Abstract: A device for orienting flat mail items with a u-shaped conveying channel has a base belt guided over reversing rollers and driven at a predetermined speed. First and second guiding belts are driven at the predetermined speed and guided over deflection rollers. A flat mail item is transported over a defined path standing on its narrow side. The first guiding belt is inclined as a lateral reference belt for frictional orientation of the mail items and guided via fixed deflection rollers. The second guiding belt is guided by pression deflection rollers so that the conveying channel possesses a defined minimum channel width to orient thin mail items on the base belt. For the mail items located in the conveying channel, the second guiding belt deviates against a spring force of a deflection roller bearing, with the second guiding belt possessing a lower coefficient of friction than the lateral reference belt.

Abstract: In order to reduce fault susceptibility of a stacking device for flat mailings, a stack of mailings is arranged between a stacking roll driven in a closed-loop or open-loop controlled manner and a stack support movable in a closed-loop or open-loop controlled manner such that a mailing is arranged in a vertical desired position relative to an under floor belt. An inclined position, deviating in relation to the desired position, of at least one of the mailings is detected by a detector device. The inclined position is corrected by a closed-loop controlled or open-loop controlled acceleration of at least one of the under floor belt and of the stack support.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying mail flats in an upright position with at least one conveying module has a circulating, horizontally oriented floor belt guided via return rollers, and two endless lateral guide belts guided via deflection rollers. A distance of the lateral guide belts from one another at ends of the conveying modules is greater than a thickest mail item. A height of a first lateral guide belt is less than that of a second lateral guide belt. Below the first lateral guide belt an elastic, narrow, endless pressure belt is provided, which is resiliently pressed against a lower part of the second lateral guide belt by pressure deflection rollers and pressed away from the second lateral guide belt by the mail items according to their thickness. Guide rails are mounted obliquely to a conveying direction and tangentially to the pressure deflection rollers.

Abstract: A device for stacking flat, flexible postal items in a stacking compartment in an upright position includes a stacking roller positionable in proximity of the stacking compartment. A covered belt system feeds the postal items consecutively to the stacking roller, wherein the belt system has a first belt and a second belt. A deflection roller on an axis deflects the first belt from the second belt so that the second belt continuous to transport a postal item to the stacking roller. A first profile roller on the deflection roller has a predetermined roller length and includes a number of diameter taperings over its roller length. Deflectable pressure means press the postal items into the diameter taperings of the first profile roller to reduce a free flexible lengths of a postal items.

Abstract: To process large stamped letters, machine readable large letters are placed with the stamp facing upwards in a sorting station on a conveying means that leads them to further processing stations, has a reference edge in the conveying direction and is inclined in the conveying direction. The letter edge parallel to address lines, in proximity of which the stamps are located, rests against the reference edge. The stamps are automatically cancelled by a canceling device arranged over the leading-away conveying means and at a lateral spacing from the reference edge which corresponds to the spacing of the stamps from said letter edge. The large letters are then rotated through 90° as they are conveyed onwards with the shorter letter edge resting against the reference edge, by a locally fixed rotation element, so, like the standard letters, they rest with their longer letter edge on the reference edge, as is required for further processing.

Abstract: In a stacker, a mail item to be stacked is propelled against a stop wall at a stacking point by a stacking roll. A controlled driven underfloor belt and a stack support are displaced from the stack as the stack grows. The mail item to be stacked meets the preceding, already stacked item at an acute angle. Before it is stacked the mass of each item is determined. Stacking forces are measured with a measurement device in a preceding test phase the target values for the stacking pressures and the braking curve of the stacking roll up until the mail items have reached the stop are defined and stored based on statistical analyses in accordance with the mass of the mail items to be stacked. The speed of the respective mail item is reduced according to the braking curve assigned to the determined mass of the mail item.

Abstract: The sorting device according to the present invention has at least one mail item buffer receptacle, a number of storage pockets for mail items arranged one after another and circulating continuously in a conveyor belt and moved past one or more loading stations. Below straight transfer sections of the conveyors fixed intermediate storage receptacles open at the top are arranged to accept one or more mail items from the loaded storage pockets to be opened under control in the transfer sections. On a transport path below the intermediate storage receptacles there are also continuously circulating mail item containers open at the top as sorting end points assigned to the destination addresses or destination address groups.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the delivery of flat objects to a friction/suction picking device with a suction head, the objects standing in a stack on a thin edge thereof on a support surface arranged on a stop surface and transported in the direction of the picking point using conveyor means. A sensor for measuring the vacuum in the suction head, is arranged on or in the suction head, which is connected to the drive controller on the conveyor means. Depending on the measured vacuum the conveyor means can be controlled such that the front object has an inclination as low as possible with the lowest possible stack pressure on the at least one friction picking device.

Abstract: A mixed mail sorting machine includes a feeder that receives a stack of incoming mail pieces and outputs the mail pieces one at a time in a vertical position; a scanner which receives mail pieces from the feeder and scans each mail piece in a vertical position to read sorting information thereon; a reorientation conveyor which receives the scanned mail pieces from the scanner and re-orients each mail piece from a vertical to a horizontal position; a transport device for turning mailing through a 180° arc; a splitter conveyor including a movable divert section which diverts each mail piece to an upper path or a lower path; a bin module which includes upper and lower bin sections which receive mail pieces from the upper and lower paths, respectively, wherein each bin section includes a row of bins and an associated series of tiltable conveyor sections which can be actuated to drop a mail piece into the associated bin; and a control system which tracks each mail piece as it moves from the scanner to the bins and

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the delivery of flat objects to a friction/suction picking device with a suction head, the objects standing in a stack on a thin edge thereof on a support surface arranged on a stop surface and transported in the direction of the picking point using conveyor means. A sensor for measuring the vacuum in the suction head, is arranged on or in the suction head, which is connected to the drive controller on the conveyor means. Depending on the measured vacuum the conveyor means can be controlled such that the front object has an inclination as low as possible with the lowest possible stack pressure on the at least one friction picking device.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for loading or stacking objects into open top containers. The objects may be flat with wide and narrow sides and may further comprise mail pieces. The system comprises a pivoting unit for pivoting a container holding member into one of at least two positions: a top position, and a stacking position. In the top position, the container is held such that the open top faces substantially upwards, while in the bottom position the top faces substantially horizontal. A stacking aid is introduced into the container when it is held in the top position. The stacking aid includes an inclined wall that helps guide the objects into the container. A height sensor may also be included. The pivoting unit may also include a horizontal extension unit which may telescope the container in a horizontal direction. This facilitates easier manual handling of the container.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a transport device for rerouting flat mail pieces (6) that are transported clamped between an endless lower band (1) and an endless upper band (2), wherein the upper band (2) is realized in a longitudinally elastic fashion and guided back in an outwardly directed loop. According to the invention, an inexpensive and space-saving rerouting with the least possible stress on the mail pieces is realized due to the fact that the driven lower band (1) is guided on a stationary, immovable guide element (3) with a sliding surface that has the shape of a curved segment, and the sliding surface of the curved segment has a lower coefficient of friction than the lower band (1) and the mail pieces (6). The lower band (1) has a low coefficient of friction on its side facing the guide element (3) and has a high coefficient of friction on its side facing the non-driven upper band (2) and the mail pieces (6).

Abstract: A mixed mail sorting machine includes a feeder that receives a stack of incoming mail pieces and outputs the mail pieces one at a time in a vertical position; a scanner which receives mail pieces from the feeder and scans each mail piece in a vertical position to read sorting information thereon; a reorientation conveyor which receives the scanned mail pieces from the scanner and re-orients each mail piece from a vertical to a horizontal position; a transport device for turning mailing through a 180° arc; a splitter conveyor including a movable divert section which diverts each mail piece to an upper path or a lower path; a bin module which includes upper and lower bin sections which receive mail pieces from the upper and lower paths, respectively, wherein each bin section includes a row of bins and an associated series of tiltable conveyor sections which can be actuated to drop a mail piece into the associated bin; and a control system which tracks each mail piece as it moves from the scanner to the bins

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for turning flat shipments, which are delivered in succession standing on their short sides by a conveyor system, into a recumbent position, without interrupting the conveying. According to the invention, the apparatus has a driven under-floor belt (1) with a low coefficient of friction, which on one side has a projection (5) with a higher coefficient of friction. Located next to the under-floor belt (1) on the side without a projection is a side belt (2), which is positioned obliquely outward and is driven at the same speed as the under-floor belt (1) and likewise has a low coefficient of friction. Downstream thereof in the conveying direction is a conveyor belt (3), whose bearing face together with the bearing face of the under-floor belt (1) defines a plane; the under-floor belt (1) and the conveyor belt (3) are disposed and/or embodied such that the air cushion that forms when the shipments drop is quickly dissipated.

Abstract: A method for controlling an intermediate stacking device for flat shipments, in particular in letter sorting facilities, comprising a stacking device (SR) on a movable stacking cart (SW), a bottom transporting belt (UB) on which the shipments are positioned crosswise to the belt movement direction, and a separating device with a withdrawal means (AR), as well as a shipment sensor (FH2), which detects the shipments at the separating device. In order to correct without problems a slanted position of the shipment stack at the separating device, the normal operational control of the intermediate stacking device becomes invalid if a predetermined time interval during which no shipments are detected at the withdrawal means (AR) is exceeded, the supply of shipments to the intermediate stacking device is interrupted, the bottom transporting belt (UB) is stopped, and the stacking cart (SW) is put into motion in the direction of the separating device.

Abstract: A device for intermediate stacking of letters (SE) with a stacking roller (SR), stacking carriage (SW), underlying belt (UB) and a separation device. The stacking roller (SR) is mounted on the stacking carriage (SW) and a pressure gauge is provided in the vicinity of the stacking roller to measure the pressure of the stack against the pressure gauge. A device is provided for detecting possible slants in the letter stack (ST); that where such a slant is detected, the stacking carriage (SW) and/or underlying belt (UB) are made to move until the slant is eliminated; that the stacking carriage (SW) should be displaced along the underlying belt (UB) until the letter stack (ST) exerts a certain pressure on the pressure gauge provided that the detecting device does not report the presence of a slant.