Sorting machine for sorting flat articles having non-uniform physical characteristics, and a method of sorting said flat articles

A sorting machine for sorting different types of flat articles having non-uniform physical characteristics, said sorting machine comprising a conveyor for conveying said flat articles according to a certain speed and one by one according to a certain pitch, said sorting machine comprising a switch flap suitable for pivoting automatically to guide the flat articles either towards a main conveying direction or towards a secondary conveying direction as a function of a predetermined plan, each secondary conveying direction opens out a sorting outlet equipped with a stacker suitable for stacking said flat articles on edge in a stacking zone, said stacker further comprising at least one rotary actuator suitable for stacking said flat articles against a retaining element in the stacking zone, and at least one trailing edge flap provided between said switch flap and the rotary actuator and able to press the trailing portion of the flat article being stacked in said stacking zone, and upstream of the stacking zone between the trailing edge flap and the rotary actuator at least one blower nozzle suitable for blowing a jet of air towards the stacking zone cutting across the path of each flat article arriving in said stacking zone,

• wherein said sorting machine comprises a monitoring and control unit in which several operating programs are stored, each program being designed to control the blower nozzle, the trailing edge flap and the rotary actuator according to different operating parameters optimized for a specific type of article,
• said sorting machine further comprising detection means for determining the type of physical characteristics of each flat article conveying towards the stacker,
• and in response to that detection, the monitoring and control unit selects one operating program corresponding to the appropriate type of article to control at least one of the blower nozzle, trailing edge flap and retaining element.