EP1220721B1 - Device and method for classifying flat mail items - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device and a method for Arrange flat items according to the preambles of the claims 1 and 6.

Certain tasks, in particular the delivery of letters, require stacking the present items in a certain order, which corresponds, for example, to the sequence of delivery points (the so-called route sequence of the deliverer). In this case, the address corresponding to a delivery point on the mail item represents the ordering criterion, while the sequence of delivery points represents the order to be produced.
A solution for sorting in a certain order has become known (EP 820 818 A1), which uses an intermediate storage device which consists of pockets or similar elements, each of which can take up a shipment and, on command, can be returned to the actual storage compartment. First, all the items to be sorted are placed in the pockets of the clipboard in any order. The mail items are then removed from the pockets of the intermediate store and transferred to the storage compartments in such a way that they are in the order to be produced in the latter. A separate storage is provided for each shipment. The sorting is carried out with two rounds of the pockets of the intermediate store, one round for filling the pockets, another for emptying the pockets.
However, this requires a large number of storage compartments, each of which must be equipped with a control mechanism that causes the consignment to be transferred from the correct pocket in the buffer.

In US-A-5042667 a sorting device with containers, a conveyor and shelves, and a method for Organizing shipments according to a definable sequence of delivery points, the recipient addresses are assigned. There are several items in each of the trays orderly stackable, the delivery from the containers in the Filing takes place in several rounds and the sequence of the consignments in each shelf corresponds to the sequence of the respective Delivery points assigned to shipment addresses.

Another, commonly used, multi-pass or radix sort mentioned method for organizing shipments is based on the multiple passes through the same sorting device, with a separate control program in each run is applied. This way you can do it with a few Stacking compartments based on the number of delivery points. Disadvantages of this method are the high expenditure of time, higher error rates and greater mechanical stress of the shipments due to the multiple pass through the sorting machine (DE 43 02 231 C2, DE 197 14 184 A1).

The invention set out in claims 1 and 6 is the Task based on a device and a method for ordering of flat shipments according to the generic terms with only one Separating and reading the consignments in one sorting run to create a reduction in operator effort and the inclusion of pre-sorted consignments enable with little sorting effort.

The formation of the shelves to accommodate several flat Shipments as a batch, sorting or ordering the shipments in several revolutions of the revolving in a closed loop Containers in which those in the containers Shipments controlled according to their address information a definable sequence of the recipient addresses assigned Delivery points are delivered to the shelves, whereby the order of the shipments in each shelf of the order of the the addresses of the items in the respective filing system assigned delivery points and the subdivision the shelves in two groups, one after the other ongoing sorting runs to sort the shipments differently Alternate address ranges only in one of the two Storage groups are sorted, enables a time shift Processing, i.e. while for one address range the consignments are transported from the compartments to the shelves are emptied, the still filled trays of the other address range. This ensures that only one Operator who does not empty the trays at the same time is necessary and enter shipments to separate.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are in the subclaims specified.

So it is advantageous to sort the mailings of both Groups overlapped in time to carry out programs of a group are loaded into empty containers while emptying those with shipments of the other previous ones Group filled shipments in the stores are still running. Thereby it is possible to increase the sorting throughput. To this Performing overlapped work effectively is another Design of the loading location of the container controlled in this way movable that the consignment to be loaded in each case without loading delay in one within the defined range of motion empty containers can be loaded.

According to another development, it is possible to pre-sort Include shipments in the regulatory process so that as few circulations of the containers are necessary and more shipments can be arranged than there are containers are. For this purpose, the pre-sorted shipments after the unsorted shipments were loaded into the container in which empty containers or those resulting from emptying into the shelves empty container loaded. The delivery points will be according to their order in the respective shelves Assigned to place numbers, and the pre-sorting is done that the delivery points with the lower place numbers assigned programs before the programs with the higher Place numbers can be separated.

In connection with the included pre-sorted consignments it is also advantageous to send the unsorted items of the current address range already in empty all-round containers to be loaded if there are still programs in the previous address range in containers, i.e. this emptying process has not yet been completed. This can increase performance when sorting can be further increased because vacancies containers are largely avoided during sorting.

The invention is then described in an exemplary embodiment explained in more detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG 1

eine schematische Darstellung des Beladens der umlaufenden Behälter ohne überlappte Arbeitsweise nach dem Stand der Technik;

FIG 2

eine schematische Darstellung des Entleerens der Behälter in Ablagen ohne überlappende Arbeitsweise nach dem Stand der Technik;

FIG 3

den zeitlichen Ablauf des ordnenden Sortierens ohne überlappende Arbeitsweise nach dem Stand der Technik;

FIG 4

den zeitlichen Ablauf des ordnenden Sortierens von Sendungen mehrerer Adressbereiche in zwei Ablagegruppen ohne überlappende Arbeitsweise;

FIG 5

den zeitlichen Ablauf des ordnenden Sortierens von Sendungen mehrerer Adressbereiche in zwei Ablagegruppen mit überlappender Arbeitsweise;

FIG 6

den zeitlichen Ablauf des ordnenden Sortierens mit vorsortierten Sendungen ohne überlappende Arbeitsweise nach dem Stand der Technik;

FIG 7

den zeitlichen Ablauf des ordnenden Sortierens mit vorsortierten Sendungen in zwei Ablagegruppen mit überlappender Arbeitsweise;

FIG 8

den Ablauf des Ordnungsprozesses mit vorsortierten Sendungen in mehreren Umläufen der Behälter.

Show

FIG. 1

is a schematic representation of the loading of the rotating container without overlapping operation according to the prior art;

FIG 2

is a schematic representation of the emptying of the containers in trays without overlapping work according to the prior art;

FIG 3

the chronological sequence of the sorting without overlapping work according to the prior art;

FIG 4

the chronological sequence of the sorting of mail items from several address areas into two filing groups without overlapping working methods;

FIG 5

the chronological sequence of the sorting of mail items from several address areas into two storage groups with overlapping working methods;

FIG 6

the chronological sequence of sorting with pre-sorted items without overlapping work according to the prior art;

FIG 7

the chronological sequence of sorting with pre-sorted mail items in two storage groups with overlapping working methods;

FIG 8

the sequence of the order process with pre-sorted consignments in several rounds of the containers.

1 and 2, the mailings are in a sorting device with a clipboard that is made in a closed Loop encircling containers 1.4, and sorted with a number of trays 2, the trays 2 provided for the orderly recording of more than one program 3 are, so that the number of trays 2 is significantly less than the number of containers can be kept 1.4. However, there are several circulations of the containers 1, 4 of the buffer store required to remove all shipments 3 from the containers 1 to be transferred to the trays 2.

1. Transportieren einer adressierten Sendung 3 an einer Leseeinrichtung vorbei in einen freien Behälter 4 des umlaufenden Zwischenspeichers.

2. Ermitteln der Adresse oder einer adäquaten Information auf der Sendung 3.

3. Wiederholen der Schritte 1 und 2 bis sich alle Sendungen 3 in jeweils einem Behälter 1 des Zwischenspeichers befinden.

4. Sobald sich eine Sendung 3 über derjenigen Ablage 2 befindet, in welche sie unter Berücksichtigung der gelesenen Adressinformationen aller in den Behältern 1 befindlichen Sendungen 3 vor allen anderen abgelegt werden muss, um die gewünschte Ordnung herzustellen, wird der Behälter 1 geöffnet und die Sendung 3 in dieser Ablage 2 abgelegt.

5. Wenn alle Behälter 1 leer sind, werden die sich in Form von Teilstapeln 5 in den Ablagen 2 befindlichen Sendungen 3 der Reihe nach aus diesen entnommen und ggf. zu einem oder mehreren Stapeln zusammengefügt.

6. Ggf. Wiederholung der Schritte 1 bis 5 für den nächsten Adressbereich.

The organization takes place in the following steps:

1. Transporting an addressed shipment 3 past a reading device into a free container 4 of the circulating buffer.

2.Determine the address or adequate information on the shipment 3.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until all mail items 3 are each in a container 1 of the buffer.

4. As soon as a shipment 3 is located above that shelf 2, into which it must be placed before all others, taking into account the read address information of all the shipments 3 located in the containers 1, in order to produce the desired order, the container 1 is opened and the shipment 3 filed in this tray 2.

5. When all the containers 1 are empty, the mail items 3 in the form of partial stacks 5 in the shelves 2 are removed from them in order and, if necessary, combined to form one or more stacks.

6. If necessary Repeat steps 1 to 5 for the next address range.

3 illustrates the chronological sequence of the method steps described for an individual address area.
Enter = steps 1 to 3
Stacking = Step 4
Drain = step 5

A-Str. 1 → A-Str. 3 → A-Str. 5 → A-Str. 7 → B-Weg 8 → B-Weg 7→ B-Weg 6 → B-Weg 5

→ B-Weg 3 → B-Weg 2 → A-Str. 2 → A-Str. 4 → A-Str. 6 → A-Str. 8 → C-Allee 1 → C-Allee 2 → C-Allee 3 → C-Allee 4 → C-Allee 5 → C-Allee 6 → C-Allee 7

The assignment between the mail items 3 to be classified, which all belong to a defined address area (corresponds to one or more delivery areas), and the filing 2 is determined in a first variant by the assignment of groups of addresses (delivery points) to the filing 2, so that a shelf 2 is uniquely assigned to each address. The groups of addresses assigned to the individual filings 2 each correspond to a coherent sub-area of the order to be produced.
As an example, the following order of the mail items 3 according to addresses for a single address area should be produced:

A-Str. 1 → A-Str. 3 → A-Str. 5 → A-Str. 7 → B-way 8 → B-way 7 → B-way 6 → B-way 5

→ B-Weg 3 → B-Weg 2 → A-Str. 2 → A-Str. 4 → A-Str. 6 → A-Str. 8 → C-Allee 1 → C-Allee 2 → C-Allee 3 → C-Allee 4 → C-Allee 5 → C-Allee 6 → C-Allee 7

Assignment of addresses to filing: Tray 1 Tray 2 Tray 3 A-Str. 1 B-way 6 A-Str. 8th A-Str. 3 B-way 5 C-Allee 1 A-Str. 5 B-way 3 C-Allee 2 A-Str. 7 B-way 2 C-Allee 3 B-way 8 A-Str. 2 C-Allee 4 B-way 7 A-Str. 4 C-Allee 5 A-Str. 6 C-Allee 6 C-Allee 7

The assignment of the addresses to the filings 2 is not made dependent on how much and / or what items 3 to be arranged are actually available for the individual addresses. Rather, this assignment is already established before the addresses of the mail items 3 to be classified are known.
The advantage of such a fixed assignment is that all mailpieces that are intended for a specific delivery section are always in a storage unit 2, and these mailpieces are to be kept separate from the mailpieces for other delivery sections (no consolidation of the mailpieces into an overall stack). ,
Alternatively, for the purpose of optimizing the filling of the trays 2, the assignment between the items 3 to be arranged and the trays 2 can only be determined after all the items are in the containers 1 of the intermediate store.
This determination is made either so that at the end there is an essentially equal number of mail items 3 in each of the trays 2, or that the mail item stacks 7 located at the end of each of the trays 2 are essentially of the same thickness.
The advantage of such a flexible assignment is that the risk of storage 2 overflowing is reduced, or that only as much storage 2 of the sorting device is occupied as is necessary for the given number of mail items 3 to be arranged without overflowing.
Because the stores 2 are divided into two groups of essentially the same size, each of which is assigned a separate address area for which mail items 3 are to be arranged, mail items 3 for a given address area can be stored in the stocks 2 of one group at the same time be, while there are programs 3 in the shelves 2 of the other group, which were previously stored in it and can now be removed.
The advantage is that the sorting device can be operated by one person in a step-by-step manner, since the emptying of the trays 2 does not have to take place simultaneously with the filling of the buffer store, but rather that the time during which the (automatic ) The consignments are transferred from the containers 1 of the buffer store to the bins 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates the corresponding chronological sequence of the method steps in the event that mail items for several address areas are to be arranged in succession. This method can be carried out more time-effectively if steps 1 to 3 (filling the buffer) are already carried out for the mail items in the current address area while mail items in the previous address area are still in the containers 1 and are being transported to the storage areas 2.
A prerequisite for the advantageous use of this variant is that the sorting device enables filling of the buffer store that is essentially progressive and continuous with the emptying of the buffer store even if there is an essentially variable number of (occupied) between two consecutive (empty) containers 2 ) Containers 2 are located, for example, 5 empty compartments follow an empty one, then another empty one, 8 empty compartments on it, then another empty one, 2 empty compartments on it, etc. This means that significantly more items can be ordered in the same time.

• Nur Sendungen, die für denselben vorab definierten Adressbereich (entspricht einem oder mehreren Zustellbereichen) bestimmt sind, werden zusammen bearbeitet.
• Die Adressen (Zustellpunkte) werden innerhalb jeder Gruppe von Adressen, die jeweils einer Ablage zugeordnet sind, entsprechend der herzustellenden Ordnung bei 1 beginnend fortlaufend nummeriert (fiktive Platznummer).
• Die Ordnung, in der die geordnete Menge der Sendungen vorliegen muss, besteht darin, dass den Adressen (Zustellpunkten) mit einer höheren Platznummer alle Adressen (Zustellpunkte) mit einer niedrigeren Platznummer vorangehen.

5 illustrates the corresponding chronological sequence of the method steps.
With a fixed filing address assignment, it is possible to advantageously combine such items that are already in an orderly state with those that are still to be arranged, so that more items can be brought into the order to be produced than the sorting device storage locations ( Container).
The following conditions are essential for the efficiency of this process:

• Only shipments that are intended for the same predefined address area (corresponds to one or more delivery areas) are processed together.
• The addresses (delivery points) are numbered consecutively within each group of addresses, each of which is assigned to a shelf, in accordance with the order to be produced, starting with 1 (fictitious location number).
• The order in which the ordered quantity of items must be present is that the addresses (delivery points) with a higher location number are preceded by all addresses (delivery points) with a lower location number.

A-Str. 1 → A-Str. 3 → A-Str. 5 → A-Str. 7 → B-Weg 8 → B-Weg 7→ B-Weg 6 →

B-Weg 5 → B-Weg 3 → B-Weg 2 → A-Str. 2 → A-Str. 4 → A-Str. 6 → A-Str. 8 →

C-Allee 1 → C-Allee 2 → C-Allee 3 → C-Allee 4 → C-Allee 5 → C-Allee 6 → C-Allee 7

According to the previous example, the order of the addresses to be produced for a single address range is:

A-Str. 1 → A-Str. 3 → A-Str. 5 → A-Str. 7 → B-way 8 → B-way 7 → B-way 6 →

B-way 5 → B-way 3 → B-way 2 → A-Str. 2 → A-Str. 4 → A-Str. 6 → A-Str. 8 →

C-Allee 1 → C-Allee 2 → C-Allee 3 → C-Allee 4 → C-Allee 5 → C-Allee 6 → C-Allee 7

Assignment of addresses to the filing and fictitious place number: Fictitious place number Stacking tray 1 Stacking tray 2 Stacking tray 3 1 A-Str. 1 B-way 6 A-Str. 8th 2 A-Str. 3 B-way 5 C-Allee 1 3 A-Str. 5 B-way 3 C-Allee 2 4 A-Str. 7 B-way 2 C-Allee 3 5 B-way 8 A-Str. 2 C-Allee 4 6 B-way 7 A-Str. 4 C-Allee 5 7 A-Str. 6 C-Allee 6 8th C-Allee 7

A-Str. 1 → A-Str. 8 → C-Allee 1 → A-Str. 3 → B-Weg 5 → A-Str. 5 → C-Allee 3 →

A-Str. 2 → C-Allee 5

Example of an order in which there must be an ordered number of items:

A-Str. 1 → A-Str. 8 → C-Allee 1 → A-Str. 3 → B-Weg 5 → A-Str. 5 → C-Allee 3 →

A-Str. 2 → C-Allee 5

1. Transportieren einer adressierten Sendung 3 aus der Menge der ungeordneten an einer Leseeinrichtung vorbei in einen freien Behälter 4 der Sortiereinrichtung

2. Ermitteln der Adresse oder einer adäquaten Information auf der Sendung 3

3. Wiederholen der Schritte 1 und 2 bis sich alle ungeordneten Sendungen 3 in jeweils einem Behälter 1 des Zwischenspeichers befinden.

4. Transportieren einer adressierten Sendung 3 aus der Menge der geordneten an der Leseeinrichtung vorbei in einen freien Behälter 4 der Sortiereinrichtung (beginnend mit der Sendung, die die niedrigste Platznummer hat).

5. Ermitteln der Adresse oder einer adäquaten Information auf der Sendung 3

6. Wiederholen der Schritte 4 und 5 bis alle geordneten Sendungen 3 die Sortiereinrichtung passiert haben.

7. (parallel zu 6.) Sobald sich eine erste Sendung 3 über derjenigen Ablage 2 befindet, in welcher sie unter Berücksichtigung der gelesenen Adressinformationen aller in den Behältern 1 befindlichen Sendungen 3 vor allen anderen abgelegt werden müsste, um die gewünschte Ordnung herzustellen, und für den Fall, dass diese Sendung 3 nicht zur Menge der geordneten gehört, sich wenigstens eine zweite Sendung in einem der Behälter 1 befindet, die sich dadurch auszeichnet, dass sie zur Menge der geordneten gehört und für diese Ablage 2 bestimmt ist, wird der Behälter 1 geöffnet, in dem sich die erste Sendung 3 befindet, und die Sendung 3 in dieser Ablage 2 abgelegt.

8. Wenn alle Behälter 1 leer sind, werden die sich in Form von Teilstapeln 5 in den Ablagen 2 befindlichen Sendungen 3 der Reihe nach aus diesen entnommen und ggf. zu einem oder mehreren Stapeln zusammengefügt.

9. Ggf. Wiederholung der Schritte 1 bis 8 für den nächsten Adressbereich .

The order then includes the following steps:

1. Transporting an addressed mail item 3 from the unordered group past a reading device into a free container 4 of the sorting device

2.Determine the address or adequate information on the shipment 3

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until all the disordered mail items 3 are each in a container 1 of the intermediate store.

4. Transporting an addressed shipment 3 from the set of ordered past the reading device into a free container 4 of the sorting device (starting with the shipment that has the lowest place number).

5.Determine the address or adequate information on the shipment 3

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all ordered items 3 have passed the sorting device.

7. (parallel to 6.) As soon as a first shipment 3 is located above that shelf 2, in which it would have to be stored in consideration of the read address information of all the shipments 3 located in the containers 1 in front of all others in order to produce the desired order, and in the event that this consignment 3 does not belong to the set of ordered items, there is at least one second consignment in one of the containers 1, which is distinguished by the fact that it belongs to the set of ordered items and is intended for this storage 2, the container becomes 1 opened, in which the first shipment 3 is located, and the shipment 3 stored in this tray 2.

8. When all the containers 1 are empty, the mail items 3 in the form of partial stacks 5 in the shelves 2 are removed from them in sequence and, if necessary, combined into one or more stacks.

9. If necessary Repeat steps 1 to 8 for the next address range.

Eingeben = Schritte 1 bis 3

Eingeben-vorsortiert = Schritt 4 bis 6

Abstapeln = Schritt 7

Entleeren = Schritt 8

6 shows the corresponding chronological sequence of these method steps with the following assignments:

Enter = steps 1 to 3

Enter-presorted = steps 4 to 6

Stacking = step 7

Drain = step 8

Here too it is possible to organize with inclusion pre-sorted shipments for the current address range to execute while there are still shipments of the previous address range are in the containers 1 and in the trays 2 are promoted. This also increases the throughput or the time available for the shipment. In

Eingeben = Schritte 1 bis 3

Eingeben-vorsortiert = Schritt 4 bis 6

Abstapeln = Schritt 7

Entleeren = Schritt 8

7 shows the corresponding chronological sequence. Mean:

Enter = steps 1 to 3

Enter-presorted = steps 4 to 6

Stacking = step 7

Drain = step 8

Reihenfolge der ungeordneten Sendungen (21 Stück) in den Behältern des Zwischenspeichers:

C2-A6-B3-A1-C5-B3-A2-B8-C7-B6-A5-C4-B7-A8-C1-B8-B5-C6-A3-C3-A7

Reihenfolge der geordneten Sendungen (9 Stück, Kleinbuchstaben zeigen an, dass die Sendungen zur Menge der geordneten gehören):

a1-a8-c1-a3-b5-a5-c3-a2-c5

Die folgenden geordneten Sendungen (3 Stück) werden im Anschluss an die ungeordneten Sendungen in Behälter des Zwischenspeichers gefüllt:

a1-a8-c1

Nun werden die Sendungen in die Ablagen befördert.

A concrete sorting run is as follows:

Order of the disordered consignments (21 pieces) in the bins of the intermediate storage:

C2-A6-B3-C5 A1-B3 A2-B8-C7 A5-B6-C4 A8-B7-C1-B8-B5-C6 A3-C3-A7

Order of the ordered items (9 pieces, lower case letters indicate that the items belong to the set of ordered items):

a1-a8-c1-a3 b5 a5-c3-a2-c5

The following ordered shipments (3 pieces) are filled into containers of the intermediate storage following the unordered shipments:

a1-a8-c1

Now the consignments are transported to the shelves.

6 consignments are deposited during the first round of the containers (FIG. 8a). The 6 containers that become empty are replenished with 6 ordered items during the same cycle.
5 consignments are then deposited during the second cycle of the pockets (FIG. 8b).
Since there are no longer any ordered items to fill the containers, the next rounds will only sort into the bins without refilling the containers (the empty containers are marked with **).
During the 3rd round, 8 consignments, the 4th round 6 deliveries, the 5th round 4 deliveries and the 6th round, the remaining shipments are transported to the shelves in order (FIG. 8c-8f).

Claims (9)

1. Arrangement for organizing flat items of mail, in accordance with a definable sequence of delivery points assigned to the recipient addresses, into a plurality of depositing receptacles (2) in which in each case a plurality of items of mail (3) can be destacked in organized fashion, having a reading arrangement for determining the direct or indirect address information located on the items of mail (3) separated by means of a separating arrangement, having a plurality of containers (1, 4) which circulate on at least one conveying arrangement and are intended for receiving, for transporting and for discharging in a controllable manner in each case one item of mail (3) into the depositing receptacles (2) in a number of circulating cycles, and having a control arrangement which, with knowledge of the address information of all the items of mail (3) located in the containers (1), controls the discharge of the items of mail (3) from the containers (1) to the depositing receptacles (2) such that the sequence of the items of mail (3) in a definable order of the depositing receptacles (2) corresponds to the sequence of the delivery points assigned to the addresses, the order of the items of mail (3) in each depositing receptacle (2) corresponding to the sequence of the delivery points assigned to the addresses of the items of mail (3) located in the respective depositing receptacle (2), characterized in that the depositing receptacles (2) are arranged along the conveying arrangements, and in that the depositing receptacles (2) are subdivided into two more or less equally sized groups and, in the case of organizing sorting runs proceeding one after the other, the items of mail (3) of different address areas are alternately sorted only into one of the two depositing-receptacle groups.
2. Arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the items of mail (3) of the current address area can be loaded into empty circulating containers (4) while items of mail (3) of the preceding address area are still located in containers (1).
3. Arrangement according to Claim 2, characterized in that the loading location of the containers (4) can be moved along the circulating containers (1, 4) in a controlled manner, within defined limits, such that the item of mail (3) which is to be loaded in each case can be loaded, without any loading delay, into an empty container (4) located in the defined movement range of the loading location.
4. Arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that, once the non-sorted items of mail (3) have been loaded into the empty containers (4), pre-sorted items of mail (3) for the same address area can be loaded into the still empty containers (4) or containers (4) which are just becoming empty as a result of the non-sorted items of mail (3) being discharged to the depositing receptacles (2), the delivery points being assigned place numbers in accordance with their defined order in the respective depositing receptacles (3), and the pre-sorting operation taking place such that the items of mail (3) which are assigned to the delivery points with the lower place numbers can be separated before the items of mail (3) with the higher assigned place numbers.
5. Arrangement according to Claim 4, characterized in that the non-sorted items of mail (3) of the current address area can be loaded into empty circulating containers (4) while items of mail (3) of the preceding address area are still located in containers (1).
6. Process for organizing flat items of mail in accordance with a definable sequence of delivery points assigned to the recipient addresses, into a plurality of depositing receptacles (2) in which in each case a plurality of items of mail (3) can be destacked in organized fashion, in the case of which the direct or indirect address information located on the separated items of mail (3) is read, in each case one item of mail (3) is received into one of a plurality of containers (1, 4) circulating on at least one conveying arrangement, is transported therein and is discharged in a controlled manner into the depositing receptacles (2) in a number of circulating cycles,
   it being the case that, with knowledge of the address information of all the items of mail (3) located in the containers (1), said items of mail are discharged from the containers (1) to the depositing receptacles (2) such that the sequence of the items of mail (3) in a definable order of the depositing receptacles (2) corresponds to the sequence of the delivery points assigned to the addresses,
   and that the order of the items of mail (3) in each depositing receptacle (2) corresponds to the sequence of the delivery points assigned to the addresses of the items of mail located in the respective depositing receptacle (2) characterized in that the depositing receptacles (2) are arranged along the conveying arrangement and the depositing receptacles (2) are subdivided into two more or less equally sized groups and, in the case of organizing sorting runs proceeding one after the other, the items of mail (3) of different address areas are alternately sorted only into one of the two depositing-receptacle groups.
7. Process according to Claim 6, characterized in that the items of mail (3) of the current address area are loaded into empty circulating containers (4) while items of mail (3) of the preceding address area are still located in containers (1).
8. Process according to Claim 6, characterized in that, once the non-sorted items of mail (3) have been loaded into the empty containers (4), pre-sorted items of mail (3) for the same address area are loaded into the still empty containers (4) or containers (4) which are just becoming empty as a result of the non-sorted items of mail (3) being discharged to the depositing receptacles (2), the delivery points being assigned place numbers in accordance with their defined order in the respective depositing receptacles (2), and the pre-sorting operation taking place such that the items of mail (3) which are assigned to the delivery points with the lower place numbers can be separated before the items of mail (3) with the higher assigned place numbers.
9. Process according to Claim 8, characterized in that the non-sorted items of mail (3) of the current address are
   a are loaded into empty circulating containers (4) while items of mail (3) of the preceding address area are still located in containers (1).

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