartments of each row. As will be seen from the following description, this results in a particularly favorable configuration for the distributing path.
  • a movably mounted roller 7 In association with each of the individual stacking compartments 3 and 4, there is, torque each side of ,the conveying path, a movably mounted roller 7, a switching tongue 8 and a fixedly mounted roller 9. These components are so arranged that, due to the vertically offset positionsof the stacking compartments 3 and 4, one movable roller 7 of the one row cooperates with a fixed roller 9 of the other row.
  • Each movable roller 7 at one side of the path is mounted on a rocker arm 10 which lies opposite the switching tongue 8 at the other side of the path. Springs, which cannot be seen in the drawing, exert a tongue on the rocker arm 10 in a direction which causes its movable roller 7 to be yieldingly pressed against its associated fixed roller 9.
  • the immediately adjacent movable and fixed rollers on each side of the conveying path are always connected together by a conveyor belt II.
  • the conveyor belts at both sides overlap in the area of the rollers.
  • the fixed rollers 9 are each driven via drive belts (not shown) and a roller 12.
  • each tongue 8 is bifurcated so that they surround the conveying elements 7 and 11, from both sides.
  • Each tongue is actuated by a rotating magnet 13 on whose axis it is disposed.
  • the rotating magnet is rigidly mounted to member 2 by a holder 13'.
  • Each compartment switch thus substantially consists of a bifurcated switch tongue 8 and a rotating magnet 13.
  • the reference numeral 8 for the switch tongue will be used hereinbelow in referring to the entire compartment switch.
  • a vertically disposed distributing path 1 with two rows of stacking compartments 3 and 4 which are associated with this path on both sides via switches 8 are combined into an independent structural unit 22.
  • Each such structural unit has its own motor, 40 in FIG. 1, to drive its conveying means.
  • each stacking compartment 3 and 4 is provided with a guide bar 14 mounted at 14' in order to aid the formation of an orderly stack in the compartment.
  • FIG. I a movable roller 7, a switch tongue and a fixed roller 9 are arranged in succession on each side of the conveying path of the distributing path 1. However, their order is from bottom to top while in FIGS. 2 and 4 the order of elements 7, 8 and 9 is from top to bottom.
  • the above described arrangement of the stacking compartments 3 and 4 results in the characteristic feature of the distributor, according to the present invention, that the items are stacked in a different orientation in the left-hand stacking compartments 3 than in the right-hand stacking compartments 4.
  • the arrangement thus acts as a reversing device for the left-hand stacking compartments in that the items are pivoted about an axis in the plane of the item but perpendicular to the conveying direction.
  • FIGS. 5 and 6 show a mail distributing machine.
  • a known scanner 23 is disposed at the entrance to the main conveying path 20, where the items are moved on edge, to read the identifying imprint on the items.
  • the scanned signal forms guide signals in a known correlator 24.
  • These guide signals are shifted in steps through the stages of a stepping register 25 in synchronism with the advance of the items along their conveying path and effect the formation of setting signals for the actuation of the respective switch 21 and the respective compartment switch 8 whenever the item has reached the particular switch.
  • the shifting takes place in a known manner under the control of signals from light barriers, disposed along the conveying path, which are not shown in the drawing.
  • a switch 26 is disposed with which the items can be selectively guided through either a position correction device or a simple detour channel 27.
  • a reversing device 28 known, for example from German Patent No. 1,146,449 is shown schematically. With this device the items are turned by 180 about an axis which is parallel to their plane and perpendicular to the conveying direction.
  • a turning device 29 of known type is disposed behind the confluence point of the two channels 27, 28 where the previously vertically disposed items are laid flat for further conveyance along the main horizontally disposed conveying path 20.
  • the setting signal for switch 26 is formed in a known switching stage 30 from the guide signals furnished by the correlator 24. This is done in such a manner that items which are intended for a left-hand stacking compartment 3 in view of their guide identification pass through reverser 28 so that the items finally come to lie in the same orientation in all stacking compartments insofar as their address side is concerned.
  • An item distributor which, like that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, has a scanner, a correlator, a stepping register and switching stages is known from US. Pat. No. 3,141,540 for instance.
  • a distributor for rectangular flat items such as items of mail
  • the distributor having a plurality of vertically disposed distributing paths which branch off, in a downward direction, from a horizontally disposed main conveying path through switches, a plurality of stacking compartments associated with the vertically disposed distributing paths one below the other and each being operatively disposed with respect to its associated distributing path via a compartment switch in such a manner that the edges of the items which are perpendicular to the conveying direction are always moved parallel to themselves
  • the improvement wherein there are two vertically disposed rows of said stacking compartments associated with each said distributing path, each row being vertically disposed on a respective side of its associated distributing path, with two vertically disposed .rows of stacking compartments being disposed between two adjacent distributing paths.
  • each said distributing path, and said two vertically disposed rows of stacking compartments operatively associated thereto are formed as a structural unit which further comprises a compartment switch for each said compartment disposed between said path and its respective compartment.
  • each said path includes conveying means and each said structural unit further comprises a motor operatively connected to said conveying means.
  • each said path includes conveying means disposed on each side of said path to guide and convey the items, said conveying means comprising a plurality of pairs of rollers, one of which is movably mounted and the other of which is fixedly mounted, each of said stacking compartments having a respective pair of said rollers associated with it and with said rollers on opposite sides of said compartment switch, said switch including a switching tongue, and with said fixedly mounted rollers associated with said compartments in the one of said rows cooperating with said movably mounted rollers in the other of said rows.
  • said conveying means further comprises conveying belts connecting said rollers of each of said pairs of rollers, ,and wherein said conveying belts associated with said compartments in one of said rows overlap said conveying belts associated with the other of said rows in the area of said cooperating fixedly and movably mounted rollers.
  • An arrangement as defined in claim 6 further comprising a rocker arm associated with each of said pairs of rollers and supporting said movable roller, each said rocker arm being disposed to lie opposite a respective switching tongue of the associated pair of rollers disposed on the opposite side of said distributing path.
  • each of said stacking compartments has a bottom portion which receives the items and on which the items are stacked one on top of the other, and further comprising means connected to said stacking compartments, said means dropping said bottom portions of said stacking compartments in response to an increase in the number of items stacked therein.

Landscapes

  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
  • Separation, Sorting, Adjustment, Or Bending Of Sheets To Be Conveyed (AREA)
  • Delivering By Means Of Belts And Rollers (AREA)
  • Branching, Merging, And Special Transfer Between Conveyors (AREA)
  • Pile Receivers (AREA)
US00266743A 1971-06-30 1972-06-27 Distributor for rectangular flat items Expired - Lifetime US3750880A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE2132400A DE2132400C3 (de) 1971-06-30 1971-06-30 Verteilmaschine für rechteckige flache Sendungen wie insbesondere Briefsendungen

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3750880A true US3750880A (en) 1973-08-07

Family

ID=5812170

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00266743A Expired - Lifetime US3750880A (en) 1971-06-30 1972-06-27 Distributor for rectangular flat items

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3750880A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS5441240B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
AU (1) AU464120B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BE (1) BE785544A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2132400C3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1386637A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
IT (1) IT960714B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3969229A (en) * 1975-02-18 1976-07-13 Gti Corporation Component handler with automatic sorter
FR2417344A1 (fr) * 1978-02-17 1979-09-14 Thomson Csf Dispositif de tri de documents et unite de tri comportant un tel dispositif
US4438328A (en) 1980-09-25 1984-03-20 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Card reader for reading information carried on tag cards
US4441704A (en) * 1980-12-05 1984-04-10 Luarel Bank Machine Co., Ltd. Three direction changeable guide device for use in a bank note handling machine
US4486015A (en) * 1981-06-09 1984-12-04 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Sheet diverting device for copying apparatus or the like
US4548402A (en) * 1983-11-30 1985-10-22 Rank Xerox Limited Paper sorting apparatus for a copier
US4688678A (en) * 1984-04-04 1987-08-25 G B Instruments, Inc. Sorter apparatus for transporting articles to releasing locations
US4718660A (en) * 1985-10-09 1988-01-12 Daboub Henry A Anti-jamming means for a pocket of a mail sort machine
US4872662A (en) * 1985-07-09 1989-10-10 Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha Sorting apparatus having sorter connectable to another sorter
US4968419A (en) * 1987-09-18 1990-11-06 Aes Technology Systems, Inc. Document processing system
US5109987A (en) * 1989-12-04 1992-05-05 National Presort, Inc. Multi-level sort machine
US5143225A (en) * 1990-03-27 1992-09-01 Bell & Howell Company Carrier sequenced bar code sorter for documents
USRE34330E (en) * 1985-10-09 1993-08-03 Anti-jamming means for a pocket of a mail sort machine
US5248136A (en) * 1991-08-21 1993-09-28 Konica Corporation Sorting apparatus with two sorters
WO1994005581A1 (en) * 1992-08-28 1994-03-17 Bell & Howell Phillipsburg Company A document sorter having primary sorting paths
US5397003A (en) * 1986-09-05 1995-03-14 Opex Corporation Method and apparatus for determining the orientation of a document
US5398922A (en) * 1991-04-19 1995-03-21 Tritek Technologies, Inc. Feeder system for a mail sorter
US20060124512A1 (en) * 2004-10-19 2006-06-15 Pitney Bowes Incorporated System and method for grouping mail pieces in a sorter

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3920417A1 (de) * 1989-06-22 1991-01-03 Bielomatik Leuze & Co Sortiereinrichtung fuer flaechige zuschnitte
US5226547A (en) * 1991-04-19 1993-07-13 Tritek Technologies, Inc. Mail transport assembly for mail sorting system

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2677473A (en) * 1951-08-09 1954-05-04 Hall Telephone Accessories Ltd Postal sorting apparatus
US3395913A (en) * 1966-10-11 1968-08-06 Xerox Corp Sheet material distribution system

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3420368A (en) * 1966-09-14 1969-01-07 Bunn Co B Mail sorting machine

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2677473A (en) * 1951-08-09 1954-05-04 Hall Telephone Accessories Ltd Postal sorting apparatus
US3395913A (en) * 1966-10-11 1968-08-06 Xerox Corp Sheet material distribution system

Cited By (21)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3969229A (en) * 1975-02-18 1976-07-13 Gti Corporation Component handler with automatic sorter
FR2417344A1 (fr) * 1978-02-17 1979-09-14 Thomson Csf Dispositif de tri de documents et unite de tri comportant un tel dispositif
US4438328A (en) 1980-09-25 1984-03-20 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Card reader for reading information carried on tag cards
US4441704A (en) * 1980-12-05 1984-04-10 Luarel Bank Machine Co., Ltd. Three direction changeable guide device for use in a bank note handling machine
US4486015A (en) * 1981-06-09 1984-12-04 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Sheet diverting device for copying apparatus or the like
US4548402A (en) * 1983-11-30 1985-10-22 Rank Xerox Limited Paper sorting apparatus for a copier
US4688678A (en) * 1984-04-04 1987-08-25 G B Instruments, Inc. Sorter apparatus for transporting articles to releasing locations
US4872662A (en) * 1985-07-09 1989-10-10 Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha Sorting apparatus having sorter connectable to another sorter
USRE34330E (en) * 1985-10-09 1993-08-03 Anti-jamming means for a pocket of a mail sort machine
US4718660A (en) * 1985-10-09 1988-01-12 Daboub Henry A Anti-jamming means for a pocket of a mail sort machine
US5397003A (en) * 1986-09-05 1995-03-14 Opex Corporation Method and apparatus for determining the orientation of a document
US5540338A (en) * 1986-09-05 1996-07-30 Opex Corporation Method and apparatus for determining the orientation of a document
US4968419A (en) * 1987-09-18 1990-11-06 Aes Technology Systems, Inc. Document processing system
US5109987A (en) * 1989-12-04 1992-05-05 National Presort, Inc. Multi-level sort machine
US5143225A (en) * 1990-03-27 1992-09-01 Bell & Howell Company Carrier sequenced bar code sorter for documents
US5398922A (en) * 1991-04-19 1995-03-21 Tritek Technologies, Inc. Feeder system for a mail sorter
US5248136A (en) * 1991-08-21 1993-09-28 Konica Corporation Sorting apparatus with two sorters
WO1994005581A1 (en) * 1992-08-28 1994-03-17 Bell & Howell Phillipsburg Company A document sorter having primary sorting paths
US5542547A (en) * 1992-08-28 1996-08-06 Bell & Howell Phillipsburg Company Document sorting section having a plurality of primary sorting paths
US20060124512A1 (en) * 2004-10-19 2006-06-15 Pitney Bowes Incorporated System and method for grouping mail pieces in a sorter
US7414219B2 (en) * 2004-10-19 2008-08-19 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for grouping mail pieces in a sorter

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2132400A1 (de) 1973-01-11
AU464120B2 (en) 1975-08-14
AU4407772A (en) 1974-01-03
JPS5441240B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1979-12-07
IT960714B (it) 1973-11-30
BE785544A (fr) 1972-10-16
DE2132400C3 (de) 1974-04-25
GB1386637A (en) 1975-03-12
DE2132400B2 (de) 1973-09-20

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3750880A (en) Distributor for rectangular flat items
US6373013B1 (en) Apparatus for sorting sheets or the like
US3147845A (en) Sortation means
US4778062A (en) System for coding flat objects, in particular letters
US4468165A (en) Apparatus for transporting sorted stacked matter
IL28521A (en) Multiunits sheet distributor system
US3395913A (en) Sheet material distribution system
US3093245A (en) Segregation mechanism
CN1082847C (zh) 将分选物件运送到排序列中去的设备和方法
US3087598A (en) Article distribution system
GB2084966A (en) Combining sheets from different piles whilst being fed periodically and sequentially along multiple paths
US5460272A (en) Apparatus for sorting objects, especially those of flat shape
US1537569A (en) Central station for carrier-dispatch systems
US3791515A (en) Document sorting and handling machines
US4171746A (en) Article sorting apparatus
US3586311A (en) Selecting apparatus
AU2096500A (en) Device for turning sheets
US2881918A (en) Bottle sorting mechanism
US3777630A (en) Panel inserting apparatus for beehive partition assembly
US1651180A (en) Sorting machine
US4525985A (en) Apparatus for automatically packaging articles
US3026028A (en) Reading and evaluation of tabular information
US3115961A (en) Sorting and distrubting device
GB1527377A (en) Sortingmachine
US3740050A (en) Apparatus for assembling a stack of sheets