Pitney Bowes Inc.

Francis E McDermott

Edilberto I Salazar

Peter C DiGiulio

Robert J Tolmie, Jr

Kevin J O'Dea

Williams J Linkowski

Mark W Van Gorp

Ido Weisman

A sensor processor for cooperating with a drive controller in a high-speed mail-handling machine. The sensor procesor access periodically a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the machine, and then writes the sensor data to an NVM-RAM shared with the drive controller. Time-critical sensors are accessed more frequently than non-time-critical sensors.

Sensor processor for high-speed mail-handling machine

A sensor processor for cooperating with a drive controller in a high-speed mail-handling machine. The sensor processor access periodically a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the machine, and then writes the sensor data to an NVM-RAM shared with the drive controller. Time-critical sensors are accessed more frequently than non-time-critical sensors.

In a mail-handling machine for processing mixed mail, a flap-stripper for opening the flap of an unsealed envelope is mounted for rotation to intercept and detect a mis-sealed envelope to avoid jamming the machine. A deflecting finger with a small idler roller pushes down on the envelope before it reaches the flap-stripper.

Mail handling machine with mis-sealed envelope detector

In a mail-handling machine for processing mixed mail, a flap-stripper for opening the flap of an unsealed envelope is mounted for rotation to intercept and detect a mis-sealed envelope to avoid jamming the machine.

The motor controller system controls the respective motors of a plurality of cooperative apparatus associated with an article processing system, the article processing system for performing a plurality of functions upon an article traversing the article processing system and comprises a motor driver board having a plurality of input channels and a plurality of respective output channels. The motors are in line communication with a respective one of the output channels of the motor driver board. A programmable microprocessor is in bus communication with the driver board's input channels. A plurality of sensors are respectively mounted to each of the apparatus and in bus communication with the programmable microprocessor, the sensors being strategically located on the apparatus to provide such information to the microprocessor as article size, position and velocity information and to provide apparatus operation information. The microprocessor is programmed such that a cycle is preformed at a desired frequency, each control cycle being divided into discrete time intervals during which respective time interval the microprocessor transmits motor control command information to the driver board for respective motors and during other of the time intervals the microprocessor reads information from the sensors. The microprocessor is further programmed to perform additional processing during at least one of said time intervals.

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Watertown, CT, United States of America

Francis E McDermott