Apparatus and method for preparing a mail piece
US5628249A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 27, 1994 |
| Grant date | May 13, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 27, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB07C1/00
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
An apparatus and method for producing mail pieces. The apparatus includes a first printer for printing documents and a second printer for printing envelopes and a mail finishing unit for receiving the printed documents from the first printer and the envelopes printed with corresponding addresses from the second printer and inserting the documents into the envelope to form a mail piece. The apparatus operates under the control of a single stream of job data from a host computer, where the job data includes a job header defining default mail piece attributes and mail piece records which include document data and address data, and which may include specific mail piece attribute data for each corresponding mail piece. The apparatus control mechanism partitions the data stream and controls the first printer to print the documents while controlling the second printer to separately print the envelopes which are moved along a separate path to an insert station where the mail piece is formed. Preferably the second printer is an ink jet printer and the apparatus includes a drying buffer to allow time for the printed addresses to dry, and accordingly the apparatus prints several envelopes to …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.