Patent · US Expired

Method and system for sorting flat articles

US6183191A · kind A · utility

19Cited by
16References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 9, 1998
Grant dateFeb 6, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 9, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB65H2701/1916
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A flat article turntable for use in a flat article sorting system having a flat article holding cartridge, a cartridge handling mechanism and an automatic flat article feeder is provided with an empty cartridge presentation mechanism for presenting empty cartridges to a cartridge handling system. A full cartridge acceptor mechanism for receiving full cartridges from the cartridge handler system. A rotary mechanism is provided for rotating a full cartridge 90.degree.. An index mechanism is provided to matingly index the cartridges with the automatic feeder of the sorting system. An extraction mechanism is provide including a cartridge opener for opening the cartridge. A pushing mechanism is operatively connected for pushing stacked articles from the cartridge. A pause mechanism is interconnected to allow a finger on the automatic feeder to take the stacked articles, and a closing mechanism is attached to close the cartridge. A rotating mechanism rotates the cartridge back to face the cartridge handler and an index mechanism indexes the empty cartridge from an active to a passive side of the turntable.

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