Flats pieces singulation apparatus

Abstract

A flats singulation apparatus includes a input buffer section having a substantially horizontal ramp which is adapted to support thereon a stack of flats mailpieces on edge. The buffer section includes a moving belt and ram plate for moving the stack of flat pieces toward the front end of the ramp. A transfer section is at the end of the ramp and is adapted to remove the flat pieces substantially one at a time from the ramp and drop them downwardly. The transfer section includes a plurality of edge rollers extending across the end of the ramp and adapted to move the flat pieces from the stack, and a ledge plate extending downwardly from the edge rollers and having a horizontal ledge onto which the flat pieces drop. A pusher shelf is movable across the ledge to push the flat pieces off of the shelf. A separation section extends substantially horizontally across the end of the transfer section and includes means for moving the flat pieces away from the transfer section and separating flat pieces.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.