US 4,230,312 AGranted

Item sorter pocket flag and switch apparatus

AssigneeBurroughs Corporation

InventorWilliam B. Templeton

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Abstract

A sorter pocket flag back-up assembly and switch indicating means comprises a non rotatable rectilinearly, slideably moveable support member engageable with one side or face of an item entering the pocket of a sorter including a zero clearance bearing and an integral linear rack having radially disposed teeth engageable with a drive pinion coupled to a reversible stepping motor. The support and rack include a lower guide track coextensive with the rack and an upper spring loaded pin which together maintain a constant depth engagement of the pinion and rack teeth and avoid any tilt of the rack transverse to the long dimension thereof. A pedestal mounted switch arm having an item contacting tang at one end and optical switch interruptor means at the opposite end is pivotally mounted on the pedestal for swinging movement toward and away from the items and the back-up flag assembly effective to energize and deenergize the stepping motor as the stack of items in the pocket enlarges or diminishes thereby effectively controlling the positioning of the flag assembly and indicating an empty or full condition of the sorter pocket.

Claims7

Dependent claims

Item sorter pocket flag and switch apparatus for the pocket receptacle of a sorter reader comprising;

a rack,
means engaging said rack for moving the latter in opposite directions along a horizontal, linear path,
an item pocket flag carried by and moveable with said rack and adapted to act as a vertical support for items incapable of being self supporting,
a flexible member disposed adjacent to said flag and providing complimentary vertical support for said items,
switch means including an arm rotatable about an axis spaced intermediate ends of the arm, a first end of the arm supporting said flexible member, said switch means including oppositely disposed photo optical means having a fixed position relative to said axis, interruptor means secured to the second end of said arm to operably energize and deenergize said photo optical means and produce signals as the interposition of items between said pocket flag and said flexible member causes said flexible member to move relative to said flag, and
reversible drive means operably coupled to said rack engaging means and controlled by the signals to provide a relatively constant minimal spacing between said flag and said flexible member throughout the length of said rack by adjustably moving said rack to accommodate additional items.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.