Pitney Bowes Inc.

Dmt Solutions Global Corporation

Arthur H DePoi

John W Sussmeier

Anthony E Yap

Boris Rozenfeld

John R Masotta

Daniel Wright

Gregory P Skinger

Xavier Padros

Gerald F Leitz

Jerry Leitz

William J Wright

Douglas B Quine

Richard W Heiden

Richard F Stengl

Daniel J Williams

Shahzad H Malick

Carl R Chapman

John F Pezzuti

Gary W Comstock

Stanley Rydzak

Carl L Chapman

Aris Ballestrazzi

Richard Rochford

Boris Rosenfeld

Xavier A Padros

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

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

A system and method for wrapping sheet material to produce finished mailpieces includes an upstream content module, a downstream mailpiece assembly module including a wrapper module adapted to encapsulate content material, and a buffer module interposing the upstream content and downstream assembly modules. The buffer module includes a plurality of buffer gates adapted to convey the content material from an upstream gate to a downstream gate to maintain a threshold pitch distance between successive pieces of content material. A controller is operatively coupled to the modules and controls the conveyance of content material through the buffer gates. More specifically, the controller coordinates the delivery and insertion of content material into the wrapper module to minimize dry-holes, maintain stresses below a threshold level to ensure continued operation, and optimize system throughput.

Inter-machine buffer for mailpiece fabrication system

A method and apparatus are for decelerating a sheet of paper in a paper-cutting system. The sheet of paper is cut using a cutter, and the sheet is then accepted into a take-away nip. The take-away nip is operated at an initial rate in order to move the sheet of paper away from the cutter at an initial speed. The take-away nip is then operated at a rate decreasing to a final rate, in order to decelerate the sheet of paper to a final speed by the time the sheet of paper exits the take-away nip. The take-away nip is subsequently operated at the initial rate again, prior to accepting another sheet of paper at the initial speed.

Method and apparatus for enhanced cutter throughput using an exit motion profile

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

A system and method for skew correction of a mailpiece includes moving the mailpiece along a path of travel in a first orientation toward a first drive roller and a second drive roller. Control of the mailpiece is established in the first orientation by the drive rollers. A first skew correction of the mailpiece is implemented by employing the first drive roller and the second drive roller to align the mailpiece with respect to the path of travel. The first drive roller and the second drive roller may be employed to change the orientation of the stopped mailpiece from the first orientation to a second orientation with respect to the path of travel. A second skew correction may be implemented by employing the first drive roller and the second drive roller to align the mailpiece in the second orientation with respect to the path of travel.

System and method for mailpiece skew correction

A method for tuning operation of servo motors includes selecting a plurality of discrete positions in a guillotine blade cycle for which to determine tuning coefficients, determining tuning coefficients at the discrete positions, interpolating tuning coefficients for positions between the discrete positions, and applying the determined and the interpolated tuning coefficients to the servo motor. The servo motors may be used in connection with a guillotine cutter for separating individual sheets from a continuous web. The guillotine cutter blade may be driven by a servo motor to cyclically lower and raise to transversely cut the web transported below the cutter blade.

Positioned based motor tuning for a guillotine cutter mechanism

A system for processing documents having fastening devices includes a document transport system and a fastening device detecting station connected to the transport system that is adapted to detect a fastening device securing together pages of a document. The fastening device removing station is adapted to remove a fastening device securing together pages of a document. A scanning station is adapted to scan the pages of a document. A page flipping station is adapted to flip and position pages of a document to be scanned. A systems controller controls the transport system and the stations based on information provided by the fastening device detecting station for a document to be scanned, to cause such document to be processed by the fastening device removing before scanning of the document or by the page flipping station during scanning of the document to be scanned.

Flexible system for feeding and processing multi-page documents

A method of operating a motor controlled by a closed loop servo control system is provided. The closed loop servo control system employs a digital filter, such as a PID filter, that employs one or more gain coefficients. The method includes temporarily increasing one or more of the gain coefficients by a corresponding first predetermined amount when the motor reaches a coefficient boost motor position that is a predetermined distance before a commanded motor rest position, and decreasing the one or more of the gain coefficients by a corresponding second predetermined amount a predetermined time after the motor reaches the commanded motor rest position.

Method and apparatus for improving the position accuracy of a servo motor

An apparatus includes a first feed path configured to transport an envelope from an input at an envelope supply to an insertion location, and a second feed path configured to transport the envelope with a mail piece insert therein from the insertion location to an output. The first and second feed paths intersect at an intersection spaced from the insertion location. The paths are angled relative to each other at the intersection.

Apparatus and method for conveying envelopes in a mailpiece insertion system

A calibration procedure is carried out for determining the displacement distance from a reference point to the center of the blade in a web cutter in a mail inserter. A photosensor is placed near the paper plane of the web cutter to sense a web edge at the reference point downstream or upstream from the blade. At the start of the calibration procedure, the blade is caused to cut the web for providing a web edge. The web edge is moved in a backward and forward motion over the photosensor a few times for determining the theoretical center position of the photosensor relative to the position where the web is cut by the blade. By taking into account the chip-out width, the displacement distance from the center of the photosensor to the center of the chip out blade can be determined.

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Brookfield, CT, United States of America

Arthur H DePoi