Coding assembly
AssigneeHallmark Cargo Services, Inc.
InventorDonald M. Arnel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A coding assembly specifically designed to encode in a non-obtrusive manner, contained packages disposed on the interior of a shipping or storage carton through the utilization of strategically placed pairs of penetrating pins of sufficient length and sharpness to pass through the outer shipping carton and into the plurality of packages contained therein. Relative positions of the pins of a plurality of pin pairs will define the position of the puncture aperture in the respective packages and in turn define one of a plurality of predetermined codes. A clear material template is disposed in overlying relation to the puncture apertures for purposes of decoding.
Claims14
A coding assembly used for the simultaneous encoding of a plurality of packages while disposed in a substantially stacked array within a shipping carton or like container, said assembly comprising:
- (a) a base dimensioned and configured for supporting one end of the carton containing the plurality of packages thereon,
- (b) positioning means mounted on said base and structured to engage portions of said carton and disposed for positioning of the end of the carton on said base in a consistent orientation relative to a supporting surface thereof,
- (c) a plurality of coding pins projecting outwardly from said supporting surface of said base and being of sufficient length to penetrate both the carton end and correspondingly positioned packages,
- (d) said plurality of coding pins arranged in pin pairs, each pin pair disposed on said supporting surface in corresponding position and penetrating relation to one package disposed within the carton adjacent the carton end supported on said base,
- (e) each of said pin pairs comprising a target pin and a secondary pin, said target pin disposed in a fixed reference position and said secondary pin disposed in one of a plurality of spaced positions relative to said target pin, and
- (f) each of a plurality of codes formed in said packages and said pin pairs being defined by the position of said secondary pin relative to said target pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.