Patent GB-191417067-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for Conveying Letters and like Postal Packets between Sorting and Clearing Stations in Post Offices.
Inventor: DOHERTY JOHN HENRY
IPC: B07C7/00
Filed: 1914-07-18
Granted: 1915-07-15
Abstract: 17,067. Doherty, J. H. July 18. Conveying and elevating apparatus.-Relates to means for conveying automatically letters and postal packets, after the initial sorting by the official sorters, from the primary sorting positions to the dispatch tables. The packets are simultaneously placed in the proper divisional slots d at the front and back of one or more sorting-units a, Fig. 2, by the sorters. The packets then pass between a pair of endless belts g, g<1>, Fig. 5, running over driving-rollers h and intermediate rollers i, one of the rollers h being spring-controlled or adjustable so that each belt can be kept taut while allowing of the passage between them of packets varying in bulk. As the packet is discharged from the belts, it is struck by rotating cams p and caused to drop into a corresponding chamber o, Fig. 2. The framing of the sorting-unit is so constructed that a part of it can be turned outwardly for the examination, repair, or replacement of the conveyer bands and rollers. At the bottom of each series of chambers o is a conveyer band q which is constantly travelling towards the dispatch tables r, Fig. 9. When, however, the dispatch tables are out of line with the sorting- unit, separate conveyer bands t are employed. Since the letters from the bands q will then have to pass round corners or at varying angles to their line of movement, a number of conical rollers u, Fig. 15, having their upper faces horizontal, are arranged in the bends. Some of the conical rollers are positively driven, and smaller conical rollers are provided to act as motion carriers from the driven rollers. The packets from the bands q are either delivered by the rollers to the bands q' or to the bands t, which in turn deliver them to another series of conical rollers, by which they are finally delivered to the bands q'. The transverse conveyer bands t and the conical rollers can be arranged at any suitable angle to the horizontal, so that packets may be delivered to or from higher or lower levels to the dispatch conveyer bands q<1>. Each division of packets arranged on the conveyer q from the chambers o terminates at one corner x, Fig. 16, of a dispatch table r. There, at one side of the band q, the packets are gripped by a pair of vertical rollers y, one of which is spring-controlled, arranged in a box 2 on the table. As the packets accumulate within the box, stacked on their edges with their addresses facing the dispatch sorter, a slide 3 is pushed back until a bell 4 is sounded to indicate that the box is full. On the opposite side of the band q, the rollers y are replaced by a drum 5, an endless band 6, and three rollers 7, one of which is a tensioning-roller. The packets here pass between the drum 5 and the band 6, and are thus also delivered to the box with their addresses facing the dispatch sorter. Missorted packets are returned by placing them in the central conduit 9 by means of branch belt conveyers 10. Should the number of packets in a particular division, such as 12. Fig. 21, require the services of several dispatch sorters, batches of such packets are delivered in succession to any number of dispatch tables at short intervals by means of switches consisting of short conduits 13, the sides of which are pivoted at 14. Two levers 22, resiliently connected respectively to the conduit 13 and to a pivoted flap 15 therein, are so actuated bv cams 20, 21 that the flap 15 is first moved across the conduit, as indicated at 17, to bank up the packets as they are delivered, after which the second cam switches the conduit 13 to the new delivery point 24, as indicated by the dotted lines.