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AssigneeHadewe B.V.
InventorGerhard Hidding
Estimating the term…
Via a data channel, a central data processor is connected to a plurality of data processors each associated with a station. Communication between the data processors associated with stations and at least the central data processor occurs via said data channel. The data processors each associated with a station are selectively activated for communication via the data channel in response to given control signals, According to the invention, data processors each associated with a station are connected to connections associated with the position of the associated stations in the apparatus.. The connection to which a data processor is connected determines in response to which of the control signals the data processor is activated, Thus, the central processor is simply and automatically provided with information regarding the positions of the stations in the apparatus.
A method for controlling an apparatus which prepares items to be mailed, the apparatus comprising a plurality of successive stations that include at least one sheet feeding station for feeding a sheet, a central data processor, a plurality of data processors each associated with a station, and a data channel for connecting said central data processor and the data processors each associated with a station, at least some of the data processors each associated with a station being connected to a connection that is associated with a position of the station in the apparatus, the method comprising communicating the data processors associated with stations and at least the central data processor by way of said data channel, selectively activating said data processors each associated with a station in response to given control signals, the position of said at least one sheet feeding station with which a data processor is associated determining in response to which of the given control signals said data processor is activated to control the feeding of a sheet by said at least one sheet feeding station.
An apparatus for preparing items to be mailed, comprising a transport path for transporting sheets a plurality of successive stations along said transport path including at least one sheet feeding station and a folding station, a central data processor, a plurality of data processors each associated with a station, a data channel by means of which said data processors each associated with a station are connected for communication with at least the central data processor so that said data processors each associated with a station are activatable for communication via the data channel by a control signal, a unit extending along said transport path and carrying a plurality of connections, each of said connections being located at a position of a station along said unit, to which connections a respective data processor associated with a station in the respective position along the unit is connected and the connections determining in response to which control signals the respective data processors connected to those connections are to be activated.
An apparatus for preparing items to be mailed, comprising a plurality of successive stations, a central data processor, a plurality of data processors each associated with a station, a data channel by means of which said data processors each associated with a station are connected for communication with at least the central data processor so that said data processors each associated with a station are activatable for communication via the data channel by a control signal, a plurality of position-bound connections to which a respective data processor associated with a station is connected and which determine in response to which control signals the respective data processors connected to those connections are to be activated, the plurality of position-bound connections including a first connection and a next connection, each comprising at least one connecting point, the connecting point of the first connection being connected to a common point for all connections and the connecting point of the next connection not being connected to the common point, the respective data processors connected to the first and the next connection being equipped with a memory for storing a unique control code depending on whether or not said corresponding connecting point is connected to said common point, as well as with a comparator for comparing a control signal received via the data channel with the control code stored in said memory.
An apparatus for preparing items to be mailed, comprising a plurality of successive stations, a central data processor, a plurality of data processors each associated with a station, a data channel by means of which said data processors each associated with a station are connected for communication with at least the central data processor so that said data processors each associated with a station are activatable for communication via the data channel by a control signal, and a plurality of position-bound connections to which a respective data processor associated with a station is connected and which determine in response to which control signals the respective data processors connected to those connections are to be activated, the position-bound connections being arranged along a connection unit which extends along the connected stations, the connection unit comprising an extensible bellows, the maximum length of the bellows between two connections corresponding to the maximum possible distance between two connections of successive stations and the minimum length of the bellows between two connections corresponding to the minimum possible distance between two connections of successive stations.
A transport unit for use in an apparatus for preparing items to be mailed, comprising a dam channel, mounting positions for a plurality of stations, a transport track extending along said mounting positions for transporting sheets along a plurality of said mounting positions, each respective mounting position being provided with a data processor connection for coupling a data processor associated with a station mounted at the respective mounting position to the data channel, and with means for assigning selected control signals transmitted via the data channel to a data processor connected to said data processor connection at the respective mounting position.
An apparatus for preparing items to be mailed, comprising a plurality of successive stations, a central data processor, a plurality of data processors each associated with a station, a data channel by means of which said data processors each associated with a station are connected for communication with at least the central data processor so that said data processors each associated with a station are activatable for communication via the data channel by a control signal, a plurality of position-bound connections to which a respective data processor associated with a station is connected and which determine in response to which control signals the respective data processors connected to those connections are to be activated, and a transport unit having a plurality of mounting positions for stations, each mounting position being provided with one of said connections, at least a part of the data channels being incorporated into the transport unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.