Clamp for mixed mail sorter
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorDenis J. STEMMLE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clamp is designed for accepting a mail piece at a loading station, and for releasably holding the mail piece while the mail piece is moved to an unloading station via a sorting system. The clamp is manipulated in the sorting system, instead of manipulating the mail piece held by the clamp. The clamp includes jaws for releasably holding the mail piece, plus a machine readable identifier, plus a mechanism for engaging with the sorting system. The clamp's identifier includes clamp information which uniquely identifies the clamp. The clamp information is for use by the sorting system, in combination with address information on the mail piece, to enable sortation of the mail piece held by the clamp.
Claims20
An escort assembly comprising:
- a first jaw having at least one tab extending beyond a first edge thereof;
- a second jaw, opposing the first jaw, the second jaw having at least one tab extending beyond a first edge thereof and opposing the at least one tab of the first jaw, the first jaw and the second jaw being spring biased in a closed position for holding a mailpiece therein;
- and
- a unique identifier to uniquely identify the escort assembly and the mailpiece held therein.
A clamp for accepting and releasing at least one mail piece, the clamp comprising:
- two flexible jaws comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, opposing the first jaw, the first and second jaws are structured to hold and release the at least one mail piece, the first jaw and the second jaw being connected to one another at a first end by a connection mechanism, and both being spring biased in a closed position for holding the mail piece therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.