Abstract: A system for processing documents is provided for use in remittance processing of bulk mail. An extraction unit opens envelopes and extracts the envelope contents, typically in the form of a pair of documents such as an invoice stub and an accompanying check. The extraction unit discards the opened envelopes and feeds the pair of documents in parallel disposition to a document sorting apparatus. The paired, parallel documents are conveyed through a document shifter in the form of nip rollers wherein one document of each pair is at least partially shifted relative to the other document of the pair to expose at least a portion of the covered document to an operator. The documents are then conveyed to a viewing area where the operator visually inspects each pair of documents and manually designates a selected path of movement using a manual input device.

Abstract: An apparatus for the automated processing of bulk mail which incorporates a number of operating stations that serve to accomplish the various aspects of mail extraction, as well as the subsequent processing of extracted documents, and which are operatively associated with one another to serially process envelopes and extracted documents in continuous fashion and substantially independent of their characteristic features. To this end, the operating stations of the apparatus are configured to be as independent as possible of the characteristics of the envelopes and their contents so that envelopes and contents of varied characteristics can be effectively handled by the apparatus without requiring any significant adjustments.

Abstract: To identify the orientation of specified documents, such as checks bearing magnetic ink markings, steps are taken to magnetize ink markings associated with the document, and to then detect magnetized ink markings on the document to develop electrical signals which can then be subjected to processing for identifying the orientation of the document based upon certain preestablished criteria. The result is a stand-alone device adapted to operate upon documents which are contained within envelopes to be subjected to an extraction procedure, prior to extraction from the envelopes, achieving a pre-processing of envelopes to identify those which contain the specified documents, and the orientation of the identified documents. The device is similarly adapted to operate upon the extracted documents, to identify those requiring special handling, and their orientation.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for detecting and sorting a document containing an address change request from a group of documents. The apparatus includes a document transport for conveying the document along a selected path of movement. An image scanner positioned along the selected path is provided for reading an image of the document or of a selected area on the document. The image scanner provides density levels corresponding to discrete areas on the document. An image processor determines a set of density levels corresponding to a test line passing through the selected area on the document. Density level transitions are detected along the selected line when two adjacent areas on the document have substantially different density levels. If a sufficient number of density level transitions are detected along the selected line, the document is sorted from the group of documents.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for sorting documents is provided. A document transport on the apparatus conveys documents along a selected path of movement from an input bin to a series of output bins. An optical scanner, such as a video camera, is positioned along the selected path to capture images of the documents. The captured images are displayed on a display monitor to permit an operator to inspect portions of the documents for a desired characteristic. The operator activates a push button on a selector switch depending on the presence of the desired characteristic. Bins are provided for stacking and separating documents having the desired characteristic from those documents lacking the desired characteristic. Gates are provided for directing the documents to the appropriate output bin.

Abstract: To identify the orientation of specified documents, such as checks bearing magnetic ink markings, steps are taken to magnetize ink markings associated with the document, and to then detect magnetized ink markings on the document to develop electrical signals which can then be subjected to processing for identifying the orientation of the document based upon certain preestablished criteria. The result is a stand-alone device adapted to operate upon documents which are contained within envelopes to be subjected to an extraction procedure, prior to extraction from the envelopes, achieving a pre-processing of envelopes to identify those which contain the specified documents, and the orientation of the identified documents. The device is similarly adapted to operate upon the extracted documents, to identify those requiring special handling, and their orientation.

Abstract: In a method for the automated processing of bulk mail, envelopes are transferred to a receiving apparatus in bulk fashion (from incoming mail trays or the like) for the extraction of documents contained by the envelopes, and the extracted documents are delivered to a remittance processing device, preferably both automatically and without the need for human intervention. Subsequent processing of the extracted documents within the remittance processing device then proceeds in usual fashion, completing the acquisition of information which is necessary to ready such documents for deposit into the banking system. Also disclosed are various presorting functions so that only envelopes containing documents of a specified type will be fully processed, other sorting functions such as the identification of specific types of documents (invoices or checks) for separate processing, and the use of a single extraction device to deliver extracted documents to either one, or a series of remittance processing devices.

Abstract: An apparatus for the automated processing of bulk mail in a continuous and automatic procedure includes an operative combination of processing stations including an input station for receiving incoming mail in bulk fashion and for separating the pieces of mail for individual delivery to the remainder of the apparatus; a station for detecting irregularities in the contents of the envelopes, such as metal items, folded contents, or oversized items; a station for out-sorting envelopes rejected in accordance with the determinations made at the detection station; a station for opening the envelopes, preferably along multiple edges; a station for removing the contents from the opened envelopes, for subsequent processing of the contents; and a series of stations for handling and orienting the contents for subsequent delivery to a plurality of output stackers.

Abstract: An apparatus for the automated processing of bulk mail which incorporates a number of operating stations that serve to accomplish the various aspects of mail extraction, as well as the subsequent processing of extracted documents, and which are operatively associated with one another to serially process envelopes and extracted documents in continuous fashion and substantially independent of their characteristic features. To this end, the operating stations of the apparatus are configured to be as independent as possible of the characteristics of the envelopes and their contents so that envelopes and contents of varied characteristics can be effectively handled by the apparatus without requiring any significant adjustments.

Abstract: An apparatus for presenting documents to a remittance processing device includes an arm for receiving a plurality of the documents for presentation to the remittance processing device and a conveyor for drawing the received documents along the arm and to a delivery point adjacent to the remittance processing device, for serial presentation at the remittance processing device for remittance processing of the received documents. The apparatus can also operate to stack received documents, to separate paired documents, and to justify documents to a reference surface, for eventual presentation to the arm and its conveyor.

Abstract: An extraction apparatus for the automated processing of bulk mail includes a first pair of rollers forming a nip for receiving each of a plurality of envelopes, with their contents. The envelopes, which have been opened along plural contiguous edges, are then passed to a second pair of rollers following the first pair of rollers, for receiving the opened envelopes (with the contents) from the first pair of rollers. The second pair of rollers are spaced from one another and each include a suction cup for engaging faces of the opened envelope responsive to an applied vacuum, and for spreading the faces of the envelope apart. A third pair of rollers following the second pair of rollers forms a nip for receiving the contents from between the second pair of rollers, thereby removing the contents from the envelope.

Abstract: To identify the orientation of specified documents, such as checks bearing magnetic ink markings, steps are taken to magnetize ink markings associated with the document, and to then detect magnetized ink markings on the document to develop electrical signals which can then be subjected to processing for identifying the orientation of the document based upon certain preestablished criteria. The result is a stand-alone device adapted to operate upon documents which are contained within envelopes to be subjected to an extraction procedure, prior to extraction from the envelopes, achieving a pre-processing of envelopes to identify those which contain the specified documents, and the orientation of the identified documents. The device is similarly adapted to operate upon the extracted documents, to identify those requiring special handling, and their orientation.

Abstract: An apparatus for the automated processing of bulk mail, wherein envelopes are transferred to the apparatus in bulk fashion (from incoming mail trays or the like) for the extraction of documents contained by the envelopes, communicates with a remittance processing device, preferably both automatically and without the need for human intervention. Subsequent processing of the extracted documents within the remittance processing device then proceeds in usual fashion, completing the acquisition of information which is necessary to ready such documents for deposit into the banking system.

Abstract: A series of documents to be processed are optically inspected, and compared with a reference standard to identify the relative orientation of each document. To this end, an image acquired from the document (preferably from each side of the document) is focused on an array of picture elements (pixels) for electronically converting the acquired image to digital form. This produces a digitally encoded image, which can be enhanced if desired, defined by an array of pixels corresponding to the acquired image. For each acquired image, two reference areas, which are preferably symmetrically located on the document, are inspected for the presence of a preselected reference mark. Location of the reference mark in one of the two reference areas operates to determine the orientation of the document.

Abstract: To identify the orientation of specified documents, such as checks bearing magnetic ink markings, steps are taken to magnetize ink markings associated with the document, and to then detect magnetized ink markings on the document to develop electrical signals which can then be subjected to processing for identifying the orientation of the document based upon certain preestablished criteria. The result is a stand-alone device adapted to operate upon documents which are contained within envelopes to be subjected to an extraction procedure, prior to extraction from the envelopes, achieving a pre-processing of envelopes to identify those which contain the specified documents, and the orientation of the identified documents. The device is similarly adapted to operate upon the extracted documents, to identify those requiring special handling, and their orientation.

Abstract: Envelopes in a bulk-mail processing system are inspected for emptiness, which indicates that all of the contents have been removed. The envelopes are spread apart at an extraction station, for manual or automatic removal of contents. The light transmissivity of the envelope and contents is measured when the envelope is unspread, and then when the envelope is spread. Based on at least the measured transmissivities of the envelope when spread and unspread, a threshold value of transmissivity consistent with the envelope being empty is calculated.

Abstract: An apparatus for orienting a plurality of documents received in differing orientations relative to the apparatus, for delivery from the apparatus in a uniform orientation, generally comprises a device for determining the orientation of a document according to characteristic features of that document, and devices for orienting the document in accordance with signals received from the orientation determining device. The orientation determining device can operate upon the magnetic ink markings on a check to determine its orientation according to prescribed criteria representative of the anticipated locations for such markings. The orienting devices can then operate to invert the checks from end to end and/or from top to bottom and bottom to top, responsive to signals received from the orientation determining device.

Abstract: An apparatus for severing envelope edges in continuous fashion comprises a plurality of devices for severing an envelope edge and a conveyor mechanism for carrying envelopes past the plurality of severing devices, and for rotating the envelopes to present envelope edges to the plurality of severing devices in orientations which permit the edge-severing of each presented envelope edge. Also a severing device for use in connection with the severing apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for extracting contents from a plurality of envelopes comprises a device for severing edge portions of the envelopes and for discharging the edge-severed envelopes serially and one at a time, and a device for extracting the contents from the edge-severed envelopes including a pair of conveyor belts which diverge from a nip for receiving the edge-severed envelopes from the severing device, and vacuum ports cooperating with the conveyor belts to separate faces of the envelopes from one another, and a device for separating contents from the separated faces of the envelopes, for discharge from the apparatus. Also a device for receiving the separated contents and envelope faces, and for testing them to verify that only effectively extracted contents are passed on for further processing.