Optical character reading apparatus with sorter

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention has been contrived in consideration of these circumstances, and its object is to provide an optical character reading apparatus, in which a transfer path for slips is so short that the frequency of occurrence of trouble can be lowered, and maintenance work is easy.
In order to achieve the above object, an apparatus according to the present invention comprises a scanner section and a sorter section each having an independent housing.
The housing of the scanner section has a rear wall and a discharge port at the upper end portion of the rear wall through which slips read by means of reading means are discharged from the scanner section.
The housing of the sorter section has a rear wall adjacently facing the rear wall of the housing of the scanner section, a front wall facing the rear wall, and a top wall, and a supply port is formed at the upper end portion of the rear wall so as to communicate with the discharge port of the scanner section.
First and second passages are formed inside the housing of the sorter section.
The first passage extends from the supply port to the region near the front wall, along the top wall.
The second passage extends along the front wall so as to be continuous with the first passage.
The slips fed through the supply port into the sorter section are guided to slip receiving portions by the first and second passages.
The apparatus of the present invention further comprises supporting means for supporting one of the respective housings of the scanner section and the sorter section for movement relative to the other housing, in the direction perpendicular to the rear wall.
Thus, these two housings can be easily separated from each other.