US3709480A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Paper collator and distributor
Assignee: AB Dick Co
•
Filing: 1970-02-18
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Granted: 1973-01-09
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Expires: 1990-02-18
Abstract
Abstract Sheet distributing mechanism in which sheets may be distributed under the control of punched tape to any selected catch tray in any one of a plurality of racks of catch trays with the mechanism being such that, after the selection of a tray, a counter may operate to direct a predetermined number of sheets to the tray without requiring the storing of additional sheet addresses on the tape. The operator may set a number in any one of a plurality of registers which can be selected by the tape to control the number of sheets to be delivered to a catch tray. When a sheet enters the sheet distributing mechanism, it causes the reading of an address from the tape and as it approaches the first rack of trays, it calls the address forward to a rack register. A decoder on the first rack directs the sheet into the rack if the address is for the rack by opening a rack gate if it is not already open and sets a tray gate within the rack to divert the sheet to the proper catch tray. If the address is not for the first rack, the sheet proceeds to the second rack and effects a transfer of its address to the second rack register. The operation of decoding the address is again performed at the second rack and if the address is for the second rack, a rack gate is opened if it is not already open and a tray gate in the rack is set. If the address is not for the second rack, the sheet proceeds to the third rack and the operation is repeated.
Inventors
- 👤 E Schulze
- 👤 R Baker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 17:04
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H39/00; B65H39/10; B65H39/11; B65H29/00; B65H29/58; B65H29/60; G; G06; G06F; G06F7/00; G06F7/06; B65H2408/00; B65H2408/10; B65H2408/11; B65H2408/111; B65H2408/118
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
248 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism, a plurality of sheet receiving locations each having an address, sheet conveying means for conveying sheets sequentially entering the mechanism to selected addresses, memory means having a plurality of locations for storing sequentially accessible data including first data comprising coded address data indicating the addresses to which sheets are to be directed and second data comprising additional coded data associated with at least certain of said addresses, said second data being different from said first data and representing additional instructions for said mechanism relative to the distribution of sheets, reading means for sequentially reading said memory means to sequentially establish addresses for sheets to be distributed, means responsive to an address established by said reading means for controlling said sheet conveying means to direct a sheet to the address, control means responsive to the reading of coded address data from said memory means by said reading means for activating said reading means to effect the next sequential reading of data from said memory means to determine if the next data to be read in sequence is a coded address or said additional coded data representing an additional instruction, and means for storing the data read by said next sequential reading for subsequent use in directing a sheet to the address if the data read is an address and for storing said additional coded data for immediate active use if the data read is additional coded data representing an instruction different from an address.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
248 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism, a plurality of sheet receiving locations each having an address, sheet conveying means for conveying sheets sequentially entering the mechanism to selected addresses, memory means having a plurality of locations for storing sequentially accessible data including first data comprising coded address data indicating the addresses to which sheets are to be directed and second data comprising additional coded data associated with at least certain of said addresses, said second data being different from said first data and representing additional instructions for said mechanism relative to the distribution of sheets, reading means for sequentially reading said memory means to sequentially establish addresses for sheets to be distributed, means responsive to an address established by said reading means for controlling said sheet conveying means to direct a sheet to the address, control means responsive to the reading of coded address data from said memory means by said reading means for activating said reading means to effect the next sequential reading of data from said memory means to determine if the next data to be read in sequence is a coded address or said additional coded data representing an additional instruction, and means for storing the data read by said next sequential reading for subsequent use in directing a sheet to the address if the data read is an address and for storing said additional coded data for immediate active use if the data read is additional coded data representing an instruction different from an address.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
In a mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said mechanism includes inhibit means settable in response to the reading of two addresses in sequence to inhibit operation of said control means, and means responsive to an instruction from said memory means for resetting said inhibit means to permit the operation of said control means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
In a mechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein said mechanism includes means responsive to said reading means for resetting said inhibit mEans and activating said reading means in response to coded instructional data indicating no sheets are to be directed to the preceding address.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
209 words
In a sheet distributing machine for distributing sheets entering the machine to a plurality of addresses, memory means having a plurality of locations for storing sequentially accessible data including coded address data indicating addresses to which sheets are to be directed and additional second coded data associated with at least certain of said addresses constituting additional instructions for said mechanism relative to the distribution of sheets, reading means for reading said memory means sequentially to determine addresses in sequence to which sheets are to be directed and to read any of said additional second coded data associated with said certain addresses, register means responsive to said reading means for registering an address read by said reading means from said memory means, means for directing a sheet entering the machine to an address registered in said register means, said additional second coded data associated with at least certain of said address data indicating a particular plurality of sheets which are to be directed to the associated address, and further means responsive to the reading of said additional second coded data by said machine for rendering said machine ineffective to establish a new address for sheets entering said distributor until said plurality of sheets has been directed to the associated address.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
209 words
In a sheet distributing machine for distributing sheets entering the machine to a plurality of addresses, memory means having a plurality of locations for storing sequentially accessible data including coded address data indicating addresses to which sheets are to be directed and additional second coded data associated with at least certain of said addresses constituting additional instructions for said mechanism relative to the distribution of sheets, reading means for reading said memory means sequentially to determine addresses in sequence to which sheets are to be directed and to read any of said additional second coded data associated with said certain addresses, register means responsive to said reading means for registering an address read by said reading means from said memory means, means for directing a sheet entering the machine to an address registered in said register means, said additional second coded data associated with at least certain of said address data indicating a particular plurality of sheets which are to be directed to the associated address, and further means responsive to the reading of said additional second coded data by said machine for rendering said machine ineffective to establish a new address for sheets entering said distributor until said plurality of sheets has been directed to the associated address.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
78 words
A sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 4 wherein said further means comprises a manually settable register for registering a number of sheets to be directed to selected addresses, and means responsive to said coded data for rendering said register effective to direct a number of sheets to a selected address in accordance with the setting of the register and for initiating a new address when said number of sheets has been directed to the selected address.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 5 in which there are a plurality of manually settable registers and said additional coded data is effective to select one of said registers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
74 words
A sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 4 wherein said further means comprises a sheet counting means, means responsive to said additional coded data to set said sheet counting means to provide a signal after a predetermined count, means for entering a count into said counting means for sheets directed to the selected address, and means responsive to said signal for enabling said mechanism to direct the next sheet to a new address.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
96 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 4 including sheet responsive means responsive to the arrival of a sheet for actuating said reading means to read the next information stored in said program means, means responsive to the reading and registering of an address for initiating a reading of the next information stored in said program means independently of the arrival of a sheet, and means for effecting the storing of said next information when the latter is an address and inhibiting further reading of said storage means until the arrival of another sheet.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism according to claim 8 wherein said further means comprises means for rendering said sheet responsive means ineffective to actuate said reading means to read the next stored information in response to the reading of said further coded data until the selected number of sheets is directed to the previously read address.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
71 words
A sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 8 wherein said further means comprises a manually settable register for registering a number of sheets to be directed to a selected address, and means responsive to said coded data for rendering said register effective to control the number of sheets to a selected address and for initiating a new address when said number of sheets has been directed to the new address.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
A sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 10 wherein said mechanism includes means responsive to a predetermined setting of said manually settable register for effecting the reading of a new address from said program means for the sheet which last actuated said sheet responsive means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
A sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 10 in which there are a plurality of manually settable registers and said additional coded data is effective to select one of said registers to control the number of sheets to be directed to a selected address.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
82 words
A sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 10 wherein said further means comprises a sheet counting means, means responsive to said additional coded data to set said sheet counting means in accordance with said manually settable register to provide a signal after a predetermined count, means for entering a count into said counting means for a sheet directed to the selected address, and means responsive to said signal for enabling said mechanism to direct the next sheet to a new address.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
75 words
A sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 8 wherein said further means comprises a sheet counting means, means responsive to said additional coded data to set said sheet counting means to provide a signal after a predetermined count, means for entering a count into said counting means for a sheet directed to the selected address and means responsive to said signal for enabling said mechanism to direct the next sheet to a new address.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
251 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism having a plurality of racks in series, each rack having a plurality of trays therein and each of said trays having a rack address and a tray address within the rack, indexible storage means for storing a plurality of words each indicating the rack address and tray address for a tray and indexible to effect the reading of the words in sequence, a rack register for each rack for registering an address word representing an address to which a sheet is to be directed, sheet gate means at each rack to direct a sheet into the rack, tray gate means at each tray for directing a sheet into a tray corresponding to the tray address, decoding means for each rack for decoding the address word, means responsive to said decoding means for decoding the address word including means responsive to said decoding means for actuating the corresponding rack gate to divert the sheet from the rack or into the rack depending when the rack address in the word matches the address of the rack and for setting the tray gate within the rack corresponding to the tray address when the address matches the rack, sheet conveying and directing means for conveying said sheets to said racks and past said trays to deliver a sheet to an address for the sheet including means for registering an address word for each sheet in the rack register of a rack as the rack is being approached by the sheet.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
251 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism having a plurality of racks in series, each rack having a plurality of trays therein and each of said trays having a rack address and a tray address within the rack, indexible storage means for storing a plurality of words each indicating the rack address and tray address for a tray and indexible to effect the reading of the words in sequence, a rack register for each rack for registering an address word representing an address to which a sheet is to be directed, sheet gate means at each rack to direct a sheet into the rack, tray gate means at each tray for directing a sheet into a tray corresponding to the tray address, decoding means for each rack for decoding the address word, means responsive to said decoding means for decoding the address word including means responsive to said decoding means for actuating the corresponding rack gate to divert the sheet from the rack or into the rack depending when the rack address in the word matches the address of the rack and for setting the tray gate within the rack corresponding to the tray address when the address matches the rack, sheet conveying and directing means for conveying said sheets to said racks and past said trays to deliver a sheet to an address for the sheet including means for registering an address word for each sheet in the rack register of a rack as the rack is being approached by the sheet.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
129 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 15 wherein said storage means includes memory means for storing said words and reading means for reading said memory means, and said sheet conveying and directing means includes first sheet sensing means responsive to a sheet entering said mechanism for actuating said reading means to effect a reading of said memory means and a storing of an address word, sheet sensing means in advance of the first rack of the sequence actuated in response to a sheet approaching the first rack to set the first rack register from said storage means, additional sheet sensing means in advance of each of other racks actuated by a sheet approaching the rack to set the next rack register from the preceding rack register.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
157 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 16 including a counting means adapted to be actuated each time a sheet enters said mechanism, said memory means including further code words associated with at least certain of said address words and read in association therewith, said further code words indicating that a plurality of sheets is to be distributed To the address word associated with said further code word, count means responsive to the reading of a further code word by said reading means for setting said counting means, and means effective on the setting of said counting means for rendering each sheet entering said mechanism effective to enter a count in said counting means and rendering said first sheet sensing means ineffective to actuate said reading means and responsive to a predetermined number of counts entered in said counting means to enable the mechanism to direct the next sheet entering the mechanism to another address.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
60 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 17 wherein said count means includes a plurality of registers manually settable to a predetermined count and means actuated in response to the reading of said further code word by said reading means to render a selected one of said registers effective to set said counting means to said predetermined count.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
84 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 16, wherein said reading means comprises first and second registers for storing an address to be transferred to the first rack register, means responsive to the setting of one of said registers to initiate the reading of the next data stored in said program means and means responsive to reading of an address to store said address in said second register and to render said first sheet sensing means ineffective to actuate said reading means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
75 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 15, wherein said decoding means at each rack includes a permutation code mechanism comprised of mechanically positionable binary elements at each tray, a plurality of mechanical bistable mechanisms each adapted to set one of said binary elements at each gate, and means responsive to the setting of a portion of the rack register to an address corresponding to the rack for setting said mechanical bistable mechanisms.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
78 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism according to claim 15, wherein said tray gate means of each rack includes a tray gate for each tray in the rack and said decoding means includes a binary code mechanism associated with each tray gate for operating the tray gate when the mechanism is set to a particular permutation and binary responsive to the rack register for setting said code mechanism in accordance with the tray address set in the rack register.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
186 words
In a sheet distributing machine for distributing sheets to selected ones of a plurality of catch trays, each of said catch trays have a coded address, addressing means for storing coded address data representing addresses to which said sheets are to be directed, reading means for reading said address means and registering an address to which a sheet is to be directed, means for directing a sheet entering the mechanism to an address registered in said reading means, said addressing means including additional coded data different from said address data associated with the address data for at least certain addresses, sheet responsive means responsive to the arrival of a sheet for actuating said reading means to read said addressing means, means responsive to the reading and registering of an address for initiating a reading of the next information stored in said addressing means independently of the arrival of a sheet, and means for effecting the storing of said next information in said addressing means when the latter is an address and inhibiting further reading of said addressing means until at least the arrival of another sheet.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
186 words
In a sheet distributing machine for distributing sheets to selected ones of a plurality of catch trays, each of said catch trays have a coded address, addressing means for storing coded address data representing addresses to which said sheets are to be directed, reading means for reading said address means and registering an address to which a sheet is to be directed, means for directing a sheet entering the mechanism to an address registered in said reading means, said addressing means including additional coded data different from said address data associated with the address data for at least certain addresses, sheet responsive means responsive to the arrival of a sheet for actuating said reading means to read said addressing means, means responsive to the reading and registering of an address for initiating a reading of the next information stored in said addressing means independently of the arrival of a sheet, and means for effecting the storing of said next information in said addressing means when the latter is an address and inhibiting further reading of said addressing means until at least the arrival of another sheet.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
170 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism, a plurality of racks each having a plurality of trays distributed along a sheet path within the rack and a tray gate for each tray operable to divert a sheet into the selected tray, conveying means for conveying a sheet past said racks, each of said racks having rack gates for diverting a sheet from said conveying means to follow the said sheet path within the rack, memory means storing a plurality of code words in binary form, each code word having a racK address portion and a tray address portion, a rack register for each rack, means for registering in the rack register of the rack being approached by a sheet one of said code words indicating the address for the sheet, and means at each rack register for opening the rack gate and for setting a selected tray gate in the rack to a diverting position when the rack address in the word set in the rack register matches that of the rack.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
170 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism, a plurality of racks each having a plurality of trays distributed along a sheet path within the rack and a tray gate for each tray operable to divert a sheet into the selected tray, conveying means for conveying a sheet past said racks, each of said racks having rack gates for diverting a sheet from said conveying means to follow the said sheet path within the rack, memory means storing a plurality of code words in binary form, each code word having a racK address portion and a tray address portion, a rack register for each rack, means for registering in the rack register of the rack being approached by a sheet one of said code words indicating the address for the sheet, and means at each rack register for opening the rack gate and for setting a selected tray gate in the rack to a diverting position when the rack address in the word set in the rack register matches that of the rack.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
109 words
In a sheet distributing mechanism as defined in claim 23 in which the last said means at each of said rack includes a decoder for decoding an address in the rack register, an allow circuit actuated by the decoder when the address is for said rack, means conditioned by said allow circuit and actuated in response to the approach of the sheet to open said rack gate and for setting a tray gate, means for resetting the allow circuit when the rack and tray gates are set as said sheet moves into the rack, and means responsive to the resetting of the allow circuit for resetting the rack register.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-09 | 1976-07-10 | 1977-01-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-09 | 1980-07-10 | 1981-01-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-09 | 1984-07-10 | 1985-01-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |