Patent Publication Number: US-6666450-B2

Title: Swing gate

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to flat mail conveying, handling, sorting, and stacking systems, and more particularly to a new and improved implement for use in connection with flat mail conveying, handling, sorting, and stacking systems wherein, when flat mail articles, pieces, or units, such as, for example, envelopes, letters, newspapers, catalogs, magazines, greeting cards, post cards, fliers, and the like, are delivered to a predetermined sorting or storage container, bin, or tub destination, the implement will be activated or moved toward, or be disposed in, a particular orientation so as to effectively prevent an erroneous or misdirected discharge of the flat mail articles, units, or pieces from the system conveying structure such that jamming of the system occurs, or alternatively, the conveyed mail articles, pieces, or units are no longer in their original predetermined sorted order which is indispensable in connection with current automatic processing and sequenced delivery of mail pieces or units to recipients. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In automatic flat mail conveying, handling, sorting, and stacking systems, flat mail articles, pieces, or units, such as, for example, envelopes, letters, newspapers, catalogs, magazines, greeting cards, post cards, fliers, and the like, are initially conveyed by means of a suitable conveyor belt system, they are subsequently scanned, such as, for example, by means of a suitable bar code reader (BCR) or an optical character recognition (OCR) reader so as to be sorted, such as, for example, by means of destination address information, and conveyed further toward predetermined sorting or storage containers, bins, or tubs. In accordance with current automatic processing and sequenced delivery systems for delivering mail pieces or units to recipients in accordance with the serial order of street delivery addresses, it is imperative that the particular flat mail articles, pieces, or units of mail are not only conveyed to and deposited within the correct sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, but in addition, that the flat mail articles, pieces, or units disposed within a particular sorting or storage container, bin, or tub be disposed and retained in a particular order corresponding to the delivery address sequence. 
     In connection with one type of system used in connection with the deposition of flat mail articles, pieces, or units into predetermined sorting or storage containers, bins, or tubs, the containers, bins, or tubs are disposed beneath a drop-box which has a movable platen member operatively associated therewith and upon which a plurality of flat mail articles, pieces, or units are initially collected or accumulated in preparation for preparing a stack of the flat mail articles, pieces, or units for subsequent deposition within the particular sorting or storage container, bin, or tub. When a predetermined amount or number of flat mail articles, pieces, or units have been collected or accumulated upon the movable platen of the drop-box, the platen is actuated so as to be effectively withdrawn from its position beneath the collected or accumulated articles, units, or pieces of flat mail piled or stacked upon the platen whereby the pile or stack of collected or accumulated articles, pieces or units of mail drops vertically downwardly in effect as a single entity into the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub so as to be disposed in a stacked or piled array within the particular sorting or storage container, bin, or tub. 
     Sometimes, during the course of the high-speed processing and conveyance of the various flat mail articles, pieces, or units, it is necessary or more efficient for the overall operation of the conveying and sorting system to deposit a particular article, piece, or unit of flat mail directly into the sorting or storage container without first collecting or accumulating the flat mail articles, pieces, or units upon the movable platen operatively associated with the drop-box. In other words, the particular article, piece, or unit of flat mail will be conveyed directly from the conveying mechanism, through the drop-box, and into the particular sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, thereby in effect, bypassing the drop-box. Under such circumstances, however, it has been experienced that one or more of the flat mail articles, pieces, or units, in lieu of actually being deposited into the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, will sometimes become jammed within the track or slot defined within the drop-box framework and along which the platen moves when the same is being moved from its OPENED position to its CLOSED position, or alternatively, the particular article, piece, or unit or flat mail will sometimes be discharged through the slot or space defined between the bottom of the drop-box framework and the upper end of the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub. In either case, the efficient, orderly conveyance and stacking of the flat articles, pieces, or units of mail is operationally disrupted. In the first case, if the particular article, unit, or piece of flat mail becomes jammed, then operation of the conveying and handling system must be shut down until the jammed flat mail article, piece, or unit is able to be removed and placed in its proper order within the stack of flat mail articles, pieces, or units disposed within the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub. In the second case, operation of the conveying and handling system must likewise be shut down, and the particular article, piece, or unit of flat mail must be retrieved and likewise placed in its proper order within the stack of flat mail articles, units, or pieces disposed within the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub. In either case, the efficiency of the conveying and handling system, and the continuous operation of the same, has been compromised. 
     A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved implement for use in connection with a drop-box framework mechanism which is adapted to be mounted or disposed above a flat mail sorting or storage container, bin, or tub wherein, in connection with those instances in which the platen operatively associated with the drop-box is disposed at its OPENED position so as to permit flat mail articles, pieces, or units to be directly conveyed through the drop-box and into sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, without the flat mail articles, pieces, or units being initially collected or accumulated in a stack or pile upon the platen above the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, some means must be provided in order to effectively prevent the conveyed flat mail articles, pieces, or units from becoming jammed within the slot defined within the drop-box framework along which the platen is movable between its OPENED and CLOSED positions, as well as to effectively prevent the conveyed flat mail articles, pieces, or units from being conveyed through the slot or opening defined between the bottom of the drop-box framework and the upper end of the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved movable structure which is operatively associated with a drop-box framework mechanism or system, and a sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, so as to operatively cooperate with the drop-box framework mechanism and system, and the movable platen member thereof, such that flat mail articles, pieces, or units can be conveyed and deposited within a predetermined flat mail sorting or storage container, bin, or tub without encountering any operational difficulties. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved movable structure which is operatively associated with a drop-box framework mechanism or system, and a sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, so as to operatively cooperate with the drop-box framework mechanism and system, and the movable platen member thereof, such that flat mail articles, pieces, or units can be conveyed and deposited within a predetermined flat mail sorting or storage container, bin, or tub without encountering any operational difficulties and thereby overcome the various operational disadvantages characteristic of conventional PRIOR ART flat mail article handling, sorting, and stacking systems. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved movable structure which is operatively associated with a drop-box framework mechanism or system, and a sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, so as to operatively cooperate with the drop-box and the movable platen member thereof such that when the platen member is moved, relative to the drop-box, to its OPENED position, the movable structure will be disposed at a position so as to effectively prevent the jamming or misdirection of flat mail articles, pieces, or units being conveyed toward and into the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved movable structure which is operatively associated with a drop-box framework mechanism or system, and a sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, so as to operatively cooperate with the drop-box and the movable platen member thereof such that when the platen member is moved, relative to the drop-box, to its OPENED position, the movable structure will be disposed at a position so as to effectively prevent the jamming or misdirection of flat mail articles, pieces, or units being conveyed toward and into the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, and yet will not interfere with the operation of the movable platen member so as to permit the movable platen member to be moved to its CLOSED position and thereby operatively cooperate with the drop-box framework mechanism or system so as to collect and accumulate flat mail articles, pieces, or units thereon in a piled or stacked mode prior to the dropped deposition of the same into the operatively associated sorting or storage container, bin, or tub. 
     A last object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved movable structure which is operatively associated with a drop-box framework mechanism or system, and a sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, so as to operatively cooperate with the drop-box and the movable platen member thereof such that when the platen member is moved, relative to the drop-box, to its OPENED position, the movable structure will be disposed at a position so as to effectively prevent the jamming of any flat mail articles, pieces, or units within the track or slot defined within the drop-box framework mechanism or system along which the platen member is movable, or to similarly effectively prevent the misdirection of any flat mail articles, pieces, or units through the space or slot defined between the bottom of the drop-box mechanism or system and the upper end of the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing and other objectives are achieved in accordance with the teachings and principles of the present invention through the provision of a new and improved structure which comprises a plurality of movable fingers which are either spring-biased or gravitationally moved between upper nested positions and lower deployed positions. The fingers are mounted within a housing which forms an integral part of a drop-box framework mechanism or system. A platen member is movably mounted upon the drop-box framework mechanism or system between a first OPENED position at which the drop-box framework is open so as to permit flat mail articles, pieces, or units to flow therethrough and into an operatively associated sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, and a second CLOSED position at which the platen member is disposed above the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub so as to close the drop-box framework and thereby permit flat mail articles, pieces, or units to be collected and accumulated upon the platen member in preparation for their deposition into the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub as a stacked or piled entity. When the platen member is disposed at its OPENED position, the movable fingers move downwardly to their deployed positions at which the fingers effectively block the track or slot defined within a side wall of the drop-box framework mechanism and within which the platen member is movable between its OPENED and CLOSED positions so that the flat mail articles, pieces, or units, which are being conveyed through the drop-box framework mechanism in a by-pass mode, are effectively prevented from becoming jammed within the platen member track or slot. At the same time, the fingers also block the slot or space defined between the bottom portion of the drop-box framework mechanism and the upper end portion of the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, so that the flat mail articles, pieces, or units are effectively prevented from being conducted through the slot or space defined between the bottom of the drop-box framework mechanism and the upper end portion of the sorting or storgage container, bin, or tub. In either case, continuous operation of the flat mail article sorting, handling, and stacking operations is achieved, and the specific serial order, in which the flat mail articles, pieces, or units were conveyed, is preserved so as to facilitate automatic processing and delivery sequence of the flat mail articles, pieces, or units to their respective destinations and recipients. When the platen member is movable to the CLOSED position, the platen member will engage the movable fingers and bias the same upwardly so that the platen member may be readily moved to its CLOSED position so as to achieve its flat mail article collection and accumulation mode. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new and improved drop-box framework mechanism or system, having the blocking fingers operatively mounted therein and shown in operative cooperation with a sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, wherein the fingers are disposed at their employed positions in conjunction with the disposition of the platen member at its OPENED position; and 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the new and improved drop-box framework mechanism or system, having the blocking fingers operatively mounted therein and shown in operative cooperation with a sorting or storage container, bin, or tub, wherein the fingers are disposed at their retracted or nested positions in conjunction with the disposition of the platen member at its CLOSED position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, a new and improved drop-box framework mechanism or system, constructed in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention, is disclosed and is generally indicated by the reference character  10 . More particularly, the new and improved drop-box framework mechanism or system  10  is adapted to be used in connection with a suitable belt conveyor  12  which is used to convey a plurality of articles, pieces, or units of flat mail toward and into a particular or predetermined one of a plurality of sorting or storage containers, bins, or tubs  14  within which the plurality of articles, pieces, or units of flat mail are adapted to be stacked in a predetermined sequence or order corresponding to, for example, the serial arrangement of street delivery addresses to which the plurality of pieces, articles, or units of flat mail are to be delivered to their respective recipients. The belt conveyor  12  conventionally comprises a plurality of laterally spaced conveyor belts  16  which are disposed around a plurality of conveyor belt roller shafts  18  at least one of which, for each conveyor belt section, is driven by means of a suitable motor drive, not shown, so as to in turn drive the conveyor belts  16 . In this manner, the individual flat mail articles, pieces, or units, such as, for example, flat mail pieces  20 - 1  and  20 - 2  are able to be longitudinally conveyed toward the particular sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14  as designated by the arrows F. 
     Operatively associated with the belt conveyor mechanism  12 , and disposed above the particular sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14  in a suspended mode by suitable means, not shown, there is provided a drop-box mechanism or system  22  which comprises a pair of oppositely disposed, laterally or transversely extending side rails or frame members  24 , 26 , as considered in connection with or with respect to the longitudinal conveyance of the flat mail articles, pieces, or units  20 - 1 , 20 - 2 , a pair of longitudinally extending end frame members  28 , 30  which secure opposite end portions of the side rails or frame members  24 , 26  together, and a central, longitudinally extending frame member  32 . It is thus appreciated that the central longitudinal frame member  32  of the drop-box mechanism or system  22  effectively cooperates with the oppositely disposed side rails or frame members  24 , 26  and end frame member  28  of the drop-box mechanism or system  22  so as to define a first drop-box chamber  34  within which a movable platen  36  can be disposed when the platen  36  is disposed at its OPENED position, as shown in FIG. 1, whereby the platen  36  is effectively disposed remote from the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14 . At such position, the open top of the conventional PRIOR ART sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14  is uncovered and thereby rendered accessible to incoming conveyed articles, pieces, or units of flat mail. In a similar manner, central longitudinal frame member  32  effectively cooperates with the oppositely disposed side rails or frame members  24 ,  26  and end frame member  30  so as to define a second chamber  38  within which the movable platen  36  can be disposed when the platen  36  is disposed at its CLOSED position atop the conventional PRIOR ART sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14  as shown in FIG. 2 whereby the open top of conventional PRIOR ART sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14  is covered and rendered inaccessible to incoming conveyed articles, pieces, or units of flat mail. 
     It is further seen that each one of the oppositely disposed side rails or frame members  24 , 26  of the drop-box mechanism or system  22  is provided with a transversely extending slot  40 , 42  which serve as tracks within which opposite side edge portions of the movable platen  36  are slidably disposed so as to permit the movable platen  36  to be moved between its aforenoted OPENED and CLOSED positions. In order to achieve the transverse movement of the movable platen  36  between the aforenoted OPENED and CLOSED positions, a pneumatic actuator  44  is mounted upon an outside or external portion of side rail or frame member  24  by suitable means, not shown, and the actuating piston member, not shown, of the pneumatic actuator  44  is operatively connected to the movable platen  36 . Accordingly, for example, when the pneumatic actuator  44  is actuated such that the piston member, not shown, thereof is extended, the movable platen  36  will be moved to its aforenoted CLOSED position as shown in FIG. 2 whereby the open top of the conventional PRIOR ART sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14  will be covered and rendered inaccessible to incoming conveyed articles, pieces, or units of flat mail, whereas when the pneumatic actuator  44  is actuated such that the piston member, not shown, thereof is retracted, the movable platen  36  will be moved to its aforenoted OPENED position as shown in FIG. 1 whereby the open top of the conventional PRIOR ART sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14  will be uncovered and rendered accessible to incoming conveyed articles, pieces, or units of flat mail. 
     The reason that the platen  36  is movable between its OPENED and CLOSED positions is that depending, for example, upon the type of flat mail articles, pieces, or units being conveyed toward the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14  by means of the conveyor system  12 , the platen  36  can be disposed either in its OPENED state, as illustrated in FIG. 1, by means of which the incoming conveyed articles, pieces, or units of flat mail  20 - 1 , 20 - 2  may be directly and rapidly inserted into and deposited within the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14  as a result of being conducted through the drop-box mechanism or system  22  in a by-pass mode, or alternatively, the platen  36  can be disposed in its CLOSED state, as illustrated in FIG. 2, by means of which the incoming conveyed articles, pieces, or units of flat mail  20 - 1 , 20 - 2  will be collected, accumulated, and stacked upon the platen  36 . 
     When a predetermined number, or particular ones, of the incoming conveyed flat mail articles, pieces, or units  20 - 1 , 20 - 2  have been collected, accumulated, and stacked upon the platen  36 , the pneumatic actuator  44  is activated so as to rapidly remove the platen  36  from its CLOSED position of FIG. 2, at which it is disposed beneath the collected, accumulated, and stacked flat mail articles, pieces, or units, to its OPENED position of FIG. 1 whereby the collected, accumulated, and stacked flat mail articles, units, or pieces are then simply dropped vertically downwardly into the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14 . It is to be noted that activation of the pneumatic actuator  44 , and therefore, movement of the platen  36  between its OPENED and CLOSED states, may be suitably controlled by means of a central processing unit (CPU), not shown, which is also operatively connected to, for example, suitable bar code reader (BCR) or optical character recognition (OCR) reader apparatus so as to track the conveyance of the individual articles, pieces, or units of flat mail along the conveyor mechanism  12 . 
     When the platen  36  is disposed in its OPENED state as illustrated in FIG. 1 such that the various articles, pieces, or units of flat mail  20 - 1 , 20 - 2  are being conveyed through the drop-box mechanism or system  22  in the aforenoted by-pass mode and directly into the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14 , it sometimes occurs that a particular one of the flat mail articles, pieces, or units can become lodged within that portion of the platen track  40  which is operatively associated with chamber  38  of the drop-box mechanism or system  22 . As a consequence of such, the particular flat mail article, piece, or unit becomes jammed within the system necessitating shut-down of the system until the jammed article, piece, or unit of flat mail has been removed. In a similar manner, it may sometimes occur that, as a particular one of the flat mail articles, pieces, or units is being discharged from the conveyor mechanism  12 , and in lieu of such flat mail article, piece, or unit being desirably deposited into the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14 , the flat mail article, piece, or unit may be inadvertently discharged from the drop-box mechanism or system  22  as a result of having passed through a slot or space  46  which is defined between the bottom portion of the drop-box mechanism or system  22  and the upper ends or open top of the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14 . As a consequence of such, the particular article, piece, or unit of flat mail will be temporarily lost, it must be retrieved, and it must be replaced within the original serial order of the flat mail articles, pieces, or units being conveyed so as to preserve the integrity of the address delivery sequence of the articles, pieces, or units of flat mail to be delivered to their respective recipients. 
     Therefore, in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention, the drop-box framework mechanism or system  22  is provided with means for effectively preventing the aforenoted undesirable events from occurring. More particularly, that portion of side rail or frame member  24  which is operatively associated with drop-box chamber  38  has a housing  48  fixedly mounted thereon, and a plurality of blocking fingers  50  are pivotally mounted within the housing  48  by means of suitable trunnions or pivot pins  52 . The fingers  50  may either be spring-biased downwardly by suitable biasing springs, not shown, or alternatively, may simply be gravitationally biased. In either one of the aforenoted cases or instances, when the movable platen  36  is disposed at its OPENED position as illustrated in FIG. 1 such that the flat mail articles, pieces, or units  20 - 1 , 20 - 2  are conveyed through the drop-box mechanism or system  22  in the bypass mode so as to be deposited directly into the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14 , the blocking fingers  50  will have moved downwardly to their blocking positions at which both that portion of the platen track  40  which is operatively associated with chamber  38  of the drop-box mechanism or system  22 , as well as space or slot  46  defined between the bottom portion of the drop-box mechanism or system  22  and the upper open end of the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14 , will effectively be blocked. Accordingly, if any one of the flat mail articles, pieces, or units tends to become jammed within that portion of the platen track  40  which is operatively associated with chamber  38  of the drop-box mechanism or system  22 , or tends to be discharged through the space or slot  46  defined between the bottom portion of the drop-box mechanism or system  22  and the upper open end of the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14 , the blocking fingers  50  will tend to deflect such article, piece, or unit of flat mail downwardly into the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14  such that the article, piece, or unit of flat mail can be stacked therein. 
     Alternatively, when the platen  36  is moved from the OPENED position as shown in FIG. 1 to the CLOSED position as shown in FIG. 2, that portion of the platen  36 , which is disposed immediately adjacent to the edge portion of the platen  36  which is slidably disposed within that portion of the platen track  40  which is operatively associated with chamber  38  of the drop-box mechanism or system  22 , will encounter the downwardly dependent blocking fingers  50  so as to effectively cause the same to be pivoted upwardly upon their respective pivot pins  52  such that the blocking fingers  50  will be nested internally within the housing  48  as illustrated in FIG.  2 . The fingers  50  therefore do not interfere with the slidable movements of the platen  36  between its OPENED and CLOSED positions, and when the platen  36  is disposed at the CLOSED position as illustrated in FIG. 2, it is noted that the edge portion of the platen  36  is disposed within that portion of the platen track  40  which is operatively associated with chamber  38  of the drop-box mechanism or system  22  so as to effectively cover that portion of the platen track  40 . In addition, the platen  36  simultaneously covers the space or slot  46  defined between the bottom portion of the drop-box mechanism or system  22  and the upper open end of the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14 . Therefore, again, that portion of the platen track  40  which is operatively associated with chamber  38  of the drop-box mechanism or system  22 , as well as space or slot  46  defined between the bottom portion of the drop-box mechanism or system  22  and the upper open end of the sorting or storage container, bin, or tub  14 , will effectively be blocked so as to prevent the jamming of any flat mail article, unit, or piece within the platen track  40 , or alternatively, the erroneous discharge of any flat mail article, piece, or unit through the space or slot  46 . 
     Thus, it may be seen that in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention, a new and improved drop-box mechanism or system has been provided wherein a plurality of pivotal, nestable fingers have been provided upon the drop-box mechanism or system framework such that when the movable platen is moved to its OPENED position, the fingers pivot downwardly so as to effectively cover and block a portion of the platen track as well as the space or slot defined between the bottom of the drop-box mechanism or system and the open upper end of the flat mail sorting or storage container, bin, or tub so as to prevent any flat mail article, piece, or unit from becoming jammed within the platen track or from being erroneously discharged through the space or slot defined between the bottom of the drop-box mechanism or system and the open upper end of the flat mail sorting or storage container, bin, or tub. In this manner, operational downtime of the system due to such jamming of the flat mail articles, pieces, or units is obviated, and erroneous arrangement of the flat mail articles, units, or pieces with respect to the predetermined sequential delivery address order is likewise prevented. 
     Obviously, many variations and modifications of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.