GB919716A - Improvements in or relating to machines for sorting articles - Google Patents

Abstract

919,716. Sorting letters. VICKERS-ARMSTRONGS (SOUTH MARSTON) Ltd. June 29, 1961 [July 5, 1960], No. 23536/60. Class 78 (1). A machine for sorting letters comprises means for feeding the letters to a viewing position 40, a plurality of fixed stations 58 spaced at intervals around the inner surface of a rotatable drum 44, and normally inoperative removing means 66 (Fig. 5) associated with each station 58 for collecting a letter carried round by the drum. The means 66 are actuated according to the result of viewing, to remove a letter passing round with, and held by centrifugal force to, the drum 44 and allow it to pass to a selected box 4. Letters are supplied to a conveyer 3 and pass to a sloping conveyer 10. When the top letter intercepts a ray from a lamp 15 (Fig. 4), a phototransistor in a housing 17 operates in a circuit (Fig. 6. not shown) to cause a suction head 20 to lift the letter and drop it into a shoot 34 (the letter disengages from the head by engaging a plate 35 through a slot in which the head 20 and its carrying arm 18 passes). The shoot 34 leads to helical members 27, 28 which convey the letter so that it drops into the viewing position 40. Keys 73, 74 are pressed in accordance with the destination of the letter and one of a hundred solenoid-operated deflectors 66 associated with respective traps 58 are operated to engage the inner periphery of the rotating drum 44. The letter is fed into engagement with the latter by rollers 55, 56. When the drum is rotated sufficiently for the letter to reach the deflector 66 it is caused to pass into the associated trap 58. The letter intercepts a light ray passing through a series of holes 78 in the group of five traps in which the trap in question is situated. This operates a phototransistor circuit which in turn operates with a time delay a flap which permits the letter to fall into its predestined box 4. If the phototransistor circuit is not operated by non- arrival of a letter in the selected trap 58 due to a fault in the operation, a light illuminates respective to a group of five traps in which the selected trap is located. After the fault is cleared the circuits are reset by the pressing of a key 75 on the control panel. Should the operator realise that he has pressed the wrong key, after depressing only one key, he can reset the machine by depressing a "cancel" key 76. A reject box can be provided between the last of the traps and the feed rollers 55, 56. This will collect a letter if the deflector 66 appropriate to its destination fails to operate. This necessitates a modification of the circuit diagram (Fig. 7, not shown). The suction head 20 is oscillated between its letter engaging and discharging positions by a motor 29 under the control of a one-way clutch 31. The latter also controls a reciprocating member 32 (Fig. 4) which operates a trap 33 for discharging the letter from the viewing position 40 to the feed rollers 55, 56.