Apparatus for separating tacks from surveillance tags

A bi-level ramp supported under a table with an access slot has a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinal ribs providing a series of channels on the upper level for supporting and extracting surveillance tags while the channels contain a plurality of spaced apertures for passing tacks to the lower level for separated discharge into respective receptacles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to sorting apparatus for sorting parts of an 
article surveillance system. 
Surveillance systems are presently in use in retail stores and the like 
wherein a tag is secured to each article of merchandise which tag contains 
an element detectable by a portal unit for activating an alarm if the tag 
is not removed by authorized personnel upon purchase of the item involved. 
One type of tag unit incorporates the detectable element in a housing that 
is secured to the article by means of a tack having a head and a shank, 
the shank being passed through the article and fastened in a clutch lock 
in the housing. The usual procedure in a retail outlet is to provide the 
cashier with a tool for separating the tack from the tag whereupon the 
parts are dumped into a container for subsequent sorting and re-use. It is 
the sorting that has heretofore posed a problem, which problem it is the 
intent of the present invention to solve. The reason for sorting is 
related, of course, to economy of time and efficiency in reapplying the 
tags to a large inventory of incoming merchandise. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the invention there is provided apparatus for use with a 
quantity of article surveillance tags and unattached tacks in random 
mixture for separating said tacks from said tags where said tacks have a 
head and a shank and are used to fasten said tags to fabric, or the like, 
said apparatus comprising a bi-level ramp having an upper level a 
predetermined height above a lower level, means for suspending said ramp 
beneath a work surface having an opening for introducing said mixed 
quantity of tags and tacks to one end of said ramp, said one end of said 
ramp being elevated relative to its other end, said other end being 
supported above a support surface such that a pair of receptacles can be 
disposed beneath said other end in position to receive articles traversing 
the respective levels of said ramp, a plurality of apertures in the upper 
level of said bi-level ramp larger than the greatest dimensions of said 
tacks for freely permitting a tack to pass through said upper level of 
said ramp to the lower level of said ramp, said suspending means being 
constructed to support said ramp with a sufficient inclination to cause 
tacks to slide along the upper level until they pass through one of said 
apertures and to continue to slide along the lower level to an outlet from 
which they are guided into any underlying receptacle, means for elevating 
above the surface of said upper level of said ramp a majority of those 
tags that are introduced to the top of said ramp while slidingly conveying 
said tags down the ramp to a second outlet for deposit in any underlying 
receptacle, said tag elevating means being constructed to permit 
substantially unimpeded movement of said tacks along said upper level 
toward said apertures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring first to FIG. 4, there is shown merely by way of example a single 
tag 10 and, in FIG. 5, a tack 11 that would be among many others in a 
random mixture in a carton or other container awaiting sorting. While 
forming no part of the present invention, details of the tag 10 can be 
found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,870 of David R. Humble, issued Nov. 10, 1981, 
and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. The tag 10 of 
this application consists of the arm 53 from the embodiment illustrated in 
FIGS. 15, 16 and 17 of said Humble patent. The tack, although not shown in 
said patent, has a shank corresponding to the pin 52 in FIGS. 15 and 16 of 
said patent, and has a head 12 substantially as shown in the present 
application drawings. Assembly to an article involves piercing some part 
thereof with the tack shank and introducing the point into the aperture 
(not shown) on the underside of the tag in FIG. 4 providing access to a 
concealed clutch lock. 
As will appear from the ensuing description, the sorter is not limited to 
use with any one specific type tack or tag. Thus the tag can be patterned 
after housing 11 in FIG. 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,829, issued Mar. 9, 
1976, to Humble et al. and also assigned to the same assignee. 
Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, there is shown at 20 a 
typical work surface in the form of a table, or the like, having at one 
end a generally rectangular cutout or opening 21 through which a load of 
mixed tags and tacks can be dumped. Beneath the table 20 there is 
suspended a ramp 22 of bi-level construction, best seen in FIG. 2, having 
an upper level 23 and a lower level 24. The ramp 22 is secured to the 
underside 25 of the table 20 with the end 26 elevated relative to the end 
27. The end 26 is secured to the underside 25 of table 20 in contact 
therewith beneath opening 21 by means of a pair of angle brackets 28 and 
29 (best seen in FIG. 3). The opposite end 27 is suspended by support 
straps 31 and 32, also fastened by angle brackets, 33 and 34, to underside 
25. 
The support straps 31 and 32 should be proportioned to support the ramp 22 
with a sufficient inclination to cause tacks and tags to slide down the 
ramp in the manner described below. In addition, the ramp end 27 should be 
positioned above the floor or other support surface such that a pair of 
receptacles 35 and 36 can be disposed beneath the end 27 in position to 
receive articles traversing the respective levels of the ramp. As shown, 
the receptacles 35 and 36 are positioned one on each side of a locator tab 
or strip 37 that extends below the end 27 of ramp 22. 
The upper level 23 of the ramp 22 is provided with a plurality of apertures 
38, larger than the greatest dimensions of a tack 11, for freely 
permitting a tack to pass through the upper level 23 to the lower level 24 
(see FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9). Once on the lower level 24, a tack 11 will 
slide or roll along the lower level to an outlet 39 from which it is 
guided by an end stop 30 into the underlying receptacle 35. As best seen 
in FIG. 3, the apertures 38 are in line parallel to the longitudinal 
direction or axis of the ramp 22 and are staggered in adjacent lines to 
avoid undue weakening of the upper level 23 of the ramp. 
In order to facilitate separation of the tags 10 from the tacks 11 there is 
provided means for elevating above the surface of the upper level 23 of 
ramp 22 a majority of those tags 10 that are introduced to the top 26 of 
the ramp while slidingly conveying the tags 10 down the ramp to another 
outlet, in this case the open end of the upper level 23 at 40. The means 
for elevating the tags 10 comprise a series of parallel ribs 41 extending 
parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ramp 22 and normal to the 
surface of upper level 23, the ribs 41 being spaced laterally from one 
another to provide a series of channels 42 for guiding tacks 11 toward 
apertures 38. 
As seen in FIGS. 3 and 6, the apertures 38 are of generally rectangular 
configuration coinciding with and as wide as the channels 42 and about 
21/2 times as long as they are wide. For sorting tacks the overall 
dimensions of which fit within a cube approximately 3/4" on a side, it has 
been found that slots 38 approximately 13/16".times.2", spaced in the 
longitudinal direction about 4" apart, are satisfactory. This is for a 
ramp inclination of about 28.degree.. 
While the tags 10 are small enough in cross-section to pass through an 
aperture 38, complete passage is barred by limiting the ceiling height 
between upper level 23 and lower level 24 of ramp 22. In the described 
example such height is about 2" and this has proven adequate with tags a 
little over 4" long and about 1" wide. Because the tags are wider than the 
width of apertures 38, the tags can penetrate only when canted which aids 
in barring total passage through the apertures 38. Assuming that all the 
tacks 11 fall through apertures 38 to the lower level 24, it becomes a 
simple matter of removing by hand the few tags 10 that might become hung 
up in the apertures. Also, it has been found that with the ramp inclined 
at about 28.degree. and with a tag 10 slightly more than twice as long as 
the length of apertures 38, the tags tend to ride over the apertures even 
though they might become aligned with and fall partially into a channel 
42. Because the width of the channel is less than the width of a tag the 
tag can not fall flat into a channel but is constrained to slide down the 
ramp in a canted position. See FIGS. 6, 7, 10 and 11. 
It has been found advantageous to provide a cover 43 over the ribs 41 at 
the upper end 26 of the ramp 22 which cover occupies the area that is 
intended to be located below the opening 21 in the work surface 20. The 
opening 21 is preferably only slightly wider than the longest tag to be 
sorted, and the cover 43 should be wide enough to prevent direct vertical 
access to the channels 42 from the opening 21. Thus, the cover 43 will 
cause tags and tacks deposited through opening 21 to be deflected and 
accelerated down the ramp 22 such that the tags 10 tend to ride along the 
upper edges of ribs 41 (see FIGS. 6, 7 and 10) while the tacks 11 drop 
into the channels 42 for passage through an aperture 38 (see FIGS. 6, 7, 8 
and 9). 
To further minimize the likelihood of a tag 10 entering an aperture 38, the 
first transverse row of apertures is preferably located at least a tag's 
length beyond the edge 44 of cover 43. 
The ramp levels 23 and 24 are structurally integrated by side rails 45 and 
46 and a series of cross braces 47. A satisfactory embodiment has been 
constructed from sheets of ABS plastic which manifests sufficient strength 
while minimizing the coefficient of friction relative to the tags and 
tacks. 
While rectangular tags 10 have been illustrated and described, it should be 
evident that any shape tag can be sorted so long as there exists a 
significant difference in size as between tag and tack. 
Having described the invention with reference to a presently preferred 
embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that numerous changes in 
construction, configuration and dimension can be introduced to adapt the 
sorter to tags of different size and shape, all without departing from the 
true spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.