# US 2015/0068160 A1 · Device and Method for Generating Postal Items

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2015/0068160 A1
- Document ID: US20150068160A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/481,973
- Filed: 2014-09-10
- Published: 2015-03-12
- Earliest claimed: 2013-09-10
- Assignees: Bowe Systec AG
- Applicants: BÖWE SYSTEC GmbH
- Inventors: Heimer KUDRUS
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150068160A1

## CPC

- B43M 3/04: automatic
- B07C 1/00: Measures preceding sorting according to destination
- B43M 3/00: Devices for inserting documents into envelopes (combined devices for inserting documents into and closing envelopes B43M5/00)
- B65B 35/50: Stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging
- B65B 35/54: Feeding articles along multiple paths to a single packaging position
- B65G 37/00: Combinations of mechanical conveyors of the same kind, or of different kinds, of interest apart from their application in particular machines or use in particular manufacturing processes (series of co-operating belt conveyor units B65G15/22; series of co-operating chain conveyor units B65G17/26; sequence control of combined conveyors B65G43/10)
- B65H 29/12: by means of the nip between two, or between two sets of, moving tapes or bands {or rollers}
- B65H 39/06: from delivery streams
- B65H 2301/33212: about an axis parallel to the direction of displacement of material
- B65H 2301/33222: 90°
- B65H 2301/341: without change of plane of displacement
- B65H 2301/4352: with pushers, e.g. the articles being substantially horizontal
- B65H 2301/4454: Merging two or more streams
- B65H 2301/544: Reading; Scanning
- B65H 2404/261: Arrangement of belts, or belt(s) / roller(s) facing each other for forming a transport nip
- B65H 2511/512: Marks, e.g. invisible to the human eye; Patterns
- B65H 2701/1916: Envelopes and articles of mail
- B43M: BUREAU ACCESSORIES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (stapling devices B25C5/00; devices for temporarily attaching sheets together B42F)
- B07C: POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D33/06, B23Q7/12)
- B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00)
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES

## Abstract

A method and a device for generating postal items with: a linearly formed first feed channel for feeding first documents of a postal item, with a first transport device, which transports the first documents in a first transport direction along a first straight transport line; an identification device for identifying the first documents; a second feed channel for feeding second documents of a postal item; an identification device for identifying the second documents; a collecting channel arranged downstream of the first feed channel and downstream of the second feed channel, for receiving first documents or groups of first documents from the first feed channel and/or of second documents or groups of second documents from the second feed channel, wherein the documents received in the collecting channel are collected as document group, wherein each document group forms the content of a postal item; and an envelope stuffing device arranged downstream of the collecting channel, in which the document groups coming from the collecting channel are inserted into an envelope. To achieve a higher throughput of postal items generated, the second transport device deflects the second documents, without stopping the documents, from a second transport direction along a second straight transport line into a third transport direction along a third straight transport line.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Device for generating postal items with
a linearly formed first feed channel for feeding first documents of a postal item, with a first transport device, which transports the first documents in a first transport direction along a first straight transport line,
an identification device for identifying the first documents,
a second feed channel for feeding second documents of a postal item,
an identification device for identifying the second documents,
a collecting channel arranged downstream of the first feed channel and downstream of the second feed channel, for receiving first documents or groups of first documents from the first feed channel and/or of second documents or groups of second documents from the second feed channel, wherein the documents received in the collecting channel are collected as document group, wherein each document group forms the content of a postal item,
an envelope stuffing device arranged downstream of the collecting channel, in which the document groups coming from the collecting channel are inserted into an envelope,
wherein the second transport device deflects the second documents, without stopping the documents, from a second transport direction along a second straight transport line into a third transport direction along a third straight transport line.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Device according to claim 1, wherein the second transport device transports the second documents first at least in some sections linearly in a horizontal position along the second straight transport line, brings the second documents into at least a substantially vertical position, then deflects them from the second transport direction into the third transport direction, and finally returns them again into a horizontal position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Device according to claim 1, wherein the third straight transport line extends parallel to and at a distance from the first straight transport line.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Device according to claim 1, wherein the second straight transport line and the third straight transport line extend in a plane and in particular substantially parallel to one another.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

Device according to claim 1, wherein the third straight transport line extends above and a vertical distance from the first straight transport line.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

Device according to claim 1, wherein the second transport device has a twisted transport band that grips the second documents, in order to bring them from a horizontal position into an at least substantially vertical position and back again into a horizontal position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

Device according to claim 6, wherein the transport band is a crossed belt with two adjacent bands, between which the second documents are gripped.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

Device according to claim 1, wherein the identification device for identifying the first documents is formed by a reading device associated with the first feed channel for reading the first documents and/or the identification device for identifying the second documents is formed by a reading device associated with the second feed channel for reading the second documents.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

Device according to claim 1, wherein the first feed channel is associated with the first collecting station, which groups the first documents to form groups of first documents and/or wherein the second feed channel is associated with a second collecting station, which groups the second documents to form groups of second documents, and in that the document groups collected in the collecting channel in each case contain first documents and second documents, wherein the first documents and the second documents are different.

### Claim 10

Method for generating postal items with the following steps:
feeding of first documents or of a group of first documents along a first feed channel,
identifying at least one of the first documents with an identification device, particularly with a reading device associated with the first feed channel,
feeding of second documents or of a group of second documents along a second feed channel,
identifying at least one of the second documents with an identification device, in particular with a reading device associated with the second feed channel,
transferring the first documents or the groups of first documents from the first feed channel to a collecting channel arranged downstream of the first feed channel, with no stopping of the first documents,
transferring the second documents of the group of second documents from the second feed channel to the collecting channel arranged downstream of the second feed channel, with no stopping of the second documents, wherein the documents received in the collecting channel are collected as document group, each document group forms the content of a postal item and contains first documents and/or second documents,
routing the document group in the collecting channel to an envelope stuffing device arranged downstream of the collecting channel,
in the envelope stuffing device, insertion of the document groups coming from the collecting channel in an envelope for the formation of a postal item.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

Method according to claim 10, wherein the first documents and the second documents are transported in the feed channels and in the collecting channel until the transfer to the envelope stuffing device without stopping the documents.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

Method according to claim 10, wherein the first documents are transported in the first feed channel by a first transport device linearly in a first transport direction, and the second documents are deflected in the second feed channel, without stopping the documents, from a second transport direction along a second straight transport line into a third transport direction along a third straight transport line.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

Method according to claim 12, wherein the second documents are transported by the second transport device first linearly in a horizontal position along the second straight transport line and are subsequently brought into an at least substantially vertical position and are then deflected from the second transport direction into the third transport direction and are subsequently brought back again into a horizontal position.