GB1128203A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for presenting each of a series of articlesin turn at a viewing position - Google Patents

Abstract

1,128,203. Letter sorting; rotary elevators. H.M. POSTMASTER GENERAL. 7 Oct., 1965 [15 Oct., 1964], No. 42139/64. Heading B8A. Letters 5, Fig. 1, for sorting are brought to a viewing position 5B between rollers 7, 8 which hold the letters by the upper edge while being viewed. The feed is stopped by declutching and braking under the control of a photo-cell system 15, 16 which may detect a leading or trailing edge. Letters deposited by sucker 4 are delivered to a waiting position 5A at which they rest on the feed rollers 7, 8 so that mis-orientations are corrected. Letters in the holding position 5C may rest on feed rollers 12, 13, or flaps, or may be gripped on the upper edge by similar rollers above a window 14. In a modification, Fig. 5 (not shown), the letters are fed and held between a roller 7 and an endless belt 21. In a further modification, the letters 5A, Fig. 8, are yieldingly held by small rollers 31a, 31b against a large angle conical roller 30 which rotates on an axis perpendicular to the '' viewer '' to bring the letters into correct viewing position by rotation about the " stamp corners." A rotary stop 40 separates the letters descending a shoot 39 for correct spacing on the roller 30 which initially rotates stepwise for loading the roller 30 under the control of a photo-cell system 34 co-operating with spaced apertures 35 on the roller 30. Letters reaching the " view " position are finally detected by a further photo-cell system 16 detecting the leading edge.