Transport method and system for controlling timing of mail pieces being processed by a mailing system

A method of transporting mail pieces in a mailing system comprising:

• measuring a length of a first mail piece;
• measuring a gap time between the first mail piece and a second mail piece;
• determining a desired gap time between the first mail piece and the second mail piece;
• determining a difference between the desired gap time and the measured gap time;
• selecting a dwell velocity based on the difference between the desired gap time and the measured gap time;
• determining a dwell time based on the selected dwell velocity;
• and
• moving the second mail piece at the selected dwell velocity for the dwell time such that the gap time between the first mail piece and the second mail piece will be substantially equal to the desired gap time between the first mail piece and the second mail piece.

A transport system for articles comprising:

• means for determining a length of a first article;
• means for obtaining a desired gap time between the first article and a second article, the desired gap time being proportional to the length of the first article;
• and
• means for controlling a velocity of the second article such that a gap between the first article and the second article is substantially equal to the desired gap time between the first article and the second article, wherein the means for controlling the velocity of the second article further comprises:
• means for measuring a gap time between the first article and the second article;
• means for calculating a difference between the desired gap time and the measured gap time;
• means for determining a dwell velocity based on the difference between the desired gap time and the measured gap time;
• and
• means for moving the second article at the dwell velocity.

A transport system for a mailing machine, the transport system comprising:

• means for measuring a length of a first mail piece;
• means for measuring a gap time between the first mail piece and a second mail piece;
• means for determining a desired gap time between the first mail piece and the second mail piece;
• means for determining a difference between the desired gap time and the measured gap time;
• means for selecting a dwell velocity based on the difference between the desired gap time and the measured gap time;
• means for determining a dwell time based on the selected dwell velocity;
• and
• means for moving the second mail piece at the selected dwell velocity for the dwell time such that the gap time between the first mail piece and the second mail piece will be substantially equal to the desired gap time between the first mail piece and the second mail piece.

A mailing machine transport system comprising:

• a controller to control operation of the transport device to transport mail pieces along a feed path of the mailing machine;
• a first motor coupled to the controller;
• a second motor coupled to the controller;
• a first take-away roller located at a first position along the feed path and coupled to the first motor, the first motor to drive the first take-away roller at a first velocity;
• a second take-away roller located at a second position along the feed path, the second position being downstream from the first position along the feed path, the second take-away roller coupled to the second motor, the second motor to drive the second take-away roller at a second velocity;
• and
• a sensor located between the first take-away roller and the second take-away roller, the sensor coupled to the controller to provide signals to the controller, the controller using the signals from the sensor to determine a length of a first mail piece and a gap time between the first mail piece and a second mail piece,
• wherein the controller determines a desired gap time between the first mail piece and the second mail piece, the desired gap time being proportional to the length of the first mail piece, the controller determines a difference between the desired gap time and the measured gap time and determines a dwell velocity and dwell time based on the difference between the desired gap time and the measured gap time, and the controller causes the first motor to drive the first take-away roller at the determined dwell velocity for the dwell time when the second mail piece is in the first take-away roller such that the gap time between the first mail piece and the second mail piece will be substantially equal to the desired gap time.