US 5,474,414 AGranted

Automatic content separating system

AssigneeAgissar Corporation

InventorsGianluca Tovini, James E. Foley

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Abstract

A substantially enhanced and improved automated mail or envelope handling system is obtained by incorporating therein the envelope content separating or staggering system of this invention. By positioning separating means in the envelope content pathway which cooperate with the envelope contents to physically separate and/or longitudinally stagger one content element relative to the second content element, the staggered portion of the rear element is easily readable by the operator in addition to the readability of the forward element. In this way, the operator is able to initiate processing of the envelope contents without being required to physically remove and separate the elements before processing the information. In the preferred embodiment, vacuum means are employed to attract and hold one of the content elements for a pre-determined duration of time, while the other element continues to advance. In this way, the desired longitudinally separation is efficiently attained.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A system for use with automated envelope handling equipment constructed for opening mail-type envelopes, each envelope having two or more indicia bearing elements forming a group of contents with each element having a fixed length defined by a leading edge and a trailing edge, and displaying the contents, said system comprising

A. means for independently and separately transferring each group of indicia bearing elements forming the envelope contents along a desired pathway in substantially a same plane;
B. means for longitudinally separating the elements forming the envelope contents into an overlying, juxtaposed, longitudinally staggered relationship with a substantially single planar relationship being maintained and presenting each of the indicia bearing elements with at least a portion of said indicia of each element being visible simultaneously with portions of the indicia of the other elements as the elements are advanced together along the desired pathway;
and
C. a display zone forming a part of the pathway and constructed for enabling the separated, indicia-bearing elements of each content group to be simultaneously advanced therethrough in substantially a single plane with at least a portion of the indicia of each element being simultaneously visible,
whereby said system enables individuals to simultaneously read the visible indicia on each element as the elements pass through the display zone, without manually touching the elements forming the content group.

2 more elements

A system for use with automated envelope handling equipment constructed for opening envelopes having at least a first element and a second element contained therein, with each element having a fixed length defined by a leading edge and a trailing edge and for displaying the elements substantially independently of the envelope, said system comprising

A. means for transferring the elements along a desired pathway in substantially a same plane while maintaining at least portions of the elements in juxtaposed, overlying contacting relationship,
B. means mounted in cooperating relationship with the envelope elements' pathway and constructed for altering the position of the elements into an overlying, juxtaposed, longitudinally staggered relationship with a substantially singular planar relationship being maintained and with the first element being positioned relative to the second element to have its trailing edge extend beyond the trailing edge of the second element to enable a portion of the first element to be visible while the second element is simultaneously viewable in its entirety as the first element and second element are transferred together through the desired pathway in substantially a single plane, and
C. a display zone forming a part of the pathway and constructed for enabling separated, elements of each content group to be simultaneously advanced therethrough in substantially a single plane with at least a portion of each element being simultaneously visible,
whereby said system enables individuals to simultaneously see at least a portion of each element as the elements pass through the display zone, without manually touching the elements forming the content group.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.