Macro sorting system and method
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorDenis J. Stemmle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for feeding and sorting mail pieces, and for moving the mail pieces to sorter bins according to delivery information on the mail pieces, includes a plurality of feeders, and a plurality of sorters configured to receive and sort the mail pieces from the feeders. A separating mechanism is configured to separate the feeders from the sorters in order to provide a plurality of pathways, so that each of the feeders is connectable by pathways to substantially all of the sorters. Each sorter includes sorter bins, and each sorter bin receives a subset of the mail pieces. Also included is a mechanism for selecting the pathways according to the delivery information read from each of the mail pieces.
Claims15
A sorting system, for feeding and sorting mail pieces, and for moving the mail pieces to sorted mail stations according to delivery information on the mail pieces, the system comprising:
- a plurality of feeding stations, each of the feeding stations having means to singulate mail pieces and to read the delivery information thereon;
- a plurality of sorters which receive and sort the mail pieces from the plurality of feeding stations;
- and
- a plurality of pathways;
- wherein each one of the feeding stations is connectable by pathways to substantially all of the plurality of sorters;
- wherein each of the plurality of sorters has a plurality of the sorted mail stations, each of the sorted mail stations dimensioned for receiving a subset of the mail pieces according to the delivery information, and
- wherein the system further comprises means for selecting the pathways according to the delivery information read from the mail pieces.
A method for feeding and sorting mail pieces and for moving the mail pieces from a plurality of feeding stations to sorted mail stations according to delivery information on the mail pieces, the method comprising:
- singulating the mail pieces and reading the delivery information thereon, at a plurality of feeding stations;
- receiving and sorting the mail pieces at a plurality of sorters;
- and
- wherein each one of the feeding stations is connectable by a plurality of pathways to substantially each of the plurality of sorters,
- wherein each of the plurality of sorters has a plurality of sorted mail stations, each of the sorted mail stations dimensioned for receiving a subset of the mail pieces according to the delivery information, and
- wherein the method further comprises selecting the pathways according to the delivery information read from the mail pieces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.