Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02432236 2003-06-13
F-541
ENVELOPE TRANSPORT TURN MODULE AND RAMP FOR AN OUTPUT
PORTION OF AN INSERTER SYSTEM
TECHNICAL FiEL
The present invention relates to a device for processing and transporting
envelopes, typically in a mail processing system. The device re-orients and
redirects
the envelopes in preparation for further processing, and achieves an inserter
system
having a desirable footprint.
BACKGROUNm OF TPiE INVENTION
Inserter systems such as those applicable for use with the present invention,
are typically used by organizations such as banks, insurance companies and
utility
companies for producing a large volume of specific mailings where the contents
of
each mail item are directed to a particular addressee. Also, other
organizations,
such as direct mailers, use inserters for producing a larqe volume of generic
mailings
where the contents of each mail item are substantially identical for each
addressee.
Examples of such inserter systems are the 8 series and 9 series inserter
systems
available from Pitney Bowes Inc. of Stamford Connecticut.
In many respects, the typical inserter system resembles a manufacturing
assembly line. Sheets and other raw materials (other sheets, enclosures, and
envelopes) enter the inserter system as inputs. A plurality of different
modules in the
inserter system work cooperatively to process the sheets to produce a finished
mail
piece. The exact configuration of each inserter system depends upon the needs
of
each particular customer or installation.
Typically, inserter systems prepare mail pieces by gathering collations of
documents on a conveyor. The collations are then transported on the conveyor
to
an insertion station where they are automatically stuffed into envelopes.
After being
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stuffed with the collations, the envelopes are removed from the insertion
station for
further processing, Such further processing may include automated closing and
sealing the envelope flap, weighing the envelope, applying postage to the
envelope,
and finally sorting and stacking the envelopes.
In designing a mail processing system, as described above, it is important to
take into consideration various space and ergonomic considerations. A first
consideration is the size of a room for housing the inserting system. While an
inserting system that has a straight processing path might often be efficient,
the
number and size of the processing modules might be such that the customer does
not have enough room in their facility to accommodate the length in a single
dimension. Accordingly, it is known in the art that it may be necessary to
provide a
turning module, typically at a right angle, to shorten the system's length in
any one
dimension. The choice or the nature and location of the turning module may be
difficult, because turning may introduce additional complexity and error into
the
system. It is also preferable that a turning module be made to do something
useful
during the turning process, and that floor space and machinery not be used
solely for
changing the direction of the processing path.
Another consideration in assembling a mail processing system is ergonomics.
Even if a customer has room for a straight system, the distance between the
beginning and the end of the system might be so great as to make it difficult
for an
operator to effectively attend to the whole machine. Accordingly, right angle
turn
modules have been found to be advantageous to create "L" shaped or ' l!"
shaped
arrangements to create a work area in which operators have easier access to
all of
the modules.
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Another ergonomic consideration is the height of various components and
transports in the system. In the modules where inserts are being fed into
collations
of documents, operators must have access to fe ders in order to refill them
and to
correct jams. As such, the feeders are typically placed at a level for
attendants'
hands to have easy access. As a result, the transport and collations of
documents
are somewhat below. At an output sorting station, stacks of finished mail
pieces are
sorted into bins according to zip codes and postal regulations, The sorting
bins are
periodicafly hand unloaded by operators. Thus, the bins are typically placed
at hand
working level. As such, collations and envelopes that are processed upstream,
below hand level, must elevated before the sor'ting stage and sorting bins.
Current mail processing machines are often required to process up to 18,000
pieces of mail an hour, and envelopes travel at speeds as high as 100 inches
per
second as they are being processed. The steps of moistening and sealing the
envelope flaps in particular may result in problems at those speeds. Envelopes
may
be moving so fast that glue on a moistened envelope flap may not have time
form a
seal before it is subjected to further processing. Such further processing may
cause
the envelope flap to reopen partially or fully before the proper sealing can
occur. In
addition to making the envelope unsuitable for mailing, re-opened flaps can
cause
jamming of the system.
At such high speeds it is also important to maintain envelopes in their
appropriate orientations so that they may be properly handled when they arrive
at
their respective processing stations, Similarly, it is important to maintain
an
appropriate gap between subsequent envelopes so that they do not catch up to
one
another and cause jams. At higher speeds, the mail processing systems become
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much less tolerant of orientation and spacing errors that can result in
jamming and
damage to mail pieces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVP-NTI[DN
The present invention provides an apparatus for changing the orientation,
height and direction of envelopes conveyed in an inserter system. In the
preferred
embodiment, the present invention is used just before an output sorting module
of an
inserter system, Using this preferred embodiment, the sorting bins of the
sorting
module can be positioned ninety degrees from the collating and inserting part
of the
inserting system. This arrangement provides the benefits of a smaller
footprint in the
longest direction, and the sorting bins are closer to other portions of the
main body of
the inserter system for operator convenience.
The method and operation of the apparatus in accordance with the present
invention starts with the envelopes being transported horizontally in a first
direction.
Next, the envelopes are reoriented from the horizontal position to a vertical
position
as they are transported in the first direction. Typically, such reorientation
is provided
by a twisted belt transport arrangement.
nce the envelopes are placed in the vert-cal orientation, they are redirected
in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. In the preferred
embodiment of the apparatus, this redirecting is achieved by a transport path
formed
by a vertical belt urged against an outer radius of a relatively large
diameter wheel.
Transported envelopes are gripped between the belt and the outer radius of the
wheel as it is transported through the preferred ninety degree turn. To help
guide
this turn. the apparatus preferably includes a turn guide comprised of a
stationary
curved surface extending upward on the interior portion of the turn radius,
The turn
guide serves to support and guide the envelope as it passes through the turn.
The
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turning guide may also preferably serve to house and support sensors for
detecting
the position of envelopes as they pass through the tum, Such sensors could not
otherwise be housed or supported by the moving wheels or belts that comprise
the
tuming arrangement. In the preferred embodiment, the sensors are supported
from
above the turning guide, one positioned within the turning guide and the other
on the
opposite side of the transport path.
After envelopes have passed through the turning arrangement, in the
preferred embodiment, the envelopes are raised several inches by transporting
them
along a ramped vertical transport, Once the envelopes are raised to their
desired
elevation, they are then redirected by 180 degrees in preparation for being
sorted
into the sorting bins. This 180 degree redirection is such that the envelopes
are
being transported back towards the main body of the inserter system as they
are
being sorted. This configuration may also allow the module housing the turning
arrangement to support an outsort bin at the very end of the sorting module.
The
outsort bin receives outsorted mail pieces rejected, or bypassed from the
sorting bins
for any of a variety of reasons.
Using the preferred arrangement according to the present invention, operators
can have access to the output sorting module while it is perpendicular and
proximal
to the other stations in inserter system. Also, in this preferred embodiment
the
output bins have been raised to a level that is more ergonomically appropriate
for the
operator access.
In a further preferred embodiment, the process of raising the envelopes on a
ramp further comprises providing transitions between ramped and flat portions
of a
transport to allow the envelopes to pivot and to remain substantially in
square
alignment with a surface of the transport while traveling up the ramp and
after
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leaving the ramp. Such transitions are preferably provided by sets of nips
whereby at least
one of the nips in each of the transitioning modules is an idler roller having
a toroidal outer
surface biased against another driven roller. The toroidal idler roller can
serve to provide the
grip to drive the envelopes, but also allows a pivoting motion so that the
envelope maintains
its registration while traveling up the ramp.
Another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides that the
turning
module, having the twisted belt and redirecting mechanism, can be adjusted to
receive and
transport different size envelopes to be used in the inserter system.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the step of elevating
the
envelope may take place before it is turned from a horizontal to a vertical
orientation. In this
arrangement the horizontal envelope can be raised using a conventional
horizontal ramp
transport, and then the turning arrangement can be utilized to achieve the
ninety degree turn
to achieve the desired spacing and ergonomic results.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an
apparatus for changing the orientation and direction of envelopes conveyed in
a transport
path in a mail piece processing system, the apparatus comprising: an first
transport forming
an upstream portion of the transport path and transporting envelopes in a
first direction in a
horizontal orientation; a twisted belt transport downstream of the first
transport, receiving
envelopes from the first transport, the twisted belt transport conveying
envelopes in the first
direction and reorienting the envelopes from the horizontal orientation to an
upright vertical
orientation; a turning arrangement downstream of the twisted belt transport,
receiving
vertically oriented envelopes from the twisted belt transport, the turning
arrangement
substantially altering the transport path to a second direction, the turning
arrangement further
comprising; a horizontal wheel and a vertical belt, a length of the vertical
belt being urged
against an outer radius surface of the horizontal wheel to cooperatively form
the transport
path, for gripping a lower portion of vertically oriented envelopes, between
the outer radius
surface of the wheel and the length of vertical belt; and a turning guide
comprising a
stationary curved vertical surface located substantially over, the outer
radius surface of the
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horizontal wheel, the surface of the turning guide providing vertical support
for an upper
portion of vertically oriented envelopes as they move through the turning
arrangement; and
a sloped ramp-transport receiving the vertically oriented envelopes from the
turning
arrangement at a first height and transporting the envelopes to an output
transport having
a second height higher than the first height.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
method of handling mail pieces in an inserter system, the method comprising:
transporting
envelopes in a horizontal position in a first direction; reorienting the
envelopes from the
horizontal position to a vertical position; redirecting and transporting the
vertically oriented
envelopes in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first
direction; raising an
elevation of the vertically oriented envelopes by transporting them on a ramp
in the second
direction; redirecting and transporting the elevated and vertically oriented
envelopes in a third
direction that is substantially in the opposite direction as the second
direction; sorting the
envelopes into sorting bins as they travel in the third direction.
Further features and preferred embodiments are described in the specification,
claims, and figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a top view of an apparatus in accordance with the present
invention.
Figure 2 is a front view of the apparatus in accordance with the present
invention.
Figure 3 is a side view of the apparatus in accordance with the present
invention.
Figures 4a and 4b are a side and top view of a toroidal idler roller for use
with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a sensor arrangement for detecting envelopes traveling within the
turning
portion of the turning module of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This patent application is related to U.S. Patent No. 6,623,002 titled Flat
Article
Transport and Aligner System, issued September 23, 2003.
The present invention is preferably used to provide a right angle turn prior
to an output
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sorting module at the end of a high speed mail processing inserter system.
Examples of
suitable mail piece sorting modules are described in U.S. Patents 5,971,161,
5,960,963,
5,449,159, 5,429,249, 5,411,250 and 5,368,287.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 components and features of an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention may be observed. Major modules of the
system
comprise a ninety degree turn module 1, a ramp module 2, a 180 degree
transport module
3, and a sorting module 4.
The turn module 1, receives envelopes 7 from an upstream module transport 5.
The
envelopes 7 are received in a horizontal orientation, with the face of the
envelope up, and the
flap side of the envelope down. Typically, the turn module 1 will be receiving
envelopes that
have just recently had their flaps closed and moistened for sealing. Because
the system
operates so quickly, it is unlikely that the moistened flap will have had time
to dry and a
complete seal will not be formed. Accordingly, certain features in the
preferred embodiment
are designed to perform
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the necessary reorienting and redirecting of the envelope without causing the
moistened envelope flaps to pop open and to cause jams.
The envelopes 7 are received into turn module I via input rollers 10. From
the input roilers 10, the envelopes are transferred to input nips for a
twisted belt pair
11. Twisted belt pairs are transport mechanisms known in the art for
transporting
and reorienting envelopes from a horizontal to a vertical orientation (or vice
versa).
The twisted belt pair 11 will grip the transported envelopes along a bottom
portion of the envelope, so as not to interfere with the flap of the envelope.
As the
envelopes are transported by the twisted belt pair 14, a torsion force is
applied to
change the orientation from horizontal to vertical, and to bring the envelope
into an
upright position. While traveling in the twisted belt pair 11, an upper
portion of the
envelope may receive guiding and support from a horizontal-to-vertical guide
26.
Guide 26 may comprise a guide bar or a piece of twisted material that runs
parallel
the transport path of the twisted belt pair 11. The guide 26 may serve to
assist in
keeping the envelope flaps shut during the stress of reorienting the envelope.
In order that the twisted belt pair 11 can propeily grip the bottom portions
of
envelopes of vary'sng sizes, the input end of the twisted belt pair may be
adjusted in a
direction perpendicular to the transport path, as will be discussed in more
detail
below.
At a downstream end of the twisted belt pair 11, the vertically oriented
envelopes enter a turning arrangement. The turning arrangement preferably
transports the envelopes in a new direction perpendicular to their original
direction.
In the preferred embodiment, the transport for the turning arrangement is
driven by
turn belt 13. A length of turn belt 13 is positioned such that it is urged
against a
portion of the circumference of tum wheel 14, positioned contiguous with the
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transport path. In the preferred embodiment, turn wheel 14 is an idler roiler
that is
turned by the force of the length of the driven turn belt 13 that is pressed
against the
portion of its circumference. Vertically oriented envelopes received by the
tuming
arrangement are gripped between the turn belt 13 and the turn wheel 14 as it
is
transported around ninety degrees of the circumference of the turn wheel 14.
Turn belt 13 and turn wheel 14 are preferably of approximate equal height,
sufficient to grip a lower portion of the envelope between them, preferably
between
one and two inches high. By gripping just a lower portion of the envelope,
turn belt
13 and turn wheel 14 do not place direct bending strain on the envelope flap
as the
envelope makes the turn. However, the necessary transport force is provided to
move the envelopes through the module.
As the envelopes make the change of direction in the turning arrangement,
the preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes a turning guide 12.
The
turning guide 12 is comprised of a smooth curved surface extending vertically
upward along the side of the transport path interior to the tum radius of the
transport
path formed by belt 13 and wheel 14. A portion of turning guide 12 disposed
above
the interface of belt 13 and wheel 14 provides support to for the upper
portion of
envelopes passing through the tum. Such vertical support helps to prevent
bending
or distortion of the envelopes that might occur while being gripped and turned
by the
forces acting upon their lower portions. Also, the support provided by turn
guide 12
keeps the envelope flaps closed to aid in proper sealing. In the preferred
embodiment, the radius of the curved portion of the turning guide 12 is just
slightly
less than the radius of the wheel 14.
In the present invention, wheel 14, having a relatively low height compared to
the envelopes, is more desirable than a taller drum that might be simiiarly
situated
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for the purpose of providing turning. A first advantage of the wheel 14 over a
drum is
that the wheel is easier and cheaper to manufacture than a drum, in part
because it
is smaller and may be composed of less expensive and more easily manufactured
parts. Another advantage is that the wheel, again being smaller, weighs less
and
has less inertia. Having less inertia, the wheel 14 can start and stop more
quickly.
The ability to start and stop more quickly provides greater precision in the
system,
and may allow the system to come to a stop more quickly upon the occurrence of
an
error condition. like jamming.
Another advantage of the wheel 14 and turn guide 12 arrangement is that the
stationary turn guide can provide a support platform for position sensors 30
to detect
the position of envelopes passing within the turning arirangernent. If a drum
is used,
it would be very difficult to arrange a sensor on the moving drum to reliably
detect
envelopes as they pass through. In the preferred embodiment, shown in Fig. 5,
sensors 30 are supported above the belt 13 and wheel 14 on sensor base 27. One
sensor 30 is supported inside the curve of the tuming guide 12, while its
corresponding mate is supported oppositely outside of the turning guide 12. A
small
hole is provided in tuming guide 12 between the pair of sensors 30 so that
when an
envelope disrupts the optical connection between the sensors, it is known that
an
envelope has reached that position in the transport path. Thus, envelopes are
detected as they pass along the surface of turn guide 12, breaking the path
between
the position sensors (preferably optical sensors). The turn guide 12 and wheel
14
combination allows all of these advantages without any loss of functionality
in
comparison to an arrangement using a drum,
After the envelopes have completed their change of direction in the turning
arrangement, they continue to be transported in the vertical position by
series af
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rollers and belts. Above the rollers an belts, the envelopes receive support
from
transport guides 16 and 17, which continue the guiding function in holding the
envelopes upright, and providing support for the envelope flaps.
Shortly upon leaving the turning arrangement, the envelopes are transferred
from turn module 1 to the ramp module 2. The purpose of ramp module 2 is to
raise
the envelopes from a lower elevation, at which they were processed earlier in
the
system, to a higher elevation used by the output sorting module 4. There is no
mechanical requirement that the output sorting process occur at a higher
elevation
than earlier processing. However, since the sorting includes bins 40 that have
a
downward slant, and because upstream automated processing generally occurs at
a
level lower than a comfortable working level for human workers, it is
desirable from
an ergonomics perspective to raise the envelopes for the output sorting stage.
Typically the envelopes may be raised by a height of two or three inches. For
such
elevation changes, the ramp module 2 is preferably inclined at an angle of
approximately eight degrees.
The input and output portions of the transports for the tum module I and the
ramp module 2 have particular configurations of rollers and belts to maintain
the
registration of the bottom of the envelopes substantialiy parallel to the path
of travel,
even on the ramp and after the ramp. This is desirable so that envelopes do
not
become too tilted relative to the travel direction. Downstream, such tilting
may have
the effect of causing jams as the envelopes are processed by the sorting
mechanisms.
For much of the length of the ramp module 2 the envelope is transported
between belts 18 and 19, with an upper portion of the envelope guided by
guides 17.
Simiiarly for an initial linear portion of transport module 3 the envelope is
transported
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between belts 23 and 24, with an upper portion of the envelope guided by
guides 25.
The transport guide pairs 17 and 25 may be comprised of guides that are
different
heights on the opposite sides of the feed path, In the preferred embodiment,
an
interior guide 17 or 25, of a pair is taller, and has a height substantially
the same as
the turning guide 12. The taller guide provides support on the flap side of
transported envelopes for continued prevention of opening of the flap before a
seal
can be formed.
In transferring envelopes from the turning module I to the ramp module 2,
and from the ramp module 2 to the transport module 3. alignment of the
envelopes
with the transport path is maintained by specially designed sets of nips
comprised of
rollers 20 and 21 at the interface of those transports. Roller 21 may be a
driven
roller at the transition end of a transport beit 13, 18, 19, or 23, as shown
in Fig. 1.
Roller 21 is driven along with its respective transport belt.
Opposite roiler 21 is idler roller assembly 20, the preferred embodiment of
which is depicted in Fig. 4. The idler roller assembly is comprised of a
toroidal roller
wheel 201 rotatably mounted on a shaft 202 mounted on an arm 203. Arm 203
pivots on base shaft 204. The toroidal wheel 201 is spring biased against
roller 21
by the spring 205 providing angular tension between the arm 203 and the base
shaft
204.
The toroidal shape of the wheel 201 results in a relatively small point of
contact between the toroidal wheel 201 and the driven roller 21. The small
point of
contact on the curved outer diameter of the toriodal wheel 201 provides a
moving
pivot point around which the envelope may turn as the transport direction
changes.
Thus when a forward portion of an envelope driven befiwveen roller 21 and
idler rolier
20 is pulled in a direction with an angular vector different than its current
direction,
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the envelope can pivot at the point between those rollers to adjust to the new
vector
while it continues to be drjven forward with the same forward vector. To
reduce
frictional forces on envelopes between rollers 20 and 21 even more, in a
preferred
embodiment, the driven rolier 21 may also have a somewhat curved outer surface
to
further reduce the friction creating surface area of the nip rollers on the
envelope.
In practice, as an envelope reaches the output of turn module 1, the first set
of
nips 20 and 21 at that location are in a horizontal orientation and will
continue to
drive the envelope in the horizontal direction. However, when the lead edge of
the
envelope reaches the angled set of second nips 20 and 21 at the beginning of
ramp
module Z, then the lead edge of the envelope is urged upward in the angled
direction. The envelope pivots upward at both the first and second set of nips
as
control is transferred to the ramped transport system and belts 18 and 19.
Once the
envelope comes under the full control of ramp module 2 the envelope has
pivoted
such that it is angled at substantialty the same direction as the ramped
transport
direction.
The same process occurs in reverse as the envelope changes from an angled
direction of travel to once again traveling in a horizontal direction at the
transition
from ramp module 2 to horizontal transport module 3.
If the first set of nips were conventional rollers with flat surfaces, the
frictional
forces of the nips during a transition to or from ramp module 2 would prevent
pivoting. As a result, conflicting vector forces acting on the envelope could
cause it
to buckle and/or jam. Even if slippage in the nips prevents damage to the
envelopes, when the envelope comes under the full control of the ramp
transport 3, it
will no longer be oriented squarely in the transport direction. This is the
situation
which is avoided with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. An
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envelope that is too far askew in the transport cannot be properly processed
by
sorting module 4_
In a preferred embodiment, an apparatus utilizing the present invention can
be adjusted to receive and process envelopes of diiferent sizes. A first
location that
is sensitive to different envelope sizes is the input rollers 10 at the input
to turn
module 1. As discussed previously, the twisted belt pair 11, and other
downstream
vertical transport devices grip a lower portion of the envetopes. Because the
envelopes 7 typically arrive at the turn module 1 with their top edges
registered along
a common border, variance in the sizes of the envelopes results in different
locations
for their lower portions relative to the tum module 1. Accordingly, as can be
seen in
Fig. 1, it is desirable that the input rollers 10, and the corresponding
beginning of the
twisted belt pair be adjustable lateraliy to the transport direction of the
envelopes.
Such adjustment would typically only be necessary when starting a new mail
production job using different sized envelopes.
As seen in Fig. 1, the input rollers 10 and twisted belt pair 11 are mounted
on
a base 28 which is laterally movable relative to the frame of the turn module
1. The
lateral position of the base 28 is adjusted by tuming adjusting mechanism 15.
In the
preferred embodiment, the adjusting mechanism includes a threaded shaft
rotatably
and fixedly mounted to the frame of turn module 1. When the adjusting
mechanism
15 is turned, a screw interface with base 28 causes the base to move a desired
amount to a position where the input roller 10 grip the lower portion of the
envelopes
at the standard predetermined position,
Base 28 also preferably supports the turning arrangement comprised of the
wheel 14 and turning belt 13. Thus, simultaneously with adjusting the position
of
input rollers 10, the same motion can adjust a gap in the transport path
between the
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turn module I and ramp module 2. By making the appropriate adjustment, more
space will be provided for larger envelopes to make the transition in the turn
upward
onto ramp module 2,
To allow a similar adjustment to be made at the transition from the ramp
module 2 to transport module 3, another adjustrrient mechanism 15' may be
provided between those two modules, In an exemplary embodiment, the adjustment
mechanism may again be a threaded turnscrew mechanism, with one end fixedly
mounted on ramp module 2 and the other end attached though a threaded
interFace
to a movable base in the transport module 3. In practice, using the preferred
embodiment, it has been found that the second adjustment mechanism 15' is not
necessary, and that the resulting error in positioning as a result of not
adjusting for
different envelope sizes is not so great as to affect the downstream sorting
process.
However for use with different downstream processing, less error may be
tolerated,
and adjustment mechanism 15' may be necessary.
After the envelopes are (1) reoriented from horizontal to vertical, (2)
redirected
by ninety degrees, and (3) elevated by several inches, the transport module 3
reverses the direction of the transport path by 180 degrees to perform the
sorting
process in sorting module 4, Sorting module 4 is located to the side of ramp
module
2 and transport module 3 that is closer to the inserter system modules
upstream of
the turn module 1. In this way an inserter system with an "L" or "U" shaped
footprint
can be formed, with the interior of the "L" or "U" serving as the workspace
for
operators. Workers may attend to upstream modules while being able to observe
the operation of the sorting module 4. Also, when it comes time to empty the
bins 40
of the stacks of processed mail, the operators may perform that task without
having
to walk too far from the other stations on the inserter machine.
CA 02432236 2008-12-10
During the sorting process envelopes are transported on the sort transport 41
comprised of a series of belts 42 between which envelopes are transported. At
various intervals in the sort transport 41, deflectors 43 open to deflect the
envelopes
into the appropriate sort bins 40.
If an envelope cannot be sorted properly into any of the sort bins 40, whether
an error has occurred, or special handling is required, it is deposited into
an outsort
bin 6 at the end of the sort transport 41. An outsort guide 44 guides mail
pieces into
the outsort bin 6 in an orderly fashion.
A potential advantage of the preferred embodiment depicted in Fig. 1, is that
the outsort bin 6 can be mounted in turn module 1. As discussed previously,
floor
space for inserter systems is often at a premium, and the greater the amount
of
functionality that can be achieved in a shorter distance, the better. The
arrangement
depicted in Fig. 1, shows that the turn module 1 can provide space for the
outsort bin
6, along the side, and elevated from, the twisted belt pair 11. By placing the
outsort
bin 6 at that location, the overall length of the sordng module 4 can be
shortened,
and greater efficiency is achieved and floor space saved.
As an alternative to the arrangement of the modules described above, i.e.,
with turn module I followed by the ramp module 2, a different kind of ramp
module
may precede turn module 1, and ramp module 2 may be eliminated. In this
alternative arrangement, the alternative ramp module is one similar to that
depicted
as item 10 in Figure 2 of U.S. Patent No. 5,971,161. The alternative ramp
module
raises the envelope in a horizontal orientation using conventional transport
techniques. The turn module 1 may then reorient and turn the elevated
horizontal
envelopes by ninety degrees, as described above.
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In this alternative embodiment the vertical ramp module 2 after the turn
module I is not necessary. However, the use of the conventional horizontal
envelope ramp may be less desirable for an installation that desires to
minimize the
length of the system in the first travel direction. The length of the
alternative ramp
portion will add to the length of the system in the first direction. The
preferred
embodiment, using ramp module 2 described above however, may not add any
length in any direction as it takes advantage of a length of the sorting
module 4
where the system doubles back on itself.
Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred
embodiment thereof, it wili be understood by those skilled in the art that the
foregoing and various other changes, omissions and deviations in the form and
detail
thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this
invention.
17
