Flats mail autotrayer system

US7210893B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Bowe Bell + Howell Postal Systems Company · US

Inventors

• Dan Rice · Buffalo Grove, US
• George Rabindran · Pembroke Pines, US
• Steve Archer · Des Plaines, US
• Mike Stollenwerck · Libertyville, US
• Mike Ogarek · Chicago, US
• John W. Overman · Evanston, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 23, 2000
• Grant date: May 1, 2007
• Expiry date: Dec 30, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S209/90
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for combining multiple small stacks of flats mailpieces into a single large stack of mailpieces and then transferring the large stack to a standard flats mail tray, all while maintaining the sequence order of the mail in the accumulated stack. The apparatus is comprised of three primary subsystems: a bridge conveyor, a stack accumulator, and an output tray station. The bridge conveyor carries mailpieces from the exit conveyor of a mail processing machine such as a collator, to the stack accumulator. The stack accumulator combines small stacks of mailpieces into large stacks in a desired sequence. The output tray station provides support for an empty tray as the accumulated mail stack is transferred to the tray, and then releases the filled tray in a controlled manner.