Abstract: The invention relates to a system (1) for conveying articles (3), which system comprises an article conveyor (2) extending from an upstream end (4) to a downstream end (5), and a motor-driven shuttle trolley (6) having an article carrier deck (7) and designed to dock with said ends of the conveyor so as to transfer an article between the trolley and the conveyor. The conveyor is a gravity conveyor under which a ramp (12) extends, and the trolley is suitable for travelling under the conveyor and is provided with a lever (11) that is mounted to move vertically relative to the deck and that is designed to co-operate with the ramp while the trolley is moving under the conveyor so that, by following the ramp, the lever moves between a retracted position in which it is retracted under the conveyor and a deployed position in which it projects above the conveyor so as to drive an article along the conveyor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (1) for conveying articles (3), which system comprises an article conveyor (2) extending from an upstream end (4) to a downstream end (5), and a motor-driven shuttle trolley (6) having an article carrier deck (7) and designed to dock with said ends of the conveyor so as to transfer an article between the trolley and the conveyor. The conveyor is a gravity conveyor under which a ramp (12) extends, and the trolley is suitable for travelling under the conveyor and is provided with a lever (11) that is mounted to move vertically relative to the deck and that is designed to co-operate with the ramp while the trolley is moving under the conveyor so that, by following the ramp, the lever moves between a retracted position in which it is retracted under the conveyor and a deployed position in which it projects above the conveyor so as to drive an article along the conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus designed to cancel at least one postage or franking mark on a surface of a mailpiece moving on edge in a belt conveyor, said apparatus comprising: a conveyor portion with a plurality of small superposed belts and a plurality of superposed print heads; and control means for controlling the print heads in such a manner as to cause a print head to print one or more cancellation marks over the franking mark(s) detected on the mailpiece. Each print head is suitable for operating selectively with a plurality of superposed inkjets so as to print only a portion (¾, ½, ¼) of said cancellation mark or a scaled-down version thereof over the franking mark when said franking mark is positioned in such a manner as to be off-center between two belts.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the tension of a continuous endless drive elongate member mounted to be moved over a closed-loop path and having a slack run along which it forms undulations, said method consisting in placing a sensor along said slack run for detecting undulations going past in the slack run, and in counting the number of undulations detected, said number serving as a magnitude for measuring the tension of the drive member.

Abstract: Apparatus designed to cancel at least one postage or franking mark on a surface of a mailpiece moving on edge in a belt conveyor, said apparatus comprising: a conveyor portion with a plurality of small superposed belts and a plurality of superposed print heads; and control means for controlling the print heads in such a manner as to cause a print head to print one or more cancellation marks over the franking mark(s) detected on the mailpiece. Each print head is suitable for operating selectively with a plurality of superposed inkjets so as to print only a portion (¾, ½, ¼) of said cancellation mark or a scaled-down version thereof over the franking mark when said franking mark is positioned in such a manner as to be off-center between two belts.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the tension of a continuous endless drive elongate member (13) mounted to be moved over a closed-loop path and having a slack run along which it forms undulations, said method consisting in placing a sensor (23) along said slack run for detecting undulations going past in the slack run, and in counting the number of undulations detected, said number serving as a magnitude for measuring the tension of the drive member.

Abstract: The device for dynamically weighing postal items (P) comprises a plate (1) floatingly mounted on a weight sensor, and a conveyor belt mounted on the plate to move the postal items in a longitudinal direction (D) of the conveyor. The conveyor has two parallel conveyor belts (2C, 3C) which extend along the conveyor direction between a conveyor inlet (E) and a conveyor outlet (S), and between which the postal items are pinched and moved in series on edge. The two conveyors belts are engaged on a pair of first elastically deformable finned wheels (2A, 3A) disposed at the inlet (E) of the conveyor and being aligned perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, and on a pair of second elastically deformable finned wheels (2B, 3B) disposed at the outlet (S) of the conveyor and being aligned perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, and the operation of the weight sensor is based on the electromagnetic principle of flux compensation.

Abstract: The device for dynamically weighing postal items (P) comprises a plate (1) floatingly mounted on a weight sensor, and a conveyor belt mounted on the plate to move the postal items in a longitudinal direction (D) of the conveyor. The conveyor has two parallel conveyor belts (2C, 3C) which extend along the conveyor direction between a conveyor inlet (E) and a conveyor outlet (S), and between which the postal items are pinched and moved in series on edge. The two conveyors belts are engaged on a pair of first elastically deformable finned wheels (2A, 3A) disposed at the inlet (E) of the conveyor and being aligned perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, and on a pair of second elastically deformable finned wheels (2B, 3B) disposed at the outlet (S) of the conveyor and being aligned perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, and the operation of the weight sensor is based on the electromagnetic principle of flux compensation.

Abstract: The deice for conveying flat objects edge-on in series at high speed between an entry (A) and an exit (B) of a conveying path comprises a routing system for diverting some of these flat objects towards another exit (B′) between the entry and the exit of the conveying path. This system comprises two mobile flaps (3, 4) kept mutually parallel and arranged between the entry and the exit of the conveying path, and two motorized endless belts (1, 2) moving between these two flaps and between which the flat objects conveyed are gripped, these two flaps being mounted so that they can pivot so as to route the flat objects either towards the exit (B) of the conveying path or towards the other exit (B′). A stationary post (6) is located at the point where the flat objects are routed downstream of the mobile flaps between the entry and the exit of the conveying path.