Apparatus and method for processing shipping articles provided with shipping addresses

An apparatus for processing shipping articles provided with shipping addresses, comprising:

• a transport device for transporting the shipping articles, respectively, along a transport path;
• a reading device disposed in the transport path for automatically reading the shipping addresses;
• an assessment device coupled to the reading device for automatically assessing the read shipping addresses;
• an intermediate storage device disposed downstream of the reading device in the transport path and having a plurality of cells which are displaceable relative to the transport path so that the shipping articles, respectively, can be deposited from the transport path into a respective one of the cells in a first area of the transport path and can be selectively guided back from the respective cells into a second area of the transport path in response to a first removal signal;
• and
• detection means coupled to the intermediate storage device and the assessment device for detecting an association between each cell and the shipping article deposited therein and for producing the first removal signal for removing the shipping articles from the respective cells as a function the assessment of a read shipping address of a respective one of the shipping articles.