Patent GB-191418740-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Sorting and Distributing into Receptacles Letters and other Mail Matter and te like.
IPC: B07C3/08
Filed: 1914-08-17
Granted: 1915-11-17
Abstract: 18,740. Briggs, A. J., and Auto Mail Distributer. Aug. 17. Pile tables for sheet feeds; separators; gripper cylinder feeds; delivery apparatus.-Relates to means or apparatus of the kind described in Specification 20,006/05 by which an operator may see one by one a number of letters &c. and, by pressing suitable keys like typewriter keys, distribute them to various receptacles. Printing - mechanism for post - marking the letters may be provided. The letters &c. are pressed by a spring presser forwards along a table against stops 60<a>, 60<b>, Fig. 7, and are taken one at a time by clamps 14, 11 on a skeleton drum rotated intermittently. When in the uppermost position, the letters are postmarked &c. by means of a printing-mechanism consisting of a pair of segmental drums 67 and a rotating die 74, the segmental drums being separated by hollow spaces as shown to accommodate the passing clamps. When the letter is in its most forward position, the address therein is inspected and a suitable key depressed, and, when in its lowest position, the movable jaws of the clamps are operated to release the letter by means of the levers 15 and fixed surfaces 18. The transfer of the letters from the feed-table to the clamps is facilitated by the reciprocation of the table and by suction nozzles 26 which oscillate between the pile of letters and the clamps and are also rocked on their longitudinal axis to ensure proper engagement with the letters, valve mechanism being provided in the shaft about which they oscillate for the purpose of connecting and disconnecting at the proper times the nozzles with the air suction apparatus. From the feed-drum, the letters &c. pass between parallel guide-bars 89, 86 and are carried by a continuously moving conveyer 95 over a number of rows of receiving boxes or receptacles a arranged in a tier and deposited in their proper receptacles. The conveyer consists of a pair of side chains connected at intervals by a zigzag-shaped pusher 93, Fig. 14, and provided with rollers 97 to facilitate the passage of the chains between the guides. The open top of each receiving box is normally closed by a series of fingers 91 forming a gate and mounted on the shaft 90, Fig. 13, and selecting mechanism arranged by the depression of the operating key causes the opening of the proper box to receive the letter, the selecting mechanism being restored to its inoperative position immediately after passing the open box, while the gate is closed by reason of the next conveyer pusher of the series engaging with the lever 164 which is shown separate in Fig. 13 but in practice is mounted on the extension of the shaft 90. The selecting mechanism for a series of a hundred and twelve boxes comprises eleven tumblers 138, Fig. 17, of the shape shown mounted or the extension 137 of each conveyer pusher and each provided with a spring pin 141, which by reason of its engagement with one or other of a pair of grooves 139, 140 in the extension 137 of the conveyer pusher, Fig. 14, holds the tumbler in the inoperative position shown in full lines, or in the operative position shown in dotted lines. When a tumbler has been set, it opens a box gate by engagement with an arm, on an extension of the gate shaft or axle 90, the gate being held open by a catch 162, Fig. 13, until this catch is released by the operation of the lever 164, and the tumbler is restored to its inoperative position by the rod 156. In order to diminish the number of tumblers required, they are arranged to be set in combinations of three or of two and also in single tumblers, the levers on the shaft extension being arranged so that the shaft will be operated only when all the levers corresponding to the complete combination of tumblers are operated simultaneously. For this purpose, the lever 148, Figs. 12, 18, 19. and 19<a>, on each shaft extension 142' is made of a box-shaped form to contain a number of balls 150 or levers 150<a>, and the tumblers 138 act upon loose levers 151, the extremities of which enter the box of the lever 148. If less than the whole number of levers 151 enter the box of the lever 148, the balls 150 or levers 150<a> are pushed aside and the lever 148 is not ope rated, but if the whole are depressed simultaneously there is not sufficient space for them all between the balls or levers and the lever 148 is operated and the gate opened. Fig. 12 is a general view of the conveyer and gate-operating mechanism, at a part of the machine where the conveyer passes round one of the end guiderollers, certain of the parts along the lower stretch of the conveyer being arranged in an inverted position with regard to those in the upper stretch, as a set tumbler in the upper stretch has its nose pointing downwards, while in the lower stretch it points upward. All the parts are driven from a side shaft which is in two parts connected by a clutch, the two parts of the clutch being connected by a flat-sided rotary pin which may be held against the action of a spring with the clutch disengaged by means of a catch which is released each time a key is operated to allow the shaft to make one revolution when the clutch is again released by the catch. The mechanism for setting the tumblers and freeing the clutch above referred to consists of a number of suspended plates, which, by means of rods and levers, are depressed in groups of three or two or singly as arranged, and are each arranged to release the driving-clutch and bring into operation a corresponding number of spring hooks for engaging with and setting the corresponding tumblers, means being provided for preventing the accidental disturbance of the tumblers after they have been set.