Patent GB-986692-A (GB)
Title: Article sorting system
Inventor: ATANASOFF JOHN VINCENT
IPC: B07C3/00
Filed: 1962-05-28
Abstract: 986,692. Sorting postal packets; endless conveyers. AEROJET-GENERAL CORPORATION. May 28, 1962, No. 20369/62. Headings B8A and B8S. A system for sorting postal packages comprises substantially continuously acting means (endless belts 2 feeding by diverting paddles 26, storage endless belts 29) for preliminarily sorting into a plurality of groups each of which comprises packages directed to a selected group of different destinations, means (storage endless belts 29) to store the packages of the respective groups, a second sorting means 34 and means 30 to feed the groups of stored articles one group at a time to the second sorting means. Packages are fed by belts 4 to main belts 2. Oversize packages are discharged from the belts 2 by a photo-electric device 8. According to the destination of each package, respective codes are transmitted electrically by an operator actuating units and tens key switching control (Fig. 2, not shown). The codes are transmitted to a recording tape 64 driven in synchronism with the belts 2. A signal is thus recorded on the tape at a distance from a standard interval of the tape which is in accordance with the particular code. The recorded signal is picked up and determines the operation on the package of a particular diverter paddle 26 in accordance with the code transmitted. The paddles 26 feed belts 14 leading to containers 16 (for packages having addresses of greatest frequency), belts 22 leading to hand-sort tables 24 (for packages having addresses of low frequency), and primary storage belts 29 (for packages having addresses of intermediate frequency). The belts 29 operate one at a time to feed a continuously running belt 30 which leads to the second sorting means. This comprises a further coding system applying signals to a further tape (similar to the one described above) running in synchronism with a secondary sorting belt 38. The code signals determine the selection of a bag in one of a series of rotatable bag holders 44. The signals also control the operation of gates and associated latches (Figs. 18-20) controlling shoots leading to the bags. Oversize packages are deflected from the belt 2 by a member 246 actuated by photo-electric means (Figs. 11, 12, not shown). The member 246 is mounted on parallel links 243 actuated by an electric motor 237. The paddles 26 comprise a package engaging member 255 (Fig. 16) carried on two rods (one only, visible in Fig. 16) downwardly urged by springs 265 against the tracking action of a cam roller 266 engaging a cam-track 267. This mechanism results in the member 255 having a substantial path of horizontal travel laterally with respect to the belt 2 (dot-dash lines). A reversible motor 242 causes the arms carrying the member 255 to swing in one direction across the belt or the other according to the polarity of the coded signal recorded on the tape. Thus two different primary storage belts can be fed from the same paddle 26. Shoots 42 leading to the bags in the rotatable bag holders 44 are controlled by gates 39 (Figs. 18, 19) operated by a motor 182 acting via a cable 272. Each gate 39 is biased by gravity to closed position. A latch 279 is biased to latching position and is adapted to hold the gate in open or closed position but is releasable by a solenoid 199. Each bag holder (Fig. 20) comprises plates 305, 309 for holding each bag 315. Each plate 309 is spring-urged to a normal inner (full line position). An operator can pull the plate 309 inwardly to release the bag and the plate 309 is then held by a latch 314. The latter is of such construction that on further outward movement of the plate 309, it will when released move back under the spring action to its normal position. On the next outward extension of the member 309 it will be held by the latch 314 and so on. A solenoid-operated latch (Fig. 22, not shown) is operated by the code on the tape to stop the bag holder with the correct bag aligned with the shoots 42.