Sorting system having horizontal transfer apparatus

An apparatus for sorting articles on hangers, said apparatus comprising means which moves articles along an elongated guide rail, said guide rail having at least one gap, a pivotable sorting member normally bridging said gap, said sorting member being pivotable downwardly to open the gap, means comprising a sorting chute for receiving articles from said guide rail when said sorting member is pivoted downwardly, and a horizontal transfer apparatus comprising:

• means, comprising a horizontally extending, rotatable, disc-shaped, article-receiving member, disposed beneath the pivotable sorting member, for conveying an article horizontally from said sorting member to said sorting chute;
• and
• ridge-shaped guide means extending along a portion of the perimeter of the disc-shaped article-receiving member, from a position beneath said pivotable sorting member to a position adjacent to the sorting chute, for preventing articles from falling off the disc-shaped article-receiving member.