Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Nikolaus Haselberger

Armin Zimmermann

Peter Berdelle-Hilge

Holger Schererz

Wolf-Stephan Wilke

Andre Rompe

Eberhard Mandler

Carsten Aschpurwis

Sebastian Hahn

Tim Schiess

Peter Berdelle-hilge

A transfer apparatus contains a conveying unit, a sorting unit, which is configured for receiving and sorting articles from the conveying unit, and a transfer unit with a feeding unit. The transfer unit forms a transporting connection between the conveying unit and the sorting unit. A discharging unit is positioned on a portion of the conveying unit and is configured to discharge an article onto the transfer unit only when the article is at a predefined minimum distance from a previously discharged article.

Transfer apparatus and method for transferring articles

A sorting device for articles has at least two main conveyor lines, each conveying consecutively arranged articles, at least two feeder devices, which respectively feed the articles to one of the main conveyor lines, at least two recognition devices for detecting a sorting destination for each article, a plurality of sorting outlets arranged at the end of each main conveyor line, each assigned to sorting destinations, and to which the articles are transported. The sorting device further has at least two connecting conveyor lines, each branching off the main conveyor lines at branch points, by way of which the articles can be conveyed from one main conveyor line to another main conveyor line. The articles can be temporarily stored in a storage device, which feeds temporarily stored articles to one of the main conveyor lines in the direction of conveyance before at least one of the branch points.

Sorting device for articles and method for sorting articles

A sorting device has at least one mail item buffer receptacle, a number of storage pockets for mail items arranged one after another and circulating continuously in a conveyor belt and moved past one or more loading stations. Below straight transfer sections of the conveyors fixed intermediate storage receptacles open at the top are arranged to accept one or more mail items from the loaded storage pockets to be opened under control in the transfer sections. On a transport path below the intermediate storage receptacles there are also continuously circulating mail item containers open at the top as sorting end points assigned to the destination addresses or destination address groups. In the mail item containers the mail items are unloaded downwards in a horizontal position in accordance with their read destination address through controllable opening of the relevant intermediate storage receptacle at the point, in which the mail item container assigned to the address is located in the corresponding position below the intermediate storage receptacle with mail items for this mail item container.

Method of sorting flat mail items

The sorting device according to the present invention has at least one mail item buffer receptacle, a number of storage pockets for mail items arranged one after another and circulating continuously in a conveyor belt and moved past one or more loading stations. Below straight transfer sections of the conveyors fixed intermediate storage receptacles open at the top are arranged to accept one or more mail items from the loaded storage pockets to be opened under control in the transfer sections. On a transport path below the intermediate storage receptacles there are also continuously circulating mail item containers open at the top as sorting end points assigned to the destination addresses or destination address groups. In the mail item containers the mail items are unloaded downwards in a horizontal position in accordance with their read destination address through controllable opening of the relevant intermediate storage receptacle at the point, in which the mail item container assigned to the address is located in the corresponding position below the intermediate storage receptacle with mail items for this mail item container.

Sorting device for flat mail items

Method for sorting mailings according to the distribution sequence in a sorter unit with circulating pouches, the number of pouches in a pouch circuit being less than the number of mailings for sorting in said sorting run. After all pouches are loaded, the separation and reading of the remaining mailings for the sorting run is carried out and the mailings are divided into one part for corresponding mailing points for the beginning or end of the sequence, and another part for all the charged mailings, which are then buffered. The mailings in the pouches are then sorted according to the sequence. The buffered mailings are placed in the empty pouches and then separated into further distribution sections, when not all buffered mailings fit in the pouches. Once all pouches are filled with the buffered mailings for the subsequent distribution section the next sorting is carried out.

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Radolfzell-Markelfingen, Germany

Nikolaus Haselberger