Coding Of Articles

Abstract

A method and apparatus for applying a coded mark to an article for the purpose of facilitating the subsequent treatment thereof in an automatic manner utilize a coding element which is adapted to apply the mark to the article by utilising an edge of the article and so to fix the relative position of the mark on the article. In one embodiment, the coding element comprises a stamp adapted to be pasted over an edge of the article in a predetermined manner, and on which the coded mark may be written. In another embodiment, the coding element comprises a rigid "L" shaped member adapted to engage around an edge of the article with one of its legs being provided with apertures through which, or projections by means of which, the mark may be applied to the article. The coding system utilizes a registered number system such as, for example, that of the International telephone number system, and apparatus suitable for use in the decoding of the mark on the articles is disclosed by way of example only.

Description

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the coding of articles and more particularly to the coding of articles intended to be subsequently treated in an automatic manner (as for example sorted) on decoding thereof.

It is known, for example, to provide articles such as letters and the like with a coded mark in order to provide for the subsequent sorting thereof in an automatic manner on decoding of the marks.

In order for the sorting machine or the like employed during such decoding to recognise the coded mark, the latter must be displayed on the letter in a specific location and in this regard it is known to employ coding machines adapted to perform this task to the required degree of accuracy.

Not only are coding machines of this kind relatively expensive, but they also require an amount of skill to operate and as a result of this they are accessible only to large business concerns and institutions such as the Post Office, for example.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for coding articles for the aforesaid purpose which will be relatively inexpensive and simple to operate while complying with the requirements of the particular system employed in the automatic treatment of such coded articles.

According to the invention a method of coding an article includes the steps of providing a coding element adapted to apply a mark in coded form to the article; utilising an edge of the article to locate the position of the coding element relative to the article; and utilising the element in this position to apply the mark to the article.

The mark on the article will hence be applied in a fixed position relative to an edge of the article so that the subsequent automatic treatment of the article may be facilitated by locating the article with its said edge in a predetermined fixed relationship to a guiding element on the apparatus intended to "read" the mark. In this manner the relative position of the mark is fixed irrespective of the particular size or configuration of the article.

In one form of the invention the coding element may be adapted to be secured to the article in such fixed position to define an operative face on which the coded mark may be displayed.

Thus for example, the element may be in the form of a stamp adapted to be pasted onto the article, the stamp including a fold line indicated thereon which is intended to coincide with the such edge of the article with the stamp pasted thereon.

The stamp may be provided with a mark in coded form thereon but preferably the stamp is adapted to have a mark in coded form applied thereto as for example by writing.

In another form of the invention the coding element may comprise a substantially rigid, L-shaped member adapted to engage around such edge of the article, with one of the legs of the member being adapted to facilitate the application of the coded mark to the article.

Thus, for example, such one leg of the member may include a plurality of apertures in a particular arrangement for marks to be made onto the article as, for example, by means of writing in corresponding positions through the apertures.

Alternatively the one leg of the member may include a plurality of projections in a particular arrangement by means of which a mark in coded form may be printed on to the article.

With this arrangement it will be necessary to employ different coding members for the different code marks to be used and by utilising these in a manner similar to that of the conventional addressograph system the articles may be coded in a semi-automatic process.

The code system employed with the coding element may be of any suitable kind.

Preferably, however, a system is employed wherein a registered number system is utilised.

Thus, for example, where the coding is to be used for the purpose of facilitating the sorting of articles in the mail, the international telephone number system may be employed.

In a preferred form of the invention the coding element includes a plurality of adjacently arranged rows of numbers each of which bears the numerals 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0, in regular array for coding to be effected by marking particular numerals in a predetermined recognisable manner in accordance with the requirements of a particular coding system employed.

The marking may, for example, be effected in writing with a colored, magnetic or fluorescent type of ink depending on the particular kind of machine used in the decoding of the articles.

It will be appreciated that, where the element comprises a stamp, marking will be effected by crossing out the relevant numbers and, where the element comprises the aforesaid L-shaped member, the apertures on the leg will be numbered in a similar manner and marking of the article will be effected through the relevant apertures. It will be appreciated that in this way a very rapid method of coding of the articles is provided.

It will be further appreciated that the coding of articles in the aforesaid manner may be utilised in many other fields other than in the mentioned sorting of articles in the mail. Thus, for example, it may be employed for the marking of articles for the purpose of taking stock in an automatic manner, or, for example, to mark the prices on articles in, say, a supermarket, or the like in order to facilitate the adding up of a purchase by a customer in an automatic manner.

The subsequent treatment of the coded articles in order to read the coding during, say, the sorting thereof, may be in any of the conventional manners and will obviously depend on the way in which the mark is displayed on the article and, amongst others, on such factors as the type of ink employed, etc. in the marking.

Because of the fixed position of the mark relative to an edge of the article it will for example be convenient, in the decoding of the marks, to employ in the decoding apparatus an endless belt or the like by means of which the articles may be fed with their edges bearing the marks in engagement with a guiding element or the like and so fix the positions of the marks relative to the decoding apparatus.

Where the coded mark is for example displayed on an article such as a box or other like multiple sided container, positioning of the mark may be effected by employing a substantially V-shaped guiding element adapted to engage round the relevant edge of the article.

It will be appreciated that the invention also includes within its scope a coding element substantially as herein described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

A preferred form of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an article bearing a stamp according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a coding member according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one kind of apparatus suitable for decoding a mark according to the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another kind of apparatus suitable for decoding a mark according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Article 1, intended to be coded, is provided with a stamp 2 which is pasted over an edge 3 thereof. Stamp 2 which includes a fold line 4 indicated thereon, is received on article 1 in such a manner that fold line 4 is made to coincide with edge 3 thereof. On one side of fold line 4 stamp 2 is provided with a plurality of rows of numbers 5, each of which bears the numerals 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0. In order to apply a code to stamp 2 particular numerals in each of the rows 5 are indicated in a pre-instructed manner for example by blackening them out or by marking them with a fluorescent or magnetic type of ink in accordance with the particular decoding system used. Instructions as to how this coding should be effected may for example be provided on the stamp 2 on the other side of fold line 4.

Where a coding system corresponding to the international telephone number system is, for example, employed in order to facilitate the sorting of articles in the mail, stamp 2 may be coded by marking the numeral corresponding to the first digit of the telephone number in the row 5 closest to fold line 4 and marking in each consecutive row the numerals corresponding to the rest of the digits in the number.

As can be seen from FIG. 1 the first six rows of numerals 5 of stamp 2 are separated from the next seven rows by means of a transverse line. This is to indicate that the rows 5 above the line are for marking the particular area number of the telephone number and the rows 5 below the line for marking the particular telephone number in that area. Thus the number 93-472804 is indicated in this particular instance.

The coding member 6 shown in FIG. 2 is substantially L-shaped configuration and of a substantially rigid material such as a suitable plastic material or light weight metal and adapted to engage around an edge 3 of an article 1. One leg 7 of L-shaped member 6 is provided with a plurality of apertures 8 the positions of each of which correspond to that of the numerals indicated on stamp 2 in FIG. 2. By locating member 6 in position to engage around an edge 3 of an article 1 a mark in coded form may be applied to article 1 by marking the relevant numerals through apertures 8 onto article 1.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 which is intended to recognise a code comprising a series of darkened out spots or lines, a reading head 9 is provided which includes a mask 10 adapted to cover the coded mark on an article 1 such as that on a stamp 2, which may pass in front of it. Mask 10 is provided with a number of apertures 11 located in mask 10 in a predetermined arrangement which is related to the code it has to recognise. Head 9 also includes two photo-sensitive devices 12 and 13 adapted to register light reflected onto them through apertures 11. Devices 12 and 13 are shielded from each other by a wall 14a of a housing 14.

Mask 10 includes a strip of perspex 15 located over its front face. Strip 15 is provided with a number of apertures 16 in positions corresponding to and in alignment with apertures 11 in mask 10. The walls of apertures 16 converge in the direction of apertures 11 so that light passing along strip 15 is refracted outwardly by the side walls of apertures 16 at such an angle that it will be reflected through the same apertures 16 by a reflecting medium located immediately in fromt of strip 15. The outer wall 14b of housing 14 may assist in bringing some of the reflected light onto device 13. A light source 17 is reponsible for emitting light along strip 15.

Devices 12 and 13 are adapted to trigger a mechanism (not shown) on recognition of a code by head 9 in order to effect the required treatment to the article, such as sorting, for example.

The articles 1 to be treated are fed past head 9 on an endless belt between a pair of rotating rollers 18.

By providing a plurality of such reading heads 9 each adapted to recognise a particular code the differently coded articles 1 may be decoded.

In the decoding apparatus shown in FIG. 4 a reading head 19 is provided which comprises a body of translucent material as for example perspex in which a plurality of light tubes 20 is provided each including a photo diode 21.

Tubes 20 are arranged in a plurality of adjacent arranged rows corresponding in number and positions to that of the numbers on stamp 2 or the apertures 8 on element 6.

The wall of the bore of each tube 20 is rendered non-translucent, as for example by means of a coat of paint so that light passing through body 19 from a light source 22 located on one side of body 19 can only reach diodes 21 on reflection thereof from a surface located on the other side of body 19.

If an article 1 is located below head 19 with its coded mark 23 in line with body 19 less light will be reflected onto the diodes 21 in positions corresponding to that of the darkened out spots on mark 23 and this may be made to evoke an electrical pulse from each of the particular diodes 21.

By coupling diodes 21 into a coincidence circuit using for example DTL logic blocks an electric signal may in this manner be delivered to the apparatus responsible for the subsequent treatment of the decoded articles 1. Alternatively these signals may be fed to a computer memory system adapted to recognise and identify the particular code.

It will be appreciated that the devices shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to such decoding systems.

It will be further appreciated that with a method and apparatus according to the invention many variations in detail are possible without departing from the scope of the appended claims

Claims

I claim:

1. An adhesive coated stamp, for coding an article such as an envelope, substantially rectangular in plan and divided by a transverse rectilinear fold into a first portion, constituting a code mark zone provided with selectively useable code markings arranged in a predetermined manner, and a second portion folded relative to said first portion; said transverse rectilinear fold constituting a reference zone for said code mark zone so that said code mark zone is automatically positioned at a preset distance from a reference edge of the article to be coded by engaging such reference edge in said rectilinear fold and then adhering said first portion of said stamp, over its entire area, to a surface of the article extending from such reference edge.

2. An adhesive coated stamp, as claimed in claim 1, in which said second portion, after such adhering of said first portion to a surface of the article, is adherable over its entire area to another surface of the article extending from such reference edge.