The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 01, 1987
Filed:
Dec. 26, 1985
Ross M Carrell, Burlington County, NJ (US);
RCA Corporation, Princeton, NJ (US);
Abstract
A parcel sorting and distributing apparatus includes a plurality of inclined chutes which receive parcels at their open upper ends. Each parcel slides down a chute into a receptacle such as a mail hamper. The chutes are vertically stacked and arranged in a spoke-like fashion about a circle with the aggregate of their upper ends forming a cylindrical surface. A rotatable vertical mast at the axis of the cylinder includes a pivotally mounted carrier. In one position the carrier retains a parcel; when it pivots to a second position, the parcel spills out into one of the chutes. A first motor causes the mast to rotate and a second motor drives the carrier vertically along the mast. A parcel which has been identified as to its destination is loaded into the carrier, and a controller controls the first motor, the second motor and the carrier pivot so as to convey the parcel to the appropriate receptacle. Sensors are disclosed for, inter alia, preventing an oversize parcel from entering the system, ensuring that each parcel entering the system drops into one of the receptacles, and gauging the approximate volume of each parcel so as to estimate when each receptacle is full.