GB845689A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for orientating disorientated articles of mail - Google Patents

Abstract

845,689. Letter orientation. SIEMENS & HALSKE A.G. June 23, 1958 [June 21, 1957], No. 20059/58. Class 78 (1). Letters are uniformly orientated by means of the stamps or postmark thereon in two stages, a letter being displaced firstly about its longitudinal axis and then about an axis perpendicular thereto. Thus letters standing on their longer edge in container z, Fig. 3, are fed singly by device d so as to fall into compartments c of rotary wheel a where the letters stand on their smaller edge. The wheel carries sensing devices to sense the orientation of the stamp on the letter, and a corresponding detecting device is associated with each of the four helical shoots e1, e2 so that when the appropriate compartment c is disposed over the appropriate shoot e the detecting device operates to cause a flap to drop to discharge the letter from the compartment into the shoot. The letters are orientated as they fall down the respective shoots and are discharged uniformly orientated for reading the address, by endless belt f. Thus both the wheel and the shoots cause relative orientations of 180 degrees. Alternatively, both orientations may be performed by shoots. The detecting device may detect magnetic or fluorescent.substances incorporated in the postage stamp or postmark.