Method and apparatus for sorting flat articles

A method for sorting a plurality of letter mail comprising the steps of:

• positioning a cartridge supporting the letter mail onto a docking station;
• transferring the letter mail from the cartridge positioned on the docking station to a queuing station;
• aligning the letter mail by moving the letter mail from the queuing station in a feed direction along an edger station;
• sorting each of the letter mail exiting the edger station into a selected one of a plurality of output compartments, each output compartment containing a predetermined cartridge for receiving sorted flat articles;
• monitoring the quantity of the letter mail entering the predetermined cartridge for determining when to remove the predetermined cartridge from the output compartment;
• disabling the step of sorting the letter mail to a predetermined cartridge when a prespecified quantity of the letter mail have entered the predetermined cartridge;
• and
• removing the predetermined cartridge from the output compartment in response to disabling the sorting of the letter mail to the predetermined cartridge.

A system for sorting a stack of flat articles comprising:

• a carriage assembly for inserting or extracting a cartridge from an article processing machine;
• said article processing machine further comprises:
• a docking station for receiving the cartridge supporting the flat articles from the carriage assembly;
• a queuing station adjacent the docking station for receiving the flat articles transferred from the cartridge;
• an edger station adjacent the queuing station for aligning the flat articles received from the queuing station;
• and
• a sorter adjacent the edger station for sorting each of the flat articles into a selected one of a plurality of output compartments, each output compartment containing a predetermined cartridge for receiving sorted flat articles.

A mail sorting system for handling a plurality of letter mail comprising:

• a carriage assembly for inserting or extracting a mail cartridge from an mail processing machine;
• said mail processing machine further comprises:
• a docking station for receiving the mail cartridge supporting the letter mail from the carriage assembly;
• a queuing station adjacent the docking station for receiving the letter mail transferred from the mail cartridge;
• an edger station adjacent the queuing station for aligning the letter mail received from the queuing station;
• a sorter adjacent the edger station for sorting each piece of the letter mail into a selected one of a plurality of output compartments, each output compartment containing a predetermined mail cartridge for receiving sorted letter mail;
• a supervisory computer for controlling the operation of the mail sorting system;
• and
• a buffer shelf for receiving the predetermined mail cartridge removed from the output compartment by the carriage assembly.