Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi – Control means energized in response to activator stimulated... – Responsive to work material – the product or means engaging...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-21
2001-05-01
Kim, Eugene (Department: 3721)
Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi
Control means energized in response to activator stimulated...
Responsive to work material, the product or means engaging...
C209S547000, C209S584000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224527
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the field of article handling and, more particularly, to the field of handling pieces of mail.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Over the years, various article, e.g., mail, feeding, handling, sorting, and transporting systems have been developed for feeding, handling, sorting, and transporting pieces of mail. Adhesive tabs or seals have also been used to close or seal the loose edges of a paper, brochure, envelope, magazine or other articles of mail being handled or transported. The loose edge of a piece of mail, for example, is closed or sealed to allow the mail to be handled by feeding and processing machinery and to provide a degree of confidential nature to the closed or sealed mail. Increasing the speed and accuracy of placement of these tabs, however, has become more important as mail quantities increase, as labor becomes more expensive, and as more and improved automation is desired.
In order to provide significant improvements in the speed and efficiency in placing of these tabs, systems were developed for aligning and tabbing mail. An example of such a system can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,366 by Bell titled “Aligning And Tabbing Method And Apparatus.” This patent is also assigned to the same assignee of the present application. This patent describes an apparatus which rotates an article 90 degrees to be aligned properly to receive tabs.
Once these tabbing processes or this machinery is positioned into place in a mail handling process, however, it can be difficult to stop the process or to prevent some mail from receiving a tab. Additionally, in some mail handling processes, the fact that a piece of machinery provides tabbing to mail can make ready acceptance of the mail handling machinery difficult as well. Further, some mail handling machinery or systems require either the presence or absence of a tabber. No other option is provided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing background, the present invention advantageously provides an apparatus and method for blocking a tabbing feature of mail handling machinery so that selected pieces of mail are not tabbed. Also, the present invention advantageously provides an apparatus and method which allow intermixed pieces of mail to be readily identified as whether or not tabbing of the mail is desirable. Additionally, the present invention advantageously provides an apparatus and method which allows current mail tabbing machinery to be more readily accepted in some installation locations and allows ready modification of existing mail tabbing machinery to address concerns over various mail processing issues that inhibit use of such mail handling machinery. Further, the present invention advantageously provides an apparatus and method which enhances the speed of mail handling systems in situations where both tabbing and not tabbing mail is desirable.
More particularly, an apparatus of the present invention preferably includes a mail sensing device positioned to sense preselected pieces of mail for the presence of a mail identifier identifying that a preselected piece of mail should not be tabbed and a tab controller positioned in communication with the mail sensing device to communicate to a tabber of a mail handling system to not tab the preselected pieces of mail. The mail sensing device preferably includes a mail presence detector positioned to detect the presence of each piece of mail as the piece of mail travels along the common path of travel and a mail indicating identifier positioned in communication with the mail detector to identify preselected pieces of mail which should not be tabbed. The apparatus can also advantageously include a mail register positioned to register a plurality of pieces of mail being conveyed so that each selected edge of the plurality of pieces of mail aligns along a common path of travel and so that, in turn, the selected edge of the mail can be sense to determine the presence of a mail identifier, e.g., a plurality of spaced-apart marks, positioned along the selected edge.
The present invention also provides a method of preventing a piece of mail from being tabbed which preferably includes sensing the presence of a piece of mail, sensing the presence of a preselected identifier on the piece of mail, and communicating to a tabber of a mail handling system to not tab the piece of mail having the preselected identifier. The step of sensing the presence of a preselected identifier preferably includes sensing the presence of a first mark on the piece of mail, determining whether the first mark is within a predetermined contrast range between the first mark and the surrounding surface of the piece of mail, sensing the presence of a second mark on the piece of mail, determining whether the second mark is within a predetermined contrast range between the second mark and the surrounding surface of the piece of mail, and determining whether the time period between the sensing of the first and second marks is within a preselected range.
The present invention additionally provides a method of blocking a tabbing feature of a mail handling system which preferably includes registering a plurality of pieces of mail being conveyed so that each selected edge of the plurality of pieces of mail aligns along a common path of travel, detecting the presence of each piece of mail as the piece of mail travels along the common path of travel, identifying preselected pieces of mail which should not be tabbed, and communicating to a tabber of a mail handling system to not tab the preselected pieces of mail.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3977309 (1976-08-01), Gilbert
patent: 3991663 (1976-11-01), Blasby
patent: 4809340 (1989-02-01), Mersereau
patent: 5393366 (1995-02-01), Bell
patent: 5841881 (1998-11-01), Iwakawa et al.
patent: 5891300 (1999-04-01), Oussani, Jr. et al.
Kubert Vince
Pinchin John R.
Allen Dyer Doppelt Milbrath & Gilchrist, P.A.
Kim Eugene
Profold, Inc.
LandOfFree
Apparatus for blocking tabbing feature of mail handling... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for blocking tabbing feature of mail handling..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for blocking tabbing feature of mail handling... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2474434