Sorter

Claim 1

IN A SORTER FOR ITEMS SUBJECTED TO DAMAGE UPON IMPACT WITH OTHER OBJECTS, SAID SORTER HAVING AN ITEM DETAIL ANALYZER AND DETAIL SIGNAL STORAGE AND DELIVERY MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DETAIL ANALYZER, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED, PARALLEL AND HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING ITEM CONVEYOR BELTS FOR MOVING ITEMS SEQUENTIALLY ALONG A PATH TO AND FROM SAID ANALYZER WITH SAID ITEMS RESTING ON SAID BELTS, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID BELTS CONTINUOUSLY AT CONSTANT SPEED AND A PLURALITY OF SORTER STATIONS LOCATED SEQUENTIALLY ALONG SAID PATH, EACH OF SAID SORTER STATIONS COMPRISING A STACKER HAVING AN ITEM LIFTER RECIPROCABLE THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID BELTS BETWEEN A LOWER POSITION BENEATH AND NOT OBSTRUCTING SAID PATH AND AN UPPER POSITION LOCATED ABOVE SAID PATH A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE VERTICAL THICKNESS OF SAID ITEMS, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A SIGNAL CORRESPONDING TO AN ITEM TO BE SELECTED AT SUCH SORTER STATION FOR ACTUATING SAID LIFTER, TWO SETS OF CATCH MEANS MOUNTKED ABOVE SAID PATH A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE VERTICAL THICKNESS OF SAID ITEMS AND ENGAGEABLE BENEATH THE EDGES OF AN ITEM LIFTED THERETO BY SAID LIFTER, SAID CATCH MEANS OF EACH SET BEING NORMALLY LATERALLY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER LESS THAN THE CORRESPOND-