Method for unsleeving trays
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsDonald R. Close, Robert D. Lundahl, William D. Finch, Robert Cutlip, Dwight Koogle, Mark Bankard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for unstrapping and unsleeving a tray is provided. The system comprises a tray-transport configured to transport a tray in the system, a strap cutter configured to cut a strap on the tray, a strap-removal portion configured to remove the strap cut by the strap cutter, and an unsleeving station configured to remove a sleeve from the tray. The unsleeving station is configured to remove the sleeve from the tray after the strap-removal portion removes the cut strap.
Claims21
A method for automated processing of a tray, the method comprising:
- receiving the tray;
- automatically detecting whether the tray is enclosed in a sleeve;
- and
- if the tray is enclosed in a sleeve,
- cutting a strap from the sleeved tray with a strap cutter;
- removing the cut strap with a strap-removal portion;
- and
- removing the sleeve from the tray with an unsleeving station.
An automated method for separating a tray from a strap bound sleeve comprising the steps of:
- receiving a tray at a tray-transport station;
- automatically sensing a size of said tray at a tray sizing station;
- automatically sensing whether said tray is enclosed in a sleeve;
- if the tray is enclosed in a sleeve,
- destrapping said tray with a strap cutter;
- removing said tray from said sleeve;
- and
- sorting said removed sleeve according to said sensed size.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.