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:
Jan. 20, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 17, 2001
Hauke Luebben, Radolfzell, DE;
Jochen Loose, Irving, TX (US);
Daniel Kang, Irving, TX (US);
Michael Allain, Coppell, TX (US);
Michael Yaklin, Coppell, TX (US);
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich, DE;
Abstract
A method of singulating and feeding a random mix of thick and thin flat articles includes: (a) sensing whether a flat article is positioned on a feed conveyor in a position for removal from the feeder conveyor with a sensor, (b) advancing the feed conveyor with a first motor an incremental step to place a series of flat articles positioned on edge in a position for removal from the feed conveyor each time the sensor detects the absence of a flat article for removal from the feed conveyor, (c) counting each incremental advance of the feed conveyor, (d) incrementally advancing the stack of flat articles with a jogger driven by a second motor after the feed conveyor has moved a predetermined number of incremental steps to load additional flat articles on the feed conveyor, the jogger tending to edge the flat articles for removal from the feed conveyor; and (e) repeating steps (a)-(d) while sequentially removing flat articles from the feed conveyor on a one-by-one basis as the feed conveyor is advanced. The method is implemented with a feeder comprising a belt type feeder conveyor, a chain driven, finger type jogger and a belt type entry conveyor where the flat articles and/or mail pieces are loaded edgewise.