Method and apparatus for determining weight of moving mailpieces
AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.
InventorHenson C. Ong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention pertains to a mailpiece weight measuring apparatus for use with a high speed automatic mailpiece processing system. The weight measuring apparatus measures the inertial mass of the mailpiece as the weight equivalent. The apparatus includes a device for determining a first velocity of a mailpiece, a device for imparting a force to the mailpiece in a direction co-linear with the first velocity so that the mailpiece exits said force impacting device at a second velocity, a device for determining the second velocity of the mailpiece, a device for determining a change in a parameter proportional to the force imparted on the mailpiece, and a device for determining the weight of the mailpiece based upon the determined first velocity, second velocity and change in the parameter.
Claims5
A mailpiece weight measuring apparatus for use with a mailpiece processing system that transports mailpieces at an initial velocity (V0);
- the mailpiece weight measuring apparatus comprising:
- means for determining a first velocity (V1) of a mailpiece,
- means for imparting a force to the mailpiece in a direction co-linear with said first velocity as it enters the mailpiece weight measuring apparatus, so that the mailpiece exits said force impacting means at a second velocity (V2);
- means for determining the second velocity (V2) of the mailpiece;
- means for determining a change in a parameter (Δp), said change being proportional to the force imparted to the mailpiece by said force imparting means;
- and
- means for determining the weight of the mailpiece (m) based upon the determined first velocity (V1), second velocity (V2) and the change in said parameter (Δp)
- wherein the force imparting means comprises a first roller and a second roller positioned relative to each other so that a mailpiece is pinched between the rollers when it travels between them;
- wherein the means for determining a change in a parameter (Δp) comprising a logical device in communication with a rotational encoder monitoring the first roller, said logical device capable of deriving a change of angular velocity of the first roller based on signals from the rotational encoder.
A mailpiece weight measuring apparatus for use with a mailpiece processing system that transports mailpieces at an initial velocity (V0);
- the mailpiece weight measuring apparatus comprising:
- means for determining a first velocity (V1) of a mailpiece,
- means for imparting a force to the mailpiece in a direction co-linear with said first velocity as it enters the mailpiece weight measuring apparatus, so that the mailpiece exits said force impacting means at a second velocity (V2);
- means for determining the second velocity (V2) of the mailpiece;
- means for determining a change in a parameter (Δp), said change being proportional to the force imparted to the mailpiece by said force imparting means;
- and
- means for determining the weight of the mailpiece (m) based upon the determined first velocity (V1), second velocity (V2) and the change in said parameter (Δp).
- wherein the force imparting means comprising an elongate object having a first end and a second end, said first end is pivotally fastened at a location remote from a path that the mailpieces travel, said second end is attached to a flat plate, said flat plate is positioned substantially perpendicular to the path when the elongate object is in a first position so that said plate is impacted by a mailpiece as the mailpiece travels along its path, hereby angularly displacing the elongate object from the first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.