Bowe Bell + Howell Postal Systems Company

Bell + Howell Company

Steve Archer

John W Overman

George Rabindran

Ken Guenther

Dan Rice

Tom Wells

Brian Bowers

Walter S Conard

Mike Stollenwerck

Sherrie Rice, Legal Representative

Mike Ogarek

Rich Wojdyla

A delivery point packaging system and method of preparing and sorting mail pieces sorts, packages and assembles mail pieces into a predetermined delivery point order.

Delivery point sorting system

The present invention relates to an apparatus for collating a plurality of separate groups or bundles of similar flats mailpieces arranged in a predetermined delivery point sequence, each mailpiece imprinted with a distinct delivery point or address indicia, to produce a single stream of mailpieces in new groups, where each new group comprises a plurality of mailpieces all addressed to a distinct delivery point. The apparatus comprises a plurality of feed units, each unit configured to process a quantity of similar mailpieces, each with a distinct delivery point indicia on the face of the mailpiece, and to deposit each mailpiece in a distinct pocket on a collation conveyor which traverses all of the plurality of feed units. Each pocket will ultimately contain different mail pieces, all addressed to the same delivery point Multiple new groups of mailpieces are then automatically placed in containers in a sequence corresponding to a predetermined delivery route.

Flats bundle collator

A method and apparatus is disclosed for combining multiple small stacks of flats mailpieces into a single large stack of mailpieces and then transferring the large stack to a standard flats mail tray, all while maintaining the sequence order of the mail in the accumulated stack. The apparatus is comprised of three primary subsystems: a bridge conveyor, a stack accumulator, and an output tray station. The bridge conveyor carries mailpieces from the exit conveyor of a mail processing machine such as a collator, to the stack accumulator. The stack accumulator combines small stacks of mailpieces into large stacks in a desired sequence. The output tray station provides support for an empty tray as the accumulated mail stack is transferred to the tray, and then releases the filled tray in a controlled manner.

Flats mail autotrayer system

The present invention relates to an apparatus for collating a plurality of separate groups or bundles of similar flats mailpieces arranged in a predetermined delivery point sequence, each mailpiece imprinted with a distinct delivery point or address indicia, to produce a single stream of mailpieces in new groups, where each new group comprises a plurality of mailpieces all addressed to a distinct delivery point. The apparatus comprises a plurality of feed units, each unit configured to process a quantity of similar mailpieces, each with a distinct delivery point indicia on the face of the mailpiece, and to deposit each mailpiece in a distinct pocket on a collation conveyor which traverses all of the plurality of feed units. Each pocket will ultimately contain different mail pieces, all addressed to the same delivery point. Multiple new groups of mailpieces are then automatically placed in containers in a sequence corresponding to a predetermined delivery route.

Growing community of inventors

Des Plaines, IL, United States of America

Steve Archer