Mail accumulating device

A device for accumulating mail items, the device comprising a number of stream forming units (27), each receiving a stream (F1, F2, F3) of mail items (7);

• each stream forming unit (27) comprising conveyor belt means (35, 44) moved by first drive means (62a, 62b) and for retaining the mail items supplied to the stream forming unit and feeding the retained mail items along a path (42) extending between an input (Z) and an output (68) of said stream forming unit (27);
• each stream forming unit (27) also comprising sensor means (63) for detecting the passage of a mail item (7) into the stream forming unit, so as to generate an enabling signal for activating said first drive means (62a, 62b) and moving the mail items contained in said stream forming unit from said input (Z) to said output (68) in discrete steps (S1) performed at each enabling signal, and so form a group (Ibs) of overlapping mail items aligned along said conveyor belt means (35, 44), and having respective leading edges separated by a given distance (S1) and, further;
• comprising a number of conveying devices (73, 86, 93), each having an input (71) communicating with an output (68) of a respective stream forming unit (27);
• said conveying devices (73, 86, 93) being moved by second drive means (80), and each receiving a said group (Ibs) of overlapping mail items at the input (71) to feed said group (Ibs) of overlapping mail items to an output (102) of said conveying device (73, 86, 93) to define an accumulating unit containing said group (Ibs) of overlapping mail items traveling along the conveying device.