Abstract: A method and an apparatus monitor the transportation of a luggage item. What is to be monitored is a transportation process by which the luggage item is transported. At least one computer-accessible image of the luggage item is produced. The image shows the luggage item when illuminated with light visible to humans. A data record for the transportation process is produced, contains the image of the luggage item, and is stored in a data storage unit. The luggage item is taken to a checking device. The data storage unit is searched at least once for the data record for the transportation process. A display unit shows the image is included in the found data record. The image found is shown on the display unit such that a check becomes possible to determine whether the image shown actually shows the luggage item close to the display unit or another luggage item.

Abstract: A method for automatically checking in passengers and their luggage by an electronic input of the passenger data or travel data by the passenger himself into an automatic check-in terminal is provided. In the automatic check-in terminal, possibly following selection of various criteria, the boarding pass and one or more information media for attachment to the luggage are created and output. The information medium created is a luggage tag which is easy to affix to the luggage item and which contains, in machine-readable form, at least all the data and information which are required for a later generation of an internationally standardized, preferably self-adhesive luggage band which is affixed to the luggage item within a conveying and sorting system in addition to the luggage tag.

Abstract: A method for identifying postal mailings includes registering the mailings by means of at least one recognizable pictorial feature and at least one external information item, or both. Further, the method includes carrying out recognition of the pictorial feature to identify a mailing, and if identification is incomplete, performing identification using the external information item.

Abstract: A sorting device 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: A method and a device for transporting and processing a number of objects, especially mail items, include transporting the objects in a number of transport processes to a respective processing system. At least one processing attribute as well as a feature is measured at the object before the transport processes. A data record with the processing attribute value and the feature value are stored. After the transport processes, the feature is measured again for each object, and the stored data record is determined. A search area restriction which is based on a sequence of feature values is undertaken for the determination. The processing system processes the object depending on the processing attribute value of the determined data record.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for transporting items, in particular postal consignments. A transport process is performed from an intermediate store to a continuation point. Each item that was conveyed to the intermediate store before generation of a start signal is removed from the intermediate store. The items transported are transferred from the intermediate store into a transport device. A record is stored of which items were conveyed to the intermediate store between generation of the start signal and generation of an end signal. The items transported in the transport device are removed from the transport device. For each item that was transported, a data record that has been stored for the item is determined. The stored data record is determined exclusively from the data records generated for those items that were conveyed to the intermediate store between generation of the start signal and generation of the end signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling transportation of objects provided with machine-readable codes to specified distribution points by means of a transport vehicle includes a reading device and a determination unit. The transport vehicle has a rack module for accommodating the objects, wherein the rack module has a plurality of levels. The reading device is configured to automatically read the respective code of an object transported past the reading device, and to determine the rack level on which this object is located. The determination unit processes the codes to determine which object is to be unloaded at which distribution point, and includes an evaluation unit to automatically determine for each distribution point the position of each object to be unloaded at this distribution point in the rack module depending on a sequence of the reading of the code and the rack level in which the object is located.

Abstract: A device for applying a predetermined destination address to a transport container configured to transport an object has an electronic label storing the destination address, a holding device attached to the transport container to hold the electronic label during transport, a transmission facility for transmitting the destination address to the electronic label and for storing the destination address in the label, and a fixed receiving component for receiving one of the labels. The receiving component is disposed in such a manner that the transmission facility is able to transmit the destination address to each of the labels, when the label is received by the fixed receiving component. The label is removable from the holding device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sorting device which includes a mail item buffer storage having storage pouches, circulating in a conveying loop and moving past charge station. Below straight handover sections of the conveying loops, circulating mail from containers, displaced in a conveying path and open to the top, are provided as the sorting terminal points. The mail items are charged into the mail item containers according to their read-out target addresses by controlled opening of the respective storage pouch at that time at which the respective pouch arrives in the respective position above the associated mail item container.

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: Movable containers are provided over one part of the section conveyor on which the mail items are filed according to the distribution sequence, said moveable containers circulating in an enclosed transport path and each having several compartments controlled to open downwards for each respective mail item. The compartments can only be emptied if the containers are in the neutral position at a sorting station. Automatic emptying takes place on the sections assigned to the delivery points according to the known destination address of the mail items. After a container has been emptied, it can be driven to a loading station at which the compartments are filled with mail items, the compartments with the mail items being assigned to the delivery points according to the respective destination address and this assignment is transmitted to a device for the controlled opening of the compartments.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sorting device which comprises a mail item buffer storage (1) having storage pouches (10), circulating in a conveying loop and moving past charge stations (7). Below straight handover sections of said conveying loops, circulating mail item containers (12), displaced in a conveying path and open to the top, are provided as the sorting terminal points. The mail items (11) are charged into the mail item containers (12) according to their read-out target addresses by controlled opening of the respective storage pouch (10) at that time at which the respective pouch arrives in the respective position above the associated mail item container (12).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for distributing bulk. The inventive method includes the following steps: supplying the bulk mailing, whereby the individual postal articles are unaddressed, and electronically transmitting the associated destination address data from the sender to the delivery service; comparing the transmitted destination address data with the entries of an updated address database of the delivery service and in the event of a discrepancy, correcting the relevant transmitted destination address data, and; associating the transmitted and optionally corrected destination address data to the individual postal articles of this bulk mailing and accordingly applying the corresponding destination addresses, which are provided in a form that can read by the individual, to the postal articles and using the postal article processing machine to process the postal articles in accordance with the destination address data associated with each postal article.

Abstract: The invention relates to the processing of mass mailings, using sorting machines consisting of at least one input of material and one distributor device for distributing mailing items to distribution points according to distribution information. The individual mailing items (1) making up a mass mailing are shrink-wrapped by the sender in strips of film (4,5), collectively forming a bag strip and being jointly dispatched in the form thereof. The bag strip is introduced into the sorting machine at the respective destination point via a material input conveyor device (10). A separating device (15) is then used to separate the film bags (8) from each other. An acceleration device (16) is subsequently used to produce gaps between the film bags (8) for further processing.

Abstract: Movable containers are provided over one part of the section conveyor on which the mail items are filed according to the distribution sequence, said moveable containers circulating in an enclosed transport path and each having several compartments controlled to open downwards for each respective mail item. The compartments can only be emptied if the containers are in the neutral position at a sorting station. Automatic emptying takes place on the sections assigned to the delivery points according to the known destination address of the mail items. After a container has been emptied, it can be driven to a loading station at which the compartments are filled with mail items, the compartments with the mail items being assigned to the delivery points according to the respective destination address and this assignment is transmitted to a device for the controlled opening of the compartments.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the manual merging of manually processable mail flats with mail items sorted automatically in a sorting machine according to a distribution sequence and deposited on a section conveyor, which transports the mail items in the sections to a collection station, at which the mail items are stacked automatically in collectors in the distribution sequence. The divider cards identifying delivery points, which are so large and stable that they form compartments between the mail items in the collector, are automatically inserted before or after the mail items for a delivery point or delivery point area. The collectors are only filled with mail items and divider cards to such a level that there is still space for the mail items to be merged manually. The collectors are then transported to the competent delivery office, where the manually processable mail items are inserted into the corresponding compartments according to their delivery address.

Abstract: In a first sorting machine the mail items are sorted into groups of associated delivery points. The mail items are ten fed group by group to a second sorting machine for the last sort pass in which the mail items of eh group are sorted to the delivery points of the relevant group, the mail items of a delivery point being conveyed into one, or if the mail volume is too great, into a plurality of adjacent, automatically estimable end points. As soon as all de mail items are in the end point(s), they are automatically unloaded onto an idle sectional conveyor in such a way that the mail items of an end point are in one section When all the mail items of the group have been loaded into the sections of the sectional conveyor, the sectional conveyor transports the mail items to a distribution unit in which the mail items of each section are mechanically combined and collected in delivery sequence order.

Abstract: After the economizer, an injection water pipe branches off the connecting pipe between economizer and evaporator in order to control the steam temperature. The injection water pipe is provided with a control device for controlling the injection water flow. The injection water flowing through the injection water pipe is injected into the steam coming from the evaporator at a mixing point located before the superheater. In order to control the position of the control device in the injection water pipe, the enthalpy at the superheater outlet is calculated from the parameters pressure and temperature and is compared with a desired enthalpy resulting from the desired parameters.