Abstract: A sorting system for flat mail items includes a process controller and at least three storage modules connected in a parallel arrangement. Each of the at least three storage modules has a storage area and an infeed function to transfer mail items from a mail item stream into the storage area, and an extraction function to extract mail items from the storage area for generating an improved mail item stream. One of the at least three storage modules is operable in the infeed function, another one of the at least three storage modules operable in the extraction function, and at least one further module of the at least three storage modules is operable in a halt status. Address information is added to the mail items by the process controller for the mail items contained in the storage area of the storage module operated in the halt status.

Abstract: A device for stacking flat, flexible postal items in a stacking compartment in an upright position includes a stacking roller positionable in proximity of the stacking compartment. A covered belt system feeds the postal items consecutively to the stacking roller, wherein the belt system has a first belt and a second belt. A deflection roller on an axis deflects the first belt from the second belt so that the second belt continuous to transport a postal item to the stacking roller. A first profile roller on the deflection roller has a predetermined roller length and includes a number of diameter taperings over its roller length. Deflectable pressure means press the postal items into the diameter taperings of the first profile roller to reduce a free flexible lengths of a postal items.

Abstract: A device for reversal of direction of planar letters has two cover band conveyor runs with reversible transport direction, driven by a common drive roller. The letters are distributed alternately on the cover band conveyor runs. The back-transported letters are led into removing cover band transport means. The drive roller is controlled such that on introduction of a following letter into a cover band conveyor run the preceding back-transported letter has already accelerated to the nominal speed, the braking process only being initiated when the rear edge of the relevant letter has left the introducing cover band transport run and the preceding letter is no longer held in one of the controlled and reversible cover band conveyor runs.

Abstract: In a device for filling containers, the containers are filled with postal items from sorting endpoints of a sorting device, and are transferred into a storage and transport device. Below a sorting endpoint a stop mechanism has an extending part for accepting a container. The extending part has a frame with rotating support rollers. Heights of the support rollers are arranged so that the container is tilted towards a stop at a front free end of the extending part. On a fixed part of the stop mechanism a drive roller is arranged so that a drive roller support surface is raised in relation to a line connecting roller surfaces of the support rollers. Behind the drive roller a further roller is provided, whose support surface is located below the drive roller support surface. Behind a rearmost last roller the storage and transport device is arranged along the sorting endpoints.

Abstract: A device for changing a direction of conveyance of flat postal items and a position of the postal items relative to their direction of conveyance includes a driven carousel tray to which one or more gripper arms whose lengths are modifiable in a controlled manner are fastened. At free ends of these arms controlled joint ends having two or three degrees of freedom are provided and grippers are attached thereto. The gripper arm lengths, the spatial orientations of the grippers during rotation and the rotation speed can be controlled in such a manner that the grippers carry out linear movements along the conveyor tracks of the conveyor means to be supplied and carried away at approximately the same speed of conveyance as the respective conveyor means. During the linear movements, the joint ends and the grippers are oriented in the same spatial orientation relative to the respective conveyor tracks.

Abstract: In a device for filling, a holding mechanism with a part that is extendable forward to be loaded with a container in an extended state on non-driven rollers is below each sorting terminal position. A first drivable roller pair is located externally on a fixed part of the holding mechanism at a point where the rear part of the container on the extendable part is located in the positioned state after loading. The fixed part is extended backwards to receive a container in a buffer position behind a newly loaded and positioned container. At least two second drivable roller pairs are disposed externally in the region of the buffered container. The bearing surfaces of the drivable rollers are above bearing surfaces of the rollers that cannot be driven when the former are in their driven state.

Abstract: A device for reversal of direction of planar letters has two cover band conveyor runs with reversible transport direction, driven by a common drive roller. The letters are distributed alternately on the cover band conveyor runs. The back-transported letters are led into removing cover band transport means. The drive roller is controlled such that on introduction of a following letter into a cover band conveyor run the preceding back-transported letter has already accelerated to the nominal speed, the braking process only being initiated when the rear edge of the relevant letter has left the introducing cover band transport run and the preceding letter is no longer held in one of the controlled and reversible cover band conveyor runs.

Abstract: In a method for sorting flat mail items, mail items are routed longitudinal direction according to determined destination addresses via a transport and point section into sorting terminals assigned to the destination addresses. Gaps between two mail items are adjusted by a controllable gap adjustment device in front of the transport and point. The average set gap between mail items leaving the separation device is selected to be smaller than the minimum gap between the mail items, which are to be sorted in the sorting terminals with the longest transport distances. The gaps between two mail items are adjusted by means of the controllable gap adjustment device as a function of the mail item with the shorter transport distance to the assigned sorting terminal in each instance. To create necessary space to displace the mail items in the flow of mail items, disruptive mail items are ejected.

Abstract: In a stacker, a mail item to be stacked is propelled against a stop wall at a stacking point by a stacking roll. A controlled driven underfloor belt and a stack support are displaced from the stack as the stack grows. The mail item to be stacked meets the preceding, already stacked item at an acute angle. Before it is stacked the mass of each item is determined. Stacking forces are measured with a measurement device in a preceding test phase the target values for the stacking pressures and the braking curve of the stacking roll up until the mail items have reached the stop are defined and stored based on statistical analyses in accordance with the mass of the mail items to be stacked. The speed of the respective mail item is reduced according to the braking curve assigned to the determined mass of the mail item.

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: A device for filling and removing containers (8, 9) for sorted mail. The containers are filled from two sorting points (2, 3) of a sorting device (1) that are arranged in two rows one above the other and can be transferred to a storage and transport device (10). A telescopic retaining mechanism (4) for holding two containers (8, 9) one behind the other is located beneath the two sorting points (2, 3) that are arranged one above the other, the mechanism being extended halfway to fill the front container (9) or completely to fill the rear container (8) or both containers (8, 9).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for processing flat mailings, according to which two or more piles of mailings, the destination addresses of which are known and which are sorted according to the distribution order, are separated by a separating device, are directed onto a common transport path, and are then jointly stacked in the order in which the mailing have been transported. The separation process is timed in such a way that the joined mailings are transported on the transport path in the order in which they are to be distributed based on the known destination addresses. A unit detecting the destination addresses on the mailings and a sensor arrangement detecting the leading an trailing edges of the mailings are disposed along the transport path.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for separating flat postal items according to thickness classes. A rigid system of overlapping lamellae (5) on two continuous traction mechanisms (3) revolving on two deflection rollers (4) provides a lamella-type conveyor belt. The lamellae (5), in the end zones of the belt, are inclined outward at the same angle, thereby forming inward-leading gaps in between them. The lamella-type conveyor belt is inclined with respect to the horizontal to such an extent that postal items (10) that are conveyed to the lower part of the belt transporting the postal items upwards can slide, due to their gravity, into the interior of the lamella-type conveyor belt through the downward leading gaps if they are thinner than the gap width. The sorted out postal items (11) slide onto a transport device (7) by means of rigid guides (6) in the interior of the lamella-type conveyor belt. Said transport device transports the postal items laterally outward from the lamella-type conveyor belt.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the flexural rigidity in the longitudinal direction of flat items of mail transported one after another on a conveying path includes a control device, a sensor for detecting the edges of the items of mail and signaling the control device when a mail item reaches a selected bearing point, a deflection apparatus that moves into the conveying path under the control of the control device to bend individual mail items and means for determining one or both of the magnitude of the deflection of the items of mail and the magnitude of the deflection force, the control device progressing signals from one or both of the sensor and measuring means to determine the flexural rigidity of the mail item.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device which comprises a driven carousel tray to which one or more gripper arms whose lengths can be modified in a controlled manner are fastened. At the free ends of these arms controlled joint ends having two or three degrees of freedom are provided and grippers are attached thereto. The gripper arm lengths, the spatial orientations of the grippers during rotation and the rotation speed can be controlled in such a manner that the grippers carry out linear movements along the conveyor tracks of the conveyor means to be supplied and carried away at approximately the same speed of conveyance as the respective conveyor means. During the linear movements, the joint ends and the grippers are always oriented in the same spatial orientation relative to the respective conveyor tracks.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a receiving area or stacking tray for items. The stacking tray may be flat and the items mail items. The mail items may also be flat. The flat mail items are accommodated in an upright position. The receiving area has a stacking base, a stacking location, and a stack-retaining stack support which is movable in approximately horizontal stacking direction. Preceding the stacking location in the direction of stacking there is disposed, a driven pusher unit, likewise movable in the direction of stacking, for emptying the tray, for which purpose the drive of the pusher unit can be controlled such that the pusher unit rapidly slides the stack out over the stacking base and the drive of the stack support can be controlled such that the stack support covers a larger distance than the pusher unit in the course of the emptying process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for the marking sections of a stack of items, such as mail items, to be sorted in sorting machines according to a distribution order. After reading and allocating a destination address to the stopping points of the distribution order, the last or the first and the last mail item of a section of a stack to be distinguished in a stack is automatically provided with an easily removable sticker, well visible in the stack, by an sticker dispenser, which is placed in the sorting machine after the reading unit for the distribution information and before the distribution unit. The stickers are then removed again during the distribution of the mail items to the receivers of the mail items.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for processing flat mailings, according to which two or more piles of mailings, the destination addresses of which are known and which are sorted according to the distribution order, are separated by a separating device, are directed onto a common transport path, and are then jointly stacked in the order in which the mailing have been transported. The separation process is timed in such a way that the joined mailings are transported on the transport path in the order in which they are to be distributed based on the known destination addresses. A unit detecting the destination addresses on the mailings and a sensor arrangement detecting the leading an trailing edges of the mailings are disposed along the transport path.

Abstract: The present invention relates to presorting at a number of sorting terminal stations of a postal sorting system. A multitude of adjacent, narrow and laterally open storage cells are provided, which accommodate one postal article at a time in an upright position and which are fastened to an endless traction mechanism that circulates at a constant speed. These storage cells can, in a loading and unloading section of the circulation, be loaded via an open narrow side by means of one or more adjacent conveying devices and can be unloaded via the other open narrow side by means of a number of adjacent conveying devices. In order to carry out the sorting inward or outward transfer into or from the storage cells, the loading and/or unloading conveying devices can be displaced and controlled independent of one another over an area spanning a number of storage cell widths.

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.