Patent Publication Number: US-6341700-B1

Title: Device for sorting documents

Description:
This is a continuation of copending international application PCT/SE97/01812 filed Oct. 29, 1997, which designates the United States. 
    
    
     The present invention relates to a device for sorting documents, mail and the like, which device is designed for arranging the documents in a bundle with a desired order between the documents, and to accomplish this in a labour-saving way. 
     In post offices, in mail departments of companies, institutions, government agencies and the like, there is a need for a rational way of handling large quantities of mail, so that the mail may be distributed to the adressec in a labour-saving way. 
     Conventional sorting cabinets for documents/mail comprise compartments for sorting the documents in a certain order of distribution, e.g. street address or room number. The documents are sorted into the compartments, and are then removed and gathered in bundles for distribution within, for example, a postal district. 
     The present invention aims at providing a sorting device which facilitates the bundling of the once sorted documents by comprising means for emptying the sorting compartments in such a way as to automatically bundle the documents in the sorting order. 
     This aim is reached by means of a device for sorting documents in accordance with the appended claims. 
    
    
     The invention will be more closely described in the following, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical top view of a first embodiment of the sorting device, 
     FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical top view of a second embodiment of the sorting device, 
     FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical sectional view of the first embodiment in FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 4 is a diagrammatical sectional view of a third embodiment of the sorting device, 
     FIG. 5 is a view, partly broken away, of a detail of the invention, 
     FIG. 6 is a diagammatical top plan view of a fourth embodiment of the invention, and 
     FIG. 7 is a diagrammatical side view of two interconnected sorting devices according to any of the disclosed embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     FIG. 1 shows, in a op plan view, a device for corting documents  1  comprising a frame  2 , in which partitions  3  are arranged in a spaced relationship, forming a number of compartments or sorting compartments  4 . Said partitions  3  are fixedly or removably arranged on the rear section or rear element  5  connected to the frame  2 , said partitions extending substantially parallel with respect to each other. In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the partitions are bent so that, in a horisontal plane, they will extend in an oblique direction with respect to the frame, displaying right angles. 
     Extending below the partitions  3 , spaced apart from their lower edges, is a horisontal plate member which forms the bottom  6  of the sorting compartments  4 . Said bottom member  6  is withdrawable from the frame in the direction of arrow P, and displacable with respect to the partitions  3  in a direction P which deviates from the direction in which said partitions extend. The dot-dash line shows the bottom member in a withdrawn or displaced position. Slidable guide means, e.g. guide rails, not illustrated, are arranged in the frame to act as bearing means to allow for the displacement of the bottom member  6 . 
     FIG. 2 shows, in a view similar to that of FIG. 1, a device  10  for sorting documents in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. Said device  10  has straight partitions  13  extending mainly at right angles in relation to the frame  12 , and run parallel with respect to each other, thus forming a number of sorting compartments  14 . The partitions  13  are arranged in the frame  12  by suitable means, e.g. as described above, the lower edges of said partitions extending to, although spaced from, a bottom member  16  of the sorting compartments, arranged below said partitions. 
     The bottom  16  of the sorting compartments is arranged on slidable guiding means (not shown) extending obliquely with respect to the frame  10 , in order to, when withdrawn, be displaced in a direction P′ which deviates from the general direction in which the partitions  13  extend. The dot-dash line indicates the bottom  16  withdrawn from the frame. 
     FIG. 3 shows the first embodiment in a diagrammatical sectional view with one of the sides of the frame broken away in order to illustrate the displacable arrangement of the bottom member  6  on slidable guiding means  7 , which guiding means are arranged at the lower edge of the side of the frame. In the figure is indicated also the way in which the partitions may be removably arranged in the frame by means of snap-lock means  8  cooperating with rods  9  or the like, which, in turn, are fixedly arranged in the frame  2 . Reference numeral  3 ′ indicates a bending line of the partition  3 . FIG. 4 is a sectional view, generally corresponding to FIG. 3, differing in that the frame  22 , in a third embodiment, has a fixedly arranged bottom member  26 . The partition  23  extends, in an horisontal plane, obliquely with respect to the frame  22 , said partition displaying, therefore, a bending line  23 ′. It is appreciated that the oblique orientation of the partition with respect to the frame could be provided for in other ways considered appropriate by the person skilled in the art. The partitions  23  are fixedly or removably arranged, e.g. by means of snap-lock means  28 , on rods  29 , which, in turn, are directly or indirectly fixed to slidable guiding means  27  fixed to the side the frame. The assembly of partitions  23  is, thus, displacably arranged in the frame  22 , for relative movement therewith, and relative the bottom member  26  in a direction which, in a horisontal view, deviates from the general direction in which the partitions extend. 
     FIG. 5 shows, partly in side view, partly in plan top view, an embodiment of the snap-lock means  8 ,  28 , fixed to the rear edge and the top edge of a partition  13  which is partly broken away. The drawing figure illustrates the way in which the snap-lock member may be used as a spacer for determining the width of the compartments  14 . By means of the snapping function, a partition may easily be removed in order to, should the need arise, increase the width of a compartment associated with a certain adressee. 
     FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment  30  of the invention, in which a sorting compartment bottom member  36  is slidably arranged on a carriage means  31 , which in turn is slidably supported on guide means, e.g. guiding rails  37  in a frame  32 . The frame has removably arranged partitions  33  for forming sorting compartments  34  which extend mainly parallel and at right angles with respect to the frame  32 . A bracket  35 , which is fixedly arranged in the frame  32 , extends under the bottom member  36 . Said bracket has a notch  38  which, at least in an outer portion extends in a direction which deviates from the general direction in wich the partitions extent. The router portion of the notch may be placed with an angle in relation to the frame/partitions, or, as shown in the drawings, have an arcuate form. The notch  38  receives a pin  39  extending from the bottom side of the bottom member, which is guided in said notch, when the carriage means  31  is withdrawn from the frame, in order to displace the bottom member  36  in a direction P″ which, at least during the final phase of said withdrawal, deviates from the general direction in which the partitions extend. 
     During the displacing movement the bottom member  36  slides in guiding members  40  of the carriage means  31 . 
     When documents, letters or the like are to be sorted, these are placed in the respective compartment, in accordance with the order in which they are to be distributed, in such a way that the lower edge of each document rest on the displacable bottom  6 ,  16 ,  26 ,  36  of the compartment. When all documents are sorted, they are to be arranged in bundles, in the same sorting order, then to be placed in a carriage, a post bag or similar for distribution to the adressees. 
     Due to the fact that the bottom of the sorting device is displacable in relation to the partitions, in a direction which deviates from the general direction in which said partitions extend, the documents will, during the displacing movement fall, in a controlled manner, in the same direction, after which they may be pushed together into bundles in correct order in an easy manner. 
     For the person skilled in the art it is, of course, an obvious constructive step, to interconnect a number of sorting devices, as shown in FIG. 7, said sorting devices, then, including means (not shown) for interconnection side by side or on top of each other. 
     Several embodiments of the invention are disclosed, which all share the common feature of mutual displacability of the bottom and the partitions in a direction which deviates from the general direction in which the partitions extend, through which displacing movement is achieved the controlled felling of the sorted documents in a common direction. 
     Concerning details it should be mentioned that the sorting device may be designed as a cabinet or a frame constitution, the partitions may be made from wood, metal or plastic plates or string elements, the device may be supported by a framework, rest on a shelf or on a table, on beams or rails, as deemed necessary or desirable. Further, the sorting device preferably has a surface layer with a suitable friction coefficient in order to prevent the lower edges of the documents from sliding during the withdrawing movement, and may for example be coated with a layer of a cellular plastic material.