Abstract: The invention relates to a stacking device for flat postal items standing on edge. The stacking device comprises guide means for guiding the postal items supplied to it to a stacking position on a stacking base against a support wall on which the postal items are slowed down. Of course the present invention may apply to other types of articles as well. The stacking device is further provided with a stacker plate that can be displaced in the direction of stacking along a linear guide. The stacker plate cooperates with a spring element to produce a pressure force that is approximately constant across the zone of displacement and that is directed against the forming stack. The movable part of a damper element is fastened on the movable part of the spring element, said damper element being only active when a displacement directed away from the stacking position is exerted.

Abstract: An apparatus for carrying out proton therapy on a patient comprises a proton beam guiding device using magnets, quadrupoles, and an end-mounted device for proton beam guiding and control device with an exit window for guiding or directing the proton beam to the treatment spot in the patient. A patient table of the apparatus can be moved in a controlled manner in such a way that the patient can be placed in a desired position with respect to the proton beam. The proton beam guiding and controlling device can be turnably or rotatably mounted around a horizontal axis of rotation in such a way that the patient table which is arranged approximately on the plane of the axis of rotation remains accessible from one side at all moments for the person treating the patient.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for sorting postal articles on automatic sorting devices. According to the invention, the postal articles are read in one or several sorting devices and are pre-sorted in sorting terminal stations according to distributing areas. The pre-sorted postal articles are then conveyed to the sorting devices assigned to the respective distributing areas and are finely sorted based on the applied barcode that indicates the online-read or offline-read address. In order to provide an additional time for offline video encoding before the fine sorting, the postal articles, during the pre-sorting for each distributing area, are sorted in terminal stations for already completely read postal articles and in terminal stations for incompletely read postal articles. This permits the completely read postal articles to be immediately subjected to a fine sorting and enables this time to be used for offline video encoding the incompletely read postal articles.

Abstract: A system and method for mass mailing is disclosed which operates from the perspective of the receiver. Herein, data comprising mass mail items is electronically distributed to a receiving center where it is sorted by region, then to a service center assigned to the region. At the service center, the data is again sorted by the line of route distribution which includes the addressee address and the data is printed. The printed data is then stuffed into envelopes. Alternatively, an envelope face layout may also be included in the data and printed on the envelope. The envelope, comprising the mail item, is then distributed to the local distribution center, where the mail item is delivered, the mail item having been received in the line of route distribution order. Alternatively, the printing may be performed at the distribution center.

Abstract: Molecular ions are generated by ionization, said molecular ions are accumulated in an ion reservoir that is external to the drift chamber. Than said molecular ions are dissociated into fragment ions (i.e. fragmented ions) with electromagnetic radiation or electron beams or ion beams, and said fragment ions are ion-mobility spectrometrically analyzed. In an embodiment the apparatus comprises additionally a virtual impactor and a pyrolyzer. The process of fragmentation over time are detected and analyzed, and this information is used for the differentiation of hazardous biological samples from non-hazardous biological samples.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for dividing a stack of items. The items may comprise mail pieces. The apparatus comprises at least one supporting finger which extends through an opening within a base. The base supports the items which stand thereon and further lean against a supporting wall. Where more than one supporting finger is present, the finger may further comprise a hollow opening and/or groove which accommodates the other supporting fingers therein. Accordingly, as all of the supporting fingers pass through the opening, the size of the opening is reduced. In addition, the supporting fingers may be specially sized so as to accommodate different sized items. The supporting fingers are arced so that when they are extended through the opening, they arc towards the base. The height achieved by a supporting finger is related to the height of the item being engaged by the finger.

Abstract: When using a magnetic alternating field to prompt portable electronic tickets, such as smart cards, it is important that the prompting is effected reliably and independent of the position thereof. In order to generate an essentially isotropic magnetic alternating field over a set time interval, one embodiment of the invention involves the use of an antenna array comprising two or three frame antennas. A switching unit supplies, in a sequentially alternating manner, a unit of information to each of the frame antennas so that a quasi-isotropic magnetic alternating field, which is considered over the period of time, is radiated by said frame antennas. This results in reliably prompting tickets that are located in the surrounding area of the antenna arrays.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for stacking objects in a stack. The objects may be flat flexible objects with front and back edges being narrower than side walls. Accordingly, the objects may comprise mail pieces. Per the invention, the mail pieces are directed to a stacker. The stacker comprises an impact wall with abutting installation and limiting walls. Accordingly, the stack may be formed therebetween with the installation wall being urged towards the limiting wall so as to sandwich the stack. At least one diverter element or vain is included upstream from the stacker. A roller of a conveying element is positioned upstream from the upper most vain. An object is directed towards the impact wall. When the objects leading edge impacts the wall, the vain or roller closest to the trailing portion of the object causes the trailing portion to be urged towards the stack. The vains may be pivoted while the roller made to turn in a select manner.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reading address fields on mail items when the address field cannot be automatically read. Herein, when an address field cannot be read, a signature of the surface of the mail piece where the address field is believed to be is made. The signature is derived from a scanning the surface and forming a grid pattern of the larger typographical fields. A database is queried to determine if a match exists between the signature and another signature. If a match is found, the information is imported into the automatic reading process, the information assisting in the reading of the address field. If no match is found, the scanned image is manually encoded and this information is used.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for loading the input unit of a letter sorting system with letters that are stood on their edges. The device comprises of at least one stack receiving device which is located on a carriage and which can receive a stack of letters at a given location. The device comprise a stack base which can be moved beyond the carriage in the direction of the stack, horizontally, and one or two separating blades which hold the stack. The blades can be displaced along the stack base and can rotate in and out of the stack receiving device. The dimensions and the height of the stack receiving device are configured in such a way that the stack base can be moved onto the letter conveyor line with the separating blade(s) of the stack receiving device and urged to the input unit.

Abstract: A sorting arrangement for flat items of mail, has a plurality of containers (1) which circulate in a conveying loop with at least two semicircular conveying sections (2) and are intended for laterally receiving, for transporting and for discharging in a controllable manner in each case one item of mail standing on a narrow side, and a plurality of depositing receptacles (4) which are arranged along the conveying arrangement, beneath the containers (1), and are open at the top. The lateral openings of the containers (1), for loading purposes, are located in the interior of the conveying loop, and the transporting element (7) of the material infeed is arranged within the conveying loop, and transports the items of mail into the lateral openings of the containers (1) in a horizontally aligned semicircular conveying section.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for detecting overlapping mail pieces wherein a lead mail piece edge is diverted from the regular conveyance and a light barrier is used to detect if another mail piece follows. Specifically, the diverted mail piece may break or interrupt a light barrier thereby triggering a counter which determines the time between the interruption and subsequent interruption. If the time is less than that required for the diverted mail piece to pass the light barrier, then an overlapping mail piece is present.

Abstract: Negative feedback control of a power supply is improved with respect to accuracy of control in that the controlled value is monitored by parallel analog to digital conversion. Additionally, within the negative feedback control loop adjustment of the controlled value to follow a rated value is performed by pulse-width modulation. So as not to be bound with respect to accuracy of adjustment by pulse-width modulation to a minimum pulse-width adjustment increment, fine adjustment is additionally done by superimposing to the pulse-width modulation a pulse-frequency modulated signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for stacking articles. The articles may comprise mail pieces. The apparatus comprises a base having a top surface. The top surface defines a rake element having extending fingers defining open spaces therebetween. A receiving unit is mounted proximate to the rake. The unit may be made to rotate. The unit further comprises a plurality of coils. The coils may be helical, concentric and vertically displaced so as to define a vertical open space therebetween. When rotating, the coils may be made to move in the direction of a support positioned atop the top surface. The support may further comprise a spring bias to urge the support against a stack of articles. A supporting wall is also provided as well as a supply element which directs incoming articles into the vertical opening. The movement of the coils transports the articles to a stack which is support on one side by the support, on another by the supporting wall and on yet another by the top surface.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting a change of tire state may include measuring at least first and second quantities representing a tire characteristic. A new first value is then calculated by at least, in part, adding the second measured quantity to a previously calculated first value, which has been multiplied by a pre-selected parameter. A second value is then calculated by at least, in part, subtracting the previously calculated first value from the new first value. A change of tire state is indicated when the second value crosses a predetermined threshold value. In an alternative embodiment, the difference between second values for two different tires may be determined and a change of tire state is indicated when this difference crosses a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for sorting distribution sequences on a despatch sorting machine, in which each despatch is arranged in a distribution sequence according to its read and recognized address code, where sorting takes place in several cycles in accordance with the number and size of the available sorting compartments and the sequence requirements. According to the invention, in order to avoid being faced with full compartments, after the recognition of all the despatches' address codes, with one or more full compartments, one or more compartment combinations for one distribution stop are found by iterative search steps taking account of all the compartments available for sorting and all possible distribution stops, while retaining the predetermined despatch sequence, where said combinations are formed by characteristic numbers of the compartments during the passages and which are capable of accepting despatches for distribution at the distribution stop concerned.

Abstract: For a rotary switch (7) fastened on a dividing wall (1), it is proposed to illuminate the adjusting knob (4) by means of transmitted light by providing as a light guide (20) a conical ring (28) formed with continuations (29, 30, 31) formed on in the axial direction, the continuations (29, 30, 31) reaching through the dividing wall (1) and being aligned with light-emitting diodes (8, 9), which are located on a printed-circuit board (6) assigned to the rotary switch (7). The light guide (20) is fastened on the dividing wall (1) indirectly by fastening the housing (3) and is secured against twisting by suitable indentations (47, 48, 49) in the dividing wall (1).