EP1620210B1 - Method and device for orienting flat items of mail towards a narrow edge - Google Patents

Method and device for orienting flat items of mail towards a narrow edge Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1620210B1
EP1620210B1 EP04723186A EP04723186A EP1620210B1 EP 1620210 B1 EP1620210 B1 EP 1620210B1 EP 04723186 A EP04723186 A EP 04723186A EP 04723186 A EP04723186 A EP 04723186A EP 1620210 B1 EP1620210 B1 EP 1620210B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
mail
item
conveying channel
lateral
transport
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
EP04723186A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP1620210A1 (en
Inventor
Michael Schwarzbauer
Rainer Vogel
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Siemens AG
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Siemens AG
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Publication date
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Publication of EP1620210A1 publication Critical patent/EP1620210A1/en
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C1/00—Measures preceding sorting according to destination
    • B07C1/02—Forming articles into a stream; Arranging articles in a stream, e.g. spacing, orientating
    • B07C1/06—Orientating; Aligning ; Aligning to one edge
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H29/00—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles
    • B65H29/12—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles by means of the nip between two, or between two sets of, moving tapes or bands or rollers
    • 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
    • B65H2301/30—Orientation, displacement, position of the handled material
    • B65H2301/32—Orientation of handled material
    • B65H2301/321—Standing on edge
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2404/00—Parts for transporting or guiding the handled material
    • B65H2404/20—Belts
    • B65H2404/26—Particular arrangement of belt, or belts
    • B65H2404/261—Arrangement of belts, or belt(s) / roller(s) facing each other for forming a transport nip
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2511/00—Dimensions; Position; Numbers; Identification; Occurrences
    • B65H2511/10—Size; Dimensions
    • B65H2511/13—Thickness
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2511/00—Dimensions; Position; Numbers; Identification; Occurrences
    • B65H2511/20—Location in space
    • B65H2511/22—Distance
    • B65H2511/224—Nip between rollers, between belts or between rollers and belts
    • 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 invention relates to a method and a device for aligning flat items on a narrow side according to the preambles of claims 1 and 3.
  • consignment stacks are automatically separated by subtracting the respective foremost upright consignment.
  • the individual shipments are then transported one after the other in an upright position to process devices, such as address readers and printers.
  • process devices such as address readers and printers.
  • the transmissions on the process devices must not be twisted or offset in height.
  • the items go through an alignment line after singulation.
  • the invention has for its object to provide a method and apparatus for aligning flat items on a narrow side with a U-shaped conveyor channel in which the broadcasts are transported standing on a narrow side without lateral clamping, with which both thick and thin packages with low rigidity can be aligned without collapsing the thin soft mailings.
  • the object is solved by the features of claims 1 and 3.
  • their thickness is measured before the shipments pass through the conveyor channel for aligning.
  • the distances of the lateral boundaries or limiting sections are changed by adjusting mechanisms for each shipment so that the shipment is aligned at the end of the conveyor channel by gravity on the lower narrow side and the distance of the lateral boundaries of the conveyor channel of each shipment during their transport through the Delivery channel is only so large that it does not collapse or even partially at low inherent stiffness.
  • the side boundaries flexible. From the known transport speed and a detected front and / or rear edge of the shipment length and the position of each shipment are determined during their transport through the conveyor channel as a function of time and with these data, the flexible side boundaries over the length of the conveyor channel at their intervals changed each other for each shipment so that the adapted to the respective transmission thicknesses and lengths side boundary sections like standing waves mitwandern with the broadcasts.
  • driven rollers are provided as side boundaries of the conveyor channel, between which mounted on the bearings of the rollers baffles are mounted, wherein the peripheral speed of these rollers corresponds to the transport speed of the underfloor belt. If the distances between the programs are so great that there is always only one transmission in the conveyor channel, then it is sufficient if the adjusting mechanism adjusts all the rollers jointly by the same amount, as a result of which the adjusting mechanism can be realized very economically.
  • a transported consignment 2 is shown by means of transfer rollers 11,12, of which at least one is driven and stored in a locally movable and is pressed by a spring element, not shown, in the direction of the other transfer roller with low voltage, fed to a conveyor channel 3 for aligning, the driven Underfloor belt is not shown for clarity.
  • the movably mounted transfer roller 12 is pushed outward by the mail item 2. This movement is evaluated by a thickness sensor 13 whose measured value is fed to a control unit 15.
  • the lateral boundaries of the conveyor channel consist of rollers 5,6 guided, with the same speed as the underfloor belt encircling lateral conveyor belts 4, wherein one of the rollers 5,6 is driven.
  • rollers 5 of the lateral conveyor belt 4 on the side of the locally fixed transfer roller 11 are also arranged locally.
  • the corresponding rollers 6 of the lateral conveyor belt 4 on the other side of the conveyor channel 3 after the locally movable transfer roller 12 are mounted on roller levers 7 movable and rotatable.
  • the roller lever 7 are pivotable about a fulcrum 8 and are held by means of compression springs 10 in a rest position with the intended narrowest channel width.
  • the pivoting movements are each solved by a servo motor with an attacking on the roller lever 7 eccentric 9.
  • a light barrier 14 which is also connected to the control unit 15.
  • each spatially movable roller 6 is moved according to the thickness of the transmission located in its range 1.2. As a result, a kind of movement of standing waves, which migrate with the transmissions 1, 2, arises at this side boundary. If the distances between the transmissions 1, 2 are so great that only one transmission 1 or 2 is always transported and aligned in the conveying channel 3, then it is not necessary to follow the transmissions 1, 2 in the conveying channel 3.

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for orienting flat items of mail towards a narrow edge in a U-shaped conveying channel (3) in which they are conveyed in an upright position and without being jammed. Before the items (1, 2) pass the conveying channel (3) for the purpose of alignment, their thickness is measured. The distances of the lateral limit stops or limiting sections are changed by means of adjusting mechanisms (7, 8, 9, 10) for every item of mail (1, 2) in such a manner that at the end of the conveying channel, the item is oriented towards its lower narrow edge by virtue of its own gravity and the distance of the lateral limit stops (4) of the conveying channel (3) from every item of mail (1, 2) during transport through the conveying channel (3) is only wide enough for the item not to collapse at all nor to collapse partially even if its intrinsic stiffness is poor.

Description

Die Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren und eine Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von flachen Sendungen auf eine Schmalseite nach den Oberbegriffen der Ansprüche 1 und 3.The invention relates to a method and a device for aligning flat items on a narrow side according to the preambles of claims 1 and 3.

Im Eingangsteil von Sendungssortiermaschinen werden Sendungsstapel automatisch vereinzelt, indem die jeweils vorderste aufrechtstehende Sendung abgezogen wird. Die einzelnen Sendungen werden dann nacheinander in aufrechter Stellung zu Prozessgeräten, wie Adresslesern und Druckern, transportiert. Dabei dürfen die Sendungen an den Prozessgeräten weder verdreht noch höhenversetzt sein. Da dies aber nach dem Vereinzeln häufig der Fall ist, durchlaufen die Sendungen nach dem Vereinzeln eine Ausrichtstrecke. (vgl. DE 1 116 602 A , DE 37 09 659 C2 , DE 195 28 829 C2 , FR 2 692 565 A1 ) Diese bestehen bei DE 1 116 602 A , DE 37 09 659 C2 , DE 195 28 829 C2 und FR 2 692 565 A1 aus einem offenen u-förmigen Förderkanal, in dem die Sendungen stehend ohne seitliche Pressung transportiert werden. Dabei werden die Sendungen während des Durchlaufens der Ausrichtstrecke durch ihre Schwerkraft auf die untere Schmalseite (Unterkante) ausgerichtet. Die Ausrichtstrecke ist dabei auf ein eingeschränktes Gutspektrum hinsichtlich der Dicke ausgelegt, d.h. entweder für Briefe und Karten oder Großbriefe, Zeitschriften usw. Soll aber ein großes Dickenspektrum verarbeitet werden, d.h. sowohl dünne Briefe als auch Magazine oder Zeitschriften, so muss der Abstand der seitlichen Begrenzungen des Transportkanals auf die maximale Sendungsdicke ausgelegt sein.
Dünne Sendungen mit geringer Eigensteifigkeit können dann aber beim Durchlaufen des wesentlich breiteren Förderkanals mindestens teilweise in sich zusammenfallen. Bei der Übergabe an die nachfolgende Transportstrecke zu den Prozessgeräten fehlt dann die Ausrichtung, Transportstörungen, Beschädigungen der Sendungen und Lesefehler können die Folge sein.In the front part of consignment sorting machines, consignment stacks are automatically separated by subtracting the respective foremost upright consignment. The individual shipments are then transported one after the other in an upright position to process devices, such as address readers and printers. The transmissions on the process devices must not be twisted or offset in height. However, since this is often the case after separation, the items go through an alignment line after singulation. (see. DE 1 116 602 A . DE 37 09 659 C2 . DE 195 28 829 C2 . FR 2 692 565 A1 ) These insist on DE 1 116 602 A . DE 37 09 659 C2 . DE 195 28 829 C2 and FR 2 692 565 A1 from an open U-shaped conveyor channel, in which the items are transported standing without lateral pressure. The consignments are aligned during the passage of the alignment by their gravity on the lower narrow side (lower edge). The Ausrichtstrecke is designed for a limited Gutspektrum in terms of thickness, ie either for letters and cards or large letters, magazines, etc. But if a large range of thickness are processed, ie both thin letters and magazines or journals, so must the distance of the lateral boundaries be designed for the maximum transmission thickness of the transport channel.
However, thin items with low inherent rigidity may at least partially collapse when passing through the much wider conveyor channel. When transferring to the following transport route to the process devices then the alignment, transport problems, damage to the shipments and read errors may be the result.

Der Erfindung liegt die Aufgabe zugrunde, ein Verfahren und eine Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von flachen Sendungen auf eine Schmalseite mit einem u-förmigen Förderkanal, in dem die Sendungen auf einer Schmalseite stehend ohne seitliche Klemmung transportiert werden, zu schaffen, mit denen sowohl dicke als auch dünne Sendungen mit geringer Steifigkeit ausgerichtet werden können, ohne dass die dünnen weichen Sendungen in sich zusammenfallen.The invention has for its object to provide a method and apparatus for aligning flat items on a narrow side with a U-shaped conveyor channel in which the broadcasts are transported standing on a narrow side without lateral clamping, with which both thick and thin packages with low rigidity can be aligned without collapsing the thin soft mailings.

Erfindungsgemäß wird die Aufgabe durch die Merkmale der Ansprüche 1 und 3 gelöst.
Dabei wird, bevor die Sendungen den Förderkanal zum Ausrichten durchlaufen, ihre Dicke gemessen. Danach werden die Abstände der seitlichen Begrenzungen oder von Begrenzungsabschnitten mittels Verstellmechanismen für jede Sendung so verändert, dass die Sendung am Ende des Förderkanals aufgrund ihrer Schwerkraft auf der unteren Schmalseite ausgerichtet ist und der Abstand der seitlichen Begrenzungen des Förderkanals von jeder Sendung während ihres Transportes durch den Förderkanal nur so groß ist, dass sie auch bei geringer Eigensteifigkeit nicht oder auch nicht teilweise in sich zusammenfällt.According to the invention the object is solved by the features of claims 1 and 3.
In this case, before the shipments pass through the conveyor channel for aligning, their thickness is measured. Thereafter, the distances of the lateral boundaries or limiting sections are changed by adjusting mechanisms for each shipment so that the shipment is aligned at the end of the conveyor channel by gravity on the lower narrow side and the distance of the lateral boundaries of the conveyor channel of each shipment during their transport through the Delivery channel is only so large that it does not collapse or even partially at low inherent stiffness.

Vorteilhafte Ausgestaltungen der Erfindung sind in den Unteransprüchen dargelegt.Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the subclaims.

Sollen gleichzeitig mehrere Sendungen den Förderkanal durchlaufen, so ist es vorteilhaft, die Seitenbegrenzungen flexibel auszuführen. Aus der bekannten Transportgeschwindigkeit und einer detektierten Vorder- und/oder Hinterkante werden die Sendungslänge und die Lage jeder Sendung während ihres Transportes durch den Förderkanal in Abhängigkeit von der Zeit ermittelt und mit diesen Daten die flexiblen Seitenbegrenzungen über die Länge des Förderkanals in ihren Abständen zueinander für jede Sendung so verändert, dass die an die jeweiligen Sendungsdicken und -längen angepassten Seitenbegrenzungsabschnitte wie stehende Wellen mit den Sendungen mitwandern.If several programs are to pass through the conveyor channel at the same time, then it is advantageous to make the side boundaries flexible. From the known transport speed and a detected front and / or rear edge of the shipment length and the position of each shipment are determined during their transport through the conveyor channel as a function of time and with these data, the flexible side boundaries over the length of the conveyor channel at their intervals changed each other for each shipment so that the adapted to the respective transmission thicknesses and lengths side boundary sections like standing waves mitwandern with the broadcasts.

Vorteilhaft ist es auch, als flexible und sendungsschonende Seitenbegrenzungen des Förderkanals über Rollen geführte, mit der gleichen Geschwindigkeit wie das Unterflurband umlaufende, seitliche Transportbänder vorzusehen.It is also advantageous, as flexible and consignment-friendly side boundaries of the conveyor channel guided by rollers, provided with the same speed as the underfloor belt, lateral conveyor belts.

In einer weiteren vorteilhaften Ausführungsvariante sind als Seitenbegrenzungen des Förderkanals angetriebene Rollen vorgesehen, zwischen denen an den Lagerungen der Rollen befestigte Leitbleche angebracht sind, wobei die Umfangsgeschwindigkeit dieser Rollen der Transportgeschwindigkeit des Unterflurbandes entspricht.
Sind die Abstände zwischen den Sendungen so groß, dass sich in dem Förderkanal immer nur eine Sendung befindet, so ist es ausreichend, wenn der Verstellmechanismus jeweils alle Rollen gemeinsam um den gleichen Betrag verstellt, wodurch der Verstellmechanismus sehr kostengünstig realisierbar ist.In a further advantageous embodiment, driven rollers are provided as side boundaries of the conveyor channel, between which mounted on the bearings of the rollers baffles are mounted, wherein the peripheral speed of these rollers corresponds to the transport speed of the underfloor belt.
If the distances between the programs are so great that there is always only one transmission in the conveyor channel, then it is sufficient if the adjusting mechanism adjusts all the rollers jointly by the same amount, as a result of which the adjusting mechanism can be realized very economically.

Anschließend wird die Erfindung in einem Ausführungsbeispiel anhand der Zeichnung näher erläutert.Subsequently, the invention will be explained in more detail in an embodiment with reference to the drawing.

Dabei zeigen

FIG 1
eine schematische Draufsicht auf eine gattungsgemäße Vorrichtung mit über Rollen geführten seitlichen Transportbändern, wobei die Rollen an einer Seite separat in ihrer Lage einstellbar sind,
FIG 2
eine schematische Draufsicht auf eine gattungsgemäße Vorrichtung mit über Rollen geführten seitlichen Transportbändern, wobei die Rollen an einer Seite gemeinsam und einheitlich in ihrer Lage einstellbar sind.
Show
FIG. 1
a schematic plan view of a generic device with guided over rollers lateral conveyor belts, the rollers are separately adjustable in position on one side,
FIG. 2
a schematic plan view of a generic device with guided over rollers lateral conveyor belts, the rollers are on one side together and uniform in their position adjustable.

Wie in FIG 1 dargestellt wird eine antransportierte Sendung 2 mittels Übergaberollen 11,12, von denen mindestens eine angetrieben ist und eine örtlich beweglich gelagert ist sowie mittels eines nicht dargestellten Federelementes in Richtung der anderen Übergaberolle mit geringer Spannung gedrückt wird, einem Förderkanal 3 zum Ausrichten zugeführt, dessen angetriebenes Unterflurband der Übersicht halber nicht dargestellt ist. Dabei wird die beweglich gelagerte Übergaberolle 12 durch die Sendung 2 nach außen gedrückt.. Diese Bewegung wird durch einen Dickensensor 13 ausgewertet, dessen Messwert einer Steuereinheit 15 zugeführt wird.
Die seitlichen Begrenzungen des Förderkanals bestehen aus über Rollen 5,6 geführten, mit der gleichen Geschwindigkeit wie das Unterflurband umlaufenden seitlichen Transportbändern 4, wobei jeweils eine der Rollen 5,6 angetrieben ist. Die Rollen 5 des seitlichen Transportbandes 4 auf der Seite der örtlich festen Übergaberolle 11 sind ebenfalls örtlich fest angeordnet. Die entsprechenden Rollen 6 des seitlichen Transportbandes 4 auf der anderen Seite des Förderkanals 3 nach der örtlich beweglichen Übergaberolle 12 sind auf Rollenhebeln 7 beweglich und drehbar gelagert. Die Rollenhebel 7 sind um einen Hebeldrehpunkt 8 schwenkbar und werden mittels Druckfedern 10 in einer Ruhestellung mit der vorgesehenen engsten Kanalweite gehalten. Die Schwenkbewegungen werden jeweils durch einen Stellmotor mit einem am Rollenhebel 7 angreifenden Exzenter 9 gelöst. Vor dem Förderkanal 3 befindet sich noch eine Lichtschranke 14, die ebenfalls an die Steuereinheit 15 angeschlossen ist. Mit der die Vorder- und Hinterkanten der Sendungen 1,2 detektierenden Lichtschranke 14 und der bekannten Transportgeschwindigkeit wird in der Steuereinheit 15 die Lage jeder Sendung 1,2 zu jedem Zeitpunkt, deren Länge und über den Dickensensor 13 deren Dicke ermittelt. Dementsprechend werden Stellsignale an die angeschlossenen Stellmotoren mit den Exzentern 9 übertragen. Damit werden die Exzenter verstellt und die Rollenhebel 7 so geschwenkt, dass sich die Rollen 6 mit dem Transportband 4 nach außen bewegen und jede Sendung 1,2 während ihres Transportes durch den Förderkanal 3 eine Kanalweite vorfindet, die etwas größer als ihre größte Dicke ist. Damit können die Sendungen 1,2 ohne Klemmung den Förderkanal 3 durchlaufen und sich auf ihre untere Schmalseite ausrichten, aber nicht in sich zusammenfallen. Weist die in relativ kurzem Abstand der auslaufenden Sendung 1 folgende Sendung 2 eine andere Dicke auf, so wird entsprechend die Rolle 6 am Förderkanaleingang entsprechend nach außen bewegt, kurz bevor die Sendungsvorderkante den Förderkanaleingang erreicht hat. Dies kann also erst geschehen, nachdem die Hinterkante der vorauslaufenden Sendung 1 den Eingangsbereich verlassen hat. So wird jede örtlich bewegliche Rolle 6 entsprechend der Dicke der in ihrem Bereich befindlichen Sendung 1,2 verfahren. Dadurch entsteht an dieser Seitenbegrenzung eine Art Bewegung stehender Wellen, die mit den Sendungen 1,2 mitwandern.
Sind die Abstände zwischen den Sendungen 1,2 so groß, dass in dem Förderkanal 3 stets nur eine Sendung 1 oder 2 transportiert und ausgerichtet wird, so ist es nicht notwendig, die Sendungen 1,2 im Förderkanal 3 zu verfolgen. Es genügt dann auch, die Rollen 6 gemeinsam und einheitlich zu verstellen. Entsprechend FIG 2 ist es dann ausreichend, wenn bei einer gemessenen Dickenänderung vor dem Eingang des Förderkanals 3 in der Steuereinheit 15 ein Stellsignal für nur einen Stellantrieb mit einem Exzenter 9 erzeugt wird, der daraufhin eine Schubstange 16 so verschiebt, dass die mit ihr beweglich verbundenen Rollenhebel 7 um einen gleichen Betrag gemeinsam geschwenkt werden. Durch diese Schwenkbewegung wird der Förderkanal 3 auf die gemessene Sendungsdicke zuzüglich eines festgelegten Wertes, der einen klemmfreien Transport bei Vermeidung eines in sich Zusammenfallens flexibler Sendungen 1,2 garantiert, eingestellt. Aufgrund der gemeinsamen Verstellung über die Schubstange 16 muss die Rückstellung in die Ruhelage nur an einem Rollenhebel 7 mittels angreifender Druckfeder 10 erfolgen.
Die Verstellung der seitlichen Transportbänder 4 kann selbstverständlich auch mit anderen, dem Fachmann geläufigen Antrieben erfolgen.As in FIG. 1 a transported consignment 2 is shown by means of transfer rollers 11,12, of which at least one is driven and stored in a locally movable and is pressed by a spring element, not shown, in the direction of the other transfer roller with low voltage, fed to a conveyor channel 3 for aligning, the driven Underfloor belt is not shown for clarity. The movably mounted transfer roller 12 is pushed outward by the mail item 2. This movement is evaluated by a thickness sensor 13 whose measured value is fed to a control unit 15.
The lateral boundaries of the conveyor channel consist of rollers 5,6 guided, with the same speed as the underfloor belt encircling lateral conveyor belts 4, wherein one of the rollers 5,6 is driven. The rollers 5 of the lateral conveyor belt 4 on the side of the locally fixed transfer roller 11 are also arranged locally. The corresponding rollers 6 of the lateral conveyor belt 4 on the other side of the conveyor channel 3 after the locally movable transfer roller 12 are mounted on roller levers 7 movable and rotatable. The roller lever 7 are pivotable about a fulcrum 8 and are held by means of compression springs 10 in a rest position with the intended narrowest channel width. The pivoting movements are each solved by a servo motor with an attacking on the roller lever 7 eccentric 9. Before the conveyor channel 3 is still a light barrier 14, which is also connected to the control unit 15. With the front and rear edges of the broadcasts 1,2 detecting light barrier 14 and the known transport speed, the position of each shipment is 1,2 determined at any time, their length and the thickness sensor 13 in the control unit 15. Accordingly, control signals are transmitted to the connected servo motors with the eccentrics 9. Thus, the eccentric are adjusted and the roller lever 7 is pivoted so that the rollers 6 move with the conveyor belt 4 to the outside and each shipment 1,2 during their transport through the conveyor channel 3 has a channel width that is slightly larger than its largest thickness. Thus, the programs can pass 1,2 without clamping the conveyor channel 3 and align themselves on their lower narrow side, but do not collapse. If the transmission 2 following a relatively short distance of the outgoing mail item 1 has a different thickness, then the roller 6 is correspondingly moved outwardly at the conveyor channel input, just before the mailing leading edge has reached the delivery channel input. So this can happen only after the trailing edge of the leading consignment 1 has left the entrance area. Thus, each spatially movable roller 6 is moved according to the thickness of the transmission located in its range 1.2. As a result, a kind of movement of standing waves, which migrate with the transmissions 1, 2, arises at this side boundary.
If the distances between the transmissions 1, 2 are so great that only one transmission 1 or 2 is always transported and aligned in the conveying channel 3, then it is not necessary to follow the transmissions 1, 2 in the conveying channel 3. It is then sufficient to adjust the roles 6 together and uniform. Corresponding FIG. 2 it is then sufficient if at a measured change in thickness before the entrance of the conveyor channel 3 in the control unit 15, a control signal for only one actuator with an eccentric 9 is generated, which then shifts a push rod 16 so that the movably connected to her roller lever 7 to to swivel the same amount together. As a result of this pivoting movement, the conveying channel 3 is set to the measured mailing thickness plus a defined value which guarantees a jam-free transport while avoiding a collapse of flexible mail items 1, 2. Due to the common adjustment on the push rod 16, the provision must be made in the rest position only on a roller lever 7 by means of attacking compression spring 10.
The adjustment of the lateral conveyor belts 4 can of course be done with other, familiar to those skilled drives.

Claims (7)

  1. Method for orienting flat items of mail (1, 2) towards a narrow edge using a U-shaped conveying channel (3) with a driven underframe belt, in which the flat items of mail (1, 2) are conveyed one after the other via a determined path, in an upright position towards a narrow edge without being jammed, characterised by the following steps;
    - measuring the thickness of the respective item of mail (1, 2) to be oriented, before this reaches the conveying channel (3),
    - changing the distance of the lateral limit stops (4) or limiting sections of the conveying channel (3) corresponding to the respectively measured item of mail thickness, such that at the end of the conveying channel (3) the respective item of mail (1, 2) is oriented towards the lower narrow edge by virtue of its own gravity and the distance of the lateral limit stops (4) of the conveying channel (3) from every item of mail (1, 2) during transport through the conveying channel (3) is only wide enough for the item not to collapse at all nor to collapse partially even it its intrinsic stiffness is poor.
  2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that, at least one of the lateral limit stops (4) is designed to be flexible, and that from the known transport speed and a detected front and/or back edge, the length of the item of mail and the position of each item of mail (1, 2) during its transport through the conveying channel (3) is determined as a function of the time and this data allows the lateral limit stops (4) across the length of the conveying channel (3) to be changed in terms of their distance from one another for each item of mail (1, 2), such that lateral limiting sections of the flexible lateral limit stops (4) adjusted to the respective thickness and length of the item of mail, like standing waves, move in conjunction with items of mail (1, 2).
  3. Device for orienting flat items of mail (1, 2) towards a narrow edge with a U-shaped conveying channel (3) with a propelled underframe belt, in which the flat items of mail (1, 2) are conveyed one after the other over a determined path, in an upright position on a narrow edge without jamming,
    characterised by
    - a measuring device (13) for determining the thickness of the respective item of mail (1, 2) to be oriented, before this has reached the conveying channel (3),
    - an adjusting mechanism (7, 8, 9, 10) engaging with at least one lateral limit stop (4) for changing the distance between the lateral limit stop (4) or between lateral limitation sections of the conveying channel (3) corresponding to the respectively measured thickness of the item of mail, such that at the end of the conveying channel (3) the item of mail (1, 2) is oriented towards the lower narrow edge by virtue of its own gravity and the distance of the lateral limit stops (4) of the conveying channel (3) from each item of mail (1, 2) during transport through the conveying channel (3) is only wide enough for the item not to collapse at all nor to collapse partially even it its intrinsic stiffness is poor.
  4. Device according to claim 3, characterised in that, lateral transport belts (4) circulating at the same speed as the underframe belt are provided as lateral limit stops (4) of the conveying channel (3) guided via rollers (5, 6).
  5. Device according to claim 3, characterised in that, driven rollers (5, 6) are provided as lateral limit stops (4) of the conveying channel, between which fixed guide plates are attached to the supports of the rollers (5, 6), the peripheral speed of these rollers (5, 6) corresponding to the transport speed of the underframe belt.
  6. Device according to claim 4, characterised in that, the adjusting mechanism (7, 8, 9, 10) at each roller support engages with at least one transport belt (4) and is controlled such that the lateral transport belts (4) are changed as a function of the length of the item of mail and the position of each item of mail (1, 2) during its transport through the conveying channel (3), which is determined with the aid of the known transport speed and a detected leading edge and/or trailing edge, via the length of the conveying channel (3) in their distance to one another for each item of mail, such that the transport belt sections adjusted to the respective thickness and length of the item of mail move in conjunction with the items of mail (1, 2) as standing waves.
  7. Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that, with distances of this type between the items of mail (1, 2) with which only one item of mail (1 or 2) is located in the conveying channel (3), the adjusting mechanism (7, 8, 9, 10) is designed such that all adjustable rollers (6) are only collectively adjustable by the same amount.
EP04723186A 2003-05-02 2004-03-25 Method and device for orienting flat items of mail towards a narrow edge Expired - Lifetime EP1620210B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE10319723A DE10319723B3 (en) 2003-05-02 2003-05-02 Aligning flat postal items on narrow side involves varying side boundary separation according to item thickness so item is aligned on lower narrow side at end of channel by gravity, does not collapse
PCT/EP2004/003147 WO2004096454A1 (en) 2003-05-02 2004-03-25 Method and device for orienting flat items of mail towards a narrow edge

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1620210A1 EP1620210A1 (en) 2006-02-01
EP1620210B1 true EP1620210B1 (en) 2008-05-14

Family

ID=32864495

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04723186A Expired - Lifetime EP1620210B1 (en) 2003-05-02 2004-03-25 Method and device for orienting flat items of mail towards a narrow edge

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US7344016B2 (en)
EP (1) EP1620210B1 (en)
JP (1) JP2006525109A (en)
CN (1) CN1784275A (en)
DE (2) DE10319723B3 (en)
WO (1) WO2004096454A1 (en)

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US8434609B2 (en) 2009-07-21 2013-05-07 Mueller Martini Holding Ag Method for aligning flat products on a side edge and conveying device for realizing the method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20060249438A1 (en) 2006-11-09
DE10319723B3 (en) 2004-09-16
DE502004007138D1 (en) 2008-06-26
WO2004096454A1 (en) 2004-11-11
US7344016B2 (en) 2008-03-18
JP2006525109A (en) 2006-11-09
CN1784275A (en) 2006-06-07
EP1620210A1 (en) 2006-02-01

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