| 摘要 |
This invention provides a mechanism for receiving flat articles, such as mail, moving in a travel path with a substantially horizontal orientation and for dropping selected such articles into either a single receptacle positioned below the mechanism or into a plurality of receptacles spaced along the length of the travel path, while maintaining the substantially horizontal article orientation for all such articles. The mechanism includes a holding station for each receptacle into which each article to be dropped is initially deposited, the holding station being just below the travel path, a retractable floor for the holding station and a driver selectively operable for rapidly retracting the floor in a substantially horizontal direction to permit articles accumulated in the holding station to drop substantially vertically into the corresponding receptacle. The driver may be activated in response to the holding station being filled by a selected amount. Where there are plurality of holding stations, a separate driver may be provided for each, or two or more of the holding stations may be operated by a single driver.
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