Abstract: A method for sorting mail to a case having a plurality of slots is described, wherein each slot corresponds to a destination. The method includes steps of loading a mail piece to be sorted into a delivery robot, determining for the mail piece a destination slot the mail piece is to be delivered to, moving the delivery robot along a rail disposed at the front of the case near the slots into proximity with an open end of the destination slot, inserting the mail piece from the delivery robot into the associated slot, and returning the delivery robot to a loading station whereby the cycle may be repeated. Such a method, when using a large number of robots moving along a common rail system, can sort a large volume of mail in carrier delivery order.

Abstract: A method is provided for preventing flat mail pieces having excessive thickness or stiffness from entering a mail processing machine wherein flat mail pieces are held on opposite sides and conveyed by paired conveyor belts around one or more curves, including one curve which is the sharpest curve in the mail processing machine.

Abstract: A method of sorting and bundling mail for delivery to a plurality of delivery points includes sorting the mail pieces in one or more passes through an automated sorting machine using destination codes associated with the mail pieces that are scanned and stored by a computer so that the mail pieces are ordered such that a final sort to a plurality of locations using at least part of the destination codes will place the mail pieces in delivery order and transferring and feeding the mail pieces to a plurality of bundling machines as a singulated stream and sorting the mail pieces to the bundling machines so that mail pieces having the same destination code are sorted to the same machine where the mail pieces are bundled by destination code for delivery.

Abstract: A method for sorting mail to a case having a plurality of slots is described, wherein each slot corresponds to a destination. The method includes steps of loading a mail piece to be sorted into a delivery robot, determining for the mail piece a destination slot the mail piece is to be delivered to, moving the delivery robot along a rail disposed at the front of the case near the slots into proximity with an open end of the destination slot, inserting the mail piece from the delivery robot into the associated slot, and returning the delivery robot to a loading station whereby the cycle may be repeated. Such a method, when using a large number of robots moving along a common rail system, can sort a large volume of mail in carrier delivery order.

Abstract: A method is provided for preventing flat mail pieces having excessive thickness or stiffness from entering a mail processing machine wherein flat mail pieces are held on opposite sides and conveyed by paired conveyor belts around one or more curves, including one curve which is the sharpest curve in the mail processing machine.

Abstract: A method for sorting mail pieces for delivery by a carrier, wherein the mail pieces include both letters and flats, includes the steps of a) sorting in a first sorting pass a batch of letters, each letter having a destination code thereon which corresponds to one of a predetermined number of delivery destinations for a carrier delivery route, b) sorting in first sorting pass a batch of flats, each flat having a destination code thereon which corresponds to one of the predetermined number of delivery destinations for the carrier delivery route, using the same automated sorting machine which scans each delivery code and stores it in a computer memory; c) sorting in a first sorting pass a batch of dividers having a scannable code thereon; d) then sorting the letters, flats and dividers in at least one subsequent sorting pass, using the scanned and stored codes according to the computer-implemented sort scheme, resulting in a series of groups of mail pieces for each destination, which groups may include letters o

Abstract: A process is provided for sorting mail pieces, especially manual mail, received at a postal processing and distribution center having associated mail delivery zones with associated postal delivery codes such as zip codes. Each delivery zone has one or more associated postal carriers which deliver mail to destination points within that zone. The delivery codes identify which zone and which carrier within the zone the mail piece should be delivered to.

Abstract: A method for sorting mail pieces for delivery by a carrier, wherein the mail pieces include both letters and flats, includes the steps of a) sorting in a first sorting pass a batch of letters, each letter having a destination code thereon which corresponds to one of a predetermined number of delivery destinations for a carrier delivery route, b) sorting in first sorting pass a batch of flats, each flat having a destination code thereon which corresponds to one of the predetermined number of delivery destinations for the carrier delivery route, using the same automated sorting machine which scans each delivery code and stores it in a computer memory; c) sorting in a first sorting pass a batch of dividers having a scannable code thereon; d) then sorting the letters, flats and dividers in at least one subsequent sorting pass, using the scanned and stored codes according to the computer-implemented sort scheme, resulting in a series of groups of mail pieces for each destination, which groups may include letters o

Abstract: A method of sorting and bundling mail for delivery to a plurality of delivery points includes sorting the mail pieces in one or more passes through an automated sorting machine using destination codes associated with the mail pieces that are scanned and stored by a computer so that the mail pieces are ordered such that a final sort to a plurality of locations using at least part of the destination codes will place the mail pieces in delivery order and transferring and feeding the mail pieces to a plurality of bundling machines as a singulated stream and sorting the mail pieces to the bundling machines so that mail pieces having the same destination code are sorted to the same machine where the mail pieces are bundled by destination code for delivery.

Abstract: A method for sorting mail to a case having a plurality of slots is described, wherein each slot corresponds to a destination. The method includes steps of loading a mail piece to be sorted into a delivery robot, determining for the mail piece a destination slot the mail piece is to be delivered to, moving the delivery robot along a rail disposed at the front of the case near the slots into proximity with an open end of the destination slot, inserting the mail piece from the delivery robot into the associated slot, and returning the delivery robot to a loading station whereby the cycle may be repeated. Such a method, when using a large number of robots moving along a common rail system, can sort a large volume of mail in carrier delivery order.