U.S. patent number 3,889,811 [Application Number 05/371,018] was granted by the patent office on 1975-06-17 for flat-article sorting apparatus for an automatic mail handling system and the like.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Nippon Electric Company, Limited. Invention is credited to Syoichiro Yoshimura.
United States Patent |
3,889,811 |
Yoshimura |
June 17, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Flat-article sorting apparatus for an automatic mail handling
system and the like
Abstract
A flat-article sorting apparatus for automatic mail handling
systems and the like is provided in which the mail sorting pockets
are divided into a plurality of groups. Each flat-article or
article of mail is provided with coded data which is detected by a
character recognition circuit and converted to a binary code. The
binary code is divided into two codes, one corresponding to the
group into which the flat-article is to be sorted and the other
corresponding to the pocket within the group. The flat-articles are
conveyed along a branching transport path provided with
photoelectric detectors which detect the leading edge of the
articles. The photoelectric detectors are connected to pulse
circuits for generating shift pulses which cause the data detected
by the character reader to be shifted in a plurality of parallel
shift registers in synchronism with the movement of the articles in
the transport path. Code detectors are connected to the shift
registers and responsive to particular binary codes to actuate
deflecting mechanisms to divert the articles first, into the
appropriate group according to the first code, and then into the
appropriate pocket according to the second code. Monitoring and
alarm circuitry are provided to detect erroneous operation of the
apparatus.
Inventors: |
Yoshimura; Syoichiro (Tokyo,
JA) |
Assignee: |
Nippon Electric Company,
Limited (Tokyo, JA)
|
Family
ID: |
13173197 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/371,018 |
Filed: |
June 18, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Jun 19, 1972 [JA] |
|
|
47-61512 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
209/549; 209/584;
209/566; 209/900 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B07C
3/06 (20130101); B07C 3/006 (20130101); Y10S
209/90 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B07C
3/00 (20060101); B07C 3/06 (20060101); B07C
3/02 (20060101); B07c 005/344 () |
Field of
Search: |
;209/74,74M,73,111.7,111.8 ;250/555,556,567,568,569
;235/61.11A,61.11F |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Knowles; Allen N.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn and
Macpeak
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A flat-article sorting apparatus for an automatic mail handling
system and the like, comprising:
a plurality of groups of flat-article receiving pockets;
means for detecting coded data on flat-articles to be sorted, said
data identifying the pockets into which said flat articles are to
be diverted and comprising a first and a second coded data
identifying one of said groups and one of said pockets in said
group, respectively;
first means connected to said detecting means for temporarily
storing said data;
means for conveying said flat articles along a transport path, said
transport path having a main path and branching paths, each
branching path corresponding to one of said groups;
means installed on said transport path for detecting said flat
articles and producing first shift pulses;
means for delaying said first shift pulses and producing second
shift pulses;
second means for storing and transferring said data stored in said
first storing means in response to said first and second shift
pulses, said second storing means having a plurality of storing
stages, said first shift pulses being applied to storing stages of
said second storing means which are not adjacently positioned, said
second shift pulses being applied to storing stages of said second
storing means adjacent to said storing stages to which said first
shift pulses are applied; and
means responsive to said data transferred in said second storing
means for diverting flat-articles into branching paths and pockets
within said branching paths;
said pockets being positioned so that the distances of the pockets
having an identical second code from coded data detecting means are
equal to each other;
said flat-article detecting means being installed at intervals
equal to an integral multiple of the interval of said pockets.
2. A flat-article sorting apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein
said second storing means comprises:
a plurality of parallel shift registers connected to two serial
divisions, the first of said divisions transferring said first
coded data for diversion into one of said branching paths, and the
second of said divisions transferring said second coded data for
diversion into one of said pockets; and further comprising:
first means for monitoring said second coded data transferred by
the second of said divisions of said parallel shift registers;
and
first alarm means connected to said first monitoring means and said
detecting means for producing a first alarm whenever a specific
coded data is detected by said first monitoring means and no
flat-article is detected for a predetermined time period.
3. A flat-article sorting apparatus as recited in claim 2, further
comprising:
second means connected to the last storing stage of said second
storing means for monitoring said second coded data transferred to
the last stage; and
second alarm means for producing a second alarm when the coded data
other than that representing the last pockets of said branching
paths is detected.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flat-article sorting apparatus for use
in an automatic mail-handling system and the like.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In a conventional automatic mail sorting apparatus, the data
identifying the flat articles such as cards, envelopes and
postcards are transferred in synchronism with the movement of the
flat articles, so that they are diverted to the individual sorting
pockets in response to the data. For this purpose, a great number
of photoelectric devices are provided for detecting the movement of
the flat articles, so as to shift the data stored in the register
in response thereto, and thereby to synchronize the data transfer
with the movement of the flat articles.
In the practical sorting apparatus now in use, however, the sorting
pockets often number more than 100, requiring an equal number of
lamp-photodetector pairs (light bars) and shift registers to be
provided on the one-to-one correspondence basis. This makes the
system as a whole more expensive and its maintenance difficult and
more costly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an
improved flat-article sorting apparatus requiring a smaller number
of light bars and registers.
According to this invention, there is provided a flat-article
sorting apparatus in which the sorting pockets are divided into a
plurality of groups, so that the corresponding pockets belonging to
mutually different groups are represented by a common pocket
selection code and given one register provided in common thereto,
and so that the pocket selection data are shifted in response to
the pulses obtained at light bars.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features and advantages of this invention will be understood
from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment
of this invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the reader section of the
embodiment;
FIGS. 3a and 3b are plan and side views of the divider of the
embodiment;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are a plan view and a side view of the sorting pocket
of the embodiment, respectively.
FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c are block diagram of the embodiment; and
FIG. 7 is a table showing the relationship between the pocket
number and the pocket selection code.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of this invention
comprises a feeder section 1, a reader section 2, a
transport-direction converter section 3 and a sorter section 4. In
the sorter section 4, one-hundred and twenty eight pockets are
disposed in four stages, each of which comprises thirty two
pockets. The feeder section 1 comprises a hopper 5, an endless
conveyor belt 6, and a suction chamber 7. The conveyor belt 6 has
several pairs of suction apertures at regular intervals
longitudinally. The suction chamber 7 is connected through a pipe
to a suction pump. The surface 8 of the suction chamber 7 kept in
contact with the conveyor belt 6 is provided with suction apertures
longitudinally aligned and similar to those of the conveyor belt 6.
The articles of mail 9 contained in the hopper 5 are fed by the
belt 6 through a transport path 10 to the reader section 2 one by
one. A postal code number on each article of mail 9 is read out
while it is passing through the reader section 2. Then, each
article of mail is turned by 90.degree. at the transport-direction
converter section 3 and fed to the sorter section 4.
The reader section 2 comprises, as shown in FIG. 2, two pairs of
dual belts 19-19' and 20-20' and pulleys 35, 36, 37 and 38 for
supporting the belts 19-19' and 20-20'. A flying spot scanner 17
and a photoelectric device 18 are disposed on the side of the
transport path, i.e., on the side of the article of mail where
postal code number 21 is written. A housing 16 is disposed to cover
the flying spot scanner 17 and the photoelectric device 18 for the
purpose of precluding the influence of external light.
The flying spot scanner scans the area of postal code number on the
article of mail 9 by a small spot of light while the article of
mail is being transported. As a result, the code number 21 is
detected by photoelectric device 18. The detected signal is
transmitted to a chracter recoginition circuit 76 (FIG. 6a) in
which the three-digit postal code is recognized. Thus, after the
scanning, the code number is recognized with respect to three-digit
character. As a result, one of 1,000 kinds of numerals, 000 to 999
is read out for each article of mail. In this embodiment, the
sorter section 4 comprises 128 pockets, numbered 0 to 127, which
correspond not to the individual postal code numbers, but to groups
of specific postal code numbers, depending on the amount of actual
postal traffic and delivery system of each postal service block.
This makes it possible to reduce the number of pockets and the cost
of the apparatus as a whole. For this purpose, the detected decimal
three-digit postal number is converted to one of the pocket numbers
0 to 127 in accordance with the predetermined order. The articles
of mail for which the pocket number has been determined in the
character recoginition circuit 76 are further transported to the
sorter section 4 in which the articles of mail are diverted into
one of the branch paths and thence into a specific pocket.
In the sorter section 4, the transport path 10 is branched into a
plurality of transport paths A, B, C and D, as shown in FIG. 1. The
selection of the individual pockets is achieved by dividers Da, Db,
Dc, D.sub.0 . . . . D.sub.126 installed respectively at the branch
points in response to the respective pocket number. Each of the
deviders Da, Db and Dc comprises, as schematically shown in FIG. 3,
a V-shaped movable member 23 disposed in the center of the branch
point of the transport path, pulleys 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34, and
four pairs of dual conveyor belts 26, 26', 27, 27', 28, 28', 29 and
29'. The movable member 23 is connected through a shaft 24 to a
rotary solenoid 25 installed on the back side of the base plate,
and moved from position J to K in response to a voltage applied to
the rotary solenoid 25. Thus the articles of mail supplied in the
direction Z are divided into two groups, one heading toward a
straight path 22 and the other toward a branch path 22'. In this
embodiment, it is so arranged that an article of mail is selected
into a straight path 22 when no voltage is supplied to the solenoid
and into a branch path 22' when it is. A roller 39 comprises a
pinch roller 40 of an elastic rubber, which is to suitably press
the conveyor belts 26 and 26' against the articles of mail at the
branch point, thereby enabling the conveyor belts to securely hold
each article of mail in turn.
The sorting pockets are serially numbered in the order as shown in
FIG. 1. Numbers H.sub.0 to H.sub.31 are assigned to the pockets in
sequence from right to left for the lowest transport path A. While,
numbers H.sub.32 to H.sub.63 are assigned for the path B, and
H.sub.64 to H.sub.95 for the path C. Similarly, H.sub.96 to
H.sub.127 are assigned to pockets in the uppermost path D.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each sorting pocket consists essentially
of the divider D and a receiving pocket H. The divider D comprises
a movable member 41, a drive shaft 42, a rotary solenoid 43 for
driving the movable member 41, a pinch roller 44, dual conveyor
belts 47-47' and 48-48', and pulleys 45 and 46 and is identical to
the divider shown in FIG. 3 in operation. The receiving pocket H
comprises a guide plate 49, a receiving plate 50, and partitions 51
and 52. An article of mail is transported in a straight path when
no voltage is supplied to the rotary solenoid, but it is diverted
to the corresponding pocket when the rotary solenoid is
energized.
The dividers D0 through D126 correspond to the pockets Ho through
H126, and the solenoids S0 through S126 to dividers D0 through
D126. The last pockets H31, H63, H95 and H127 in the individual
stages need not correspond to the dividers and the rotary
solenoids.
In this embodiment, the pocket numbers H0 to H127 are converted to
7-bit data as shown in FIG. 7, and electrically stored in 7-bit
shift registers. The pocket selection data stored in the register
is transferred in accordance with the transportation of the mail
matter. The binary codes No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, No. 8 and No. 16
correspond to pocket numbers in the individual transport path
stages A,B,C and D, and the binary codes No. 32 and No. 64 are used
to discriminate the stages A,B,C and D from each other. For
example, a binary number (0110010) designates the (10010)th pocket,
i.e., the 19th pocket in the (01)th stage (the stage B). Assuming
that the pocket selection code (0110010) is given, the solenoid Sb
of the divider Db corresponding to the first two digits (01) is
activiated, and then the solenoid S49 of the divider D49
corresponding to the remainder 5 digits (10010) is activiated,
whereby a transport path for the article of mail to be guided to
the pocket H49 is established.
The functions of the storage registers and their related circuits
will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 6-a, 6-b and
6-c. The signal detected by photocell device 18 is supplied to the
character recognition circuit 76 in which a decimal 3-digit postal
code number is decoded. The decoded data is translated into a
binary 7-digit pocket selection code, i.e., a pocket number, in a
translator 77.
The translator 77 is a code converter matrix such as, for example,
a diode matrix. The storage register is constituted of parallel
7-bit multistage shift registers, each consisting of 7 flipflops
disposed in parallel with each other. The input is coupled through
7 gates to the register of the previous stage. When a gate pulse
(i.e., a shift pulse) is supplied to the 7 gate lines in common,
the stored data of 7 lines are renewed according to the output data
of the previous stage. The registers disposed in multistage are
indicated by R.sub.0, R.sub.1, R.sub.2, . . . . R.sub.n, Q.sub.0,
Q.sub.1, . . . . Q.sub.n.
The 7-line output data from translator 77 is supplied to the first
stage register R.sub.0. The gate in the register R.sub.0 is always
opened and hence register R.sub.0 accepts the data when the pocket
selection data is obtained by the translator 77.
After the read-out of the postal code number, an article of mail
intercepts the light rays from the light source disposed to face a
photoelectric device L.sub.B-b. The interception is detected by the
photoelectric device L.sub.B-b which is located so that the instant
at which the leading edge of the article of mail is detected is
concident with the instant at which the read-out of the postal code
number is completed. There is also provided a photoelectric device
L.sub.B-a for detecting the leading edge of an article of mail to
be passed through the reader section.
When the leading edge of an article of mail is detected by the
photoelectric device L.sub.B-b, a short pulse is generated by a
differentiator circuit 78 coupled thereto and supplied to a shift
pulse input terminal of the register R1 as a shift pulse P1. The
data stored in the register R0 is shifted to the register R1 by the
shift pulse P1. Immediately after this shifting, a clear pulse CL
is supplied to the register R0 in order to reset the register R0.
Thus, the register R0 is ready to accept the data on the next
succeeding article of mail.
The shift pulse P1 is also supplied to a delay circuit 88, which is
constituted of 96-stage shift register. A clock pulse having a
repetition period of tc is supplied from a clock pulse generator 86
to the delay circuit 88. The outputs of the 16th, 32nd, 48th, 64th,
80th and 96th stages in the delay circuit 88 are supplied to shift
pulse input terminals of the registers R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7,
respectively. Therefore, after the lapse of a period of 16tc, a
pulse P2 is obtained from the first intermediate output terminal of
the delay circuit 88. The pulse P2 is supplied to the register R2
as the shift pulse, whereby the data stored in the register R1 is
shifted to the register R2.
Furthermore, after the lapse of another period of 16tc, a pulse P3
is obtained and supplied to the register R3 to shift the data from
the register R2 to R3. Thus, the pulses P2, P3, P4, P5, P6 and P7
are successively obtained from intermediate output terminals of the
delay circuit 88, and supplied to the registers R2, R3, R4, R5, R6
and R7, respectively, whereby the data stored in the register R1 is
shifted in sequence to the registers R2, R3, - - - , R7. In this
manner, the pocket selection data of the article of mail is shifted
from one register to the following one as the article of mail is
transported. A series of shift pulses P1 to P7 are generated at a
time interval of tm (=16tc). To obviate operational error, the time
interval of tm should be determined in consideration of a pitch of
the article of mail or the interval between the leading edges of
every two adjacent articles of mail. In practice, the time interval
tm is determined slightly shorter than the minimum pitch of the
article of mail. Thus, the pocket selection data of each article of
mail is shifted from the register R1 to R6 for the time period of
6tm. In each register, the data is stored for the period of tm.
Therefore, even if the pitch of two adjacent article of mail is a
minimum, the interference between different data representing two
adjacent article of mail never occur.
Thus, the pocket selection data of the mail matter is shifted from
the register R1 to R7 and stored in the register R7 with a given
time delay corresponding to the time period in which an article of
mail is transported from the point of L.sub.B-b to the point of
L.sub.B-c. In other words, when the article of mail approaches the
divider Da, the pocket selection data of the article of mail is in
the register R7. Then, the article of mail is detected by a
photoelectric device L.sub.B-c. The output of the device L.sub.B-c
is supplied to the differentiator circuit 79 to obtain the shift
pulse P8. The shift pulse P8 is supplied to the register R8 so as
to shift the data stored in the register R7 to the register R8. Two
outputs of the No. 32 bit position and the No. 64 bit position of
the register R8 are connected to a decoder 80 which generates an
output when the two output lines are simultaneously binary 0. The
output of the decoder 80 is supplied through an amplifier 81 to the
solenoid Sa of the divider Da so as to transfer the mail matter to
the lowest stage A. In the case where an article of mail is bound
for one of the pockets H0 through H31 in the lowest stage A, both
of the No. 32 bit position and No. 64 bit position of the data
thereof are binary 0, as shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, the solenoid
Sa is energized by the output of the decoder 80, whereby the
transport path of the mail matter is directed to the lowest stage A
by the divider Da.
For the time interval in which the data stored in the register R1
is shifted to the register R7, an article of mail must be
transported from the point L.sub.B-b to the point close to
L.sub.B-c, and before the article of mail is detected by the
photoelectric device L.sub.B-c, the data thereof must have been
shifted to the register R7. If the transport speed is changed, the
data can not be transferred in synchronism with the movement of
articles of mail. However, the error in the synchronization is
absorbed by detecting the leading edge of the articles of mail by
the photoelectric device L.sub.B-c and by shifting the data from
the register R7 to R8 in response to the detected signal, that is,
re-synchronization is effected
The divider Da operates to transport an article of mail to the
branch path only when the No. 32 bit position and No. 64 bit
position of the data stored in the register R8 are both binary 0.
If the next succeeding article of mail is not to be directed to one
of the pockets in the stage A, the data stored in the register R8
is renewed, and the data of the next succeeding article of mail
stored in the register R7 is shifted to the register R8, when this
article of mail is detected by the photoelectric device L.sub.B-c.
As a result, the divider Da is reset to transport the article of
mail to the straightline path, because at least one of the No. 32
or No. 64 bit positions of the data is a binary digit 1.
The pulse P.sub.8 is also supplied to a delay circuit 89 identical
to the circuit 88, and shifted by the clock pulse supplied from the
clock pulse generator 87 to provide the shift pulses P.sub.9,
P.sub.10 and P.sub.11 for the registers R.sub.9, R.sub.10 and
R.sub.11, respectively. The data stored in the register R.sub.8 are
shifted to the register R.sub.9, R.sub.9 to R.sub.10, and R.sub.10
to R.sub.11, in response to the shift pulse P.sub.9, P.sub.10 and
P.sub.11, respectively. The No. 64 and the No. 32 bit positions of
registers R.sub.9 and R.sub.10 are connected to the decoders 82 and
84 which identify the binary code 01 and 10 respectively. The
outputs of the decoders 82 and 84 are supplied to the solenoids Sb
and Sc of the dividers Db and Dc through the amplifiers 83 and 85,
respectively. As shown in FIG. 7, the binary code of the No. 64 and
No. 32 bit positions in the data of the articles of mail bound for
the second and the third stages B and C are 01 and 10,
respectively. Therefore, the solenoids Sb and Sc of the Dividers Db
and Dc are energized when the data of the mail matters bound for
the stages B and C are shifted to the registers R.sub.9 and
R.sub.10, respectively. Thus, the articles of mail are transported
to the stages B and C, respectively. The articles of mail bound for
the uppermost stage D, the pocket selection data of which has the
binary code 11 in the No. 64 and No. 32 bit, are transported to the
stage D without branching by the dividers Da, Db and Dc. The
distance between the dividers Da and Db or Db and Dc is determined
so that it corresponds to the time interval between the shift
pulses P.sub.8 and P.sub.9 or P.sub.9 and P.sub.10.
The photoelectric devices L.sub.b-0, L.sub.b-4, L.sub.b-8 and
L.sub.b-12 are installed at the front portions of the pockets
H.sub.0, H.sub.32, H.sub.64 and H.sub.96, respectively. The
respective distances of the photoelectric device L.sub.B-C from the
respective pockets H.sub.0, H.sub.32, H.sub.64 and H.sub.96 are
equal to each other. When the leading edge of an article of mail is
detected by one of the photoelectric devices L.sub.b-0, L.sub.b-4,
L.sub.b-8 and L.sub.b-12, the detected signal is supplied to the
differentiators circuit 90 through the OR circuit 93 to provide the
shift pulse l.sub.0 by which the data stored in the register
R.sub.11 is shifted to the register Qo. At this time,
re-synchronization is achieved by detecting the leading edge of an
article of mail by the photoelectric device L.sub.b-0, L.sub.b-4,
L.sub.b-8 or L.sub.b-12, whereby the variation in synchronization
can be compensated.
The output of the register Qo is connected to the decoder Mo for
detecting the data of the mail matter to be directed to the pockets
H.sub.0, H.sub.32, H.sub.64 and H.sub.96 and for generating and
supplying an output signal to the respective amplifiers N.sub.0,
N.sub.32, N.sub.64 and N.sub.96. The outputs from the amplifiers
N.sub.0, N.sub.32, N.sub.64 and N.sub.96 are supplied to the
solenoids S.sub.0, S.sub.32, S.sub.64 and S.sub.96 of the dividers
D.sub.0, D.sub.32, D.sub.64 and D.sub.96. For example, when the
data for the pocket H.sub.0 is stored in the register Q.sub.0, it
is detected by the decoder M.sub.0, and the output of the decoder
M.sub.0 is supplied through the amplifier N.sub.0 to the solenoid
S.sub.0 of the divider D.sub.0 whereby an article of mail is
diverted to the pocket H.sub.0. Because the distances of the
photoelectric device L.sub.B-C from L.sub.b-0 , L.sub.b-4,
L.sub.b-8 and L.sub.b-12 are equal to each other, an article of
mail is detected by only one of the photoelectric devices
L.sub.b-0, L.sub.b-4, L.sub.b-8 and L.sub.b-12.
The shift pulse l.sub.0 obtained from one of the photoelectric
devices L.sub.b-0, L.sub.b-4, L.sub.b-8 and L.sub.b-12 is also
supplied to the delay circuit 91 identical to the delay circuit 88,
and shifted by the clock pulse from the clock pulse generator 92 to
obtain the shift pulses l.sub.1, l.sub.2 - - - l.sub.7 for the
registers Q.sub.1, Q.sub.2 - - - Q.sub.7, respectively. The data
stored in the register Q.sub.0 is shifted to the register Q.sub.1,
Q.sub.1 to Q.sub.2, Q.sub.2 to Q.sub.3 - - - Q.sub.6 to Q.sub.7.
During the shifting the data from the register Q.sub.0 to Q.sub.7,
the data are examined one after another by the decoder M.sub.1,
M.sub.2 - - - M.sub.7 connected to the registers Q.sub.1, Q.sub.2 -
- - Q.sub.7, respectively. The detected signal is supplied to the
corresponding one of the solenoids S.sub.0 to S.sub. 7, S.sub.32 to
S.sub.39, S.sub.64 to S.sub.71 and S.sub.96 to S.sub.103 through
the corresponding amplifiers n.sub.O to N.sub.7, N.sub.32 to
N.sub.39 , N .sub.64 to N.sub.71 and N.sub.96 to N.sub.103. Thus,
the article of mail bound for the first pocket groups in the stages
A, B, C and D are diverted to the respective pockets in response to
the detected data.
The shifting of the data stored in the register Q7 to Q8 is
achieved when the leading edge of an article of mail is detected by
one of the photoelectric devices L.sub.b-1, L.sub.b-5, L.sub.b-9
and L.sub.b-13 installed at the front position of the dividers
D.sub.8, D.sub.40, D.sub.72 and D.sub.104. The outputs of the
photoelectric devices are supplied to the differentiator circuit 95
through the OR circuit 94 to provide the shift pulse l.sub.8, which
is supplied to the register Q.sub.8 to shift the data thereto,
whereby re-synchronization is achieved. The shift pulse l.sub.8 is
also supplied to the delay circuit 96 and shifted by the clock
pulse from the clock pulse generator 97. The data in the register
Q.sub.8 is automatically shifted to Q.sub.9, Q.sub.10 - - -
Q.sub.15 in turn in a similar manner. The articles of mail to be
directed to the second pocket group in each stage are diverted to
the respective pockets in a similar manner to the articles of mail
of first pocket group.
The shifting of the data from the register Q.sub.15 to Q.sub.16 and
Q.sub.23 to Q.sub.24 is achieved when the leading edge of an
article of mail is detected by one of the photoelectric devices
L.sub.b-2, L.sub.b-6, L.sub.b-10 and L.sub.b-14, and L.sub.b-3,
L.sub.b-7, L.sub.b-11 and L.sub.b-15. At the same time
re-synchronization for the second and third pocket groups is
achieved. The shifting of the data from the register Q.sub.16 to
Q.sub.23, and Q.sub.24 to Q.sub.30 is automatically achieved in a
similar manner.
The photoelectric devices L.sub.b-16, L.sub.b-17, L.sub.b-18 and
L.sub.b-19 are installed at the front positions of the last pockets
H.sub.31, H.sub.63, H.sub.95, H.sub.127 in the stages A, B, C and
D, respectively. The outputs of the photoelectric devices are
supplied through the OR circuit 101 to the differentiator circuit
102 to obtain the shift pulse l.sub.3 by which the data in the
register Q.sub.30 is shifted to the register Q.sub.31. Thus,
re-synchronization is again achieved.
A monitor circuit is connected to the output of the register
Q.sub.7. The No. 16 and No. 8 bit position lines of the register
Q.sub.7 is connected to a code identifying circuit 99 which
generates the output when at least one of the No. 16 and No. 8 bit
positions is a binary 1. The output of the circuit 99 is supplied
to a timing monitor 100 comprising a mono-stable multivibrator. The
shift pulse l.sub.8 obtained from one of the photoelectric devices
L.sub.b-1, L.sub.b-5, L.sub.b-9 and L.sub.b-13 is also supplied to
the monitor 100. The monitor 100 generates an alarm signal when the
shift pulse P.sub.8 is not supplied within a predetermined time
period after the output of the circuit 99 is supplied thereto.
Because the articles of mail bound not for the first pocket group
has a pocket selection code in which at least one of the No. 16 and
No. 8 bit positions is a binary 1, the shift pulse l.sub.8 is
obtained within a predetermined time period after the output of the
circuit 99 is obtained. Therefore, when the pulse l.sub.8 is not
supplied within the predetermined time period from the reception of
the output of the circuit 99, an alarm signal is generated from the
monitor 100.
Similar monitor circuits are connected to the registers Q.sub.15,
Q.sub.23 and Q.sub.30, and the alarm signals are generated when a
misoperation is detected at the end of each pocket group timing
period. For example, there is provided the code identifying circuit
103 for generating an output when the No. 16, No. 8, No. 4, No. 2
and No. 1 bit posistion are all binary 1. The output of the circuit
103 is supplied to the timing monitor 104 which generates an alarm
signal when the shift pulse l.sub.31 is not supplied within a
predetermined time period measured from the reception of the output
of the circuit 103.
The last register Q.sub.31 is connected to the code identifying
circuit 105 for generating the output when at least one of the No.
16, No. 8, No. 4, No. 2 and No. 1 bit position is binary 0. The
circuit 105 detects the mis-sorting in which articles of mail bound
for pockets other than the last pockets H.sub.31, H.sub.63,
H.sub.95 and H.sub.127 are transported to the last pocket.
It will be apparent that the embodiment shown is only exemplary and
that various modifications can be made in construction and
arrangement within the scope of the invention as defined in the
appended Claims.
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