Receptacle for sorting and handling flat articles such as letters

Claim 1

A receptacle for use in collecting relatively thin, flat articles such as letters comprising, in combination a bottom wall having a width greater than the length of the articles to be collected and a length which is large in comparison with the average thickness of such articles; an inclined first transverse end wall extending upwardly from one end of said bottom wall, said first end wall slanting upwardly and away from said bottom wall; the upper surface of said bottom wall presenting a plurality of substantially identical upwardly opening notches which are effectively elongated transversely of said bottom wall and arranged in a series which commences at the bottom of said first end wall and progresses lengthwise of said bottom wall toward the other end of said bottom wall, said notches being in parallel side-by-side relation and having a width which is larger than the thickness of the lower edges of the articles to be collected, the series of said notches including a first notch so disposed that the bottom thereof extends generally along a line included in the plane of said first end wall whereby, when the receptacle is advanced lengthwise with said end wall at the trailing end of the receptacle, a flat thin article dropped in such fashion that its lower edge enters said first notch will pivot rearwardly, with forward movement of the receptacle, and come to rest on said first end wall, and a flat thin article similarly dropped into the next notch of the series will likewise pivot rearwardly to come to rest on the article dropped into said first notch; two side walls extending lengthwise of the receptacle and each joined to a different end of said first end wall and to said bottomwall, the height of said side walls being less than that of said first end wall; wherein the upper edge of each of said side walls is provided with first and second different latch means, said first latch means being of such configuration and size as to coact with a latch means of the configuration and size of said second latch means, whereby a second identical receptacle, when inverted and disposed over said receptacle in endwise reversed relation thereto, can be secured to said receptacle as a cover; and a second transverse end wall secured to and pRojecting upwardly from said bottom wall, the height of said side walls being greater than the height of said second end wall, said side walls having inclined edge portions, at the ends thereof opposite said first end wall, which slant downwardly and toward said second end wall, the dimensions of said first end wall said side walls, and said second end wall being such that, when said second receptacle is secured in place as a cover, said first end wall of said second receptacle will lie in flush engagement with said inclined edge portions of the receptacle being covered.