Pitney Bowes Inc.

Dmt Solutions Global Corporation

Anthony E Yap

Boris Rozenfeld

Arthur H DePoi

James A Salomon

John R Masotta

Richard F Stengl

John W Sussmeier

Eric A Belec

John P Miller

Steven A Supron

Leo L Wologodzew

John J Mercede, Jr

Mark Macleod

Christopher Julius Stefan

Shae Lynn Wilson

Daniel Wright

Thomas M Lyga

Steven J DaCunha

Gerald F Leitz

Lun Chan

Robert P Rebres

Craig Richard

Andrew J Nikolatos

Eddy Edel

Dennis C Inglesias

Robert J Allen

William J Wright

Steven H Joyce

Daniel J Williams

Carlos L DeFigueiredo

Iskander Tokmouline

Xavier Padros

Steven E Cohen

Jerry Leitz

George Cruz

Sanju Ballurkar

Mark F Muenchinger

Iskander Tomouline

Robert F Stengl

Richard F Stengli

An envelope sealing and flipping system can be incorporated into a mail inserter system to seal an envelope with a complete unbroken glue line and simultaneously flip the envelope face-up for downstream processing. The system includes a flip cage that receives an envelope and a moveable wetting brush that contacts the flap. The flip cage rotates, causing the flap to drag underneath the wetting brush, and realigning the envelope with a sealer nip which seals the envelope. The flip cage rotates continuously to receive, flip, and seal many envelopes.

Integrated envelope sealer and flip module

The invention is a hybrid inserter/wrapper system comprising a hybrid inserter/wrapper system comprising a modular document inserter system and a unique wrapper-like envelope creation module operably connected thereto. The wrapper-like envelope creation module is configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the wrapper-like envelope creation module is configured to fabricate wrapper-like outer envelopes and feed such outer envelopes to the inserter system. In the second mode, the wrapper-like envelope creation module is configured to allow the inserter to be loaded with premade envelopes and feed such envelopes to the inserter system. In either mode, the document inserter system further carries out downstream operations to thereby produce a finished mailpiece.

Hybrid inserter/wrapper system

The invention is a modular card processing and attaching system configured to provide uninterrupted workflow in the feeding and subsequent attaching of cards to carriers for the formation of a mailpiece. The modular card processing and attaching system is further configured to be incorporated into a production mail inserter system, such that attached card and carrier mailpieces may be subsequently sorted and/or inserted into a mailable envelope or packages to be mailed.

Card processing and attaching system

According to some embodiments, a stacking assembly accepts mail-pieces traveling from a re-direct mechanism in a first direction and urges a leading edge portion of a mail-piece toward a registration wall of a sortation bin. The stacking assembly may include a plurality of neighboring cam shafts, each with at least one cam, arranged along the first direction, such that rotation of the cam shafts results in synchronized rotation of the cams to guide an incoming mail-piece. Rotation of the cam shafts may also urge a previously stacked mail-piece away from the cams, and into the sortation bin, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Cam stacking assembly for a mixed sized mail-piece sorter

A method is provided for using a rotatable insertion horn to open an envelope prior to insertion of documents. A pair of insertion horns is positioned at the sides of an envelope inserting station. An envelope is fed into the envelope inserting station with its flap open. The collation of documents is pushed into the open end of the envelope. The insertion horns are positioned in an initial position that is fully outside the envelope, prior to arrival of the collation. The insertion horns are controlled to simultaneously rotate into the envelope as the collation passes between the insertion horns. Preferably, rotation of the insertion horns into the envelope does not begin until a lead edge of the collation is in a region between the insertion horns. This facilitates insertion of the collation without catching on an upstream edge of the insertion horns.

Pivoting envelope insertion guide

A method for opening an envelope for insertion of a collation in an envelope inserting machine. The envelope is fed into an inserting station with its flap in an open position. The insertion station has vacuum belts to hold the envelope in position, and to move the envelope in an upstream or downstream direction. A suction cup is positioned above the envelope in the insertion station. The suction cup is moved downward to engage a top surface of the envelope near an upstream edge of the top surface. The suction cup then lifts the top surface of the envelope to open a throat of the envelope to facilitate insertion of a collation. The envelope on the vacuum belt is then moved in the upstream direction by a small amount so that the top surface of the envelope forms a more open angle for receiving the collation.

Envelope inserter with suction cup opening mechanism and improved insertion motion control

An apparatus and method for opening an envelope for insertion of a collation. The apparatus includes a plurality of actuated suction cups that are positioned above an envelope in an insertion station. The actuated suction cups move downward to engage a top surface of the envelope and to lift the top surface away from the bottom surface in order to facilitate insertion of the collation. The suction cups include a first group that is actuated for opening all envelopes, and a second group, independently actuatable from the first group, and that is actuated only for opening envelopes having characteristics that require the additional suction cups.

Envelope inserter with variably activated suction cups

An edge justification device for a mail processing machine. The device shifts the mailpiece from bottom edge justified to top edge justified. The amount of shift is determined as a function of the height of the mail piece. One embodiment solves the problem of switching from bottom to top registration by having a series of steerable nips, which are arranged in line, parallel to the mail flow direction. As the mail piece travels though the justifier, the nips will rotate to impart a lateral velocity to the mail piece, shifting it over to properly justify it. In a further embodiment, the nips of the justification device are not steerable. Rather, a whole nip assembly that is transporting the mail piece is moved laterally to switch from bottom to top justification.

Method and apparatus for edge justification of mail items

An apparatus for accumulating sheet material in a sheet handling system including a first conveyance, a second conveyance, an auxiliary conveyance and a processor to control the conveyances based upon a selected operating mode. The first conveyance receives singulated sheets and conveys the sheets to an accumulator station to produce completed collations. The second conveyance is operative to dispense completed collations from the accumulator station and, receives the completed collations from the first conveyance, in one operating mode, and from the auxiliary conveyance in another operating mode when the first conveyance is inoperative. The processor is responsive to a next collation signal, to control the conveyances based upon a selected one of the operating modes.

Accumulator for a sheet handling system

A system for conveying mailpieces along a feed path includes a plurality of conveyances. A first conveyance is operative to convey mailpieces along the feed path and includes a singulating and drive belt. The singulating and drive belts define a throat for singulating a mailpiece from the stack of mailpieces. A second conveyance accepts mailpieces from the first conveyance and conveys singulated mailpiece downstream of the first conveyance. The system further includes a series of sensors extending from the first to the second conveyance for issuing a gap signal indicative of the relative spacing between sequential mailpieces along the feed path. Additionally, the system includes a means, responsive to the gap signal, for developing a variable opposing force between the singulating and drive belts to optimize singulation of mailpieces along the feed path.

System for controlling a singulating belt in a mailpiece feeder

A system for conveying mailpieces along a conveyance path and singulating a mailpiece from a stack of mailpieces along the conveyance path. The system includes a first conveyance for conveying mailpieces at a variable velocity and a second conveyance, downstream of the first conveyance, for conveying mailpieces at a constant velocity along the conveyance path. A series of optical sensors extends from the first to the second conveyance and is operative to issue a gap signal indicative of the relative spacing between sequential mailpieces along the conveyance path. A processor is responsive to the gap signal and is operative to control the first conveyance to decrease the relative spacing between sequential mailpieces when the gap signal exceeds a threshold value.

System for controlling mailpiece conveyance in a mailpiece feeder

A vacuum roller assembly adapted to singulate a sheet from a stack of sheets. The vacuum roller assembly comprising a stationary inner plenum having a substantially linear plenum slot disposed in fluid communication with the vacuum source and a rotating vacuum roller disposed over the stationary inner plenum and rotating about a rotational axis. The vacuum roller includes a plurality of apertures disposed in fluid communication with the substantially linear plenum slot and about the periphery in at least one region of the roller. Furthermore, each of the apertures is substantially slot-shaped and defines a major axis. The major axis is off-axis with respect to the substantially liner plenum slot of the inner plenum to reduce audible noise levels produced by the rotating vacuum roller as air flows through each rotating aperture into the stationary linear plenum slot.

Vacuum roller assembly

A method for operating a sheet handling system including the steps of: determining a location of a next collation mark on select sheets of the stack of material, selecting an operating mode based upon the proximity of the next collation mark relative to a leading or trailing edge of each of the select sheets, processing the singulated sheets in a first operating mode when the next collation mark is proximal to the leading edge of each of the select sheets, and in a second operating mode, when the next collation mark is proximal to a trailing edge of each of the select sheets. Each of the select sheets is buffered to change the spatial relationship between each of the select sheet and each completed collation of sheets along the feed path. By selectively processing the sheets based upon the location of the next collation mark, the conveyance feed path is minimized.

System and method for minimizing the conveyance feed path of a sheet material handling system

Growing community of inventors

Danbury, CT, United States of America

Anthony E Yap