Cartridge for containing flat articles
AssigneeSiemens ElectroCom, L.P.
InventorsLuiz C. Harres, Richard C. Hickey, Charles M. Combs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cartridge for containing mail. The cartridge is specially adapted for use in a method and apparatus for automatically stacking mail into cartridges in output compartments of a sorting machine, robotically transferring filled cartridges from the output compartments to a buffer shelf; and from the buffer shelf to a docking station of a cartridge unloader and automatic feeder to the input of the sorting machine, and for transferring empty cartridges from the docking station to either the buffer or the output compartments of the sorter, is provided.
Claims10
A cartridge for holding a stack of flat articles, comprising:
- a container having a bottom, sidewalls, a back wall and an open front;
- a gate pivotally mounted to the sidewalls of said container, said gate pivotal between a first position for blocking the open front of said container to a second position to allow access to said container;
- and
- a longitudinally slidable stack support mounted to the bottom of said container along an axis perpendicular to the plane of said gate for supporting the back of a stack of flat articles during loading or unloading of the flat articles into or from the container.
A cartridge for holding a stack of flat articles, comprising:
- a container having a bottom, a sidewall, a back wall and an open front;
- a hold bar pivotally attached to the container for positioning against the stack of flat articles;
- a gate pivotally mounted to the sidewalls of said container, said gate pivotal between a first position for blocking the open front of said container to a second position to allow access to said container, said gate having an opening to permit entrance of the hold bar through said gate when in a closed position;
- and
- a longitudinally slidable stack support mounted to the bottom of said container for supporting the back of a stack of flat articles in the container.
A cartridge for holding a stack of flat articles, comprising:
- a container having a bottom, a sidewall, a back wall and an open front;
- a gate pivotally mounted to the sidewalls of said container, said gate pivotal between a first position for blocking the open front of said container to a second position to allow access to said container;
- a longitudinally slidable stack support mounted to the bottom of said container for supporting the back of a stack of flat articles in the container;
- a lock mounted to said container for selectively securing the position of said stack support in said container;
- and
- an externally actuable cam for disengaging said lock when positioning the container in a receiving dock and engaging said lock when removing the container from the receiving dock.
A cartridge for holding a stack of flat articles, comprising:
- a container having a bottom, a sidewall, a back wall and an open front;
- a gate pivotally mounted to the sidewalls of said container, said gate pivotal between a first position for blocking the open front of said container to a second position to allow access to said container;
- said gate including a cam follower for actuating said gate between an open and closed position by means of relative movement of said container between a fixed external cam on a receiving dock and said cam follower;
- and
- a longitudinally slidable stack support mounted to the bottom of said container for supporting the back of a stack of flat articles in the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.