US3894734A - Decelerating mechanism - Google Patents
Decelerating mechanism Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3894734A US3894734A US476704A US47670474A US3894734A US 3894734 A US3894734 A US 3894734A US 476704 A US476704 A US 476704A US 47670474 A US47670474 A US 47670474A US 3894734 A US3894734 A US 3894734A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- fingers
- postage
- decelerating mechanism
- pair
- 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
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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
- B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
- B07C5/16—Sorting according to weight
- B07C5/165—Sorting according to weight of letters
-
- 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
- B65H29/68—Reducing the speed of articles as they advance
-
- 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
- ABSTRACT A decelerating mechanism for use in a continuous mail sorting and postage imprinting system which automatically weighs and meters each piece of mail.
- the system is designed to rapidly handle a large quantity of mixed mail.
- Mixed mail is continuously and synchronously fed in seriatim along a continuous feed path.
- Unsealed envelopes have their flaps wetted and sealed. All the envelopes are stopped at a weighing station by the decelerating mechanism where they are weighed. and the postage corresponding to their particular weight is computed.
- the determined postage value is used to continuously reset a postage meter which imprints the required postage upon each enve' lope as it arrives at a metering station.
- the metering and weighing functions of the system are synchronized such that the postage meter will imprint the proper postage upon each piece of mail, despite the fact that several envelopes may be simultaneously in transit along the feed path. Overweight pieces of mail are rejected from the feed path prior to their reaching the postage meter station. Metered and overweight pieces of mail are separately stacked.
- FIG. IQ is a diagrammatic representation of FIG. IQ.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
- Controlling Sheets Or Webs (AREA)
- Separation, Sorting, Adjustment, Or Bending Of Sheets To Be Conveyed (AREA)
Abstract
A decelerating mechanism for use in a continuous mail sorting and postage imprinting system which automatically weighs and meters each piece of mail. The system is designed to rapidly handle a large quantity of mixed mail. Mixed mail is continuously and synchronously fed in seriatim along a continuous feed path. Unsealed envelopes have their flaps wetted and sealed. All the envelopes are stopped at a weighing station by the decelerating mechanism where they are weighed, and the postage corresponding to their particular weight is computed. The determined postage value is used to continuously reset a postage meter which imprints the required postage upon each envelope as it arrives at a metering station. The metering and weighing functions of the system are synchronized such that the postage meter will imprint the proper postage upon each piece of mail, despite the fact that several envelopes may be simultaneously in transit along the feed path. Overweight pieces of mail are rejected from the feed path prior to their reaching the postage meter station. Metered and overweight pieces of mail are separately stacked.
Description
United States Patent [191 Sette et al.
[ DECELERATING MECHANISM [75] Inventors: Paul R. Sette, Hamden, Conn;
[73] Assignee:
[22] Filed:
Anthony Storace, Tarrytown, NY.
Pitney-Bowes, lnc., Stamford Conn.
June 5, 1974 [21] App]v No: 476,704
Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William D. Soltow, Jr.; Albert W. Scribner; Robert S. Salzman [451 July 15, 1975 [57] ABSTRACT A decelerating mechanism for use in a continuous mail sorting and postage imprinting system which automatically weighs and meters each piece of mail. The system is designed to rapidly handle a large quantity of mixed mail. Mixed mail is continuously and synchronously fed in seriatim along a continuous feed path. Unsealed envelopes have their flaps wetted and sealed. All the envelopes are stopped at a weighing station by the decelerating mechanism where they are weighed. and the postage corresponding to their particular weight is computed. The determined postage value is used to continuously reset a postage meter which imprints the required postage upon each enve' lope as it arrives at a metering station. The metering and weighing functions of the system are synchronized such that the postage meter will imprint the proper postage upon each piece of mail, despite the fact that several envelopes may be simultaneously in transit along the feed path. Overweight pieces of mail are rejected from the feed path prior to their reaching the postage meter station. Metered and overweight pieces of mail are separately stacked.
3 Claims, 30 Drawing Figures HTF! 5mm. 1 5 m5 SHEET S22 EofiS fiB. 5 $545 8 355m 2 8552 Emma yawn uwfimwuv a C E q. 5
m. 34% dofiawm =2. SH; Es. Sfi n I i III Chill y a o o k H. u. WNW HIH U I1. I I fall II 1. II :i ll Hal H m m 0% @w@ m6 All 0 U n m- A A mu 292.5 WW 8 2925 N 5.52 38 Q 2225 @255; a: a 292% 9 222.5 2 205mm mmawzk $5: 5&2; fiuwzsz. 2955 395:. m. 55958 543mg 54%. 459mg wag 53mm:
FIG. IQ.
FEED PATH SHEET PIC-3.70.
l'-'lG.7b
CLOCK PULSE FIG. l3
FIG. He
HO. HC
lib
FlG.lla.,b,c,d.
ACTUATOR SETTINGS STEDPER MOTORS SOLENOIDS DOLLARS (o-n) TENS 0-9) cams (0-9) 3o| 302 303 504
Claims (3)
1. A decelerating mechanism for stopping moving pieces of of mail being ged through a mail handling system, comprising at least one pair of cooperatively acting, adjacently spaced fingers each having a curved mail contacting surface, said fingers being operative between an open and a closed position, each curved surface sloping inwardly toward the other curved surface when said fingers are in said closed position, in said closed position said curved surfaces converging to provide a progressively restrictive passageway for an incoming piece of mail, each of said mail contacting surfaces further including a plurality of saw-toothed projections for preventing an incoming piece of mail from backing out from between said fingers, biasing means acting upon said fingers for biasing said fingers toward each other so as to provide a spring-like holding resistance to an incoming piece of mail which tends to separate the fingers as said mail enters there between, and means operatively connected to said fingers to move them between said open and said closed positions.
2. The decelerating mechanism of claim 1, wherein there are three individual pairs of fingers, each pair of fingers spaced one above the other to form a tier, and structurally connected to each other so as to act in concert with the other pairs of said tier.
3. The decelerating mechanism of claim 1, wherein each finger of said pair is pivotably mounted at a mail incoming end, and has a stopping digit at a converging end, said digits of each pair of fingers interengaging with each other to provide a closed mail feeding passage when said fingers are in said closed position, and an open mail feeding passage when said fingers are in said open position.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US476704A US3894734A (en) | 1974-06-05 | 1974-06-05 | Decelerating mechanism |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US476704A US3894734A (en) | 1974-06-05 | 1974-06-05 | Decelerating mechanism |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3894734A true US3894734A (en) | 1975-07-15 |
Family
ID=23892922
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US476704A Expired - Lifetime US3894734A (en) | 1974-06-05 | 1974-06-05 | Decelerating mechanism |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US3894734A (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4185709A (en) * | 1978-11-30 | 1980-01-29 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Document weighing apparatus |
US4787311A (en) * | 1987-08-19 | 1988-11-29 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Mailing machine envelope transport system |
US4956782A (en) * | 1986-09-19 | 1990-09-11 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Mailing system for mixed weight mail |
EP1090862A2 (en) * | 1999-10-04 | 2001-04-11 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Aligner mechanism for a mail handling system |
US20110250045A1 (en) * | 2010-04-08 | 2011-10-13 | Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, Llc | Apparatus and method for catching and stopping shingles prior to stacking |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1071448A (en) * | 1912-05-02 | 1913-08-26 | Dexter Folder Co | Combination sheet straightener and slow-down for feeders. |
US2924453A (en) * | 1957-05-24 | 1960-02-09 | Miehle Goss Dexter Inc | Delivery sheet slow down mechanism |
US3098648A (en) * | 1961-03-16 | 1963-07-23 | Burroughs Corp | Sheet stopping mechanism |
US3507489A (en) * | 1966-09-06 | 1970-04-21 | Masson Scott Thrissell Eng Ltd | Sheet feeding apparatus |
-
1974
- 1974-06-05 US US476704A patent/US3894734A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1071448A (en) * | 1912-05-02 | 1913-08-26 | Dexter Folder Co | Combination sheet straightener and slow-down for feeders. |
US2924453A (en) * | 1957-05-24 | 1960-02-09 | Miehle Goss Dexter Inc | Delivery sheet slow down mechanism |
US3098648A (en) * | 1961-03-16 | 1963-07-23 | Burroughs Corp | Sheet stopping mechanism |
US3507489A (en) * | 1966-09-06 | 1970-04-21 | Masson Scott Thrissell Eng Ltd | Sheet feeding apparatus |
Cited By (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4185709A (en) * | 1978-11-30 | 1980-01-29 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Document weighing apparatus |
US4956782A (en) * | 1986-09-19 | 1990-09-11 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Mailing system for mixed weight mail |
US4787311A (en) * | 1987-08-19 | 1988-11-29 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Mailing machine envelope transport system |
EP1090862A2 (en) * | 1999-10-04 | 2001-04-11 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Aligner mechanism for a mail handling system |
US6328300B1 (en) * | 1999-10-04 | 2001-12-11 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Aligner mechanism for a mail handling system |
US6536756B2 (en) | 1999-10-04 | 2003-03-25 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Aligner mechanism for a mail handling system |
EP1090862B1 (en) * | 1999-10-04 | 2005-02-23 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Aligner mechanism for a mail handling system |
US20110250045A1 (en) * | 2010-04-08 | 2011-10-13 | Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, Llc | Apparatus and method for catching and stopping shingles prior to stacking |
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