Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Jochen Loose

Hauke Luebben

Michael Yaklin

Daniel Kang

Michael Allain

Armin Zimmermann

The present invention relates to an apparatus for dividing a stack of items. The items may comprise mail pieces. The apparatus comprises at least one supporting finger which extends through an opening within a base. The base supports the items which stand thereon and further lean against a supporting wall. Where more than one supporting finger is present, the finger may further comprise a hollow opening and/or groove which accommodates the other supporting fingers therein. Accordingly, as all of the supporting fingers pass through the opening, the size of the opening is reduced. In addition, the supporting fingers may be specially sized so as to accommodate different sized items. The supporting fingers are arced so that when they are extended through the opening, they arc towards the base. The height achieved by a supporting finger is related to the height of the item being engaged by the finger. A drive mechanism drives the finger(s) through the opening, the drive mechanism may include a rotary arm(s) associated with each finger and a further drive and/or control element to effect pivoting of the arms thereby urging the fingers through the opening.

Device for subdividing stacks

An improved jogger includes a sidewall with a guide groove, a chain defining a closed path including a sloped loading end and a straight transport section, the sloped loading end being angled toward the transport section in the direction of the travel of the chain at least two sprockets, the sprockets defining the slope of the sloped loading end of the closed path, a plurality of fingers coupled to the chain at spaced apart intervals, the fingers receiving flat articles therebetween at the sloped loading end and conveying the articles along the horizontal transport section and a plurality of guides coupled to the fingers, the guides engaging the guide groove and orienting fingers in a position perpendicular to the horizontal transport section as the fingers are carried into the sloped loading end.

Jogging apparatus

A method of singulating and feeding a random mix of thick and thin flat articles includes: (a) sensing whether a flat article is positioned on a feed conveyor in a position for removal from the feeder conveyor with a sensor, (b) advancing the feed conveyor with a first motor an incremental step to place a series of flat articles positioned on edge in a position for removal from the feed conveyor each time the sensor detects the absence of a flat article for removal from the feed conveyor, (c) counting each incremental advance of the feed conveyor, (d) incrementally advancing the stack of flat articles with a jogger driven by a second motor after the feed conveyor has moved a predetermined number of incremental steps to load additional flat articles on the feed conveyor, the jogger tending to edge the flat articles for removal from the feed conveyor; and (e) repeating steps (a)-(d) while sequentially removing flat articles from the feed conveyor on a one-by-one basis as the feed conveyor is advanced. The method is implemented with a feeder comprising a belt type feeder conveyor, a chain driven, finger type jogger and a belt type entry conveyor where the flat articles and/or mail pieces are loaded edgewise.

Growing community of inventors

Irving, TX, United States of America

Jochen Loose