Facility wide mixed mail sorting and/or sequencing system and components and methods thereof

US8457781B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Lockheed Martin Corporation · US

Inventors

• David Bailey · Vestal, US
• David Benninger · Endwell, US
• Wayne Blackwell · Chenango Forks, US
• Matthew Bossard · Montrose, US
• Bryan Dalton · Endicott, US
• Thomas Erb · Endicott, US
• Michael Finney · Endicott, US
• Mark Gaug · Vestal, US
• John Hartman · Oakland, US
• Kenneth Marks · Austin, US
• Jamie Micha · Binghamton, US
• John Nasakaitus · Elmira, US
• William Olver · Binghamton, US
• Daniel Ondreyko · Binghamton, US
• John Patrick · Monument, US
• Joseph Porter · Billings, US
• Kalon Riehle · Johnson City, US
• Michael Riess · Kerpen, DE
• Leslie Scrivener · Sayre, US
• Gerald Sensenig · Vestal, US
• Clifford Solowiej · Apalachin, US
• Frank Sweet · Hudson, US
• Jamie Swetland · Waterford, US
• Jonathan Wee · George Town, MY
• Bruce Williams · Endwell, US
• Kevin Zimmer · Hudson, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 12, 2008
• Grant date: Jun 4, 2013
• Expiry date: Apr 10, 2029

Classification

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

Abstract

The invention generally relates to a facility wide sorting and/or sequencing system for improving product processing operations and, more particularly, to a facility wide system and related functionality for simultaneously sorting and sequencing mixed mail pieces such as, for example, flats and letter mail pieces. The flats and letter mail pieces are placed in frames so that all types of mail pieces can be sorted and/or sequenced simultaneously through merging and diverting a stream of filled trays into and out of different streams at a full or substantially full transport speed.