Sortation means

Claim 1

IN A SORTATION SYSTEM WHEREIN RESPECTIVE PACKAGES ARE DEPOSITED ON A RESPECTIVE NUMBER OF SLATS DEPENDENT ON THE SIZE OF SAID PACKAGES FOR TRANSPORTATION IN ONE DIRECTION TO ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF STATIONS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A CARRIAGE FOR EACH SLAT FIXEDLY CONNECTED AT A PREDETERMINED POSITION ON A CONVEYOR, GUIDE CHANNELS LOCATED ALONG PREDETERMINED PORTIONS OF THE CONVEYOR ROUTE AND SUPPORTING SUCCESSIVE ONES OF SAID SLATS IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION, A PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CARRIAGE AND ITS RESPECTIVE SLAT, BIASING MEANS FOR PIVOTING EACH SLAT WHEREBY EACH SLAT MAY BE PIVOTED IN A DESIRED DIRECTION, A LATCHING BAR LOCATED AT OTHER POSITIONS OF SAID CONVEYOR ROUTE AND ADJACENT RESPECTIVE STATIONS, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH STATION AND ENERGIZED RESPONSIVE TO THE SELECTION OF THE RESPECTIVE LATCH BAR TO PERMIT SAID SLATS TO SUCCESISVELY PIVOT FOR DEPOSITING A PACKAGE CARRIED THEREBY AT THE RESPECTIVE STATION, EACH OF THE SLATS WHICH ARE SO PIVOTED BY SAID BIASING MEANS BEING RETAINED TOGETHER IN A PIVOTED STATE FOR DISCHARGE OF SAID PACKAGE.