Finmeccanica Spa

Elsag Spa

Nedo Gennari

Andrea Faure

Guido Teodoro De Leo

Lawrence B Holmes

Vincenzo Priolo

Roberto Facciolo

Method of sorting postal objects in which a postal sorting machine has a first input and at least one second input and a plurality of outputs communicating with the inputs via a sorter device. The method comprises the steps of: supplying first and second streams of postal objects to the first and second inputs, directing the postal objects to all the outputs; withdrawing from at least some of the outputs groups of postal objects previously directed to respective outputs forming two collections of groups of postal objects; and operating in a transport mode which each postal object supplied to the first input is directed only towards a first subset of the outputs and each postal object supplied to the second input is directed only towards the second subset of the said output. During the said transport mode the groups of postal objects belonging to a respective collection are supplied respectively to the first and second input.

Method of sorting postal objects

A rotating mat for switching equipment, fitted with one or more holding flaps and elements capable of exerting a recalling force on the mat when the flaps are on the transmission rollers, wherein the elements which exert the recalling force are flexible elements attached to the mat's surface at the point of anchoring the flaps.

Rotating mat with holding flaps, for switching machines

A switching machine having a number of trolleys pulled by belts mounted on drive wheels set at the ends of the machine and comprising a mechanism suitable for imposing a counter rotating motion on the trolleys, so as to maintain them in a correct position while passing over the drive wheels. The mechanism for achieving the counter rotation motion on the trolleys comprises a number of first sprockets, mounted on a support firmly attached to the drive wheels, having a rotation motion proportional to the rotation of the drive wheels and having the same direction, and, for each trolley, a sprocket firmly attached to the frame of the trolley, suitable for meshing with said first sprockets when the trolley reaches the ends of its path.

Closed circuit switching machine, on a vertical plane, with devices to

A device for actuating the unloading mat in switching machines of a type comprising elements capable of engaging a supporting roller for the mat, so as to control its rotation and effect the unloading of the transported object during the forward motion of the trolley holding the mat. The elements include a rack capable of engaging a sprocket solidly affixed to the shaft of one of the mat rollers, and the rack is mounted on a support subjected to the action of eccentric devices designed to govern the shifts from a position of rest to one of engaging with the sprocket. The rack is mounted on the support with the capability of performing small shifts against elastic devices, along a direction parallel to the direction of the trolley's forward motion.

System for actuating the unloading mat in switching machines

A sorting machine comprising a plurality of dollies each provided with a rotating mat forming a transportation and discharging plane for objects, whereby the dollies are are kept in a tilted position during the displacement along their transportation path, wherein each dolly is provided with a pair of idle wheels which run along a guide that is shaped to form two superposed guides, the front and rear rolls of the dolly respectively rolling along these paths so as to maintain the dolly in an inclined position. To perform the discharging operation a rack is provided, mounted on a movable support, which is displaced until it engages a toothed wheel mounted on the shaft of one of the support rolls of the rotating mat.

Sorting machine with always tilted transportation planes

An apparatus for loading envelopes onto switching machines, characterized in that there are provided: a sliding plane with a lower support rim on which said envelopes rest; a plurality of pusher members arranged in successions, said pusher members being suited to successively engage said envelopes and cause each of them to advance towards the following pusher; means suited to remove said lower support rim when the envelope passes in correspondence with the area for the introduction into the machine so as to allow the envelope to fall onto the switching machine.

Apparatus for loading envelopes onto sorting machines

This invention proposes a handling-switching apparatus in which the pieces to be handled are placed on conveyor tables constituted by rotating carpets that are inclined and set to rotation to unload the conveyed piece. The path, loop shaped, develops on a vertical plane and a characteristic of the invention is that means to keep in the horizontal position the carpets even in the sections connecting the upper to the lower part of the path and conversely are provided.

Handling-switching machine with device for keeping conveyor tables in a

A device whereby a pile of rectangular items is placed on an inclined surface and pushed towards the straight front edge thereof by a push unit. The surface presents two pairs of conveyor belts parallel to each other and coplanar with the surface; and the pile is arrested upon a bottom portion of the first item in the pile activating a first or second limit stop sensor, which activates a respective pair of belts so as to move the bottom left or right portion of the item and so orient the item in relation to a gripping plane. A gripping unit with two suction cups movable along a three-dimensional trajectory grips the oriented item and feeds it to a follow-up conveyor belt.

Mail sorting device

This invention proposes a handling-switching apparatus in which the pieces to be handled are placed on conveyor tables constituted by rotating carpets that are inclined and set to rotation to unload the piece into collecting vessels suitably preset. A cam device is provided to control the unloading of the piece, which are operated and subsequently brought again to a non-operative position by the carriage itself while moving forward, so as to avoid the risk of breakage.

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Genoa, Italy

Nedo Gennari