Method and apparatus for stacking mixed mail
US6161830A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 8, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 19, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 8, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65H2701/1916
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A mixed mail stacking method and apparatus using a nip to ingest incoming mailpieces, a set of rollers to move the ingested mailpieces toward a registration wall, and a sensor upstream from the nip to detect the mailpieces. When the sensor detects the trailing edge of an ingested mailpiece, it causes the moving devices to pause, leaving a section of the ingested mailpiece sticking out of the nip. When the sensor detects the leading edge of the following mailpiece, it sets the moving devices in motion again so that the ingested mailpiece and the following mailpiece partially overlap when the following mailpiece is ingested by the nip. As such, the ingested mailpieces are shingled before they are moved toward the registration wall for stacking, preventing leading to trailing edge collisions. With the sensor to control the moving devices, the stacker is capable of stacking a wide variety of mail with a wide range of sizes without adjustment.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.