Shift register control for article handling device

Claim 1

IN A SORTING MACHINE COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF DIVERTING SWITCHES ARRANGED ALONG A CONVEYING PATH; A CONTROL REGISTER SUBDIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF SECTIONS AND SUBJECT TO A STEPWISE SEQUENTIAL SWITCHING OPERATION PROCEEDING FROM SECTION TO SECTION, WHICH CONTROL REGISTER CONTROLS THE ACTUATION OF SAID SWITCHES AND INTO WHOSE FIRST SECTION A COMMAND SIGNAL IS FED WHEN AN ARTICLE ENTERS THE CONVEYING PATH, WHICH COMMAND SIGNAL DESIGNATES THE SWITCH AT WHICH SUCH ARTICLE IS TO BE DIVERTED; AND A PLURALITY OF SENSING MEANS ARRANGED ALONG SAID PATH AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PASSAGE OF THE ARTICLES, SAID SENSING MEANS BEING CONNECTED, RESPECTIVELY, WITH SAID SECTIONS FOR EFFECTING, IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, THE STEPWISE SWITCHING OF THE PARTICULAR COMMAND SIGNAL PERTAINING TO EACH RESPECTIVE ARTICLE UP TO THE CONTROL SECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE SWITCH LOCATED AT THE POINT ALONG SAID PATH WHERE SUCH ARTICLE IS TO BE DIVERTED, THE IMPROVEMENT THAT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN CONSECUTIVE SENSING MEANS IS LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF THE SHORTEST ARTICLE TO BE HANDLED BY THE SORTING MACHINE.