Pitney Bowes Inc.

Other

Joseph H Marzullo

Michael D Ballard

Sandra J Graveson

Curtis L Mrozinski

Brian S Thompson

Steven A Supron

Christopher DeBarber

Walter Wolog

Irena Makarchuk

Franklin J Buckley

David E Kayser

Richard D Boughton

Ming Xiao

Susan Mahmoodi

Joseph A Cannaverde

David W Hubbard

Kenneth A Schulz

Arnold T Eventoff

Sung S Chang

Mark A Scribe

Roderick N Schmaling

Mark E Sievel

Joan T Doutney

Earl E Eschweiler, Jr

Jeffrey L Chodack

Carlos L DeFiguerido

Joan T Wagner

Robert D Lynch, Jr

Francis J Briggs

Harold L Taylor

Joseph Briggs, Deceased

The present invention provides a sorter for sorting mailpieces into one of at least two sorting bins, the sorter having a transport device for conveying the mailpieces along a transport path. Each sorting bin includes a drive nip located in close proximity to a gate assembly for conveying a mailpiece away from the transport path and into the sorting. Each sorting bin further includes a stacking belt assembly spaced away from the drive nip and having a first end positioned at an acute angle relative to the drive nip and second end positioned adjacent a registration wall.

Sorting device for an inserting system

This invention provides utilizes a centering device located in the accumulation portion of mail production equipment to reduce jamming caused by the insertion of material into an open envelope. The apparatus of this invention is located in the accumulation area of production mail equipment before the inserter. The apparatus of this invention includes: two guides; a solenoid and a flexible wire cable. Two centering guides are actuated through a solenoid and move to a predetermined center position to align and deskew the accumulated enclosure contents (which may include printed and pre-printed folded sheets, business reply envelopes and other insert material). A flexible wire cable is used to provide highly efficient transfer of motion from the solenoid to the centering guides.

Insertion packet centering device

In an envelope stacker, a pusher mechanism continuously applies a force to the envelope flap for sealing the envelope. The stacker is comprised of a horizontal deck, a rear wall, and a plate for supporting a stack of envelopes. Upon receiving an envelope, a pusher advances the envelope towards the stack of envelopes while applying a continuous force to the flap and rear panel of the envelope.

Envelope stacker

Apparatus for singulating sheets of paper and detecting a double feed. The apparatus includes: a sheet feeder having a feed deck; a separator wheel housing secured to the feed deck; a separator wheel mounted in the separator wheel housing; a stone mount located beneath the separator wheel, the stone mount being secured to the feed deck; a separator stone mounted in the stone mount beneath the separator wheel; a Hall effect sensor located in the stone mount downstream of the separator stone; and a magnet secured to the feeder, the magnet being biased against the Hall effect sensor, whereby the Hall effect sensor can detect feed without being effected by any fluctuations in the feed deck.

Hall effect sensor for detecting double fed sheets

In a stacker apparatus for stacking mail pieces, an offset apparatus is included to cause lateral registration of a vertically oriented mail piece to a preselected side registration wall. The offset apparatus is comprised of a generally conical elastomer roller which is fastened to the shaft of a drive motor. The roller engages the bottom edge of a mail piece in order to urge the mail piece towards a preselected side registration wall.

Envelope offset apparatus

An envelope ejecting apparatus is disclosed for use in an inserting machine in which envelopes are fed successively in one direction along a feed path to a first location and then are moved incrementally in a reverse direction to an insert receiving position at which envelope throat opening devices open the throats of the envelopes so that insert material can be fed thereinto. The envelope ejecting apparatus is connected to the throat opening devices for operation therewith and also to the means for feeding the envelopes in the reverse direction, and there is a control means operatively interconnected between the envelope throat opening means and the envelope ejecting means for preventing the envelope ejecting means from ejecting the envelope until it is positioned at the insert receiving position and insert material has been inserted thereinto.

Ejection mechanism for envelope inserting machine

The sheet feeder includes a tray having a pusher mechanism mounted at a rear portion and a feeder mechanism mounted at a forward portion. The pusher mechanism is driven through a spring wrap clutch which includes a ratchet which engages a pawl mounted on the feeder mechanism. When the feeder mechanism is in a first position the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet and the clutch is free to rotate and engage the pusher mechanism which advances the stack of sheets against the feeder mechanism, driving the feeder mechanism back to a second position where the pawl engages the ratchet, disengaging the spring wrap clutch and halting the pusher mechanism. As sheets are fed from the stack a spring urges the feeder mechanism back towards the first position, disengaging the ratchet and engaging the clutch and repeating the cycle. A spring maintains a substantially constant normal force between the feeder mechanism and the stack as the feeder mechanism moves between the first and second positions.

Apparatus and method for feeding print media from a stack

In an envelope stacker, a normal force roller mechanism drives a mail piece vertically then retracts without adding significant torque to the stacker. The normal force roller mechanism is comprised of a frame and a bracket pivotally mounted to the frame, the bracket further having an aperture and an arm with a shaft extending therefrom. An idler roller is mounted to the shaft. A hub having a slot is rotatably mounted to a plate. An assembly is provided for moving the plate in a substantially horizontal direction. A generally L-shaped pin having a first end portion and a second end portion extends through the slot so that the first end portion engages the aperture of the bracket. A spring is mounted onto the L-shaped pin between the second end portion and the hub.

Pressure roller mechanism for stacking apparatus

An apparatus for properly positioning envelopes in an envelope inserting machine for receiving insert material is disclosed in which the envelope positioning apparatus feeds a first envelope along a prescribed feed path to a predetermined location which is beyond the normal location at which the throat of the envelope can be opened so that the envelope can receive a package of insert material, and then feeds the envelope in a reverse direction until a throat opening device is effective to open the throat of the first envelope. A microprocessor, which controls the feeding of the envelope, is preset to feed the envelope to the first mentioned predetermined location, and has the capability to adjust the preset amount by which the envelope is fed by the amount that it is fed in the reverse direction so that all succeeding envelopes having the same shape and throat characteristics as the first envelope are fed direction to the location at which the throat of the first envelope is opened to receive the insert material.

Envelope positioning apparatus for inserting machine

An apparatus and method for centering and aligning sheets. The apparatus includes a D-roller assembly for cyclically engaging and transporting sheets and a centering and aligning mechanism for centering the lining sheets which is synchronized with the operation of the D-roller assembly so that the centering and aligning mechanism acts upon the sheets before the sheets are engaged by the D-roller assembly. The centering and aligning mechanism includes a pair of elements extending parallel to, and symmetrically from the center-line of, the path followed by the sheets and the elements cycle from first positions inward to second positions separated by approximately the width of the sheets so that sheets positioned between the elements are centered a aligned. Movement of the elements is synchronized with the D-roller assembly by a pair of complementary oppositely faced barrel cams mounted on a common shaft with the D-roller assembly. To center and align the sheets the D-roller assembly is rotated to cyclically open and close its nip and the elements are cyclically moved between the first positions and the second positions so that the elements reach the second positions while the nip is open, remain in the second positions until the nip closes, and return to the first position before the nip begins to close again. Sheets are fed into the D-roller assembly and between the elements during each cycle while the nip is open and the elements are approximately in the first positions.

Apparatus method for centering and aligning sheets

The present invention provides an improvement for a document feeder comprising a feed deck, a separator assembly for separating and feeding individual documents, the separator assembly including a separator wheel disposed above the feed deck, drive structure for driving the separator wheel, and structure for adjustably positioning the separator wheel assembly to a position relative to the feed deck commensurate with the material being fed. The improvement comprises structure for pivotally coupling the document feeder to vertical frame members. The coupling structure is located at one end of the document feeder near the separator assembly. There are a pair of leg members extending below the feed deck, each of the leg members resting on a horizontal frame member at opposite sides of the document feed path. The leg members are laterally spaced so as not to interfere with documents being conveyed by the underlying document transport.

Pivoting feeder assembly for jam access

A corner buckle feeder has a singulation roller and feed roller for initially separating and feeding glossy paper. The front corners of a sheet stack are unsupported in order to minimize the intersheet frictional forces that are influenced by temperature and humidity. The axis of the singulation roller is disposed at an angle with respect to an edge adjacent to the lead edge of the top sheet. The singulation roller drives the adjacent edge inward and the top sheet deforms along the leading edge to form a buckle.

Apparatus and method for buckling a sheet

An envelope feeder in which a plurality of functions is performed. These functions are singulation, registration, flap opening, failure detection and envelope feeding of an envelope. The multi-function feeder can be operationally associated with a device that performs mail processing functions or printing operations.

Multi-function envelope feeder

An apparatus for buffering transport of freshly inked documents is comprised of an upper deck oriented at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane. The apparatus has a plurality of opposite, parallel, threaded screw conveyers orthogonal to the upper deck. Inked documents travel upon the threads of the screw conveyers. A lower deck is provided for receiving inked documents. An eject pin mechanism causes the inked documents to be delivered from the apparatus.

Apparatus for buffering transport of documents

A mechanism for releasably latching an assembly which is pivotable between first and second side frame members in a machine, comprises a pivot rod mounted transversely between the first and second side members and pivotally biased away from the assembly. First and second levers are rigidly secured to the pivot rod at opposite ends of the pivot rod, and first and second latching members are independently and pivotally mounted to the first and second side frame members adjacent to the first and second levers respectively. The first and second latching members are biased towards the assembly. Each of the first and second latching members includes a notch for receiving a connecting rod in the assembly. Each of the first and second levers includes a guide pin for urging the first and second latching members away from the assembly when the first and second levers pivot towards the assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Brookfield, CT, United States of America

Joseph H Marzullo