Patent · US Expired

Multi-pass sorting machine

US5119954A · kind A · utility

93Cited by
13References
38Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 29, 1990
Grant dateJun 9, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 29, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S209/90
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A mail document sorting device includes a document input feeder, and at least one singulation device for orienting and singulating the documents so that indicia on their faces can be disposed at a predetermined level about a data reference plane. Single documents pass to an indicia reader, which generates indicia indicating signals. An electronic/computer mechanism processes the indicating signals, and provides for sorting the read documents into bins. A plurality of the bins is located in side-by-side horizontal array, with an elongated belt disposed along the array of bins for moving documents received therefrom. The elongated belt has an inboard edge adjacent the array of bins and an outboard edge remote from the array of bins. The sorting device further includes a mechanism for moving documents from the bins onto the elongated belt, locating device associated with the elongated belt for positioning an edge of documents on the elongated belt, a shingler for shingling documents received from the elongated belt, transport of the shingled documents as they are discharged from the shingler means, and loading received shingled documents sequentially into mail trays.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.