Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~98794
The invention relates to a document storage receptacle having
a fixed bottom, in which receptacle a guiding element, resilient in -
itself and having the shape of a tongue curved into an elongated S,
is fixed without being able to pivot, and in which receptacle a stack
of documents can be formed under the tongue and the end edge of the
tongue rests on the stack.
A receptacle of the above-mentioned type is known. However, the
tongue in the known receptacle has its second curve only at its far-
thest end, so that the tongue cannot exert any moment on the document
which has reached the end wall of the receptacle with its leading edge
and which, moreover, is still floating. As a consequence this document
may hinder the subsequent document, thus causing blockage.
The invention offers a solution for the problem mentioned.
According to the invention there is provided a document storage
receptacle including at least a fixed bottom, a back wall and an end
wall and arranged to form in said receptacle a stack of documents
having a predetermined maximum length, said documents being introduced
lengthwise into said receptacle in a plane parallel to said bottom and
in a direction parallel to said back wall, said receptacle including a
guiding element, resilient in itself and having the shape of a tongue
curved into an elongated S, which is fixed without being able to pivot
and extends downwardly towards said bottom so that said stack of docu-
ments is formed under the tongue with the end edge of said tongue
resting on the stack, wherein when the leading edge of a said document
touches the end wall of the receptacle,the tongue engages the document
at a position which is spaced by at least one fifth of the length of
the document from said end wall.
As a result of pressing at least one fifth of the length of the
document against the stack or the bottom of the receptacle, the re-
maining part of the document or the postal article quickly swings down,so that the path is quickly cleared for a subsequent postal article,
if any.
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1~9~794
The elastic characteristic and the shape of the tongue are of
great importance. They can be chosen such that the tongue exercises -
a certain slowing-down, guiding and swinging effect on the postal
articles, so that a good stacking of them, even if they are of a wide
S range of sizes and weights, in the receptacle is ensured. Good re-
sults are attained with a tongue made of synthetic material. In case
of a relatively low percentage of moisture, however, light-weight
postal articles easily stick to the tongue because of static electric-
ity. It is not sufficient to make the tongue antistatic, because
even then the electric charge supplied by the postal articles cannot
be carried off quickly enough. A solution for the problem just men-
tioned is provided thanks to a pivotally mounted U-shaped frame en-
closing the tongue, of which frame the end part, in its normal posi-
tion, rests on the tongue, and the side-parts of which are lower than
the first half of the tongue, seen from the entrance of the receptacle.
In the case of light-weight postal articles the first half of thetongue
is replaced by the side-parts of the frame, whereas the heavier postal
articles which are not hindered by static electricity, push away the
frame.
The invention will now be elucidated with the help of the drawings,
in which
Fig. I shows a front view of some receptacles placed one
on top of the other;
Fig. 2 shows a top view of a receptacle according to the
cross section ~ - II in Fig.l, and
Fig. 3 shows a cross section, according to the line III - III
in Fig. 1, of some receptacles placed one on top of
the other.
The receptacle I has a back wall 2, an entrance wall 3, an end
wall 4 and a bottom 5. The receptacle leans backwards: seen in the
plane of the entrance wall 3 the back wall 2 forms an angle of ~ 10
with the vertical, whereas the angle formed by the bottom 5 and the
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~C~987~g
horizontal is ~ 20 . The postal articles 6 are supplied by the con-
veyor belt 7 and pass through the entrance wall 3. In the receptacle
a postal article touches a frame 8, consisting of a fixed pivot 9,
two side-parts 10 and an end part 11. In its normal position the end
part 11 rests on the tongue 12, which is fixed to the traverse bar 13,
on which the pivot 9 of the frame 8 is mounted as well. The tongue 12
is made of synthetic material, and has more or less the shape of an S.
It is resilient and when the receptacle is empty, it rests with one
end on the bottom 5.
lo The tongue has the following functions:
1. it has to slow down the postal article;
2. it has to guide it, and
3. it has to lay it down with a swinging movement.
Re ].: The postal article is slowed down
a. when bumping against the frame and in case it has pushed
away this frame, when bumping against the tongue;
b. when sliding along the frame and the tongue, and
c. when slipping between the tongue and the bottom or the
stack of postal articles.
In the situations a. and b. this slowing-down decreases according
as the tongue reaches a higher level in the receptacle, so according
as the stack of postal articles has grown higher.
In the situation c. in which the pressure on the bottom or on
the stack is obtained by the resilience of the tongue, the slowing-
down action increases according as the tongue reaches a higher level
in the receptacle.
Re 2.: In order to be able to guide the postal article, that is to
prevent it from changing its direction in its plane in an un-
desirable manner, the tongue must have a certain width and also
be in a position exactly parallel to the plane of the incoming
postal article.
Re 3.: The way in which the postal article is laid down with a swinging
movement is shown in Fig. 1. The postal article 14 has slipped
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with its leading edge between the tongue-end and the postal ar-
ticle 6 in consequence of which its direction has changed. The
tongue-end exerts pressure on the postal article 14, mostly af-
ter having been pushed up first. As a result of the pressure
exerted and the flexural stiffness of the postal article its
tail-end quickly swings downwards, thus clearing the path for
a subsequent postal article, if any.
The elastic constant of the tongue has to be such that even in the
case of a high stack the light-weight postal articles nevertheless just
reach the end wall 4. This implies that the first postal articles that
arrive in the receptacle may come against the end wall too hard in con-
sequence of which they rebound. For this reason the end wall 4 is pad-
ded witha shock-absorbing material 15. In case of a stream of well-
separated postal articles it has proved to be possible to effect a
good and quick stacking of postal articles by means of a receptacle
designed according to the invention.
The cut-away portion 16 in the bottom 5 facilitates the removal
of a stack from the receptacle.
The frame 8 guides light-weight postal articles, such as airmail
letters. These postal articles may be statically charged to such an
extent that they stick to the tongue. This is prevented by the frame 8.
Because of their little weight airmail letters are unable to push away
the frame. The contact areas of the side-parts 10 of the frame are so
small that the static electricity no longer causes any inconvenience.
Beyond the frame the tongue is less smooth, in consequence of which the
postal article sticks less easily to the tongue. Thanks to the change
in direction of the postal article the vertical speed has increased.
Because of the fact that the postal article passes along the frame, its
electrostatic charge slightly decreases. The light-weight postal ar-
ticle is not so much slowed down by the frame as it would have been by
the tongue without the frame. For these reasons the light-weight postal
article, after having passed along the frame, still has enough energy
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to lie down, without being hindered by static electricity, on the
bottom of the receptacle or on top of the stack of postal articles
already formed.
