Patent · US Active

Apparatus and method for processing articles of different dimensions

US8261917B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by

9References

9Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

Peter Enenkel · Konstanz, DE
Holger Schererz · Rehfelde, DE
Armin Zimmermann · Konstanz, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Nov 3, 2010
Grant date	Sep 11, 2012
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Dec 26, 2030

Classification

Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
CPC primaryB65H2701/1916
WIPO fieldHandling
WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and a method stand up and process articles of different dimensions, in particular flat mail items. A conveying device transports articles to an up-ending apparatus. The up-ending apparatus transports the articles further and, in the process, up-ends the articles such that the up-ended articles stand on an edge. Up-ended articles are transported to a separating apparatus. The separating apparatus separates flat articles such that a stream of upright, spaced-apart articles leaves the separating apparatus. Up-ended and separated articles are transported to a format-separating device. The format-separating device divides the articles as a function of the dimensions thereof into article classes such that all of the articles of a set of articles belong to the same format class. All of the articles of a set of articles are transported as a stream of upright and spaced-apart articles to an appropriate processing device. The processing device processes the articles.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.