Apparatus for delivery item sorting integrity
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorRyan J. HRAPSKY
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus that substantially improves the stack quality of delivery items in a delivery item sorting machine by ensuring uniformity of the orientation of the delivery items. The apparatus accommodates toolless installation in the delivery item sorting machine and economical manufacturing options. The apparatus substantially prevents delivery item disorientation and undesired departure of delivery items from the sorting machine. The apparatus reduces operator safety concerns, and increases the net speed of delivery item processing.
Claims20
A sorting machine apparatus for orienting delivery items, the sorting machine apparatus comprising:
- a bumper;
- and
- a coupling feature connected to the bumper,
- wherein the coupling feature operably couples the sorting machine apparatus with a sorting machine such that the bumper is positioned to align with an upper portion of a moving delivery item that comes to rest after impacting the bumper.
A delivery item sorting machine apparatus coupled with a delivery item sorting machine, the delivery item sorting machine including a series of belts configured to transport at least one delivery item past at least one diverter, the at least one diverter configured to sort the at least one delivery item into an output bin that collects sorted delivery items, the delivery item sorting machine apparatus comprising:
- a bumper configured with a spatial extension to the output bin;
- and
- a coupling feature operably securely coupling the bumper with the output bin,
- wherein the bumper is configured to reduce or eliminate rotation, skewing, misaligning, and flying out of the at least one delivery item with respect to the output bin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.