Clamp for mixed mail sorter
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorDenis J. Stemmle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clamp is designed for accepting a mail piece at a loading station, and for releasably holding the mail piece while the mail piece is moved to an unloading station via a sorting system. The clamp is manipulated in the sorting system, instead of manipulating the mail piece held by the clamp. The clamp includes jaws for releasably holding the mail piece, plus a machine readable identifier, plus a mechanism for engaging with the sorting system. The clamp's identifier includes clamp information which uniquely identifies the clamp. The clamp information is for use by the sorting system, in combination with address information on the mail piece, to enable sortation of the mail piece held by the clamp.
Claims12
An escort assembly comprising:
- a first jaw having at least one tab extending beyond a first edge thereof;
- a second jaw, opposing the first jaw, the second jaw having two tabs extending beyond a first edge thereof and opposing the at least one tab of the first jaw, the two tabs being positioned on sides of the at least one tab of the first jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw are spring biased in a closed position for holding a mailpiece therein;
- and
- a unique identifier to uniquely identify the escort assembly and the mailpiece held therein.
An escort assembly comprising:
- a first jaw having at least one tab extending beyond a first edge thereof;
- a second jaw, opposing the first jaw, the second jaw having at least one tab extending beyond a first edge thereof and opposing the at least one tab of the first jaw, the first jaw and the second jaw being spring biased in a closed position for holding a mailpiece therein;
- a unique identifier to uniquely identify the escort assembly and the mailpiece held therein;
- and
- bent tab segments on the end of the first jaw and the second jaw to grasp the mailpiece therebetween.
An escort assembly comprising:
- a first jaw having at least one tab extending beyond a first edge thereof;
- a second jaw, opposing the first jaw, the second jaw having at least one tab extending beyond a first edge thereof and opposing the at least one tab of the first jaw, the first jaw and the second jaw being spring biased in a closed position for holding a mailpiece therein;
- a unique identifier to uniquely identify the escort assembly and the mailpiece held therein;
- and
- an upward extending member configured and structured to engage a track and lead screw which transports the escort assembly to a containment device, wherein the upward extending member has a “T” shape at an upper end thereof.
An escort assembly comprising:
- a first jaw having at least one tab extending beyond a first edge thereof;
- a second jaw, opposing the first jaw, the second jaw having at least one tab extending beyond a first edge thereof and opposing the at least one tab of the first jaw, the first jaw and the second jaw being spring biased in a closed position for holding a mailpiece therein;
- a unique identifier to uniquely identify the escort assembly and the mailpiece held therein;
- and
- tabs on edges of each of the first jaw and the second jaw for periodically engaging lead screws located on both sides of the first jaw and the second jaw.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.