Apparatus for blocking tabbing feature of mail handling system and associated methods

An apparatus for blocking a tabbing feature of a mail handling system, the apparatus comprising:

• a mail sensing device positioned to sense preselected pieces of mail for the presence of a mail identifier identifying that a preselected piece of mail should not be tabbed;
• and
• a tab controller positioned in communication with said mail sensing device to communicate to a tabber of a mail handling system to not tab the preselected pieces of mail;
• wherein said mail sensing device includes a mail presence detector positioned to detect the presence of each piece of mail as the piece of mail travels along the common path of travel and a mail indicating identifier positioned in communication with said mail detector to identify preselected pieces of mail which should not be tabbed.

A method of blocking a tabbing feature of a mail handling system comprising the steps of:

• registering a plurality of pieces of mail being conveyed so that each selected edge of the plurality of pieces of mail aligns along a common path of travel;
• detecting the presence of each piece of mail as the piece of mail travels along the common path of travel;
• identifying preselected pieces of mail which should not be tabbed;
• and
• communicating to a tabber of a mail handling system to not tab the preselected pieces of mail;
• wherein the step of identifying the preselected mail includes determinining the contrast of a plurality of marks on the mail with the surrounding surface of the mail and identifying the occurence of a predetermined mark sequence prior to cummunicating with the tabber to not tab the preselected piece of mail.

An apparatus for tab processing an intermix of mail articles, the intermix being composed of mail articles pre-selected for tab processing and articles pre-selected for blocking from tab processing, the apparatus comprising:

• a mail article conveyor for conveying mail articles along a designated path of conveyance;
• a mail article feeder positioned upstream from the article conveyor along the designated path of conveyance for feeding mail articles to said conveyor at an initial point on the designated path of conveyance for subsequent conveyance of fed articles;
• a mail article register positioned downstream from the initial point of conveyance adjacent the mail article conveyor for registering mail articles being conveyed so that selected edges of mail articles align along the designated path of conveyance;
• a mail article presence detector positioned downstream from the initial point of conveyance adjacent the article conveyor for detecting the presence of mail articles being conveyed along the designated path of conveyance;
• and
• a mail article identifyer adjacent the mail article conveyor at a point downstream from the mail article presence detector for identifying mail articles pre-selected to be tab processed and mail articles pre-selected not to be tab processed.