Patents Assigned to Bell and Howell, LLC
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Patent number: 11200773Abstract: A secure storage and retrieval system has a vault with a frame, one or more platters rotatably mounted about the frame, storage bins arranged radially about each of the one or more platters, and mounting surfaces arranged about a perimeter of the vault; and at least one user terminal connected to the vault at one of the mounting surfaces of the vault, the at least one user terminal including an elevator system that vertically moves the plurality of storage bins between any of the one or more platters and an opening formed through an outer shell of the user terminal.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2019Date of Patent: December 14, 2021Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Neal J. Middelberg, Mark Gerard Paul, Craig S. Adcock, Richard Johnson
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Patent number: 11180323Abstract: Systems and methods for providing gaps in article or package processing. In some embodiments, the system can include a conveying path along which a first advanced article and a second advanced article can be advanced. The system can further include a first stop location and a second stop location. The first stop location can include movable fingers that are configured to raise to stop the advance of the articles and then lower at specific times to allow the articles to advance with specific distances between the articles. Additionally, the system can include a paddle that also raises and lowers. The paddle lowers to stop an advancing article again, and in doing so, front-end registers the article. Then the paddle can raise to allow the package to advance again along the conveyor.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2019Date of Patent: November 23, 2021Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Neal J. Middelberg, Richard D. Johnson, Taner Lee Howard
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Patent number: 10994947Abstract: An overhead reverse diverter for diverting cartons passing under the diverter along a primary transport path, the diverter including a diverter frame arranged over a space through which the cartons move along the primary transport path, a divert belt, and one or more divert paddles attached to the divert belt. The divert belt may be movable along a movement profile when the diverter is triggered to divert one or more of the cartons from the primary transport path, such that the one or more divert paddles are configured to sweep through the space through which the cartons pass as the divert belt moves along the movement profile to divert one or more of the cartons from the primary transport path along one or more divert paths.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2019Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Neal J. Middelberg, Craig S. Adcock, Taner Lee Howard, Mark Gerard Paul, Richard Johnson
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Patent number: 10956873Abstract: The present subject matter relates to techniques and equipment for creating and managing a directory of individuals and businesses/enterprises by their mobile phone number, and using the directory to effectively store, manage and direct mail communication information to the individuals and businesses using preferred delivery methods of the individuals and businesses/enterprises. An electronic communication system is configured to use a mobile phone number to reference data and to manage communications to a corresponding recipient.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2014Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: BELL AND HOWELL, LLCInventor: Michael Maselli
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Patent number: 9919443Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media for sheet registration in a tractorless sheet processing device using existing sheet features are disclosed herein. In some aspects, the systems can include a tractorless sheet processing device having a cutter for cutting individual sheets from continuous form material and a cutter feeder for feeding the continuous form material to the cutter. The systems can also include a camera disposed relative to the cutter feeder and configured to capture an image of a position of at least one existing sheet feature on at least one or more of the individual sheets of the continuous form material in order to synchronously register each of the individual sheets with the cutter, and a controller including at least one hardware processor and memory, the controller being configured to interface with the camera and the tractorless sheet processing device.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2015Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Joseph Zuech, Mark Burgess, William V. Pickering, Jr.
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Patent number: 9688439Abstract: The present teachings relate to a mailpiece and method for assembling a mailpiece using a document processing system such as a wrapper system. The assembled mailpiece has outgoing and reply envelope functionality. In the outgoing format, the mailpiece may optionally contain advertisements, inserted documents, or coupons.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2013Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Mark Van Gorp, Elizabeth L. Manning, Gerard A. Derome
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Patent number: 9604493Abstract: The present teachings relate to methods and systems for preparing an integrated mailpiece using a document processing system such as a wrapping document processing system. The manufactured mailpiece is an integrated bidirectional mailpiece having outgoing and return envelope functionality. In the outgoing format, the integrated mailpiece may optionally contain advertisements, coupons, inserted documents, statements or payment coupons.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2009Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Mark Van Gorp, Elizabeth L. Manning
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Patent number: 9540203Abstract: The present applications relates to techniques and equipment to control the alignment of cut sheets of paper that are transported in parallel in an inserting system prior to their assembly into a document and inserted into an envelope. The alignment of the parallel sheets is adjusted by commanding incremental position changes to servo drive motors used to control the position of the parallel sheets during their transport through a hold module of the inserting system.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2014Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventor: Aaron A. Kracht
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Patent number: 9352872Abstract: The present application relates to a method and system for labeling one or more products such as packages transported along a conveyer, and more specifically to applying a label on a respective package by way of a vertically adjustable assembly positioned above the conveyor. The adjustable assembly includes at least a label printer and an applicator for printing and applying the label on a surface of the package on the conveyor.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2013Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Richard Wojdyla, Tim Palmer, Brian Bowers, Tomasz K. Bednarek
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Patent number: 9221640Abstract: The present application relates to techniques and equipment to stack mailpieces for sweeping. The mailpieces are manufactured on a mail processing machine such as, but not limited to an inserter or wrapper. More particularly, there is provided an on-edge conveyor where components have been ergonomically positioned to permit the filling of a mail tray in an efficient manner with minimal lifting of weight. A quantity of mailpieces that have already been offset can be pulled over the rolled/rounded edge of the conveyor into an awaiting mail tray supported on a roller conveyor. The operator is then able push the full tray to the side, load another empty tray, and repeat the process.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Neal Middleberg, Gerard A. Derome, Richard D. Johnson, Lenny Neifert, Mark Gerard Paul
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Patent number: 9156063Abstract: The present subject matter relates to techniques and equipment for processing mailpieces. The mailpieces have been manufacture on a mailpiece inserter or directly from a printer The manufactured mailpieces are processed on a mail sorter to produce trays of mail that are grouped by zone improvement program. The mailpieces are sorted without a predefined sort scheme loaded on the mail sorter.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2012Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Brian Bowers, Steven Seburn
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Patent number: 9111399Abstract: The present application relates to techniques and equipment for printing documents, inspecting the quality of the documents and correcting for defective printed material in a document processing environment. The present techniques and equipment detect one or more defective pages in a document and uniquely identify the defective document. Once the defective document is identified, it can be removed from a document processing system while continuing the document processing run for subsequent documents in a mailing.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2010Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventor: Michael J. McIntee
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Patent number: 8977385Abstract: Processing and tracking of individual mail items processed through a document processing system such as a sorter or inserter utilize a mail item identifier that is unique with respect to each individual mail item. A mail item may have a postal authority approved code representing or containing its associated unique identifier. If not, an identifier is generated and a corresponding postal authority approved code is applied to the mail item. Processing entails associating the unique mail item identifier for each respective mail item with collected metadata for the respective mail item and storing the identifier and associated the metadata. In a sorter example, each mail item is sorted into a postal sort group, and the processing entails identifying the sort group to which each item is sorted and storing the identified sort in association with the unique mail item identifier.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2009Date of Patent: March 10, 2015Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Brian Bowers, Steven Seburn, Steven Ksiazek, Gary Van Ermen, Walter S. Conard
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Publication number: 20140358950Abstract: The present subject matter relates to techniques and equipment for creating and managing a directory of individuals and businesses/enterprises by their mobile phone number, and using the directory to effectively store, manage and direct mail communication information to the individuals and businesses using preferred delivery methods of the individuals and businesses/enterprises. An electronic communication system is configured to use a mobile phone number to reference data and to manage communications to a corresponding recipient.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2014Publication date: December 4, 2014Applicant: BELL AND HOWELL, LLCInventor: Michael MASELLI
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Patent number: 8836964Abstract: The present subject matter relates to a method and system for increasing the throughput of mail processing machines by limiting the number of document processing system stops while effectively allowing errors to be reconciled during the continued operation of the system. More particularly, the present approach involves logging detected errors during an ongoing document processing run. The detected errors are analyzed for priority, and the operator is alerted to take corrective action during run time for specified errors. The reported errors may be reconciled prior to the completion of the document processing run.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2006Date of Patent: September 16, 2014Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Michael G. Boston, Mark G. Paul
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Patent number: 8814491Abstract: The present application relates to techniques and equipment for transporting and inverting material, such as a mail item, and exchanging the lead and trail edge of the material along a transport feed path. The equipment conveys material to a holding mechanism that rotates to a suitable angle to the transport feed path and within the plane of the flat material. The direction of the material is reversed while contained in the holding mechanism. The holding mechanism is rotated to turning over the material, e.g., face-up to face-down, and exchanges the lead and trail edges with respect to the feed path.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2012Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC.Inventor: Michelle Demers
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Patent number: 8793197Abstract: The present subject matter generally relates to techniques and equipment to apply move update address information to mailpieces based on move update requirements. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to a pre-print move update process that updates addresses for moves without affecting stored address data while meeting postal authority standards for move update and pre-sort mailpiece groupings. The move update process is applied to the address data before print and preserves the initial stored address data. The move update address information and initial address information are both printed.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2009Date of Patent: July 29, 2014Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventor: Richard Wojdyla
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Patent number: 8748768Abstract: The present application relates to a method and system for mail item processing. More particularly, the present application relates to a method and system alerting document processing operators when all mail items have reached a designated bin in order to improve accuracy and efficiency during document processing as well as improving the overall efficiency of the document processing facility.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2009Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventor: Brian Bowers
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Patent number: 8724140Abstract: One or more print streams destined for one or more print stream processing modules are optimized prior to printing, based on relevant document attributes. Optimization may balance operation time of a first processing module with that of a second processing module, by appropriate assigning of documents to the print streams. Optimization may separate input print file document pages into sort groups and/or order sort group documents from largest to smallest. Optimization may allocate documents to optimize the inserter throughput without damaging the integrity of the sort groups. With 2-up or 3-up printing or the like, allocation of sort groups between the multiple outputs to be created after printed paper is split may ensure that parallel paper document outputs are as nearly the same length as possible, to minimize paper wastage. Separation of pages of the same document among different streams/modules can be avoided.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2009Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLCInventors: Victor Tolomei, Michael J. McIntee, Uwe Meister
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Patent number: 8702096Abstract: The present application relates to techniques and equipment to manufacture mailpieces containing inserts. The equipment can be an inserter or an envelope wrapper that collects documents and inserts on a collating track before the material is inserted into an envelope by inserting equipment or wrapped with paper or film to make an envelope by wrapping equipment. More specifically, the present application relates to a rotary insert feeder that feeds inserts to a collating track on inserting or wrapping type equipment.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC.Inventors: Joseph Zuech, Aaron A. Kracht