The inventions of a reading machine, a disc memory, and a sorting machine, prompted Jacob Rabinow to suggest that these devices could lead to the development of a letter sorting system for the U.S. Postal Service. Such a system would require the reading of addresses on envelopes, the look-up of information to sort or distribute each envelope, and finally a means for physically separating letters from the pile and placing them into a stack suitable for delivery or for futher sorting.
In 1956, about two years after Jacob Rabinow left the Government to form his consulting firm, the Post Office Department gave NBS a contract to develop an experimental letter sorting system following the above suggestion. NBS, in turn, contracted with Rabinow Engineering to carry out the work. The result was the letter sorting machine covered by U.S. Patent No. 2,901,089.
The Letter Sorting Machine operating in a Post Office
Conveyer Belt Card Sorter philosophy
Output receptacles of the letter sorter
Experimental conveyer belt card sorter receptacles
Last Updated on October 24, 2004
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