The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 03, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 04, 1999
George Cera, Endicott, NY (US);
Wayne Blackwell, Chenango Forks, NY (US);
Lou Taylor, Apalachin, NY (US);
Lockhead Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD (US);
Abstract
A singulation mechanism is provided for use in a handling system for mail or other substantially flat articles, the mechanism having a singulation head with a drive mechanism which, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, initially moves an article pressed thereagainst with high acceleration, interrupts the drive to the article for a brief instant and then moves the article again at high acceleration, a take-away mechanism removing the article exiting the head. In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, movement at a high acceleration is imparted to the article pressed against the singulation head only when the head is energized and substantially no movement in imparted when the head is not energized. More specifically, the singulation head may include a belt driven over a pair of vacuum chambers, with the trailing vacuum chamber being initially energized to draw the article against the bell and move the article with high acceleration to a position detected by a first detector, at which time the trailing vacuum chamber is turned off and the leading vacuum chamber turned on to again grab the article and move it to the take-away mechanism with high acceleration. This two-step acceleration process is effective for shaking free doubles from the article being singulated. The belt has a substantially friction-free surface in contact with the article to assure that movement is imparted to the article only when a vacuum chamber is turned on. The mechanism includes additional features, including a doubles resolver head, for preventing the passage of doubles to the take mechanism.