US 6,378,692 B1 · Take-away mechanism for mail or other flat article handling system

Abstract

A take-away mechanism is provided from a singulation mechanism in a system for handling substantially flat articles of varying size, weight and thickness, and in particular for handling mixed mail. The take-away mechanism includes at least one and preferably more belts which are preferably driven at a rate higher than the rate at which articles are fed to the take-away mechanism, which belt(s) preferably have surfaces in contact with the article of material having a high coefficient of friction. At least two components are provided for applying pressure to articles as they are passed over the belt, the components preferably being spaced along the belt by a distance less than the shortest length of an article to be handled. One of the components may be two or more independently biased rollers and one of the components may be two or more independently biased fingers, the rear component being the rollers and the forward component being fingers for the preferred embodiment. Where there are a plurality of belts, the pressure members are preferably mounted so as to contact articles at a point between adjacent belts rather than over belts.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A take-away mechanism from a singulator of a handling system for substantially flat articles, which articles are of varying thickness, size and weight, including:

an elongated drive member having a length extending for at least most of the take-away mechanism, said drive member extending in a direction from which articles exit said singulator;
a driver moving said drive member in said direction and away from said singulator at a selected rate;
and
first and second components spaced from each other along the length of said drive member, said components being mounted to permit said article to pass between each component and the drive member and being adapted to automatically apply a substantially uniform pressure to the article again he drive member regardless of article thickness, said components combining to apply said selected pressure to an article as it passes along substantially said drive member length.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Take-away mechanism for mail or other flat article handling system

Life of this patent

Take-away mechanism for mail or other flat article handling system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30