A device and a method for feeding flat objects, in particular mail items such as envelopes or letters, in an upright position into a transport container. The device enables to achieve a high productivity and a high automation of the input of a plurality of flat objects and a safe guidance of the transport container by using a first transport device for transporting a transport container in a first transport direction, an input device for transporting flat objects along a second transport direction substantially opposite to the first transport direction, and a second transport device arranged below the first transport device for transporting the transport container in a third transport direction. Between the input device and the first and second transport device, a receiving device with a container receiver is arranged. The container receiver can be pivoted between a receiving position and a delivery position.
B65H 31/10 - Pile receivers with movable end support arranged to recede as pile accumulates the articles being piled one above another and applied at the top of the pile
B65H 29/18 - Delivering or advancing articles from machinesAdvancing articles to or into piles by contact of one face only with moving tapes, bands, or chains and introducing into a pile
B65H 31/22 - Pile receivers removable or interchangeable
B65H 31/30 - Arrangements for removing completed piles
2.
Device and method for feeding flat objects into a transport container
A device and a method for feeding flat objects, in particular mail items such as envelopes or letters, in an upright position into a transport container. The device comprises a feed device for transporting flat objects and for feeding the transported flat objects into a transport container, and a container receiver for positioning the transport container during the feeding of the flat objects in a feed position in which the transport container is arranged obliquely. The device and the method enable to take full advantage of the capacity of the transport container by using a compression unit for compressing the flat objects fed into the transport container, in particular while the transport container is arranged in the input position.
B65H 31/10 - Pile receivers with movable end support arranged to recede as pile accumulates the articles being piled one above another and applied at the top of the pile
B65H 29/18 - Delivering or advancing articles from machinesAdvancing articles to or into piles by contact of one face only with moving tapes, bands, or chains and introducing into a pile
3.
MOBILE TRANSPORT CONTAINER FOR A SORTING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPENING AND/OR CLOSING A TRANSPORT CONTAINER
A transport container for a sorting device includes a support frame, a flap pivotally arranged on the frame, and an adjusting device which is coupled to the flap, to move the flap between a transport position for transporting an object and a dropping position for dropping the object. The adjusting device has a lever coupled to the flap. In order to be able to open and close the transport container reliably and to prevent the opened flap from swinging afterward, as well as to ensure as synchronous a movement of the flaps as possible in the case of several flaps, a cam plate rotatably mounted on the frame and having at least one guide surface is provided, on which the lever is guided during movement of the flap from the transport position into the dropping position and/or during an entire return movement from the dropping position into the transport position.
and wherein the third section of the primary connecting means is rotatable about a first axis transverse to the conveying direction and the third section of the secondary connecting means is rotatable about a second axis parallel to said conveying direction such that the container may move from the first vertical position to a second vertical position.
A method of grouping sheet units, which belong together in sheet groups, a sheet stream comprising two superposed sheet units each by means of a grouping unit, a grouping unit for a sheet handling system, and a sheet handling system that allow a high processing speed and a high cycle efficiency of a sheet handling system are disclosed. A sheet unit can be held back in the grouping unit. Depending on whether the downstream subsequent sheet units transferred into the grouping unit belong to a sheet group, the held-back sheet unit can be released by itself and together with one or together with both downstream subsequent sheet units.
A weighing system weighs an item within a container on a conveyor. The container is connected to the conveyor via a primary connecting means and a secondary connecting means, each of which include a first section permanently connected to the container, a second section permanently connected to the conveyor, and a third section hingedly connected to both the first section and the second section. The third sections are mutually coupled to each other, and are each rotatable about a first axis substantially parallel to the conveying direction, such that the rotation allows for movement of the container with respect to the conveyor in a vertical direction.
B07C 5/18 - Sorting according to weight using a single stationary weighing mechanism
G01G 19/52 - Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. with furniture
G01G 11/00 - Apparatus for weighing a continuous stream of material during flowConveyor-belt weighers
B65G 47/96 - Devices for tilting links or platforms
B65G 17/34 - Individual load-carriers having flat surfaces, e.g. platforms, grids, forks
G01G 19/03 - Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in groups for weighing wheeled or rolling bodies, e.g. vehicles for weighing during motion
G01G 11/04 - Apparatus for weighing a continuous stream of material during flowConveyor-belt weighers having electrical weight-sensitive devices
7.
Conveyor system comprising a plurality of support members and a method thereof
A conveyor system for transporting items from a receiving section to an outlet section, the conveyor system having plurality of first support members for transporting items and a weighing device. wherein a second support member is arranged at a first support member by way of a support assembly, allowing the second support member for being supported by the first support member in a first vertical position and for being moved relative to the first support member between the first vertical position and a second vertical position higher than the first vertical position. The conveyor system includes a lifting device for moving the second support member from the first vertical position towards the second vertical position. The weighing device is arranged for supporting the second support member when the second support member is in the second vertical position.
G01G 11/02 - Apparatus for weighing a continuous stream of material during flowConveyor-belt weighers having mechanical weight-sensitive devices
B07C 5/18 - Sorting according to weight using a single stationary weighing mechanism
G01G 19/03 - Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in groups for weighing wheeled or rolling bodies, e.g. vehicles for weighing during motion
G01G 11/00 - Apparatus for weighing a continuous stream of material during flowConveyor-belt weighers
8.
Collection system for and method of collecting objects
A collection system for collecting flat objects, including a plurality of collection trays disposed one on top of the other, each of the collection trays having an entrance and an exit; a feeder unit for feeding individual objects or assembled groups of objects to the entrance of the collection trays and for depositing the supplied objects in the respective collection tray, the feeder unit and collection trays being movable or swivelable relative to one another; a conveyor unit for removing the objects deposited in a collection tray through the exit of the respective collection tray; and a movable retaining element, which closes the entrance of one of the collection trays after an individual object or an assembled group of objects has been deposited in the respective collection tray. All of the objects collected in the collection trays are simultaneously removed from the collection trays by a conveyor unit and stacked.
B65H 39/10 - Associating articles from a single source, e.g. to form a writing pad
9.
Method, apparatus and enveloping system and electronic interface for electronic communication with a system or apparatus for the order-based processing of flat items
An electronic interface for electronic communication includes a system or apparatus for the order-based processing of flat items that can be categorized into flat item types. The interface has an exclusive input of formulations that combine features of flat item types to be processed in an order and the processing steps performed in the processing system, and/or for the order-based processing of orders according to which a specific amount of specific flat items are to be processed in accordance with one or more formulations, allows sources of error to be reduced.
A supplement feeder for flat objects, comprising a receiving device with a stack compartment for receiving objects in the form of a stack, and a takeoff device for taking off individual objects from the stack, wherein the stack compartment has a front contact region against which the front edge of the stack rests, and equipped with guiding elements for guiding and shaping the stack, comprising a stack shoe that is arranged at the rear edge of the stack in order to guide the stack in the direction of the front contact region. According to the disclosure, this supplement feeder is equipped with a takeoff device for taking off individual objects from the object stack, and at least one component of the guiding elements, and in particular the stack shoe, is coupled to a knocking unit that transmits a discrete knock impact onto the respective component of the guiding element. Thereby malfunctions in the form of missed takeoffs or multiple takeoffs when taking off objects can be largely avoided.
A feeder for flat objects, particularly a supplement feeder for supplements, having a stack compartment for receiving objects in the form of a stack and a takeoff device for taking individual objects off the stack along a takeoff direction, wherein the takeoff device includes a conveying element and a gate, through which the objects taken off the stack are led individually by the conveying element. In order to be able to process different objects with properties differing from one another, particularly objects of different type and thickness, with the feeder in continuous operation without problems and without congestion and to provide a feeder for different objects that is as flexible as possible and that is capable of processing both thick and thin objects without lasting deformations while largely avoiding takeoff errors, the gate has a first gate device and a second gate device. Thereby an object taken off the stack can be brought into engagement either with the first gate device or with the second gate device and led through the gate.
A method for opening an envelope throat of an envelope transported along an envelope channel dependably opens the envelope throat of the envelope during insertion in an inserter. The envelope, in order to open the envelope throat, is first over-pressed against a counter-pressure and then the counter-pressure is released to open the envelope throat, and/or the envelope is over-pressed against the hold-down force that holds the envelope down on an envelope transport, in order to open the envelope throat. For this purpose, an inserter inserts one or more items into an envelope moving along an envelope channel.
B65B 43/34 - Opening or distending bagsOpening, erecting, or setting-up boxes, cartons, or carton blanks by internal pressure
B65B 57/04 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
A device for rotating flat products, in particular sheets or stacks of sheets, moved in a first direction from a first orientation into a second orientation, by a predetermined total rotation angle, by means of a first rotating device, in which the product is rotated first by a first rotation angle, and by means of at least one second rotating device, in which the product is later rotated by a second rotation angle. The first and second rotating devices are arranged one after the other in transport direction, and each rotating device includes rotating elements, which engage with the product for the rotating process. In order to be able to process products having different formats at the highest possible throughput and as failure-free as possible, and in order to ensure as mild a treatment of the products as possible, at least the first rotating device includes switchable engagement elements by means of which the rotating elements can be engaged with or disengaged from the product at selected times.
B65H 7/02 - Controlling article feeding, separating, pile-advancing, or associated apparatus, to take account of incorrect feeding, absence of articles, or presence of faulty articles by feelers or detectors
B65G 47/244 - Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors orientating the articles by turning them about an axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying plane
B65H 5/06 - Feeding articles separated from pilesFeeding articles to machines by rollers
B65H 7/00 - Controlling article feeding, separating, pile-advancing, or associated apparatus, to take account of incorrect feeding, absence of articles, or presence of faulty articles
B65H 9/00 - Registering, e.g. orientating, articlesDevices therefor
An apparatus for transporting goods includes a deformable transport unit, a unit for supplying a goods item to the deformable transport unit and a unit for impressing the goods item into the deformable transport unit so that a top of the goods item facing away from the transport unit has a predetermined height position d with respect to the unit for impressing. The deformable transport unit is implemented such that the predetermined height position of the goods item outside the effective area of the unit for impressing the goods item is at least temporarily maintained. The unit for impressing the goods item include an element arranged at a distance to the deformable transport unit and a goods item for impressing into the deformable transport unit is moved past the element.
B65G 15/20 - Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration comprising two or more co-operating endless surfaces with parallel longitudinal axes, or a multiplicity of parallel elements, e.g. ropes defining an endless surface with two or more endless belts arranged side by side, e.g. for conveyance of flat articles in vertical position
B65G 47/24 - Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors orientating the articles
B65H 29/00 - Delivering or advancing articles from machinesAdvancing articles to or into piles
In the case of a card mass storage device having a storage device and a card transfer, the storage device includes a main storage device and an interim storage device, which is disposed between the main storage device and the card transfer, to allow sorting processes that make implementing rapid access possible.
B65H 29/38 - Delivering or advancing articles from machinesAdvancing articles to or into piles by movable piling or advancing arms, frames, plates, or like members with which the articles are maintained in face contact
B65H 29/40 - Members rotated about an axis perpendicular to direction of article movement, e.g. star-wheels formed by S-shaped members
B65H 29/46 - Members reciprocated in rectilinear path
B65H 1/02 - Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated adapted to support articles on edge
B65H 3/24 - Separating articles from piles by pushers engaging the edges of the articles
B65G 47/51 - Devices for discharging articles or materials from conveyors with distribution, e.g. automatically, to desired points according to unprogrammed signals, e.g. influenced by supply situation at destination
B07C 5/00 - Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or featureSorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
A filling station for filling an envelope is configured to receive a filling material and an envelope. The filling station includes a filling area including at least one filling aid, an envelope feeder configured to receive an envelope and to hold the envelope at least partly at a position outside the filling area, and a transport device configured to move an envelope, which is arranged in the envelope feeder, to the filling aid. The envelope feeder is configured to receive a further envelope during a movement of the preceding envelope from the envelope feeder to the filling aid and/or during filling of the preceding envelope. The transport device is configured to move the further envelope from the envelope feeder to the filling aid once filling of the preceding envelope has been completed and before transporting of the filled envelope out of the filling station has been completed.
A method for adjusting at least one means of an inserting apparatus adjusted for processing envelopes according to at least one predetermined dimension of the envelope is described. A plurality of envelopes is measured, while the envelopes are moved to obtain at least one predetermined dimension of the envelope. Depending on a comparison of the obtained dimension with the adjusted dimension and/or with one or several previously obtained dimensions, at least one means of the inserting apparatus is adjusted for processing the envelopes.
A device for serial printing of print media, particularly mailpieces, with a print head having a planar printing face and a printing area extending longitudinally, and with a transport device for feeding print media to be printed to the print head. The transport device includes first and second transport units, which move the print media parallel to the printing face and can be moved in an orthogonal direction relative to the printing face in order to guide a print medium on the transport units to the printing face of the print head and at a distance away from the printing face that is suitable for printing. The first and second transport units can be moved independently of one another and a transfer area of the printing face is provided to transfer a print medium from the first to the second transport unit.
An apparatus for inserting one or more goods into a moving cover includes a cover transport, and at least one filling aid configured to move at least partially into the cover and to be maintained within the cover during at least a part of the movement of the cover.
An apparatus for inserting one or more goods into a moving cover includes a cover transport, and at least one separating device configured to engage with a first part of the cover and to maintain the first part of the cover separate from a second part of the cover during at least a part of the movement of the cover.
An apparatus for inserting one or more goods into a moveable cover includes a goods conveyor configured to move the one or more goods with a first velocity, at least one filling aid, and a cover conveyor configured to move the cover with a second velocity, the second velocity being different from the first velocity.
An apparatus for inserting one or more goods into a moving cover includes a cover transport, and at least one separating device configured to engage with a first part of the cover and to maintain the first part of the cover separate from a second part of the cover during at least a part of the movement of the cover.
A method for determining a subgroup of a group of sheets in a sheet stream starting from a group start of the group comprises determining the subgroup end of the subgroup based on a sheet state parameter. The subgroup is determined by the group start and the subgroup end and comprises a variable number of sheets. The sheet state parameter determines which sheet in the sheet stream is a group end of the group of sheets.
In a method for adjusting a gap through which a product is to be conveyed, a rotatable element is driven with a predetermined torque, and the rotatable element is moved against the product located in the gap until the rotatable element stops.
A method and apparatus for inserting an object into an envelope in which the envelopes are stacked in a stacker. An envelope flap of the envelope is grasped by a lip on a rotary cam to open the envelope. The envelope flap of the envelope is brought into and maintained in contact with a surface of the rotary cam. The envelope is then pulled, via the envelope flap, so as to place and maintain the envelope in contact with the surface of the rotary cam. The rotary cam reverses the envelope to move the envelope into an inserting area where the envelope is detached from the surface of the rotary cam. An object is then inserted into the envelope and the envelope is then removed from the inserting area.
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