Dmt Solutions Global Corporation

Pitney Bowes Inc.

Brad Swinford

Robert J Allen

David W Purcell

Thomas M Lyga

Boris Rozenfeld

Xavier Padros

Folder systems and related methods are provided for accurately and efficiently folding a paper carrier that has a card attached without bending or dislodging the card from the carrier. A movable fold chute receives a portion of the carrier with the card attached and allows the carrier to fold while protecting the card portion of the carrier. The fold chute moves between different positions which allow the carrier to enter and exit through folding rollers along a generally straight paper path without forcing the cards around small radii, thereby preventing damage to the cards or causing them to separate from the carrier sheet.

System and method for folding paper carriers with attached cards

The novel solution provides a method for feeding of individual envelopes from a stack of envelopes in a hopper for an inserter machine. At the downstream end of the hopper, a friction feeder serially feeds individual envelopes from the stack. A suction cup is selectively actuated to engage with the envelope to pull a leading portion of the envelope away from the stack to assist the friction feeder in feeding envelopes. Selective actuation is based on monitoring downstream movement of fed envelopes. The suction cup is engaged when the envelopes travel a shorter distance than would be expected based on the movement of the feeder.

Envelope feeder with selective suction cup assist

A stacking assembly is operative to protect stacked mailpieces from damage due to abrasion. The stacking assembly includes a support blade moveably mounted to a bin for accepting a stack of mailpieces and an ingestion assembly including a Leading Edge (LE) urge roller and Trailing Edge (TE) alignment device. The LE urge roller is operative to accept mailpieces from a supply of mailpieces, and urge a leading edge portion thereof toward a sidewall of the stacking bin. The TE alignment device includes a first cam driven about an axis of rotation by a digital rotary positioning device which cam defines a surface operative to urge the trailing edge portion of each mailpiece into parallel alignment with the support blade. The stacking assembly also includes an anti-abrasion linkage responsive to rotation of the digital rotary positioning device to forcibly displace a surface of the stacked mailpieces away from a moving surface of the ingestion assembly.

Anti-abrasion assembly for mailpiece stacking assembly

A divert assembly is described for a mailpiece sorter operative to sort mailpieces into one of a plurality of sortation bins. The divert assembly comprising a re-direct mechanism for selectively re-directing mailpieces travelling along a feed path into the sortation bin and causing each selected mailpiece to be re-directed at an angle relative to the stack of mailpieces to be accumulated in the sortation bin. The divert assembly also including a stacking assembly including a Leading Edge (LE) urge roller, a support blade, and a Trailing Edge (TE) alignment device. The LE urge roller accepts and urges each of the selected mailpieces toward a sidewall of the sortation bin while the support blade holds each of the selected mailpieces between the urge roller and the support blade and in an on-edge parallel relationship relative thereto. The support blade is moveably mounted relative to the LE urge roller to allow the accumulation of additional mailpieces between the LE urge roller and the support blade. The TE alignment device includes a stepper motor rotationally driving a cam about a rotational axis. The cam defines a surface operative to urge the trailing edge portion of each selected mailpiece toward the support blade and into alignment with the stack.

Stacking assembly for a mailpiece sorter

An apparatus including a belt support system having a first belt support roller and a system for automatically moving the first belt support roller. The belt support system partially wraps a continuous belt on a belt drive roller. The belt support system includes the first belt support roller at an upstream side of the belt drive roller and a second belt support roller at a downstream side. The system for moving the first belt support roller moves the first roller from a first location relative to the belt drive roller to a second different location, based upon a predetermined load of the belt on the first belt support roller to thereby reduce an amount of wrap of the belt on the belt drive roller and reduce a length of the belt located proximate to the belt drive roller between the first and second belt support rollers.

Growing community of inventors

New Milford, CT, United States of America

Brad Swinford