Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-13
2001-11-27
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
C209S559000, C209S560000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321913
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a sorting facility for flat mail items, comprising a rotating conveyor belt leading to a sorting device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A sorting device for flat mail items is known, for example from the WO 95/02468. It is standard practice to feed the mail items to the sorting device by means of a conveyor belt, which comprises several successive processing stations along a horizontal, straight transporting section. Processing stations of this type are input stations, for example, in which the mail items are supplied by side belts to the conveyor belt. Other stations, for example, are an alignment station, a viewing station, an ejection station and subsequently installed printing stations for imprinting the mail items with signatures corresponding to the delivery addresses.
In the viewing station, the position of the mail items is checked and the delivery address read in. The subsequently installed ejector device then removes incorrectly positioned mail items from the belt toward the side. Addresses with unclear printing are transmitted to a workstation where they are corrected. Owing to the fact that this process requires a longer period of time, the section between the viewing station and the final processing must be correspondingly long.
An intermediate storage area is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,423, in which letter shipments are transported at different levels while clamped between a system of cover belts with relatively small deflection radii.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, these mail items concern relatively thin, flexible letters that allow such small bending radii. As a result of being clamped in completely during the transport, a spatial orientation during the transport is not necessary. If relatively rigid large envelopes, magazines and the like, meaning items with strongly differing thickness, are to be processed, they cannot be transported securely and without being displaced while clamped inside a cover belt system.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In accordance with this and other objects of the invention, a sorting facility for flat mail items is provided. The sorting facility according to the invention leads to a sorting device. The facility comprises a conveyor belt constructed and arranged to follow a serpentine path whereby respective sections of the belt are disposed above one another. The conveyor belt is separated into equal sections by means of end stops that can rotate to be disposed closer to their respective belt sections. Successive processing stations for receiving flat positioned mail items are disposed along horizontally oriented sections of the belt. In one aspect of a sorting facility according to the invention, as a particular first horizontally oriented section of the conveyor is in proximity to initial processing stations along the belt pathway, the first section is positioned below a second horizontally oriented section of the conveyor belt when the second horizontally oriented section is in proximity with upper subsequent processing stations.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the conveyor belt traverses across deflection devices that are constructed and arranged such that they determine changes of direction of the conveyor belt along its path. The belt exits from the sorting device, is directed over rollers to reverse direction to a first horizontally oriented section, around a first deflection device to reverse direction and be disposed below the first horizontal section. The conveyor belt then traverses a second deflection device to turn upwardly, and then traverses a third deflection device to turn back toward the sorting device such that the belt is disposed along the second horizontally oriented section. A cover belt is constructed and arranged over portions of the conveyor belt and over the three deflection devices in the deflection region such that it makes contact with the end stops.
In accordance with further objects of the invention, a sorting facility according to the invention is further provided with an ejection station along the first horizontally oriented section and near the first deflector for ejecting incorrectly positioned mail items in the transporting direction from the belt and into a reservoir. The sorting facility of the invention can be further provided with a viewing station for address recognition of mail items wherein the viewing station is arranged before the ejection station with respect to the direction of movement of the belt, and can be further provided with a processing station adaptable as a printing station and which is located in the second horizontally disposed section.
In accordance with other aspects of the invention, the conveyor belt is deflected around the first deflection device to reverse direction preferably by approximately 180 degrees, and is deflected upwardly by the second deflection device preferably by approximately 90 degrees, and then is deflected horizontally by the third deflection device approximately 90 degrees to turn back toward the sorting device such that the belt is disposed along the second horizontally oriented section. Preferably, the deflection devices are designed as circular, equal-sided polygons, the side length of which corresponds to the separation distance between the mail items and the transporting position of the mail items is adjusted to the angle position of the deflection devices (
11
), such that the preferably rounded corner regions of the deflection devices are positioned between successive mail items such that the end stops are guided over the corner regions of the deflection devices.
It is the object of the invention to reduce the structural length of the conveyor belt with processing stations. This object is solved with the invention according to claim
1
.
The deflection of the conveyor belt allows distributing the processing stations to superimposed sections of the conveyor belt, so that the total length is reduced. With these steps, the arrangement of the conveyor belt is adapted to the multi-level structural design of the sorting device, which is possible without problems given the room height that is available. The covering device prevents mail items from falling down, for example in sections where the conveyor belt is in the reversed transporting position.
Advantageous modifications are characterized in claims
2
to
5
:
The modification according to claim
2
makes it possible to arrange a collection container for the ejected mail items in the conveyor belt extension, such that the mail items can be ejected in transporting direction. As a result, the structural width of the ejection station is reduced. For the ejection itself, the movement component of the conveyor belt is used, so that this operation can be realized with simpler mechanical means. The ejection curve avoids a lateral movement and follows a simple trajectory parabola with correspondingly improved target accuracy.
As a result of the modification according to claim
3
, an empty section is inserted between the viewing station and the printing station, which is long enough so that the time interval necessary for correcting the address can be maintained without requiring additional area.
Owing to the deflection devices according to claim
4
, a vertical section is formed, which permits the required height difference.
The sorting facility according to claim
5
makes it possible to guide the mail items without bending over the roller-type deflection devices. As a result of the rounding of the polygon edges, it is possible to reduce the number of its sides, such that the smallest possible envelope diameter is achieved without an impermissible bending of the conveyor belt. In the process, a defined position of the mail items is achieved on the conveyor belt, so that a bending can be securely avoided.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4610359 (1986-09-01), Müller
patent: 4986423 (1991-01-01), Takeda
patent: 5096067 (1992-03-01), Tutamune et al.
patent: 5390429 (1995-02-01), Long
patent: 30 15 829 (1980-11-01), None
patent: 3015829 C2 (198
Brady Raymond P.
Hoepler Adolf
Kassel Christian
Knipper Karsten
Maurer Christoph
Beauchaine Mark J
Kinberg Robert
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Spencer George H.
Venable
LandOfFree
Sorting facility for flat mail items does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Sorting facility for flat mail items, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sorting facility for flat mail items will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2613325