Bowe Bell + Howell Postal Systems Company

Bell & Howell Postal Systems, Inc.

David Schwaba

Richard Wojdyla

Walter S Conard

Eduard M Svyatsky

Gary L VanderSyde

Roy Charles Schoon

Mike Stollenwerck

Stephen R Archer

James Carl McClain

Walter Conard

Anatoly Estis

Fred Hegland

Eric Yadong Jin

A method and system for mail security and traceability is disclosed. Identification code producing equipment prints an encrypted code which identifies the source of the individual mail piece on each mail piece in a batch of mail. When the mailer submits the mailing to the Postal service, recording equipment captures and records the identity of the person submitting the mail. Verification equipment samples the batch of mail and reads the identification code on each mail piece in the sample. Paperwork submitted with the mailing also contains an encrypted code which is scanned and compared to the identification code on the mail pieces to verify the origin of the mailing. Any mail piece that does not have a mark or that has the wrong code is rejected.

Method and system for mail security and traceability

An in-line mail weighing system and scale comprises a mail piece transport mounted atop a load cell. The mail piece transport includes a drive assembly and a pressure assembly defining a transport path. Mail pieces are moved through the mail piece transport, on edge. The load cell takes a series of weight measurements for each mail piece in a stream of mail pieces as each mail piece moves through the mail piece transport at a constant high speed, and then accurately calculates the weight of each mail piece.

In-line mail weighing system and scale

A mail preparation system for processing a mail piece comprises a magazine section to hold the mail piece and a feeder for feeding the mail piece into a transport path in a vertical position. Mail processing equipment may be placed along the transport path for processing the mail piece.

Modular mail preparation system

The present invention provides for a continuous flow transfer system designed to transfer the contents of a mail tray into a cartridge for subsequent processing and then, after processing, to transfer the contents of the cartridge back into a mail tray without disrupting the facing or orientation of each piece of mail. The continuous flow transfer system comprises both a cartridge loader and a cartridge unloader, both of which have a tray section, a transfer conveyor and a cartridge section. The tray section, or infeed section, of the cartridge loader is designed to deliver filled mail trays to the transfer section of the loader. At the transfer section, the contents of each mail tray are deposited into an intermediate container that is affixed to the transfer section. The transfer section then delivers the contents of the intermediate container into empty cartridges being fed onto the cartridge section, or discharge section, of the loader. Once filled, each cartridge is then transported away from the cartridge loader for processing, where the mail is removed from each container, processed and place back into a cartridge. After processing, the filled cartridges are then delivered to the cartridge section, or infeed section, of the cartridge unloader. Similar to the loader, the contents of each cartridge are transferred into an intermediate container affixed to the transfer section. The transfer section then delivers the contents of the intermediate container to the mail section, or discharge section, of the unloader, where the mail is transferred back into mail trays. The filled mail trays are then ready for delivery.

Continuous flow transfer system

Growing community of inventors

Chicago, IL, United States of America

David Schwaba