Method and apparatus for the sorting of material

• US 5,000,325 A
• Filed: 02/22/1989
• Issued: 03/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delco Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delco Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: D'Elia, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald T.
• Application Number:
  US07/314,463
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 209/702, 209/703, 209/900, 211/10, 211/12, 211/71, 211/134, 248/95, 248/99, 383/16, 383/21, 383/22, 383/33, 383/95
• US Class Current: 209/702
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/02 Compartmented furniture, e.g. pigeon-holes B07C7/005 takes precedence; furniture per se A47B; storage racks B65G
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the sorting of material in which a rigid rack includes a plurality of horizontally extending elements arranged in vertically spaced arrangement, and a plurality of bags are removably supported on the horizontally extending elements for receiving material therein. The horizontally extending elements and the bag members are respectively constructed and arranged to hold the bag members with their mouth portions stretched open and facing forwardly one above the other on the rack. The rack further includes elements for maintaining the bag members substantially horizontally one above the other with their mouth portions open. The bag members are selectively removed from the frame with the inserted material therein by horizontally sliding the bag member off the frame.

Claims

1. A method of sorting material comprising removably mounting a succession of flexible bags one above the other in vertically spaced superposed relation on a rigid frame such that the bags extend substantially horizontally across the frame, forming each bag with an open mouth and elastic loops at each side of the bag proximate the mouth, releasably holding the bags on the frame such that the mouth portion of each of the bags is stretched open by stretching the elastic loops on the bags over horizontally spaced projecting elements provided on the frame, selectively inserting material into respective open bags such that the material is sorted into the respective bags, and selectively removing the bags from the frame with the inserted material therein by horizontally sliding the bags off the frame.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which closure means are attached at the mouth of each said bag for selectively closing the same.

3. A bag as claimed in claim 2 wherein each method is woven of synthetic fabric material.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said closure means are formed of hooks and loops which are pressed into engagement.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein strips of material supporting the hooks and loops are extended along the mouth of each bag in opposed relationship.

6. A bag as claimed in claim 5 wherein each said method is formed with side edges and a gusset fold at each side edge, said elastic loops being joined to the bag element to unfold the gusset folds when stretched.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein each said bag has front and rear panels and a closed end remote from the mouth, comprising connecting said front and rear panels at said closed end, said elastic loops each having opposite end portions connected to said front and rear panels at said mouth.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising fastening a strip of hooks on one panel and a strip of loops on the other panel with the strips being aligned with each other.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising hinging an identification to one of said panels of each loop and arranging the identification to be exposed when the associated bag is opened.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising attaching a handle to each bag at the mouth thereof and carrying the bags by the handles thereof when the bags are removed from the frame.