GB453290A - Improved apparatus for separating or assorting articles according to size - Google Patents

Abstract

453,290. Separating solid materials. GREGORY, H. J., RADLEY, W. G., and TOLLEY, L. L., Post Office Engineering Research Station, Dollis Hill, Cricklewood, London. May 7, 1935, No. 14319. [Class 117] Apparatus for separating articles of different shape and size such as letters and parcels comprises a receptacle which is provided at its lower part with movable surfaces which converge at an angle to form a slot of predetermined width, the receptacle being formed so that a vertical cross-section through the interior enveloping surface of the lower part of the receptacle including the said converging surfaces nowhere affords a substantially horizontal support capable of carrying and retaining an envelope or other article, the surfaces being arranged so that articles of the requisite size will fall through the slot, means for moving one surface towards and the other away from the slot while maintaining the width thereof constant and means for periodically reversing the motion of the surfaces. In one form, the receptacle consists of two endless bands 1, 2 arranged to converge at their lower ends and carried by pulleys 3, 3a, 4, 4<a>. The pulleys 3, 4 are driven by a belt 9 from a source 10, including any suitable reversing mechanism. The bands need not be endless but may be fixed at their lower ends to the rollers 3, 4 and held at their upper ends by springs. An alternative form of apparatus is shown in Fig. 2 in which the receptacle has fixed sides 12 and a bottom formed of rollers 11. A series of devices having slots of graded width may be disposed one above the other.