GB2246117A - Feeding sheets from piles - Google Patents

Abstract

An input feeder 11 includes two serially coupled horizontal conveyors 30, 31 for conveying vertically oriented envelopes 32, with conveyor 30 running at a slower speed than conveyor 31. A vertical conveyor 40 advantageously transports the envelopes from the horizontal conveyor 31 to weighing and franking apparatus. <IMAGE>

Description

OBJECT PROCESSING SYSTEM This invention relates, inter alia, to a plural object processing system and to a transporting system.

This invention relates particularly to mailing machines, and is especially directed to machines adapted to receive mailpieces on which indicia is to be printed, weigh such mailpieces, print the indicia thereon and then output the imprinted mailpieces. Mailing machines of this type also may include moistening and sealing arrangement, for moistening flaps of envelopes and sealing them, thereby to more fully automate the process of preparing mailpieces for mailing.

In the past, machines of the above type have generally processed mailing pieces in a single horizontal course, i.e. the input, output, and various processing stations are serially located at generally the same horizontal level in the mailing machine. This arrangement has been found to reduce the throughput at which mailing pieces can be processed, both as a result of input and output stacking arrangement that need be employed, as well as the requirement for slowing down the mailpieces at various processing stages, for example, during weighing. In addition, mailing machines of the above type have generally required large space, i.e., they have large "footprints".

According to the present invention, there is provided a plural object processing system having a processing station, an input station, a first transporting means for sequentially feeding objects from said input station said processing station, an output station, and a second transporting means for sequentially directing objects from said processing station to said output station; characterised in that said first and second transporting means are arranged to transport said objects respectively in first and second substantially opposite directions.

The processing station may comprise a weighing apparatus, and deflecting means may be provided for stopping the motion of objects in the first direction, and deflecting them to the weighing means. As a consequence, the speed of processing the objects may be increased due to the possibility of overlap thereof at the processing station.

In a further feature in accordance with the invention, a mailing system is provided having an input station, a weighing station, a first transporting means for transporting mailing pieces from the input station to a weighing station, a second transporting means for feeding mailing pieces from the weighing station to the printing station, and an output station for receiving mailing pieces marked with indicia. In accordance with the invention, the two transporting means are arranged to transport the mailing pieces respectively in first and second substantially opposite directions.

Reference to substantially opposite directions herein includes directions that may define generally a V-shape. The paths may be generally vertical, or generally horizontal.

The reversal of direction of the mailing pieces, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, enables overlap of the mailing pieces at a weighing station, to thereby minimize any delays that are caused by the equirements for weighing the mailing pieces. The effect of the increase in this speed may also be obtained by feeding of the mailing pieces as the same direction, although parallel to the input direction, although in this case the footprint of the mailing machine is increased. When the transporting pats in the mailing machine are generally V-shaped, as in the vertical direction, a further advantage is achieved in enabling an increase in the input feed of the mailing machine, by feeding the mailing pieces in horizontal stacks.

This embodiment of the invention further minimizes the footprint of tho machine.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, it will now be disclosed in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a simplified illustration of one example of a mailing machine in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a simplified illustration of a modification of the mailing machine; and Fig. 3 is a simplified illustration of a still further Fodification of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and more in particular to Fig. 1, therein is illustrated one embodiment of a mailing machine in accordance with the invention. The illustration depicts a housing 10 within which the elements of the mailing machine are enclosed. The machine generally incorporates an input station 11, preferably a high capacity feeder adapted to feed envelopes or the like of mixed thickness. A first transporting system 12 is provided for separately sequentially transporting mailpieces from the input station 11 to a weighing station 14. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the transporting station carries the mailpieces down:ardly to a deflector 13 which deflects the mailpiece laterally to the weighing station 14. The weighing station 14 serves to weigh the mailpieces "on the fly".A second transporting system 64 conveys the weighed mailpieces upwardly from the weighing station 14 to a postage metering station 15, at which indicia is applied to the mailpieces, in accordance with the weight determined at the weighing station 14. From the mailing station 15 the mailpieces are transported upwardly, for example by a further transporting station 16 to an output station 17, the mailing machine may incorporate a tape supply 18, and a still further transporting system 19 for feeding the tape from the supply 18 to the mailing station, to enable an alternative operation of the mailing machine in the marking of indicia on the tape, for later application to mailpieces such as envelopes, packages or the like.

Before continuing with a detailed discussion of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, it will be noted that the path for the mailpieces, from the input station to the output station, is folded into a vertical "v", the bottom of the V being defined generally at the weighing station. This configuration reduces the required floor space of the mailing machine, since lateral space is not necessary for most of the transporting functions between the processing stations. The arrangement further provides a high capacity input feed, and output stacking trays.In view of the use of the V configuration for the path of the mailing pieces, and the use of a weighing station at the lower portion of the V, the input of mailing pieces may be increased since there may be an overlap between mailpieces arriving at the weighing station and mailpices being ejected from the weighing station.

In addition to requiring less floor space than a conventional mailing machine, i.e., a smaller "footprint", the mailing machine in accordance with the invention also provides additional space for such functions as moistening and sealing, as well as giving space for a large postal tape supply for printing indicia on tape.

Referring to Fig. 1, the input station 11 may be comprised of first and second serially connected conveyors 30 and 31 for conveying mailpieces 32 in a generally or substantially horizontal direction. The mailpieces 32 are on the conveyor 30 approximately vertical or slightly inclined as illustrated, i.e. are stacked in a substantially horizontal stack. A drive 33, for example a motor drive, is provided for driving the conveyors 30 and 31, with the,conveyor 30 being driven at a lower speed than the conveyor 31. The conveyors 30 and 31 may be conventional conveyors such as conveyor belts.

In known horizontal feeding arrangement, a pushing member is generally provided for pushing the free end of the stack in order to urge the stack towards the transporting station. In arrangements of this kind, however, the adding of materials to the stack is rendered difficult, since it is necessary for an operator not only to add additional material to the stack, but also to manually retract the pushing member, the effecting of the two tasks simultaneously being difficult te accomplish with only two hands.

The provision of a horizontal input stack provides the advantage that the stack can be as long as desired without creating large forces between the envelopes at the bottom of the stack, as in the case of a bottom feeder. The stack of mailpieces is inclined against the right hand end of the input station (as defined by the transporting station 12), with the final conveyor 31 straightening the mailpieces to vertical alignment before they are fed downwardly into the rest of the system. Since the size of the stack is not limited, as in the case of the bottom feeder, a larger number of mailing pieces may be stacked, to more readily enable a high rate of feed of mailpieces. That is, the number of mailpieces fed per unit time may be increased without materially increasing the frequency of operator reloading.

In accordance with the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Fig. 1, the transporting system 12 for transporting the mailpieces to the weighing station 13 is arranged to transport the mailpieces directly downwardly from the input station 11, i.e., at the right hand end of the last conveyor 31. As an example of a transporting arrangement that may be employed, a vertical conveyor 40 is driven by drive 41 downwardly at the end of the input station, to pick up the right hand most mailpiece by friction. A vacuum arrangement 42 may be provided behind the left hand course of the conveyor 40, in order to assist in holding the end most mailing piece to the conveyor 40 as necessary for this purpose. In addition, projections 43 may be provided on the conveyor 40, serving as a friction retard to separate the mailpieces.The projections 43 thus enable the picking up of mailpieces of variable thickness, and enable separation of them from the remainder of the stack. The conveyor 40 feeds the mailpieces downwardly to the input of a pair of take away rollers 44, the take away rollers being controlled for example by the drive 41 to momentarily hold the mailpieces at a determined location so that they may be fed downwardly at the proper instant to maximize the throughput of the device while avoiding interference between the sequential mailpieces for example at the weighing station.

The transporting system 44 may further include a conventional moistener-sealer station 45, for moistening the flaps of envelopes and sealing them in Conventional matter, if desired. This is feasible in the system in accordance with the invention, without increasing the footprint of the machine, in view of the fact that the mailpieces are directed vertically at this portion of the system.

Since the mailpieces are fed vertically from the input station, the advantages of providing a high capacity input feed are ratained while not requiring the disadvantage of bending the mailpieces, as would be required if a horizontal transporting mechanism were to be provided at the output of the input feed station.

A pivotable stop member 51 is located below the moistener-sealer station 45 and has a generally horizontally extending arm 52 positioned to stop the downward movement of the mailpieces 32. The member 51 further has a generally upwardly extending arm 53, and the member 51 is controlled in pivotal movement by a deflection control device 54, which may include for example a motor, solenoid of the like. The arm 53 serves to deflect mailpieces received on the member 51, in the direction of the arrow 55, onto the weighing station 14. An additional deflecting arm 56 may also be pivotally controlled by the deflection control 54, to insure that after the mailpiece has been stopped by the arm 52, it will be positively deflected to the weighing station 14.

The weighing station 14 is comprised of a conventional scale 50 attached to the inclined tray 15 and further includes a generally vertically arranged conveyor 60 having projections 61 for engaging the lower sides of the envelope to direct them in a generally vertical path. The weighing station 14 has a drive 62 for controlling the conveyor. The weighing station 14 may have a further conveyor 64 controlled by the drive 62, to take up the mail as it is received at a roller 65, and then direct the mail into the postal meter station 15. The conveying action of 60 is initiated after the scale has had sufficient time to weigh the mailpiece.

The postal meter station 16 is a conventional rotary drum type, having a printing drum 68, and controlled by a postage meter control circuit 69. From the postage meter station 15, the imprinted mailpieces are directed upwardly to the conveyor 70 of the transporting station 16, controlled by the drive 71. The conveyor 70, as in the case of the other generally vertically directed conveyors, may have projections for engaging the bottom sides of the mailing pieces. In addition, the conveyor 70 is also preferably provided with spring fingers 71 resiliently urging the horizontal stack 72 of imprinting mailing pieces away from the conveyor, so that the newly received mailpiece may be stacked at the left hand side thereof.The output station 17 may have a conveyor 85 for moving the maIling pieces away from the conveyor 70, and controlled by a conveyor drive 86. Further output arrangements may be provided as illustrated in dashed lines at 80, for example for receiving and stacking rejected mailpieces or the like from the drive conveyor 70.

The tape spool 18, and the rollers for controlling the operation of the tape, may similarly be controlled by a separate drive, for the printing of indicia on the tape, in conventional manner.

The driving arrangement for the different elements as illustrated in Fig. 1 are illustrated as being separate, and may for example be separately microcomputer controlled driving devices, employing for example type 8051 micro processurs, intercoupled to insure synchronization of the operations thereof.

In a modification of the invention, as illustrated in Hig. 2, the feed of the mailpieces 100 may be horizontal instead of vertically as in the embodiment of Fig. 1. In this arrangement, the stack 101 is a vertical stack, and iattern feeds to the left via a conveyor 102 of conventional form. The conveyor 102 directs the mail horizontally to a moistener-sealer station 103 for moistening the flaps and sealing them in conventional manner. The mailpieces are directed from the moistener-sealer station 103, for example by drive rollers 104, to the weighing station 105. The weighing station has a wall 106 in the path of mail horizontally receivoc thereir, to stop the horizontal movement of the mail and drop it onto a weighing platform 107. The weigh5 platform 107 is coupled to a conventional scale 1. A deflector 109 may be provided to insure proper deflection of the mailpieces to the platform 1.-?.

mailpieces are then conveyed from the weighing station, by way of rollers 110, and a printer conveyor 111, to the postage meter 112 for example a rotary drum postage meter.

The mailpieces are then conveyed for example by conveyors 113 to a stacker . This arrangement may also have a tape supply 115, Illustrated symbolically, for the separate alternative marking of a tape. It is of course apparent that te embsc-ment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2 'ncorporates the necessary conventionally driving devices for conveying the mailpieces, etc.

While Fig. 2 illustrates the mailpieces as being fed horizontally in one direction to the weighing station, and thence horizontally in the opposite direction to the output steer, it is of course apparent that, in a modified arrangement, the mail may be fed alternatively to a meter and stacker to the left of the weighing station, i.e., the mailing pieces being feed in the same horizontal direction.

This arrangement of course increases the length of the mailing machine, but it provides certain advantages in the increase of the capacity of the device, in view of the weighing of the mail "on the fly", and the fact that overlap of mailing pieces may occur in the weighing station in order to increase the capacity of the device.

In a modification of the arrangement of Fig. 2, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the input and output trays 200 and 201 may be removable trays adapted to be removably affixed to the mailing machine. The mail is fed from the bottom of the tray 200, as illustrated by the arrow 202, to fall onto the tray 203 of a scale, horizontal movement of the mail being stopped by a generally vertical wall 204. The tray 203 may constitte a conveyor, which, upon receipt of the mail, conveys it in the direction of the arrow 205 via the drive rollers 206, to flat bed or ink jet postage meter 207 for printing r. accordance with the weight sensed by the weighing device. A moistener 210 may be provided in this area of the mail :nacrIne, for moistening the flaps thereof.The mailpieces are then fed by way of sealing/eyIt rollers 211, to seal the flaps and dire the mailpieces onto the output trr r-, In this arrangement, bar codes on the mailpieces may be sensed by a bar codes reader 212, for example for sorting c the mail or the like. The mailing machine may be provided with a display 220 and keyboard 221, for control of the weighing device and postage meter in accordance with conventional practice.

The arrangement of Fig. 3 provides the advantage that the mail is fed face up so that the indicia is readily visible at the output thereof. A conventional feeding arrangement may be provided, and the footprint of the mailing is small. The input and output trays may hang over the edge of a tabletop, if desired, in order to save table space.

While the invention has been disclosed and described with reference to a limited number of embodiments, it is apparent that variations and modifications may be made therein. T'ne invention is not regarded as limited to the details specifically described and illustrated herein.

Claims (7)

1. A transporting system for transporting objects arranged in a horizontal stack, and including a horizontally movable conveyor means for receiving said stack, characterised in that the horizontally movable conveyor means comprises a first conveyor, a second conveyor for directing objects onto said first conveyor, and means for driving said first conveyor at a faster rate than said second conveyor.

2. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a vertical transporting conveyor for transporting objects vertically, said vertical conveyor being arranged adjacent the output end of said first conveyor and serving as a horizontal stop for objects on said first conveyor, whereby said objects may be manually loaded on said second conveyor and are vertically oriented by said first conveyor against said vertical transporting conveyor.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein said vertical conveyor comprises a conveyor belt having retarding means for engaging said objects.

4. A system according to claim 2 or 3 further comprising a vacuum arrangement for holding said objects on said first conveyor against said vertical conveyor.

5. A plural object processing system having a processing station, an input station, a first transporting means for sequentially feeding objects from said input station to said processing station, an output station, and a second transporting means for sequentially directing objects from said processing station to said output station; characterised in that said first and second transporting means are arranged to transport said objects respectively in first and second substantially opposite directions.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein said first and second directions are substantially vertical.

7. A system according to claim 5 wherein said first and second directions are substantially horizontal.