ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS

• US 3,734,286 A
• Filed: 12/27/1971
• Issued: 05/22/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Luther G. Simjian
• Original Assignee: Luther G. Simjian
• Inventors: Simjian, Luther G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knowles, Allen N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Church, Gene A.
• Application Number:
  US05/212,432
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 209/111.5,111.6,111.7,121,74 250/219CR,219R,219Q 177/5,52
• US Class Current: 209/546
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10871 randomly oriented data-fields, code-marks therefore, e.g. concentric circles-code
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/10 mechanically operated

Abstract

Articles provided with code indicia are exposed serially to a sensing means disposed in a chamber. The sensing means provide indicia responsive signals to a computing means where the information provided is processed, such as for inventorying, counting, price computation purposes, etc. Image recording means are provided for producing a documentary record of each article as such article is conveyed along a predetermined path past the sensing means. Means are present to divert an article from said predetermined path if the sensing means produce a spurious signal upon sensing said code indicia.

Claims

1. An apparatus of the type described comprising:

means for conveying articles along a predetermined path;

a chamber disposed along said path through which each article is adapted to be conveyed by said conveying means;

illuminating means disposed for illuminating indicia affixed to an article when such article is disposed in said chamber;

sensing means disposed in said chamber for scanning said indicia responsive to illumination by said illuminating means and said sensing means being adapted to provide electrical signals responsive to the scanned indicia;

computing means coupled to said sensing means for receiving the electrical signals responsive to the scanned indicia and processing said signals for providing an output signal;

control means disposed for actuating said sensing means responsive to an article being disposed in said chamber;

character recognition means coupled in circuit with said sensing means and said computing means for analyzing said output signal and for recognizing predetermined characters;

further control means Coupled to said character recognition means for receiving spurious signals and causing responsive to the receipt of a spurious signal the article whose indicia cause such spurious signal to be diverted from being conveyed along said predetermined path;

printing means coupled for receiving said output signal of said computing means for providing a documentary record which includes printed price information of articles whose indicia have been scanned by said sensing means, and said price information being stored by said computing means and taken from storage means, forming a part of said computing means, responsive to the receipt of said electrical signals from said scanning means.

2. An apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 1, said computing means including storage means usable for inventory purposes, and the receipt of said electrical signals by said computing means causing said storage means to be adjusted to reflect a changed inventory of articles associated with the respective indicia.

3. An apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 1, image recording means disposed for recording an image of at least a portion of an article disposed in said chamber, and means disposed for actuating said recording means when an article is in view of said recording means.

4. An apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 3, said recording means being disposed in said chamber.

5. An apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 3, said recording means being disposed outside chamber.

6. An apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 1, said chamber including means for subduing or substantially excluding ambient light.

7. An apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 6, said indicia being substantially invisible under daylight conditions but being rendered visible to said sensing means responsive to said illuminating means providing radiant energy outside the visible energy spectrum.

8. An apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 1, said means for conveying including a movable band for conveying each article serially through said chamber.

9. An apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 8, said band having markings for spacing articles on said band to provide the serial feed of such articles through said chamber.

10. An apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 8, said band being transparent, and said sensing means being disposed to scan the indicia through said band.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and image rotating means coupled for rotating the image provided by said indicia and sensed by said sensing means.

12. An apparatus of the type described comprising:

a weighing scale adapted to receive an article provided with indicia indicative of the nature of such article and said scale providing responsive to an article disposed thereupon signals commensurate with the weight of such article;

sensing means disposed for scanning the indicia on such article and for providing electrical signals responsive to the scanned indicia;

computing means coupled to said scale and said sensing means for receiving the respective signals and processing such signals for providing an output signal commensurate with the nature and weight of the article;

control means disposed for actuating said computing means and said scale responsive to the receipt of an article on said scale;

printing means coupled to said computing means and coupled for receiving said output signal and providing responsive thereto a documentary record of articles weighed and whose indicia have been scanned by said sensing means;

said computing means including storage means usable for inventory information purposes, and the receipt of said signals by said computing means causing said storage means to be adjusted to reflect changed inventory information of articles associated with the respective indicia.

13. An Apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 11, said image rotating means comprising optical means disposed in the optical path between said article and sensing means.

14. An apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 12, and a chamber disposed above said scale for supporting said sensing means and illuminating means, and including means for subduing or substantially excluding ambient light.

15. An apparatus of the type described and as set forth in claim 12, and image recording means disposed to record an image of at least a portion of the article whose indicia have been sensed.