Weight measuring systems and methods

A system for producing and weighing mailing units that are formed from a plurality of components including inserts and envelopes, the system comprising:

• a controller having a processor and a memory containing the weight of each of the components;
• a printer for printing an identifier on one of the components forming the mailing unit after that one of the components has been provided to the system, wherein the identifier is used to identify the components of the mailing unit;
• a reader for reading the identifier and providing the identifier to the controller;
• a movable track;
• a plurality of inserting locations that are adapted to hold the inserts, and a plurality of inserting mechanisms that are adapted to place selective ones of the inserts onto the track;
• and
• a moving mechanism that is adapted to move the inserts from the track and into an envelope to form a mailing unit;
• wherein the controller is configured to determine the components of the mailing unit based on the identifier and to determine the weight of the mailing unit based on the weights of the components utilized to form the mailing unit that are stored in the memory.

In a system for producing and weighing a mailing unit for mailing, wherein the mailing unit is formed from a plurality of components including inserts and envelopes provided to the system, a method comprising:

• determining under the control of a processor a weight for each of the components of the mailing unit and electronically storing a record of the weights at a memory in the system;
• printing under the control of the processor in the system an identifier on a first one of the components forming the mailing unit after the first component has been provided to the system, wherein the identifier is used to identify all the components of the mailing unit, and wherein the first component comprises a sheet of paper for insertion into an envelope;
• reading the identifier to determine all the components of the mailing unit;
• placing the inserts into the envelope to form the mailing unit based on the identifier;
• and
• determining under the control of the processor the weight of the mailing unit by retrieving from the memory the weights of the components utilized to form the mailing unit that are stored in the memory and summing those the weights of the components using the processor.

A system for producing and weighing a mailing unit that is formed from a plurality of components including inserts and envelopes that are provided to the system, the system comprising:

• a controller having a processor and a memory containing the weight of each of the components;
• a printer for printing an identifier on a first one of the components forming the mailing unit after the first component has been provided to the system, wherein the identifier is used to identify all the components of the mailing unit, and wherein the first component comprises a sheet of paper for insertion into an envelope;
• a reader to read the identifier;
• a movable track;
• a plurality of inserting locations that are adapted to hold the inserts, and a plurality of inserting mechanisms that are adapted to place selective ones of the inserts onto the track;
• and
• a moving mechanism that is adapted to move the inserts from the track and into an envelope to form a mailing unit;
• wherein the controller is configured to determine the components of the mailing unit based on the identifier read from the first component by retrieving from the memory the weights of the components utilized to form the mailing unit that are stored in the memory and summing those weights.