EP1510480B1 - Alignment device for a mail handling system - Google Patents

Description

Field of the art

The present invention relates exclusively to the field of mail processing and more particularly relates to a device for avoiding the biasing of mail items when they are introduced into a mail processing machine.

Prior art

Conventionally, the anti-bias (or anti-roll) function is performed by the jogging device of the mail items which acts directly on the lateral positioning of the mail items. Such a device is described for example in the document US-A-6,523,822 . However, this function is effectively ensured only if the tapped mail items are of the same size. Indeed, in the case of mail of different sizes (bulk mail), this jogging is done on mail items having the largest dimensions. The result is then for items with smaller dimensions a possibility of biasing sizeable.

Object and definition of the invention

The present invention therefore aims to overcome this disadvantage with a device to avoid this biasing, particularly when feeding bulk mail items. An object of the invention is also to provide a device easily adaptable to different formats of mail items resulting from separate postal standards without particular changes in its structure. Another object of the invention is to propose a device whose integration into a traditional mail processing machine is easy to achieve without having to redefine the general architecture of this machine.

These objects are achieved with an anti-bias device for mail processing machine comprising a receiving tray for receiving in a stack of articles the mail items to be printed, a jogging means for knocking this pile of articles against a wall referencing, a means of selection for extract one by one from this stack of articles the mail items to be printed and a printing means for printing a postal imprint on the selected mail piece, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of retractable members positioned each at a determined distance from said referencing wall and having a first end extending through an opening in said receiving tray to form a removable lateral obstacle above said platen for the mail items.

Thus, by this simple structure, it is achieved in a way a dynamic jogging of each mail item that can be presented optimally on the selection means of the mail processing machine.

The determined distances each correspond to a width of envelope of different format. Preferably, said first end has a triangular shape. The number of openings in the receiving tray may be greater than the number of retractable members.

According to a preferred embodiment, the anti-bias device for mail processing machine according to the invention comprises retractable members consisting of at least two pivoting levers. The pivoting levers are articulated on a common shaft secured to a frame of the mail processing machine by means of a support bar and each of said pivoting levers comprises a second end connected to an elastic element integral with this bar. support.

Brief description of the drawings

• La figure 1 montre en perspective une machine de traitement de courrier intégrant un dispositif anti-biais selon l'invention,
• La figure 2 illustre en détail le dispositif anti-biais de la figure 1,
• La figure 3 est une vue en élévation d'un levier anti-biais du dispositif anti-biais des figures 1 et 2, et
• La figure 4 illustre en perspective une machine de traitement de courrier de l'art antérieur.

The invention will be better understood in view of the following detailed description accompanied by illustrative and nonlimiting examples with reference to the following figures in which:

• The figure 1 shows in perspective a mail processing machine incorporating an anti-bias device according to the invention,
• The figure 2 illustrates in detail the anti-bias device of the figure 1 ,
• The figure 3 is an elevation view of an anti-bias lever of the anti-bias device of figures 1 and 2 , and
• The figure 4 illustrates in perspective a mail processing machine of the prior art.

Detailed description of embodiments

A traditional mail processing machine is illustrated in the figure 4 . It conventionally comprises from upstream to downstream (with respect to the direction of movement of the mailpieces through the machine): a feed station 10 provided with a receiving plate 12 on which are placed in a homogeneous compact stack or no (depending on whether these articles are of the same size or not) mail items to be printed, drive rollers 14 and jogging means (advantageously lateral 16 and / or rear) of these mail items against a wall of bet in reference 18; a selection station 20 for extracting one by one from the bottom of the stack the mail items to be printed; and a printing station 22 for printing a postal imprint on the selected mail article.

When the mailpieces are of the same dimensions, more precisely of the same width, the lateral jogging means guarantee these mailpieces always correct positioning on the means of selection, that is to say with a position of the front of each article. mail perpendicular to the reference wall. On the other hand, it is easily understood that if a mail article 24 has a width less than that of the other articles tapped 26, then the position of its front may have an angle α relative to the perpendicular to this wall, so that the selection This is done crookedly and the resulting impression can be greatly degraded.

According to the invention, and as illustrated by figures 1 and 2 , it is planned to provide the feed station with means 30 to avoid skewing the mail items stored loose on the receiving plate 12 and tipped by the lateral jogging means 16. These means formed of retractable members comprise a plurality of anti-bias levers 32 (for example three in number as illustrated) articulated on a common shaft 34 mounted transversely to the direction advanced mail items and secured at both ends of the chassis of the mail processing machine, more precisely the receiving tray of the supply station, via a support bar 36.

As the figure 3 each pivoting lever, which is substantially generally gooseneck-shaped, comprises a first triangular end portion 32A intended to pass through an opening 12A made in the receiving tray in order to define a removable lateral obstacle on top of this receiving plate for mail items. At a second end portion, opposite the first relative to the hinge, is hung a first end of an elastic member 38 whose other end is secured to the support bar. This elastic element, a spring for example, is adjusted so as not to hinder the movement of mail items and thus to fade under the weight of a mail item whose width exceeds the wall distance referencing / lever while effectively preventing biasing of a mailpiece whose width corresponds to this distance from the reference wall to the lever by forming a removable lateral jogging element for this article. Indeed, each lever 32 is positioned relative to the reference wall 18 at a distance corresponding precisely to an envelope width of a specific format and different for each lever. For example, if one refers to the postal standards in force in the European territory, it is possible to place levers at the following three distances: 114 mm, 125 mm and 140 mm corresponding to the three standard formats known under the references C6, B6 and E6. Similar references also exist in the United States. Of course, these values are given for purely illustrative purposes and any other combination of standard formats is conceivable. It will also be noted that by practicing additional openings 12B in sufficient number, it is possible to have a universal device adaptable to both the European standard and the American standard, the configuration used being then defined by the number (then less than the number of openings) and the location of the levers available in the machine.

Thus, with the present invention, the mail items stored loose on the receiving tray 12, for example those referenced 40, 42, 44 to the figure 1 , can be extracted one by one while being correctly held against the referencing wall 18. In fact, if the mail items of larger size such as 40 (defining the width of the stack) are correctly tapped by the means of jogging 16, the article referenced 42 is also but by the third lever, the first and second levers then being erased. And for the article of mail 44, it is the first lever that is its means of individual jogging avoiding possible biasing.

Claims (8)

1. Anti-skew device for a mail processing machine comprising a reception plate (12) for receiving, in the form of a stack of items, the mail items to be printed, a jogging means (16) for jogging this stack of items against a reference wall (18), a selection means (20) for extracting the mail items to be printed from this stack of items one by one, and a printing means (22) for printing a postal stamp on the selected mail item, characterised in that it comprises a plurality of retractable members (32) which are each positioned at a defined distance from the said reference wall and a first end of which extends through an orifice (12A) made in the said reception plate, in order to form, above the said plate, a removable lateral obstacle for the mail items.
2. Anti-skew device for a mail processing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the said defined distances each correspond to a width of envelope of different format.
3. Anti-skew device for a mail processing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the said first end has a triangular shape (32A).
4. Anti-skew device for a mail processing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the number of orifices (12A, 12B) made in the reception plate is greater than the number of retractable members.
5. Anti-skew device for a mail processing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the retractable members consist of pivoting levers (32).
6. Anti-skew device for a mail processing machine according to claim 5, characterised in that it comprises at least two pivoting levers.
7. Anti-skew device for a mail processing machine according to claim 5, characterised in that the said pivoting levers are articulated on a common shaft (34) secured to a frame of the mail processing machine by means of a supporting bar (36).
8. Anti-skew device for a mail processing machine according to claim 7, characterised in that each of the said pivoting levers comprises a second end connected to an elastic element (38) of this supporting bar.

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