Abstract: A buffer system for the temporary separate storage of flat articles such as letters for sorting, video coding or other postal processing, uses a buffer which acts as a mechanical RAM and contains a number of storage pockets for separate storage of articles. A conveyance system is provided by elastic clamping on an endless conveyor. The conveyance system is separately controllable in the storage pockets as a letter catchment, retainment and ejection device. Buffers are situated along a branching feed section. Letter logging signals are transmitted for every letter conveyed along the feed section and run in parallel with the branched feed section. These signals in all cases include a letter identification code assigned when the letter is fed into the system. At that stage an application control continuously makes a selection of letters which are eligible for discharge from the system. The system can readily be equipped either as a sorting system or as a video coding system.

Abstract: Switch, forming part of a mail sorting device and comprising, according to the invention, one or two rotatable or translatable switch vanes (7), which are driven, by way of one or more curve followers (6, 22) and one or more curve discs (8, 23), by one electromechanical converter, e.g. a tachometrically controlled direct-current servomotor (12). In this case the transmission ratios have been chosen in such a way that the external (virtual) mass moment of inertia is about equal to the internal mass moment of inertia of the motor. The invention can also be utilized for other quickly intermittent drives.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fine-adjusting device made of a metal plate (30,40), in which slots, arranged in pairs and ending at both ends in holes, form at least a bar parallelogram (30-33; 40-43) with play-free flexible hinges (34-37, 44-47) as pivots, each bar parallelogram being provided with a fixed bar (30;40), a shifting bar (33;43) parallel to this fixed bar and two pivoting bars (31,32; 41,42).