US3863789A — Mail tray unloading

Claim 1

Independent Claim 126 words

A mail tray unloader which comprises a box having the bottom half of both ends open for entry at one end onto the bottom of said box of a tray filled with an ordered stack of edge supported mail pieces and delivery of said stack from the other end, means to rotate said box about a longitudinal axis to drop said stack from said tray, means to prevent reordering of said stack during said drop, means to eject the inverted tray from said box, means to rotate said box to its upright position to deposit said stack onto said bottom of said box, means to prevent reordering of said stack during said deposit, and means to sweep said stack from said box through said other end.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 126 words

A mail tray unloader which comprises a box having the bottom half of both ends open for entry at one end onto the bottom of said box of a tray filled with an ordered stack of edge supported mail pieces and delivery of said stack from the other end, means to rotate said box about a longitudinal axis to drop said stack from said tray, means to prevent reordering of said stack during said drop, means to eject the inverted tray from said box, means to rotate said box to its upright position to deposit said stack onto said bottom of said box, means to prevent reordering of said stack during said deposit, and means to sweep said stack from said box through said other end.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 142 words

A mail tray unloader which comprises: a. a box having open ends to admit at the load end thereof a tray filled with an ordered stack of edge supported mail pieces and for movement of said stack from the unload end thereof, b. a paddle extending transversely across said box and mounted for movement longitudinally of said box, c. means to latch said paddle at said unload end, d. means to rotate said box about a longitudinal axis to unload said stack from said tray, e. means to release said paddle and eject the inverted tray from said box, f. means to rotate said box to its upright position to deposit said stack on the bottom of said box, and g. means to actuate said paddle to sweep said stack from said box to said unload end and to relatch said paddle.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 142 words

A mail tray unloader which comprises: a. a box having open ends to admit at the load end thereof a tray filled with an ordered stack of edge supported mail pieces and for movement of said stack from the unload end thereof, b. a paddle extending transversely across said box and mounted for movement longitudinally of said box, c. means to latch said paddle at said unload end, d. means to rotate said box about a longitudinal axis to unload said stack from said tray, e. means to release said paddle and eject the inverted tray from said box, f. means to rotate said box to its upright position to deposit said stack on the bottom of said box, and g. means to actuate said paddle to sweep said stack from said box to said unload end and to relatch said paddle.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 26 words

The combination set forth in claim 2 in which said paddle is resiliently biased toward said load end automatically to eject said inverted tray when released.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 34 words

The combination set forth in claim 2 in which control means including sensor means prevent rotation from an inverted position back to its upright position so long as said tray has not been ejected.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 69 words

The combination set forth in claim 2 in which a planar mail pan with downturned ends is mounted in the top of said box for controlled movement toward and away from the bottom of said box and in which control means moves said mail pan toward said bottom before said box is inverted to support said stack of mail and prevent random fall thereof from said tray when inverted.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 28 words

The combination set forth in claim 5 in which pneumatic cylinders mounted on top of said box are coupled to said mail pan for control of movement thereof.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 39 words

The combination set forth in claim 2 in which a spring biased tape is mounted outside said box adjacent said load end and extends to the mounting means for said paddle to urge said paddle towards said load end.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 144 words

A system for unloading a tray containing an ordered stack of edge supported documents which comprises: means for rotating said tray with said stack therein about an axis above said tray to an inverted position while restraining said stack from falling out of said tray, means operable upon cessation of rotation to permit said stack to respond to gravity to transfer said stack as a body to a rest position supported by the top edges of said documents outside of and beneath said tray, means to remove said tray from above said stack, means for rotating said stack about said axis to its upright position while restraining said stack in a substantially fixed relation to said axis, and means permitting said stack to respond to gravity to transfer said stack to a rest position substantially the same as initially occupied when in said tray.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 144 words

A system for unloading a tray containing an ordered stack of edge supported documents which comprises: means for rotating said tray with said stack therein about an axis above said tray to an inverted position while restraining said stack from falling out of said tray, means operable upon cessation of rotation to permit said stack to respond to gravity to transfer said stack as a body to a rest position supported by the top edges of said documents outside of and beneath said tray, means to remove said tray from above said stack, means for rotating said stack about said axis to its upright position while restraining said stack in a substantially fixed relation to said axis, and means permitting said stack to respond to gravity to transfer said stack to a rest position substantially the same as initially occupied when in said tray.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 35 words

The system of claim 8 wherein a planar support restrains said stack during rotation by moving toward and away from the plane of the top of said tray in synchronism with rotation of said stack.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 35 words

The system of claim 8 wherein rotational means generates a controlled centrifugal force to restrain said stack by rotation of said tray about a longitudinal axis in the region of the top of said tray.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 196 words

An unloader unit for a mail tray loaded with mail which comprises: a. a rectangular polyhedron box having six sides closed except for load and unload ends with ribbed side walls dimensioned to receive and restrain a mail tray in the bottom half thereof, b. a bar extending the length of said box adjacent a bottom corner, c. a transverse paddle mounted on said bar to move the length of said box, d. means to resiliently bias said paddle normally to obstruct said load end, e. clutch means to move said paddle to said unload end preparatory to insertion of a tray into said box, f. means to latch said paddle at said unload end, g. drive means for rotation of said box and any tray therein about an axis passing through said ends, h. means operable when said box is rotated to an inverted position to unlatch said paddle to drive said tray out of said box, and i. means operable upon removal of said tray from said box to rotate said box back to its upright position whereupon movement of said paddle to its latched position will drive said mail through said unload end.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 196 words

An unloader unit for a mail tray loaded with mail which comprises: a. a rectangular polyhedron box having six sides closed except for load and unload ends with ribbed side walls dimensioned to receive and restrain a mail tray in the bottom half thereof, b. a bar extending the length of said box adjacent a bottom corner, c. a transverse paddle mounted on said bar to move the length of said box, d. means to resiliently bias said paddle normally to obstruct said load end, e. clutch means to move said paddle to said unload end preparatory to insertion of a tray into said box, f. means to latch said paddle at said unload end, g. drive means for rotation of said box and any tray therein about an axis passing through said ends, h. means operable when said box is rotated to an inverted position to unlatch said paddle to drive said tray out of said box, and i. means operable upon removal of said tray from said box to rotate said box back to its upright position whereupon movement of said paddle to its latched position will drive said mail through said unload end.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-02-03	1978-08-05	1979-02-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-02-03	1982-08-05	1983-02-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-02-03	1986-08-05	1987-02-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Mail tray unloading

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