EP1533260B1 - Improved aligning device for mailing machine - 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 jigging mail items intended to equip a mail item supply module of a mail processing machine.

Prior art

A mail piece jogging device which acts directly on the lateral (and possibly rear) positioning of the mail items is indispensable in a mail processing machine, since without jogging, the mail items would not show up in a suitable position. the printing station and the resulting postal impression could be refused by the postal administration. This device must also be retractable to allow the passage of large mail items.

He is known by the patent US 5,628,504 a lateral jogging device which can be moved transversely between two guide positions corresponding to two specified widths of envelopes. This device does not allow the passage of mail items larger than the larger of these two widths unlike the device described in the patent US 5,927,708 which has a telescopic member that can rotate to let these items like those of great thickness. This pivoting, however, has the disadvantage of requiring locking means in the high position of the relatively complex telescopic member and this high position in the transport path limits the thickness of the stack of large mail items can be teased . In addition, it appears that the compression of the pile of mail items is not carried out accurately with such a telescopic system which also has an aesthetic effect unpleasant.

Object and definition of the invention

The present invention therefore aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks with an improved jogging device for exerting optimal stress on the stack of mail items. An object of the invention is also to provide a device that allows the processing of a stack of large mail items (typically> 200 mm) whose height exceeds a mean value of 150 mm. 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 a jigging device for mail processing machine comprising a receiving tray for receiving in a stack of articles the mail items to be printed, a jogging device for jogging this stack of articles against a wall of referencing, a selection means for extracting one by one from this stack of articles the mail items to be printed and printing means for printing a postal fingerprint on the selected mail article, said jogging device having a sliding slideway sliding on a fixed slide whose one end is fixed close to said reference wall above a transport path of the mail items and a jogging flap, characterized in that it further comprises a strip externally slidably mounted on said movable slide and at the end end of which is mounted said jogging flap, a brake friction pad fixed on said fixed slide and mounted between said fixed slide and said movable slide, and an elastic element whose one end is connected to said movable slide and the other end to said external strip to ensure an automatic retreat and a determined value said outer strip with respect to said movable slide once the jogging flap brought into contact with said stack of mail items.

Thus, by this simple sliding strip structure on the outer slide, optimal stitching of the stack of mail items is obtained which is thus compressed without excess.

Said setback value is given by the compressed length of a compression spring forming said elastic element. Advantageously, said friction pad is sized to apply a greater frictional force to the force obtained by the compression of said compression spring.

Preferably, said jogging flap is articulated to the terminal end of said outer strip both around a vertical axis and a horizontal axis. It may further include an elastic member for pulling the flap down against said receiving tray as it rotates about said vertical axis. This elastic element is formed by a tension spring fixed between a first stud secured to the jogging flap and a second stud integral with a support piece whose one end is mounted on said horizontal axis and the other end can slide in a groove of jogging flap. It may also comprise a piece bearing a heel forming a secondary jogging element and articulated on an axis fixed on the support piece and provided with an oblong groove which cooperates with a pin of said jogging flap.

Advantageously, said jogging flap further comprises a shaft which during the rotation of the flap causes the embedding of a locking piece in an orifice of said outer strip to lock the flap in the jogging position.

The present invention also relates to any mail processing machine incorporating the aforementioned jogging device.

Brief description of the drawings

• La figure 1 montre en perspective une machine de traitement de courrier intégrant un dispositif de taquage selon l'invention,
• Les figures 2 et 3 illustrent en élévation et en coupe le dispositif de taquage de la figure 1,
• Les figures 4 et 5 sont des vues externes du dispositif de taquage de la figure 2 dans ses deux positions de fonctionnement,
• La figure 6 est une vue de détail du volet de taquage du dispositif des figures précédentes, et
• La figure 7 est une vue agrandie de la figure 6 illustrant le moyens de blocage du volet en position de taquage.

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 a jogging device according to the invention,
• The figures 2 and 3 illustrate in elevation and in section the jogging device of the figure 1 ,
• The figures 4 and 5 are external views of the jogging device of the figure 2 in its two operating positions,
• The figure 6 is a detail view of the jogging flap of the device of the preceding figures, and
• The figure 7 is an enlarged view of the figure 6 illustrating the locking means of the flap in jogging position.

Detailed description of embodiments

A mail processing machine incorporating a jogging device according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. figure 1 . It conventionally comprises from upstream to downstream (with respect to the direction of movement of the mailpieces through the machine): a mail item supply station 10 provided with a receiving tray 12 on which are placed in a compact pile, homogeneous or not (depending on whether these articles are of the same size or not), the articles of mail to be printed; drive rollers 14 for conveying mail items through the machine along a transport path of the mail items; a lateral jogging device 16 of these mailpieces against a reference wall 18 whose upper part is inclined rearwardly; 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. Depending on its degree of sophistication, this machine can also include means for gluing and closing mail items and possibly internal means of weighing mail items.

According to the invention, and as illustrated in more detail by figures 2 and 3 , the jogging device comprises a movable slide 32 which slides externally on a fixed slide ball 34. The movable slide is mounted in an outer protective strip 36 which can itself slide on this movable slide a very short predetermined distance and to the end end of which is articulated a jogging flap 30.

To prevent crushing of the envelopes on the referencing wall (or fold-guide 18), there is provided an automatic retraction mechanism of the jogging device formed of a brake friction shoe 38 and a spring of compression 40 whose one end is connected to the movable slide 32 and the other end to the outer strip 36. The friction pad 38 is fixed on the fixed slide 34 between the movable slide and the latter and is dimensioned to apply a force of friction greater than the force obtained by the compression of the spring, so as to ensure automatic maintenance in the jogging position chosen by the operator according to the width of the stack of envelopes. The spring 40 is compressed by the operator when it pushes against the stack of envelopes the jogging flap mounted at the end of the strip and thus also moves the movable slide which is secured thereto along the fixed slide. When the flap 30 abuts against the battery and the operator then releases the flap, the spring relaxes to return to its initial free state with a set back a few millimeters, for example 4 mm, bringing the headband back a fixed distance corresponding to the compressed length (compression height) of the spring, the movable slide being maintained in position by the braking pad. In this way, no envelope is deformed while the stack remains properly pressed against the fold guide.

Furthermore, the passage of large format envelopes or thick must not be hindered or even prohibited by the jogging device.

Also, the jogging flap 30 can take two distinct positions: a rest position, or inactive, in which the flap must be able to fold at the top of the transport path of the envelopes to a height greater than the maximum thickness of an envelope, about 20 mm, and let the documents very large format (greater than the width of the receiving tray is about 200 mm) and an active position, in which the flap is folded down on the working path, the lower end of the flap 30A down from this maximum height to a height minimum sufficient to retain thin envelopes, typically about 2 mm.

For this purpose, the jogging flap 30 is hinged both around a vertical axis 42 which allows its pivoting by 90 ° from the inactive position in the extension of the strip 36 to the conventional active position parallel to the positioning wall. reference 18, but also on a horizontal axis 44 which allows this descent of the shutter during its rotation under the action of an elastic element 46. During this rotation about its vertical axis, it cooperates in its lower part 30A with a surface of cam 36A of the headband. The elastic element, a tension spring, which makes it possible to pull the shutter downwards is fixed between a first stud 48 integral with this shutter and a second stud 50 integral with a support piece 52, one end of which is mounted on the horizontal axis 44 and the other end can slide in a groove 30B of the flap. The opening of the shutter towards its active position, by pivoting about the vertical axis 42, will also cause its rotation about the horizontal axis 44 under the traction of the spring 46 until its lower end 30A comes to rest on the receiving tray 12.

During this descent, the shutter causes a shaft 54 which is integral with it to hold a locking piece 56 which will fit into a corresponding orifice 36B of the strip locking the flap in the jogging position (see FIG. figure 7 ). To return to the inactive position, the operator must first lift the flap by pivoting about the horizontal axis 44 before folding it on the blank of the strip by pivoting about its vertical axis 42.

The two positions of the jogging flap appear better on the figures 4 and 5 which are external views of the jogging device respectively in the active jogging position (flap 90 ° parallel to the fold guide 18) and in the inactive position of passage of large articles (flap in the extension of the strip). In these figures, the two "output" and "return" positions of a secondary jogging mechanism whose structure and operation are now described with respect to figure 6 .

Indeed, during the rotation of the flap about its horizontal axis 44, there is created a void space under the flap that could lead to biasing the mail items without the secondary jogging mechanism. This comprises a part 58 articulated on an axis 60 fixed on the support piece 52 and provided with an oblong groove 62 which cooperates with a pin 64 of the jogging flap 30. When the jog flap is lowered, the pin 64 this flap descends in the oblong groove 62 by driving the articulated piece 58 by pivoting, which has the effect of ejecting below the flap a heel 66 of this part forming the secondary jogging element proper, in order to fill in part of the aforementioned empty space and thus ensure perfect guidance of the envelopes on the selection means. Note the particular shape of the lower part of this heel and allows it, for small sizes of envelopes, to pass over the selection rollers.

Claims (10)

1. A jogging device for a mail processing machine having a receive deck (12) for receiving a stack of mail items for printing, a jogging device (16) for jogging said stack of items against a reference wall (18), selection means (20) for extracting mail items for printing one by one from the stack of items, and print means (22) for printing a postal imprint on the selected mail item, said jogging device comprising a jogging flap (30) and a moving slideway (32) sliding on a stationary slideway (34) having one end secured close to said reference wall above the transport path of mail items, characterized in that it further comprises an external strip (36) slidably mounted on said moving slideway and having the jogging flap mounted on its terminal end, a brake-forming friction shoe (38) secured to said stationary slideway and mounted between said stationary slideway and said moving slideway, and a resilient element (40) having one end connected to said moving slideway and its other end connected to said external strip in order to cause said external strip to back off automatically through a determined distance relative to said moving slideway once the jogging flap has been brought into contact with said stack of mail items.
2. A jogging device for a mail processing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that said resilient element is a compression spring.
3. A jogging device for a mail processing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the determined backing-off distance is given by the compressed length of the spring.
4. A jogging device for a mail processing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that said friction shoe is dimensioned to apply a friction force greater than the force obtained by compressing said compression spring.
5. A jogging device for a mail processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said jogging flap is hinged to the terminal end of said external strip both about a vertical axis (42) and about a horizontal axis (44).
6. A jogging device for a mail processing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that said jogging flap further comprises a resilient element (46) for pulling the flap downwards against said receive deck while it is pivoting about said vertical axis.
7. A jogging device for a mail processing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that said resilient element is formed by a traction spring mounted between a first stud (48) secured to the jogging flap and a second stud (50) secured to a support part (52) having one end mounted to pivot about said horizontal axis and having its other end mounted to slide in a groove (30B) in the jogging flap.
8. A jogging device for a mail processing machine according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises a part (58) that carries a heel (66) forming a secondary jogging element, that is hinged about an axis (60) carried by the support part (52), and that is provided with an oblong groove (62) that cooperates with a peg (64) on said jogging flap.
9. A jogging device for a mail processing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that said jogging flap further comprises a shaft (54) which, during pivoting of the flap, causes a locking part (56) to engage in an orifice (36B) of the external strip in order to lock the flap in the jogging position.
10. A mail processing machine including a jogging device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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