Siemens Industry, Inc.

Bard Access Systems, Inc.

Bryan Stone

Rajeev Dwivedi

Kyle G Thornley

Uwe Maertin

Simon Krause

Edwin Bland

John Day

A pickoff system for removal of mail pieces one at a time from the end of a stack includes a pickoff belt mechanism, a sensor positioned to determine mail piece movement speed, and a measurement device determines belt movement speed during operation of the pickoff belt mechanism. A vacuum system includes a vacuum pump and a vacuum manifold positioned to apply suction to the mail piece in a direction that tends to hold the mail piece against the belt of the pickoff belt mechanism. A controller is configured to compare the belt movement speed and the mail piece movement speed during operation, and when mail piece movement speed is slower than belt movement speed, indicating slipping of the mail piece relative to the belt of the pickoff belt mechanism, the controller temporarily increases suction force applied to a mail piece being transported by the pickoff belt mechanism.

Pickoff mechanism for mail feeder

A tensioning device configured for use in a conveyor system as an idler roller over which a belt is wound under tension includes a housing, an arm mounted in the housing for linear movement in and out of the housing, a roller mechanism mounted at a distal end of the arm including a roller configured for rolling contact with a belt of a conveyor system, and an actuator for extending and retracting the arm from the housing. The actuator includes a worm shaft and a lead screw. A pinion of the worm shaft engages a gear affixed at one end of the lead screw. The tensioning device includes a coupling by which rotation of the lead screw results in outward movement of the arm when the worm shaft is rotated in a first direction, and which results in inward movement of the arm when the worm shaft is rotated in the opposite direction. Engagement of the worm shaft to the gear is self-locking.

Limited force, self locking tensioner

A template according to the invention is configured for manual testing of a mail piece to determine if the dimensions and stiffness of the mail piece are acceptable for passage through an associated automated mail sorting machine. The template includes a frame having a pair of spaced, curved walls defining a curved test slot. The curved slot has an open end through which a mail piece can be inserted and a removal opening for removing the mail piece from the slot. The removal opening in a preferred embodiment comprises a lengthwise slot in one of the curved walls through which the mail piece can be manually held and pushed back out of the open end of the template. The template may include a bracket for mounting the template on a secure surface.

Mail template for measuring size and flexibility

Growing community of inventors

Dallas, TX, United States of America

Bryan Stone