Electronic copy sender

Claim 2

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing material comprising: holding means for receiving and holding material for subsequent release; releasing means for releasing material from said holding means, said releasing means having a first and a second position, said first position for preventing release of material from said holding means, and said second position for allowing release of material from said holding means; transducer means for moving said releasing means from said first to said second position in response to an electrical signal and for moving said releasing means from said second to said first position upon termination of said electrical signal; control means comprising an electronic circuit having a set of advancing means for advancing a series of switches, said advancing means being connected for alternate operation for sequentially selecting one of said releasing means and directing said electrical signal to the selected one of said releasing means; signal means for sending electrical signals to the selected one of said transducer means thereby operating said releasing means, releasing material from said holding means.

Claim 3

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing material substantially as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said holding means comprises a series of pockets each having four sides and a moveable gate forming a back closure.

Claim 4

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing material substantially as claimed in claim 2 wherein: said releasing means comprises a series of moveable gates each corresponding to one of said pockets and hinged to said holding means for movement relative to said holding means.

Claim 5

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing material substantially as claimed in claim 3 wherein: said transducer means comprises a solenoid operably connected to said releasing means by mechanical linkage for moving said releasing means to its second position in response to an electrical signal and for returning said releasing means to its first position upon termination of said electrical signal.

Claim 6

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing material substantially as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said signal means comprises a series of push buttons remotely located with respect to said holding means for individual remote operation of said releasing means.

Claim 7

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing material substantially as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means further comprises: an electronic circuit having a photo-electric means for sensing the presence of material in certain designated pockets and automatically interrupting the regular sequence for transferring sequential control when material is present in said designated pockets, an electronic circuit having a photo-electric means for sensing the absence of material in said designated pockets and automatically transferring sequential control back to said regular sequence resuming said regular sequence where originally interrupted.

Claim 8

An electonic copy sender for sequentially distributing material substantially as claimed in claim 6 wherein said photo-electric means comprises: a photo-cell positioned along the center line of a series of holes defined by the shelveS of the pockets of said holding means for receiving light from a light source also positioned along said center line.

Claim 9

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing material substantially as claimed in claim 6 wherein said advancing means comprises stepping motors, and said control means further comprises: at least one relay for preventing said electronic circuit from transferring sequential control from said regular sequence to said designated pockets during pendency of the system time interval; and further, from transferring sequential control from said designated pockets to said regular sequence during pendency of the system time interval.

Claim 10

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing written material comprising: tiers of inclined shelves forming pockets for receiving and holding written material, passage of said written material through each of said pockets being blocked by a movable gate so that written material deposited in one of said pockets is held pending displacement of the movable gate associated with said one of said pockets; solenoid means for displacing said movable gate, said solenoid means responsive to electrical signals initiated by manually operable switches; primary and secondary sequential switches, driven by advancing means said sequential switches for selecting sequentially a certain one of said movable gates pending operation of said manually operable switches, said secondary sequential switches for sequentially selecting among regular gates, said primary sequential switches for sequentially selecting among priority gates; photo-electric means for sensing the presence of written material in said priority pockets and switching control to said priority pockets, said photo-electric means for automatically shifting selection from said priority gates to said regular gates upon completion of removal of written material from said priority pockets.

Claim 11

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing written material comprising: tiers of inclined shelves forming pockets for receiving and holding written material, passage of said written material through each of said pockets being blocked by a movable gate so that written material deposited in one of said pockets is held pending displacement of the movable gate associated with said one of said pockets; solenoid means for displacing said movable gate, said solenoid means responsive to electrical signals initiated by manually operable switches; primary and secondary sequential switches, driven by advancing means said sequential switches for selecting sequentially a certain one of said movable gates pending operation of said manually operable switches, said secondary sequential switches for sequentially selecting among regular gates, said primary sequential switches for sequentially selecting among priority gates; photo-electric means for sensing the presence of written material in said priority pockets and switching control to said priority pockets, said photo-electric means for automatically shifting selection from said priority gates to said regular gates upon completion of removal of written material from said priority pockets.

Claim 12

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing written material substantially as claimed in claim 9 wherein: said movable gates comprise rectangular grids movably attached to said tiers of inclined shelves by bearings at the ends of said movable gates, said rectangular grids having first and second positions, each of said movable gates being tight against the lower edge of its corresponding inclined shelf in said first position and being substantially parallel to said inclined shelf in said second position, said first position for holding written material in said pockets, said second position for allowing said written material to slide off said inclined shelf and out of said pocket.

Claim 13

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing material comprising: holding means for receiving and holding material for subsequent release; releasing means for releasing material from said holding means, said releasing means having a first and a second position, said first position for preventing release of material from said holding means, and said second position for allowing release of material from said holding means; transducer means for moving said releasing means from said first to said second position and for moving said releasing means from said second to said first position; control means for sequentially selecting one of several of said transducer means for sequential operation of said releasing means said control means having a photo-electric means for sensing the presence of material in certain designated pockets and automatically interrupting the regular sequence transferring sequential control to a priority sequence when material is present in said designated pockets, and for sensing the absence of material in said designated pockets and automatically transferring sequential control back to said regular sequence resuming said regular sequence where originally interrupted.

Claim 14

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing material comprising: holding means for receiving and holding material for subsequent release; releasing means for releasing material from said holding means, said releasing means having a first and a second position, said first position for preventing release of material from said holding means, and said second position for allowing release of material from said holding means; transducer means for moving said releasing means from said first to said second position and for moving said releasing means from said second to said first position; control means for sequentially selecting one of several of said transducer means for sequential operation of said releasing means said control means having a photo-electric means for sensing the presence of material in certain designated pockets and automatically interrupting the regular sequence transferring sequential control to a priority sequence when material is present in said designated pockets, and for sensing the absence of material in said designated pockets and automatically transferring sequential control back to said regular sequence resuming said regular sequence where originally interrupted.

Claim 15

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing material substantially as claimed in claim 11 wherein said photo-electric mEans comprises; a photo-cell positioned along the center line of a series of holes defined by the shelves of the pockets of said holding means for receiving light from a light source also positioned along said center line.

Claim 16

An electronic copy sender for sequentially distributing material substantially as claimed in claim 11 wherein said control means further comprises; at least one relay for preventing said electronic circuit from transferring sequential control from said regular sequence to said designated pockets during pendency of the system time interval; and further, from transferring sequential control from said priority sequence to said regular sequence during pendency of the system time interval.