EP0906236B1 - Appareil et methode pour egaliser et border le courrier et d'autres objets plats - Google Patents

Appareil et methode pour egaliser et border le courrier et d'autres objets plats Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0906236B1
EP0906236B1 EP97918507A EP97918507A EP0906236B1 EP 0906236 B1 EP0906236 B1 EP 0906236B1 EP 97918507 A EP97918507 A EP 97918507A EP 97918507 A EP97918507 A EP 97918507A EP 0906236 B1 EP0906236 B1 EP 0906236B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cartridge
station
mail
edger
tab
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP97918507A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0906236A1 (fr
EP0906236A4 (fr
Inventor
Kenneth A. Mckee
Harold G. Burkett, Jr.
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Siemens Dematic Postal Automation LP
Original Assignee
Siemens Electrocom LP
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens Electrocom LP filed Critical Siemens Electrocom LP
Priority claimed from PCT/US1997/005535 external-priority patent/WO1997036815A1/fr
Publication of EP0906236A1 publication Critical patent/EP0906236A1/fr
Publication of EP0906236A4 publication Critical patent/EP0906236A4/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0906236B1 publication Critical patent/EP0906236B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H1/00—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated
    • B65H1/02—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated adapted to support articles on edge
    • B65H1/025—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated adapted to support articles on edge with controlled positively-acting mechanical devices for advancing the pile to present the articles to the separating device
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H1/00—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated
    • B65H1/30—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated with means for replenishing the pile during continuous separation of articles therefrom
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
    • B65H2301/44—Moving, forwarding, guiding material
    • B65H2301/446—Assisting moving, forwarding or guiding of material
    • B65H2301/4462—Assisting moving, forwarding or guiding of material by jogging
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2403/00—Power transmission; Driving means
    • B65H2403/50—Driving mechanisms
    • B65H2403/51—Cam mechanisms
    • B65H2403/513—Cam mechanisms involving elongated cam, i.e. parallel to linear transport path
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2701/00—Handled material; Storage means
    • B65H2701/10—Handled articles or webs
    • B65H2701/19—Specific article or web
    • B65H2701/1916—Envelopes and articles of mail

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to automated handling of flat articles, in particular, to an improved method and apparatus for jogging and edging of mail and/or flat articles in preparation for feeding to a processing machine.
  • Machines for automatically sorting flat articles, such as mail, into one of an array of selected bins or compartments are known.
  • sorting machines have a feeding station, including an intake drive member such as a rubber-covered wheel or belt, sensing and detecting equipment for determining the appropriate output compartment for the article to be sorted, diverting gates or other mechanisms and an array of output compartments or bins for the sorted articles.
  • An example of an advanced sorting machine is the DBSCII sorting device, available from ElectroCom Automation, L.P., Arlington, Texas.
  • an operator manually grabs a bundle of mail to be sorted and manually shakes or jostles the mail to generally align the bottom edges, making a stack, typically horizontal. The operator then places the stack of mail against the feed member of the sorting machine, which then feeds the articles into the sorting machine, one at a time, to be sorted.
  • the sorted articles are routed to the appropriate compartment for each of the sorted articles and stacked.
  • the feeding and sorting of articles continues until one or more of the receiving compartments becomes sufficiently full of a stack of sorted mail.
  • an operator will manually remove a stack of the sorted articles from the compartment and place the articles into a box for either later reprocessing through the sorting machine, transferring to another sorting machine for further sorting or transporting to a delivery person, such as a mail carrier, for ultimate delivery to the intended location, if all sorting is completed.
  • the present invention concerns an edger station for aligning a plurality of flat articles according to claim 1, and a method for aligning in an edger station according to claim 11.
  • the article handling system 10 includes a sorter 15 and an array 19 of output compartments 20 arranged in rows and columns, each being adapted to receive a cartridge 25 into which mail (or other flat articles) may be automatically stacked.
  • the article handling system 10 also includes an X-Y cartridge transfer and handling robot 30 having a cartridge support platform 35 for transferring cartridges between components of the system.
  • the article handling system 10 preferably also includes a buffer shelf 40 (the rear is depicted in FIGURE 1) having an array of compartments 45 for temporarily receiving and storing filled and unfilled cartridges 25.
  • the article handling system 10 also preferably includes an autofeeder 50, including a cartridge docking station 55, a queuing station 60, and a jogging/edging station 65 leading to a feeding station 70.
  • an autofeeder 50 including a cartridge docking station 55, a queuing station 60, and a jogging/edging station 65 leading to a feeding station 70.
  • cartridge 25 is designed to hold a horizontal stack 75 (FIGURE 2) of pieces of mail (or other flat articles), to interface with the other parts of the system and to facilitate manipulation by the X-Y cartridge transfer and handling robot 30.
  • the cartridge 25 can also be readily manipulated, carried and moved by humans, when desired.
  • the cartridge is generally rectangular, with a generally flat bottom 82, generally flat side walls 85 and 86, a cartridge door 90 pivotable downwardly on hinges 95 at a front end 100, and a handle 105 at a rear end 110.
  • the cartridge door 90 is spring-loaded by a spring 112 into the closed position.
  • the handle 105 may simply be a bar, leaving the rear end 110 otherwise open.
  • the rear end 110 may also be closed with a wall, if desired, but such is not required.
  • the cartridge 25 is in the range of about 23 inches long, 13 inches wide and 5 3/8 inches high, and holds from 0 to 18 inches of stacked mail. Of course, any convenient size of cartridge can also be used, depending upon the flat articles to be handled and the capacity desired.
  • the cartridge door 90 preferably covers the entire front end 100 of the cartridge 25 so that when the door is open, a stack of mail can be removed without obstructions or edges to "catch" the pieces of mail.
  • the cartridge door 90 includes a latch bar 115 on the left and right upper comers, which is adapted to mate with a latch 120 pivotally mounted in a latch housing 125 on either side of the cartridge 25.
  • a latch release 130 (preferably a push rod) is retained within the latch housing 125, and spring-loaded by means of a spring 126 to urge the latch 120 into the closed position.
  • the bottom end 132 of the latch release 130 extends through the bottom of the latch housing 125.
  • the cartridge door 90 includes two open notches 140, extending from the bottom edge of the door to about its middle.
  • the open notches 140 permit a set of hold bars 145 in docking station 55, as depicted in FIGURES 2 and FIGURES 3C and 3D, to pass through the cartridge door 90 and press against the stack of mail, while permitting the door to open around hold bars 145 (in a manner to be described more fully below).
  • the front end of the stack of mail i.e., the end closest the door
  • the hold bars 145 can be supported temporarily by the hold bars 145 while the door is opened, so that the front end of the stack in the cartridge is held in place when the door is opened.
  • the hold bars 145 are preferably motorized, and preferably under computer control, so that the hold bars are selectively raised and lowered. Hold bars 145 are also preferably movable in a back and forth direction in the cartridge 25, which may be provided either by a spring (not shown) urging the hold bars in the direction of the cartridge, or by a motor. Although two hold bars 145 are depicted, one or any other number may also be used.
  • cartridge door 90 may also be hinged at either the top or side, although a hinge at the bottom is preferred. If a hinge on the top is used, of course, the cartridge must be sufficiently tall to avoid interference with the top of the mail as it is removed. A sliding door may also be employed.
  • the function of holding up the front end of the stack 75 of mail during opening (or closing) of the cartridge door 90 can also be accomplished by means other than the set of hold bars 145.
  • a set of curved fingers external to the cartridge could be rotated into the cartridge through holes 150, to press on and hold the leading face of the mail stack, and the door opened around the curved finger or fingers.
  • a finger or set of fingers could be extended from the side into the cartridge through slots 155 in the side wall 85 or slots 160 in the bottom of the cartridge.
  • the door 90 is then provided with appropriate channels in the interior face (similar to the open channels 245 in the front face of a rear stack support paddle 180), to receive the fingers without interference with the front of the mail stack. Fingers built into the cartridge, behind the door (either spring-loaded or externally actuated), or in the door itself, may also be employed.
  • the cartridge door 90 is fitted with an S-shaped cam follower 165 at the lower left and right corners. Although a symmetrical cam follower at each of these comers is preferred, for reducing twisting stresses on the door, one alone may be employed.
  • each cam follower 165 is designed to engage a first wedge or cam 172 in the docking station 55 as the cartridge is inserted into the docking station 55 (or an output compartment 20).
  • the upper free end 175 of the cam follower 165 is designed to engage a second wedge or cam 177 in the docking station 55 as the cartridge 25 is inserted into the docking station 55 (or an output compartment 20), to complete opening the door 90 to approximately 135 degrees or more, so as to clear obstructions in the receiving dock, or the output compartments 20. This is more clearly depicted in FIGURES 3C and 3D.
  • FIGURE 5 depicts, moving right to left, and somewhat overlapping, three stages of opening the door 90 by the cams 172 and 177: (1) closed, beginning opening; (2) fully opened, cartridge partially docked; and (3) fully opened, cartridge fully docked, with the first and second cams operating on the lower and upper ends 170 and 175 of the cam follower 165 as indicated, the different stages being separated by alternatingly dotted lines.
  • the process is reversed, closing the cartridge door 90.
  • the internal, spring-loaded rear stack support paddle 180 is included in the cartridge 25 to hold the stack 75 upright at the back end of the cartridge 25, and to apply a small degree of force to the stack to keep the stack upright.
  • the rear stack support paddle 180 is mounted to a carriage assembly 185 slidably mounted through a slot 190 in the bottom 82 of the cartridge, in an upwardly open channel 195 attached to the underside of the bottom 82.
  • Carriage assembly 185 slides on linear recirculating ball bearings riding on a round shaft 200 longitudinally disposed in the open channel 195 so that the carriage assembly slides smoothly forward and backward in the open channel 195.
  • telescoping ball bearing slides such as found on furniture drawers, may be used.
  • plastic or PTFE bushings, or other expedient means for longitudinal bearings or bushings can be used.
  • the round shaft 200 extends through slots 205 at each end of the open channel 195, and is loosely secured by keeper washers (not shown) and longitudinally spring-mounted within the open channel 195 to be urged forwardly by a spring 181.
  • the front end 210 of the round shaft 200 extends through the front of the channel and is engaged by a push rod (not shown) in the docking station 55 or output compartment 20 when the cartridge 25 is docked. This action pushes the shaft 200 longitudinally inwardly against the force of the spring 181.
  • the round shaft 200 is mounted to be movable sideways to a degree in the slots 205, and includes a cam follower 215 adapted to ride on a wedge-shaped cam guide or slot 220 at each end of the open channel 195.
  • a similar sized channel 221 (see FIGURES 3A, 3C and 3D) is included underneath the bottom 82 to maintain symmetry, but does not have an open slot or internal mechanisms.
  • the rear stack support paddle 180 is urged forwardly by a "constant force" spring 225 having one end attached to and wound onto a spool 230 mounted to the back side of the rear stack support paddle 180, the other end 231 is attached to the bottom of the cartridge 25, near the front end.
  • the spring force is preferably approximately 1.4 pounds on the paddle 180 toward the cartridge door 90.
  • the internal rear stack support paddle 180 is locked in place by a ratchet mechanism that prevents the paddle from moving away from the cartridge door 90, which might result in the stack of mail to falling or becoming disorganized.
  • the carriage assembly 185 includes ratchet teeth 235 adapted to be selectively engage a rack or series of holes 240 on one side of the channel 195.
  • the rear stack support paddle 180 preferably has forwardly open channels 245 to permit the entrance of fingers from the side into the open channels 245, between the stack of mail and the front face of the paddle, without becoming entangled with the mail. As shown in FIGURE 3B, notches 155 in the front of side 85 allow the entrance of fingers from the side when the paddle 180 is at the front end 100.
  • the rear stack support paddle 180 includes a switch actuating extension 250 on the inboard side (on top of side wall 85) on the upper end of a side support member 251.
  • the switch actuating extension activates external switches (not shown) in the output compartment 20 to signal to the article handling system 10 that the cartridge 25 is either full or partly full of mail and ready for removal, or to indicate the relative degree of filling.
  • the switch actuating extension 250 is also used at the cartridge receiving docking station 55 to signal that the rear stack support paddle 180 has moved forward during the mail removal operation, and to sound an alarm (or take other appropriate action) if such has not occurred.
  • the actuating extension 250 preferably actuates a switch mechanically, any suitable sensor (such as photoelectric detector) for determining the location (absolute or relative) of the rear stack support paddle 180 may be employed.
  • the construction of the body of the cartridge 25 is preferably reinforced injection molded plastic.
  • the rear stack support paddle 180, cartridge door 90, door latches 120, carriage assembly 185, and other moving components are preferably steel for reasons of strength and durability, but may be made of other suitable materials, if desired.
  • the autofeed system 50 for receiving cartridges 25 filled with stacked mail and automatically removes the stack from the cartridge, queues the mail, preferably jogs and edges the mail, and feeds the mail to the input feed station of a sorter 15.
  • the autofeeder 50 includes the docking station 55 for receiving a mail-filled cartridge 25, a mail stack unloader 275 operating between the docking station 55, the queuing station 60, and the jogger/edging station 65, leading to the feeding station 70 of sorter 15. These will be described in turn.
  • the docking station 55 includes a receiving shelf 280, a receiving channel 290 in the shelf for receiving the cartridge door 90 without interference, the cartridge door latch unlocking cam 135 and the cartridge door opening lower cam 172 and upper cam 177 (shown in FIGURES 3C, 3D and 5, but not FIGURES 1 or 2), which are laterally displaced from one another to line-up when the cartridge 125 is inserted with the lower cam follower 170 and upper cam follower 175.
  • cartridge alignment guides (not shown) preferably guide channels 195 and 221 on receiving shelf 280 into the dock end wall 285.
  • the two hold bars 145 are provided in the docking station 55, extending upwardly from a common vertical member.
  • a cartridge 25 with a horizontal stack 75 is placed onto the receiving shelf 280 and moved forwardly to the end wall 285 by automated or manual means.
  • the unlocking cam 135 in the docking station 55 actuates the bottom end 132 of the latch release 130, which in turn lifts latch 120, thereby releasing the latch from the latch bar 115, thus unlocking the cartridge door 90.
  • the lower cam follower 170 strikes the face of cam 172, to cause the door 90 to begin opening.
  • the door continues to open as the cartridge moves forward, until the door is open about 90 degrees from the closed position.
  • hold bars 145 are raised from the docking station 55, as indicated by the arrows by an actuator (not shown), to pass through open notches 140 in the cartridge door 90 as the cartridge moves forward.
  • the hold bars 145 are spring-loaded to exert a force on the front surface of the stack of mail, while permitting the hold bars 145 to move with the cartridge as it moves forward.
  • the hold bars 145 are mounted to move forward at the same speed as the cartridge. As the cartridge door 90 opens the hold bars 145, passing through open notches 140, hold the front pieces of mail in place, keeping the stack from falling as the door is opened.
  • a stack unloader 275 is used to support and remove the stack of mail from the cartridge 25 after it is docked, and move the stack to the queuing station 60.
  • the unloader 275 includes a rear finger carriage 300 and a front finger carriage 305 mounted on guide rails 310 and 315 running parallel to the length of the autofeeder 50, behind a slotted stack support wall 320.
  • Each of the finger carriages 300 and 305 is independently movable longitudinally along the guide rails 310 and 315 between the docking station 55 and the queuing station 60 by means of drive motors (not shown), preferably under computer control.
  • Each of the finger carriages 300 and 305 includes a set of fingers, 325 and 330, respectively, that are mounted to be extended and retracted, in and out from the respective carriage 300 or 305, through the slotted stack support wall 320.
  • the rear finger carriage 300 also includes a rotatable stack pusher 335, preferably generally in the form of a hook, and mounted to be rotatable into, and out of, the open top of the rear end of the cartridge 25, behind rear stack support paddle 180.
  • a rotatable stack pusher 335 preferably generally in the form of a hook, and mounted to be rotatable into, and out of, the open top of the rear end of the cartridge 25, behind rear stack support paddle 180.
  • the fingers 330 of the front finger carriage 305 are extended through the slotted stack support wall 320, just in front of hold bars 145, as shown in FIGURE 9C.
  • the hold bars 145 are retracted, out of the way.
  • the front end of the mail stack is now supported by fingers 330.
  • the pusher 335 is rotated down into the open top of the rear end of the mail cartridge 25, behind the rear stack support paddle 180, and the rear finger carriage 300, with the fingers 325 still retracted, is moved forward until the pusher 335 just contacts the back of rear stack support paddle 180.
  • the rear finger carriage 300 with the pusher 335 down, is then driven forward, pushing the rear stack support paddle 180 and the stack of mail, while at the same time the front finger carriage 305 with the fingers 330 extended, is driven forward, with the mail stack 75 retained between the extended fingers and the rear stack support paddle 180, until the rear stack support paddle is all the way to the front of, or just out of, the front end of cartridge 25. Because of the built-in spacing between the pusher 335 and fingers 325, at this point, the fingers 325 (still retracted) are positioned directly adjacent the forwardly open channels 245 of the rear stack support paddle 180.
  • the rear finger carriage 300 then extends the fingers 325 into the forwardly open channels 245 of the rear stack support paddle 180, between the support paddle and the rear end of the mail stack 75, without interfering with the mail.
  • the mail stack is now supported between the fingers 325 of the rear finger carriage 300 and fingers 330 of the front finger carriage 305.
  • the pusher 335 is then rotated up out of the cartridge 25.
  • both front and rear finger carriages 300 and 305 are moved in unison longitudinally along the guide rails 310 and 315, sliding the mail stack from the docking station 55 to the queuing station 60, as illustrated in FIGURES 9F-91, where a previously placed stack of mail 75' is held in place by a queuing station paddle 340.
  • the queuing station paddle 340 is longitudinally movable and rotatable on a guide shaft 341.
  • an optional tilting edging table 345 is depicted as a part of the queuing station 60.
  • the edging table 345 is mounted to tilt and vibrate, to help edge and move the mail to the slotted stack support wall 320.
  • this tilting edging table 345 is not required if the article handling system 20 includes the jogging/edge station 65, or other means for ensuring that the mail is feed in an orderly manner to the feeding station 70.
  • the jogging/edging station 65 to be described in more detail below, is preferred.
  • the now-empty cartridge 25 is removed from the docking station 55 by manual or automatic means.
  • the cartridge door 90 is closed, latched and the rear stack support paddle 180 locked, in reverse order to the operation that occurred when the cartridge was inserted.
  • the queuing station paddle 340 engages the fingers 330 of the forwarding mail stack 75, as illustrated in FIGURE 9I.
  • the fingers 330 maintains pressure on the mail stacks 75 and 75', and the queuing station paddle 340 is rotated from between the two stacks (the previously placed stack 75' and the arriving stack 75), as shown in FIGURE 9J.
  • the queuing station paddle 340 is then moved on the guide shaft 341 until positioned just behind the fingers 325 of the rear finger carriage 300 and is then rotated into position behind the fingers 325, as depicted in FIGURE 9K.
  • the fingers 330 of the front finger carriage 305 are then retracted into the carriage, leaving the stacks 75' and 75 abutted together, forming a "new" previously placed stack 75', as illustrated in FIGURE 9L.
  • the fingers 325 are then retracted into the rear finger carriage 300, leaving the arriving stack 75 (now a part of "new" stack 75') supported by the queuing station paddle 340, the starting point of the process, as depicted in FIGURE 9M.
  • both the front and rear finger carriages 300 and 305 are free to move back to the docking station 55, to prepare to unload another stack of mail from a cartridge 25 and the process repeats.
  • the stack of mail 75' in the queuing station 60 is moved by the queuing station paddle 340 to the jogger/edging station 65, where the mail is jostled to align the bottom edges of the mail in an orderly fashion, and to urge the inside edge of each piece of mail toward a back wall 345.
  • the construction and operation of the jogger/edging station 65 will now be described below.
  • the jogger/edging station 65 preferably employs a feed-through upstanding tab jogger/edger 350 or an improved rocking tab jogger/edger 350'.
  • jogger/edger 350 has several rows (three, for example, as shown) of vertical tabs 355 mounted at their lower edge to a continuous chain 357 rotatable between two sprockets 358.
  • the continuous chain 357 is driven by a motor 358 (visible in FIGURE 15) through a belt drive 354 so that the vertical tabs 355 gradually move counterclockwise, carrying small pockets of mail (approximately 5-10 pieces) in a generally vertical orientation toward the feeding station 70 of the sorter 15.
  • a lobed shaft 360 extends longitudinally in the feed direction, one lobed shaft 360 in between each row of tabs 355, and one between the inward-most row of tabs 355 and the back wall 345.
  • Lobed shafts 360 are rotated in a clockwise direction, facing in the feed direction by a drive motor 359 through a belt or chain 361 in conjunction with the feeder/edger 350, to impart a bouncing motion to the bottom edges of the mail to tend to singulate the mail pieces, and to gently urge he mail through friction toward the back wall 345.
  • a lobed shaft 365 that rotates counterclockwise to urge the back edge of the mail downwardly.
  • jogger/edger 350 is generally the same as conventional jogger/edgers.
  • the tabs 355' are provided with ledges 370' on the lower end and on either side of the upward tab 355', like an inverted "T". Mounted below the tabs 355' is a wavy cam guide 375'.
  • a roller cam follower 380' mounted to each of the tabs 355' engages the guide 375', between the wavy cam lobes, thereby causing the tabs 355 to rock back and forth, preferably in the range of 20 degrees each way.
  • This motion causes the individual mail pieces to break free from each other and move independently to an edged position. This minimizes the problem of heavy pieces pinching the lighter pieces to obstruct individual edging. It is preferred that the bundle of mail be jostled such that it moves back and forth across a substantially vertical orientation. When the pieces are vertical, the heavy pieces tend not to restrict the lighter pieces. This allows each mail piece to move independently without the weight of adjacent pieces restricting movement, thus improving the jogging/edging efficiency.
  • the jogged and edged mail is gradually moved forwardly, until it reaches the feeding station 70 of the sorter 15.
  • the feeding station 70 is conventional, and consists of a guide roller 71 for frictionably driving pieces of mail 80 into the sorter 15, one at a time, for sorting.
  • the sorting machine sorts mail pieces into one of an array 19 of output compartments 20 by reading bar codes on the mail pieces, in accordance with the sorting sequence programmed into the sorter at the time the sort is initiated. Since the sorter itself is conventional, it need not be further described.
  • the sorter 15 distributes the mail into one of output compartments 20, arranged in rows and columns.
  • Each of the output compartments 20 includes a feed belt 390 encircling a roller 395, a sweep gate 400, and a cartridge receiving dock (not shown) for receiving and holding a cartridge 25 during loading of the cartridge.
  • the cartridge receiving dock includes a wedge for unlatching the cartridge door 90, a dock end wall or lug for actuating the front end 210 of the round shaft 200 to unlock the rear stack support paddle 180, upper and lower cams for opening the cartridge door 90, and a switch or other sensing device to be actuated by the switch actuating extension 250 on the rear stack support paddle 180. Since these devices are arranged and operate in generally same manner as the respective devices in the cartridge docking station 55, already described, these items need not be further described in detail.
  • the cartridge 25 fits into the output compartment 20 in a manner similar to the cartridge docking station 55. That is, as the cartridge 25 is inserted into the compartment 20, the door locking latch 120 is released, the carriage assembly 185 is released, and the cartridge door 90 is opened.
  • the compartment 20 also includes a switch or other sensor (not shown), actuated by the rear stack support paddle 180 in the cartridge, to notify the sorter 15 when the cartridge is nearly full (approximately 80%), full, empty and/or the relative degree of fullness of the cartridge.
  • the cartridge 25 also preferably actuates a switch (not shown) in the compartment 20 to notify the sorter 15 or supervisory computer that the cartridge 25 is properly placed.
  • the cartridge 25 When in an output compartment 20, the cartridge 25 accepts and stacks mail directly from the sorter 15 during a sort.
  • the pieces of mail 80 are fed into the cartridge by the drive belt 390 and, guided by the sweep gate 400.
  • the sweep gate 400 preferably consists of an upper smooth guide bar 405 and a lower guide bar 410 having bends or notches 415, open to the cartridge 25, for receiving upstanding fingers 420 of an end effector 425 of a robot cartridge handler (not shown in FIGURES 12A-12D).
  • the sweep gate 400 is positioned as shown in FIGURE 12A, with bars 410 and 405 straddling the drive belt 390 so that mail pieces driven toward the cartridge 25 by the drive belt 390 are guided into cartridge in an orderly stack 75.
  • the spring loaded stack support paddle 180 (see FIGURES 3A and 3B) supplies a gentle urging force against the rear of the stack to assist in orderly stacking of the mail pieces.
  • the stack support paddle 180 in the cartridge actuates a switch (not shown) in the output compartment 20, notifying the sorter 15 or supervisory computer that the cartridge is nearly full and should be replaced with an empty cartridge.
  • Sorting operations can continue unabated during changing of cartridges. To do so, when the sorter 15 or supervisory computer receives notification by means of the switch or sensor that the cartridge 25 in an output compartment 20 is nearly full, the sorter 15 automatically redesignates another output compartment having a still-empty cartridge as the receiving location for that category of mail. The redesignation is completed somewhat prior to the time the cartridge 25 is completely full, because the sorter 15 includes a number of pieces of mail at any given time which have not yet been routed to an output compartment 20.
  • FIGURES 12B-12D This process is depicted in FIGURES 12B-12D.
  • a robot end-actuator 430 (schematically illustrated in the figures as a bar) moves forward and activates a lever 435 attached to the sweep gate 400 that causes the sweep gate to pivot towards the stack of mail in the cartridge, to fully shove the end of the mail stack into the cartridge.
  • the end-effector 425 of the robot with support members 427 and upstanding fingers 420 is moved under the cartridge 25.
  • the end-effector 425 and upstanding fingers 420 are raised sufficiently to insert the upstanding fingers into the cartridge through the bottom notches 160 provided in the bottom 82 of the cartridge, and up through notches 415 in the lower guide bar 410 of sweep gate 400.
  • the upstanding fingers 420 serve the purpose of retaining the end of the mail stack 75 during cartridge extraction while the cartridge door 90 closes, as well as assisting in securely holding the cartridge for the removal operation.
  • the cartridge may then be pulled out of the compartment via the end-effector 425, as illustrated in FIGURE 12D.
  • the end-actuator 430 is also retracted at this time, and the sweep gate 400 returns to a starting, open position, preferably by a return spring on the sweep gate.
  • the cartridge door 90 automatically opens and closes, by means of the cam follower 165 on the bottom of the door, the stack support paddle 180 is released and engaged, respectively, in the substantially the same way as described above with respect to insertion and removal of the cartridge 25 into and from the docking station 55 of the autofeeder 50.
  • FIGURES 13A-13D The steps of insertion of an empty cartridge 25 into the output compartment 20 are schematic illustrated in FIGURES 13A-13D.
  • FIGURE 13A depicts an empty cartridge being moved into the output compartment 20 by means of support members 427, with the upstanding fingers 420 up, latch 120 engaged, and rear stack support paddle 180 locked in position by means of the round shaft 200.
  • FIGURES 138 and 13C show the cartridge 20 moving toward the receiving dock of the output compartment 20.
  • FIGURE 13D depicts the cartridge 20 just after docking, with the latch 120 disengaged, the rear stack support, paddle 180 unlocked, and cartridge door 90 open. The cartridge is now ready to receive mail, guided by open sweep gate 400.
  • FIGURES 13E-13I the process of removal of a cartridge filled with flat articles from output compartment 20 is illustrated.
  • the cartridge is shown with the cartridge door 90 open, the sweep gate 400 open, the end-effector 425 has entered the compartment underneath the cartridge, but the upstanding fingers 420 have not been raised.
  • FIGURE 13F depicts the step in the process after the sweep gate 400 has been rotated to push the stack of mail into the cartridge 25 after the upstanding fingers 420 have been raised.
  • FIGURE 13G shows the cartridge 25 just as it has moved away from the dock of the output compartment 20 enough to lock the rear stack support paddle 180 by movement of the round shaft 200.
  • FIGURE 13H depicts the cartridge 25 after having been moved away from the dock of the output compartment 20 far enough to close the cartridge door 90, and to engage the latch 120.
  • FIGURE 13I depicts the cartridge after being entirely removed from output compartment 20.
  • the cartridge transfer and handling robot 30, which preferably is employed to move the cartridge 25 between the docking station 55, the output compartment 20, and/or a compartment 45 of the buffer shelf 40 will now be described, with reference primarily to FIGURES 6-8.
  • the cartridge transfer and handling robot 30 includes a carriage assembly 31 mounted to move on a vertical support column 32 that in tum is mounted for linear movement on an upper rail 33 and a lower rail 34 extending the length of the array 19 of the sorter 15.
  • the carriage assembly further includes the cartridge support platform 35 also mounted to the support column 32 for up-down movement.
  • the support column 32 is driven back and forth along the rails 33, 34 by cables 36a and 36b mounted to pulleys 37a and 37b, driven by X-Y drive servo motors 38a and 38b under computer control.
  • the cartridge support platform 35 is pivotally mounted to the end of a cantilever support beam 41, attached to the support column 32 by a rack-mounted collar 42, and positioned under computer control by a servo motor 43.
  • the up-down motion of the cartridge support platform 35 is effected by the of servo motor 38b driving cable 36b, and hence driving a pinion (not shown) against a rack (not show) on the column 32.
  • the cartridge support platform 35 of the cartridge transfer and handling robot 30 includes the end-effector 425 including the pair of extensible support members 427, which are normally roughly parallel with a horizontal plane. These support members 427 arms are extended by operation of a servo motor 44 on the cartridge support platform 35, through a chain drive 46.
  • Each of the extensible support members 427 includes an L-shaped upstanding fingers 420 pivotally mounted at the end thereof.
  • the upstanding fingers 420 are pivoted up and down by means of a worm gear drive, chain drive or other convenient means (not shown), driven by a servo motor (not shown) under computer control.
  • the cartridge support platform 35 also includes the separate end-actuator 430 driven by a servo motor, for operatively pivoting the sweep gate 400.
  • FIGURE 11A shows the cartridge transfer and handling robot 30 in the "home" position, without a cartridge.
  • the robot 30 has extracted a full cartridge 25 from a compartment 45 of the buffer shelf 40 (for clarity, the stack of flat articles or mail is not shown).
  • the X-Y servo motors are actuated to rotate the robot 30 toward the docking station 55 of feeder assembly 50, for resorting.
  • the robot 30 extracts filled cartridges from the buffer shelf 40, for transfer to the feeder assembly 50, or empty cartridges for transfer to an output compartment 20.
  • the servo motors are actuated to lower the platform 35 and push the cartridge 25 onto the docking station 55, by means of end effector 425 and support members 427.
  • the cartridge 35 has been inserted into the docking station 55.
  • the robot 30 removes the empty cartridge, as illustrated in FIGURE 11F. If not presently needed, the empty cartridge can now be temporarily stored in a compartment 45 of buffer shelf 40, as depicted in FIGURE 11G.
  • FIGURE 11H the robot 30 has been repositioned to remove a filled cartridge 25 from an output compartment 20 of array 19.
  • FIGURE 11I shows the robot 30 removing a full cartridge 25 (the stack of flat articles or mail is not shown).
  • FIGURE 11J depicts the robot 30 after having been turned and beginning the operation to place the cartridge 25 into a compartment 45 of buffer shelf 40.
  • FIGURE 11 K illustrates the robot 30 in the middle of removing a cartridge 25 from a buffer shelf 40.
  • FIGURE 11 L depicts the robot 30 in the process of putting a cartridge into a compartment 20 of array 19.
  • the preferred method of operation is to move filled cartridges from the buffer shelf 40 to the feeder system 55; empty cartridges from the feeder to the buffer; empty cartridges from the buffer 40 to the output compartments 20; filled cartridges from the output compartments 20 to the buffer 40; and so on.
  • the buffer 40 preferably serves as an intermediate "stopover" point between the feeder and the output compartments, and from the output compartments to the feeder. If the supervisory computer determines, however, that a particular cartridge transfer will be more efficient if made directly, without the intermediate step of the buffer, the robot will transfer filled or empty cartridges directly between the feeder and the output compartment, and vice versa.
  • the upstanding fingers 420 are lowered (or raised), and the extensible support members 427 extended (or retracted) as necessary, to position the upstanding fingers 420 directly underneath mating notches 160 in the front end of the cartridge 25, and to move the fingers 420 up into the notches 160 in the cartridge 25, at the appropriate times, as previously described.
  • the hold bars 145 in the docking station 55 may be dispensed with in as much as the fingers also prevent the stack from falling with the cartridge door 90 open, in the same manner that the fingers 420 function in removing a filled cartridge from the output compartment 20.
  • the hold bars 145 are used to support the mail during opening of the cartridge door 90, since this allows the robot to leave the docking station 55 immediately after discharging the cartridge 25, before it is docked and unloaded, if desired.
  • some embodiments of the output array 19 of output compartments 20 may include a top row or tier that is slanted downwardly a few degrees.
  • the reason for the slant is to facilitate manual removal of mail and/or cartridges from the top tier when manual removal of the cartridges is desired or necessary in case of breakdowns of the cartridge handling robot 30.
  • Mail must continue to be processed regardless of a breakdown of the cartridge transfer and handling robot 30, and many such slanted tier arrays are already in operation.
  • the cartridge support assembly is mounted to the collar having a mount rotatable to about a horizontal axis. The rotation is effected by means of a servo motor, under computer control, permitting the end-effector 425 to reach the slanted top shelf.
  • a dual platform robot 30' riding on a bottom rail 34', is provided, configured with dual cartridge support platforms 35'.
  • the robot 30' is configured to insert and/or remove two cartridges per "trip", thus maximizing the efficiency of use of the robot 30'.
  • a computer is suitably programmed so that, when the cartridge 25 in a designated output compartment has been filled or nearly filled, as indicated by the sensed position of the rear stack support paddle 180, or during the process of removal of a cartridge, prior to insertion of an empty cartridge, the computer automatically instructs the sorter 15 or a supervisory computer to redesignate another output compartment 20, on the fly, to enable the sorter to continue to sort to the redesignated output location until an empty cartridge is fully reinserted into the output compartment.
  • the supervisory computer is also preferably programmed to determine high-occurrence output compartments, either based upon manual input of a probability mapping for the sort locations, or based upon "learning" the probability of the various sort locations based upon recording of information from prior sorts.
  • the high-occurrence destinations are grouped together in the array 19, and in buffer shelf 40, to maximize efficiency of cartridge insertion, removal, and transfer between the buffer shelf 40, the array 19, and the docking station 55 of feeding assembly 50.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Pile Receivers (AREA)
  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
  • Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)

Claims (14)

  1. Station de bordure (65) pour aligner une pluralité d'articles plats se déplaçant dans une direction d'alimentation, comprenant :
    un châssis ;
    une paroi arrière (345) ;
    un arbre à lobes (360) pour positionner un bord latéral de chacun desdits articles plats en contact avec ladite paroi arrière ;
    une paire de pattes (355') pour supporter lesdits articles plats dans une orientation sensiblement verticale entre elles, chaque patte comprenant un rebord (370') s'étendant à partir de celle-ci pour former une plateforme de support d'article, les bords inférieurs des articles plats étant en contact de manière alternée avec le rebord des pattes adjacentes (355') de la paire pour régler les bords inférieurs afin qu'ils soient sensiblement au même niveau l'un par rapport à l'autre ;
    un entraínement (357, 358) monté sur ledit châssis et couplé à chaque patte pour déplacer lesdites pattes (355') dans la direction d'alimentation ;
    un guide de came ondulé (375') monté sur ledit châssis et s'étendant le long de la direction d'alimentation ; et
       chaque patte comprend en outre un rouleau suiveur de came (380') s'étendant à partir de chaque patte qui s'engage dans le guide de came ondulé (375') alors que lesdites pattes (355') se déplacent dans la direction d'alimentation pour transmettre un mouvement de balancement à chaque patte.
  2. Station de bordure (65) selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle chaque patte comprend en outre une patte montante (355') s'étendant sur le châssis et transversale à la direction d'alimentation, ledit rebord (370') s'étendant à partir de la patte montante pour former une configuration en forme de T généralement inversé.
  3. Station de bordure (65) selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle ledit guide de came ondulé (375') comprend en outre une surface d'engagement en contact avec le rouleau suiveur de came lorsque lesdites pattes (355') se déplacent dans la direction d'alimentation pour transmettre un mouvement de balancement à chaque patte dans la plage de 20 degrés de chaque côté d'une orientation verticale de chaque patte (355').
  4. Station de bordure (65) selon la revendication 3, comprenant en outre un second arbre à lobes (365) adjacent à un bord latéral de chaque article plat, ledit second arbre à lobes (365) tournant pour déplacer le bord inférieur de chaque article plat dans une direction descendante.
  5. Station de bordure (65) selon la revendication 4, comprenant en outre un entraínement de rouleaux (359, 361) couplé au premier arbre à lobes (360) et au second arbre à lobes (365) pour faire tourner le premier arbre à lobes dans une direction et le second arbre à lobes dans une direction opposée.
  6. Station de bordure (65) selon la revendication 5, dans laquelle ledit premier arbre à lobes (360) et ledit second arbre à lobes (365) comprennent chacun une surface non circulaire pour transmettre un mouvement de bousculade à l'article plat lorsqu'il est en contact avec la surface.
  7. Station de bordure (65) selon la revendication 6, dans laquelle ledit guide de came ondulée (375) comprend en outre une surface d'engagement en contact avec le rouleau suiveur de came (380) lorsque lesdites pattes (355') se déplacent dans la direction d'alimentation pour transmettre un mouvement de balancement à chaque patte (355') de chaque côté d'une orientation verticale de chaque patte.
  8. Station de bordure (65) selon la revendication 6, dans laquelle le second arbre à lobes (365) est monté dans la paroi arrière (345) de la station de bordure.
  9. Station de bordure (65) selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle les pattes (355') sont transportées dans la direction d'alimentation par une chaíne continue (357) rotative entre une paire de roues dentées (358).
  10. Procédé d'alignement dans une station de bordure (65) ayant une paroi arrière (345) une pluralité d'articles plats orientés sensiblement verticalement, se déplaçant dans une direction d'alimentation, comprenant les étapes consistant à :
    positionner lesdits articles plats entre une paire de pattes (355') ;
    déplacer la paire de pattes (355') dans la direction d'alimentation ;
    faire tourner un arbre à lobes (360) monté sous lesdits articles plats pour positionner un bord latéral de chaque article plat en contact avec la paroi arrière (345) de la station de bordure (65) ; et
    faire balancer ladite paire de pattes (355') longitudinalement selon un mouvement de va et vient le long d'un axe vertical de la station de bordure (65) pour ajuster un bord inférieur des articles plats pour être sensiblement de niveau les uns par rapport aux autres.
  11. Procédé selon la revendication 10 comprenant en outre l'étape consistant à faire tourner un second arbre à lobes (365) adjacent au bord latéral des articles plats pour positionner vers le bas son bord inférieur.
  12. Procédé selon la revendication 10 dans lequel l'étape consistant à faire balancer ladite paire de pattes (355') comprend en outre l'étape consistant à mettre en contact un rouleau suiveur de came (380) monté sur chaque patte avec un guide de came ondulé (375).
  13. Procédé selon la revendication 10, dans lequel l'étape consistant à faire tourner un premier arbre à lobes (360) comprend en outre l'étape consistant à faire rebondir les bords inférieurs des articles plats pour positionner en outre le bord latéral des articles plats.
  14. Procédé selon la revendication 11, dans lequel ledit premier arbre à lobes (360) et le second arbre à lobes (365) tournent dans des directions opposées.
EP97918507A 1996-03-29 1997-03-28 Appareil et methode pour egaliser et border le courrier et d'autres objets plats Expired - Lifetime EP0906236B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US62625096A 1996-03-29 1996-03-29
US626250 1996-03-29
US4143297P 1997-01-30 1997-01-30
US41432P 1997-01-30
PCT/US1997/005535 WO1997036815A1 (fr) 1996-03-29 1997-03-28 Appareil et methode pour egaliser et border le courrier et d'autres objets plats

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0906236A1 EP0906236A1 (fr) 1999-04-07
EP0906236A4 EP0906236A4 (fr) 1999-09-08
EP0906236B1 true EP0906236B1 (fr) 2005-03-02

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EP (1) EP0906236B1 (fr)
AU (1) AU2659697A (fr)
CA (1) CA2250390A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69732629T2 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2008000759A1 (fr) * 2006-06-28 2008-01-03 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Dispositif pour échanger des envois empilés entre un récipient et une surface de dépôt
WO2024138325A1 (fr) * 2022-12-26 2024-07-04 Abb Schweiz Ag Système et procédé d'alimentation en cartons

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102021117320A1 (de) 2021-07-05 2023-01-05 Böwe Systec Gmbh Vorrichtung und Verfahren zur Eingabe von flachen Gegenständen in einen Transportbehälter

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2382387A1 (fr) * 1977-03-01 1978-09-29 Hotchkiss Brandt Sogeme Procede et installation pour la mise en ordre d'ensembles d'objets en piles ou en rangees
FR2576530B1 (fr) * 1985-01-30 1987-08-07 Hotchkiss Brandt Sogeme Separateur d'objets plats large spectre

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2008000759A1 (fr) * 2006-06-28 2008-01-03 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Dispositif pour échanger des envois empilés entre un récipient et une surface de dépôt
WO2024138325A1 (fr) * 2022-12-26 2024-07-04 Abb Schweiz Ag Système et procédé d'alimentation en cartons

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU2659697A (en) 1997-10-22
EP0906236A1 (fr) 1999-04-07
EP0906236A4 (fr) 1999-09-08
DE69732629T2 (de) 2006-04-13
CA2250390A1 (fr) 1997-10-09
DE69732629D1 (de) 2005-04-07

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