US 6,748,294 B1Granted

Flats bundle collator

AssigneeBowe Bell + Howell Postal Systems Company

InventorsJohn Overman, George Rabindran, Steve Archer, Dan Rice, Tom Wells, Ken Guenther

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Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for collating a plurality of separate groups or bundles of similar flats mailpieces arranged in a predetermined delivery point sequence, each mailpiece imprinted with a distinct delivery point or address indicia, to produce a single stream of mailpieces in new groups, where each new group comprises a plurality of mailpieces all addressed to a distinct delivery point. The apparatus comprises a plurality of feed units, each unit configured to process a quantity of similar mailpieces, each with a distinct delivery point indicia on the face of the mailpiece, and to deposit each mailpiece in a distinct pocket on a collation conveyor which traverses all of the plurality of feed units. Each pocket will ultimately contain different mail pieces, all addressed to the same delivery point. Multiple new groups of mailpieces are then automatically placed in containers in a sequence corresponding to a predetermined delivery route.

Claims30

Dependent claims

An apparatus for depositing documents at a predetermined location on a moveable collation conveyor for distribution of said documents to a predetermined delivery point, each document imprinted with code designating a distinct delivery point, said documents delivered to said apparatus in a predetermined sequence, the apparatus comprising:

a) a moveable platform assembly adapted to support and advance a stack of said documents in said predetermined sequence towards a feed station;
b) a device disposed adjacent said feed station for electronically capturing an image of said delivery point code on each document as each document reaches said feed station;
c) a moveable buffer platform located adjacent said feed station;
d) a document unloading assembly adjacent said feed station and adapted to remove the topmost document from the stack of documents and place the topmost document on the moveable buffer platform;
e) a data processing unit adapted to transmit information received from said captured image of said delivery point code to an actuation and actuated device controlling movement of said buffer platform, said data processing unit determining the presence or absence of a match between said delivery point code on the document on said buffer platform and a delivery point designation corresponding to said predetermined location on said collation conveyor;
f) said moveable buffer platform moveable from a first position substantially above said collation conveyor to a second position substantially above a reject station, said data processing unit controlling movement of said moveable buffer platform between said first and second positions of said buffer platform;
and
g) a document positioning device actuation and actuated in coordination with said moveable buffer platform and said data processing unit to deposit said document from said buffer platform to said collation conveyor in a first position of said document positioning device and said moveable buffer station, and to retain said document on said buffer platform in a second position of said document positioning device, when said buffer platform moves from said first position to said second position.

5 more elements

An apparatus for collating documents disposed in a plurality of stacks, each stack including similar documents, each document in a stack imprinted with different address code designating a distinct delivery point, the documents in each stack being arranged in a predetermined sequence, said apparatus for collating documents comprising:

a plurality of document collating stations;
a movable collation conveyor extending along said plurality of collation stations, said collation conveyor including a plurality of pockets, each pocket designated by a distinct delivery point address;
each said collation station including:
a) an advancing device adapted to advance a stack of documents towards a feeding station;
b) the feeding station including an image capture device to capture the image of the delivery point code on each document in the stack of documents as each document reaches the top of its respective stack, each said image being electronically stored in a data processing unit;
c) a movable buffer platform, movable from a first position adjacent said feeding station and above said collation conveyor to a second position over a document reject station, movement of said buffer platform under the control of said data processing unit;
d) a document unloading assembly engaging the topmost document in the stack of documents, and position said topmost document on said moveable buffer platform;
e) a document positioning device moveable between a first position and a second position, to correct the antecedent basis problem document engaging element adapted to engage the document on said buffer platform in said first position of said document engaging element and to deposit said document onto a pocket on said collation conveyor as said buffer platform moves from said first position to said second position of said buffer platform, said pocket having a distinct delivery point designation corresponding to the district delivery point code on said topmost document.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.