Automatic sorting system

Claim 1

A SORTING MECHANISM FOR STORING A PLURALITY OF ITEMS HAVING DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS ACCORDING TO THE CLASSIFICATION OF EACH ITEM THAT COMPRISES: (A) A PLURALITY OF STORAGE BINS; (B) ITEM DIRECTING MEANS FOR DIRECTING THE ITEMS TO ONE OF THE STORAGE BINS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE ITEMS; (C) A PLURALITY OF LAMPS CAPABLE OF EMITTING RADIATION OF A DESIRED FREQUENCY RANGE, EACH OF SAID LAMPS BEING ASSOCIATED WITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID STORAGE BINS; (D) MEANS FOR ENERGIZING ONE OF SAID LAMPS RESPONSIVE TO THE INDICATION OF THE PRESENCE OF AN ITEM OF ONE CLASSIFICATION; AND (E) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF RADIATION EMITTED BY ONE OF SAID LAMPS FOR POSITIONING THE ITEM HANDLING MEANS TO DIRECT SAID ITEM OF ONE CLASSIFICATION TO THE STORAGE BIN ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ONE OF SAID LAMPS, SAID MEANS RESPONSIVE INCLUDING A FIRST PHOTOCELL ARRAY AND A SECOND PHOTOCELL ARRAY WHICH ARE SENSITIVE TO RADIATION OF THE FREQUENCY RANGE EMITTED BY SAID LAMPS AND FURTHER INCLUDING A HOUSING SUPPORTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND PHOTOCELL ARRAYS WITH EACH OF SAID ARRAYS FACING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT DIRECTION WHEREBY AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ARRAYS WILL RECEIVE RADIATION EMITTED BY ANY OF SAID LAMPS.