Importance

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Abstract

There is disclosed an article sorting apparatus and method wherein articles bearing a manually marked code in a grid or code area locatable by one or more guide elements which may be separate and distinct from the manually marked code. For postal articles, such as letters and the like, the code may be the zip code, preferably associated with a unique postage stamp, also disclosed herein, marked on a grid by dots, circles, line 'X' or like optical marks. On passsing through a reading station, the articles, particularly postal articles, are turned upside down so as to minimize the amount of adjustment or orientation of the optical reader relative to the code bearing grid and also to accommodate, for example , various sized envelopes. There is also disclosed a reader for the guide elements for determining the location of the grid and orienting manually marked reading device.

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First Claim