Licentia Patent-Verwaltungs Gmbh

Gisbert Burkhardt

Werner Frank

Karl Klappenecker

Henning Jeschke

Dieter Hofmann

Hans Rapparlie

An apparatus for changing the direction of motion of rectangular pieces of mail from a path parallel to a long edge of the pieces of mail to a path parallel to the short edge thereof, comprises a first conveying segment having an end section which moves the pieces of mail in a direction parallel to their long edge but displaceable so that the pieces of mail can be moved in addition by another mechanism. At the end of the first conveying segment, a first deflecting device is provided for engaging a leading edge of the pieces of mail and deflecting them for movement into a second direction but, at the same time, holding the pieces of mail so their edges remain parallel throughout the operation. A second conveying segment is provided for receiving the pieces of mail from the first deflecting device and conducting the pieces of mail along the second direction to a second deflecting device. The downstream end of the second conveying segment also includes a section which permits displaceable conveyance of the pieces of mail, that is conveyance of the pieces of mail while permitting movement of the pieces of mail by another device. The second deflecting device seizes the pieces of mail as they come from the second conveying segment and conduct them, again in parallel orientation, into a third direction which is substantially at 90.degree. to the first direction.

Apparatus for changing the direction of motion of letters and similar

A conveying device for rectangular substantially flat objects, for example, letters, including first and second conveyor sections each including a guide trough which defines a conveying path for the objects and supports a longitudinal edge of same, a direction changing conveyor section connecting the first and second sections together so that objects can be conveyed from the first to the second section, and a rotating pulling device having a plurality of pusher fingers mounted thereon for moving the fingers along the guide troughs of the first and second conveyor sections so as to move objects along the conveying path. The pulling device is mounted on a plurality of drums with one of these drums being disposed in the direction changing conveyor section and having a first contact surface for the pulling device. The directing changing conveyor section comprises a second contact surface on the drum within the direction changing conveyor section with the second contact surface having a greater radius than that of the first contact surface, an endless cover belt, and a plurality of rollers for supporting and guiding the cover belt so that it normally encloses and contacts the portion of the second contact surface in said direction changing conveyor section and so that it coacts with the guide troughs as an outer guide element for the objects in the transition regions between each of the first and second conveyor sections and the direction changing conveyor section, whereby the objects are held between the cover belt and the second contact surface and conveyed thereby through the direction changing conveyor section.

Conveying device with pusher fingers

A sorting conveyor for flat rectangular items has a guide surface extending in a conveying direction; a drive continuously moving along the guide surface in the conveying direction; a plurality of pusher fingers attached in a spaced relationship to the drive for individually engaging and serially conveying the items along the guide surface in the conveying direction; and at least one feeding station operatively coupled to the sorting conveyor for introducing items thereinto. Each feeding station comprises a feeding panel disposed laterally of the guide surface for receiving the items to be introduced into the sorting conveyor; a feeding conveyor arranged in the zone of the feeding panel for advancing each item onto the guide surface such that a lower, support edge of the advanced item forms an acute angle with the guide surface and a leading edge of the advanced item is substantially parallel to the guide surface and perpendicular to the conveying direction; and a control circuit connected to the feeding conveyor and including sensors and signaling arrangements generating output signals for initiating a feeding cycle of the feeding conveyor at such a moment as to effect the introduction of each item from the feeding panel into an unoccupied conveying compartment defined between any two pusher fingers.

Feeding station for a sorting conveyor

A conveyor for transporting substantially flat articles, such as mail, along a trough by pusher fingers. The pusher fingers are individually mounted to carriers which are connected to pulling mechanism and guided by guide rails. The present conveyor design causes reduced operational noise and need for maintenance.

Conveyor with pusher fingers

In apparatus for the successive discharge and conveyance, along a conveying path, of items of mail from a stack by a continuously driven conveying device and an externally controllable removal member arranged to transport successive items from the stack to the region of action of the conveying device, the desired spacing between successive items is established by the provision of a first sensing unit disposed between the stack and the conveying device to define a first measuring path extending along the conveying path and to provide an output signal indicative of the length of the portion of the first measuring path traversed by the leading edge of an item presently being conveyed by the removal device, a second sensing unit disposed downstream of the first sensing unit, along the conveying path, to define a second measuring path offset from the first measuring path, along the conveying path, by a distance corresponding to the desired spacing between successive items, and to provide an output signal indicative of the length of the portion of the second measuring path traversed by the leading edge or trailing edge of an item being conveyed by the conveying device, and a control member connected to place the removal device into operation upon production of output signals indicating that the length of the portion of the second measuring path traversed by the leading or trailing edge of an item is equal to the length of the portion of the first measuring path traversed by the leading edge of the immediately following item.

Apparatus for the successive release of items of mail from a stack

A conveyor-distributor apparatus for handling flat rectangular items, has a horizontal conveyor channel; a support face defining the conveyor channel floor on which the lower edges of the substantially upright oriented items are guided; and a plurality of consecutive deflector switches arranged along the conveying path of the conveyor channel. A guiding device is connected to each deflector switch for changing the orientation of the deflected items from the position they assumed in the conveyor channel to a flat-lying, stacking position. Each guiding device is constituted by a slide that comprises a curved deflecting surface having a first surface portion which adjoins the associated deflector switch and which is in alignment with the plane of the items as they emerge from the deflector switch subsequent to their deflection thereby. The deflecting surface further has a second surface portion which is bounded by a lower terminal edge and which is inclined to the horizontal at an acute angle having an apex oriented towards the location of another, upstream-positioned slide as viewed in the conveying direction of the conveyor channel. Each slide further has a curved supporting surface intersecting the curved deflecting surface substantially at a right angle. The supporting surface has a first surface portion adjoining the support face of the conveyor channel and a second surface portion substantially following the drop curve of the items on the slide for effecting a continuous contact with the lower edge of the items as they move down on the slide.

Conveyor-distributor apparatus for flat items

In an apparatus for forwarding flat items individually from a stack, a withdrawing mechanism forwards the items in succession into the gripping zone of a feed mechanism for further conveyance. Between the withdrawing mechanism and the feed mechanism there is situated a sensor which is connected to a control circuit controlling the operation of the withdrawing mechanism. The location of the sensor determines a standby position for each item. The control circuit causes operation of the withdrawing mechanism only when either the sensor senses no item present or the sensor senses the presence of an item and there is applied a call signal to the control circuit. Each item is first forwarded by the withdrawing mechanism from the stack to the standby position and is advanced by the withdrawing mechanism from the standby position into the gripping zone of the feed mechanism only when the call signal is applied to the control circuit.

Growing community of inventors

Reichenau, Germany

Gisbert Burkhardt