Abstract: A sorter (3) is disclosed in which an article (A) to be sorted is delivered to a carrier. The carrier is moved by a conveyor drive along a path to a selected one unloading station UL at which two or more receptacles or bags (3) are located and the article is unloaded (dropped) from its carrier into its predetermined receptacle. After an article is loaded into the carrier, the carrier is inclined in one direction or the other and is conveyed to its selected one unloading station such that the carrier is in position to deliver its article to the proper receptacle. At each turn of the conveyor, the carriers inclined toward the inside of the turn may, optionally, be moved back toward their centered (vertical) positions as they are moved into and through the turn thereby to prevent interference between the carriers. A method of sorting is also disclosed.

Abstract: Articles to be sorted are loaded into carriers which move along a predetermined path that has groups of receptacles under and adjacent to it. Each carrier has gates or doors which are normally "closed" to define a bottom that can hold an article within that carrier, but which can be "opened" to release that article for direct transfer into a selected one of the receptacles, all of which are positioned below the level of that carrier. The gates or doors of the carriers are arranged so they can selectively and directly transfer articles into the centermost of a group of transversely-positioned receptacles, into the receptacle that is disposed outwardly of that centermost receptacle, or into the receptacle that is disposed inwardly of that centermost receptacle. As a result, the direct transfer sorting system of the present invention obviates the bulky and expensive chutes and guides which have been required by prior sorting systems.

Abstract: Articles to be sorted are loaded into carriers which move along a predetermined path that has groups of receptacles under and adjacent to it. Each carrier has gates or doors which are normally "closed" to define a bottom that can hold an article within that carrier, but which can be "opened" to release that article for direct transfer into a selected one of the receptacles, all of which are positioned below the level of that carrier. The gates or doors of the carriers are arranged so they can selectively and directly transfer articles into the centermost of a group of transversely-positioned receptacles, into the receptacle that is disposed outwardly of that centermost receptacle, or into the receptacle that is disposed inwardly of that centermost receptacle. As a result, the direct transfer sorting system of the present invention obviates the bulky and expensive chutes and guides which have been required by prior sorting systems.

Abstract: A sorting apparatus is provided for sorting articles such as film envelopes. The envelopes are loaded into carriers, on an endless conveyor, which convey them past a plurality of drop chutes. The carriers hold the envelopes so the long axes thereof, in end view, are parallel to the path of movement of the conveyor. At the proper positions, the carriers are opened to release the envelopes into selected ones of the chutes. Each envelope is directed into a preselected one of a plurality of bins, that are displaced transversely of the path of movement of the conveyor. The apparatus operates under control of a data processor which causes the conveyor and carriers to deliver the envelopes to the proper bins based on information contained in a bar code on the envelopes.