Transfer buffer and inserter and method
US5860504A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 16, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jan 19, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 16, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65H2511/51
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Apparatus and method are provided for providing multiple loading sites or entry sites for a single conveyor belt. This apparatus and method is particularly adapted to handling of pieces of flat mail. For each such loading site, another conveyor belt feeds mail flats to a transfer-buffer station measuring their sizes in the process. The feeder belt does not place a mail flat in the transfer-buffer station unless that station is sensed to be empty. The transfer-buffer station provides individual mail flats, one at a time, to an inclined conveyor belt, which serves as an inserter belt system. After a mail flat is moved by the transfer-buffer station onto the inserter belt system, the inserter belt system moves the mail flat to an intermediate "ready-to-load" park position and then stops. When a gap appears on the main conveyor belt, the inserter belt moves the mail flat onto that gap. Multiple such insertion devices permit parallel loading of mail pieces onto a single conveyor belt, increasing packing density on that belt and permitting use of lower operating speeds to improve performance without sacrificing total throughput.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.