Apparatus for testing for particulate contaminants in depositories for mail-like articles
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsEugene C. Stradley, John T. Swider
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for testing for particulate contaminants in deposited mail-like articles includes an enclosure adapted for receiving deposited mail-like articles, a squeezing mechanism located within the enclosure and adapted for pressuring opposite flat sides of said deposited mail-like articles for expelling air along with any particulate matter from said deposited mail-like articles and into the enclosure, and a sensing apparatus operatively coupled to the enclosure and adapted for determining the presence of particulate contaminants in air expelled from the deposited mail-like articles. The apparatus may be embodied in a depository of an automated teller machine.
Claims20
An apparatus for testing for particulate contaminants in deposited mail-like articles, comprising:
- an enclosure adapted for receiving deposited mail-like articles:
- a squeezing mechanism located within said enclosure and adapted for pressuring opposite flat sides of the deposited mail-like articles for expelling air along with any particulate matter from the deposited mail-like articles and into said enclosure;
- and
- a sensing apparatus operatively coupled to said enclosure and adapted for determining the presence of particulate contaminants in air expelled from the deposited mail-like articles.
A depository for mail-like articles, comprising:
- an enclosure adapted for receiving deposited mail-like articles;
- a depository port adapted for passing deposited mail-like articles into said enclosure;
- a squeezing mechanism located in said enclosure and adapted for pressuring opposite flat sides of the deposited mail-like articles for expelling air along with particulate matter from the deposited mail-like articles into said enclosure;
- and
- a sensing apparatus operatively coupled to said enclosure and adapted for determining the presence of particulate contaminants in air expelled from the deposited mail-like articles.
An automated teller machine for receiving mail-like articles deposited therein, comprising:
- an enclosure adapted for receiving deposited mail-like articles;
- a depository port adapted for passing deposited mail-like articles into said enclosure;
- a squeezing mechanism located in said enclosure and adapted for pressuring opposite flat sides of the deposited mail-like articles for expelling air along with particulate matter from the deposited mail-like articles into said enclosure;
- and
- a sensing apparatus operatively coupled to said enclosure and adapted for determining the presence of particulate contaminants in any air expelled from the deposited mail-like articles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.