Self-storing material sortation deflector system

A material deflector plate system comprising:

• a base frame;
• a deflector-plate support structure depending from the base frame and being adapted for rearward and forward reciprocating motion with respect to the base frame along a reciprocation axis between a rearwardmost retracted position and a forwardmost extended position, the deflector-plate support structure having laterally spaced left and right frame members extending along the reciprocation axis;
• and
• first and second deflector plate sets, the first deflector plate set including a left side deflector plate hingedly attached to the left frame member for pivotal motion about a first side-plate pivot axis that extends along the left frame member and the second deflector plate set including a right side deflector plate hingedly attached to the right frame member for pivotable motion about a second side-plate pivot axis that extends along the right frame member, each of the left and right side deflector plates including an inner face, an outer face, a base edge, a distal edge opposite the base edge, and rear and front edges, the base edge being the edge, as between the base and distal edges, that is closer to the side-plate pivot axis about which that side plate pivots, each of the first and second deflector plate sets further including
• (i) a front deflector plate hingedly depending from the side deflector plate and being pivotable about a front-plate pivot axis extending along the front edge of the side deflector plate, the front plate including an inside face, an outside face, a base edge, a distal edge opposite the base edge, and upper and lower edges, the base edge being the edge, as between the base and distal edges, that is closer to the front-plate pivot axis, and
• (ii) a tail plate hingedly depending from the side deflector plate and including an interior face, an exterior face, a base edge, a top edge and at least one of (a) a bottom edge and (b) a rear edge, the tail plate being pivotable about a tail-plate pivot axis extending along the base edge of the tail plate and along the rear edge of the side deflector plate.

A material deflector plate system comprising:

• a base frame;
• a deflector-plate support structure depending from the base frame and being adapted for rearward and forward reciprocating motion with respect to the base frame along a reciprocation axis between a rearwardmost retracted position and a forwardmost extended position;
• first and second deflector plate sets, the first deflector plate set including at least a left side deflector plate hingedly attached to the deflector plate support structure for pivotable motion about a first side-plate pivot axis that extends along the reciprocation axis and the second deflector plate set including at least a right side deflector plate hingedly attached to the deflector plate support structure for pivotable motion about a second side-plate pivot axis that extends along the reciprocation axis, each of the left and right side deflector plates including an inner face, an outer face, a base edge, a distal edge opposite the base edge, and rear and front edges, the base edge being the edge, as between the base and distal edges, that is closer to the side-plate pivot axis about which that side plate pivots, each of the left and right side plates being pivotable between a collapsed position in which the side plate extends along a horizontal plane and a deployed position in which the side plate is relatively upright, the first and second side-plate pivot axes being spaced apart such that, at least when the left and right side plates are in upright positions, there exists between the base edges of the left and right side plates an open material acceptance region through which material can descend to a predetermined location below the acceptance region;
• and
• a front deflector plate hingedly depending from one of the left side deflector plate and the right side deflector plate, the front plate including an inside face, an outside face, a base edge, a distal edge opposite the base edge, and upper and lower edges, the front deflector plate being (i) pivotable about a front-plate pivot axis extending along the base edge of the front plate and along the front edge of the side plate from which the front plate depends and (ii) selectively coupleable to the side plate opposite the side plate from which the front plate hingedly depends when the left and right side plates are in upright positions.