Abstract: An inserting apparatus, for inserting documents into envelopes, comprising: an envelope holder for holding an envelope at least in a document inserting position, a document inserting path arranged upstream of the envelope holder for feeding a document to the envelope, an envelope opening device comprising an opening element adapted to be inserted in the envelope to move an envelope throat and an envelope body away from each other, the opening element comprising an opening element inserting finger arranged to be inserted in an inner space of the envelope, a sensor device with a primary sensor part mounted to the inserting finger and a secondary sensor part mounted to a base part or to the inserting finger of the opening element, wherein the sensor device is adapted to detect if the inserting finger is positioned in between the throat and the body.

Abstract: When sheets (1, 2) with different sizes are processed to a mail item, sheets (1, 2) with different sizes in conveying direction are supplied along first and second conveyor tracks, gathered into a stack and then folded. The folding of the stacked set (7) takes place with at least one predetermined folding length (a). In response to a difference between the folding length (a) and the size of the sheet (2) of the second size, which is within a predetermined range, the conveyor tracks (5, 6) are controlled by the control structure (9) for combining at least the sheets (1, 2) with leading edges (10, 11) at a mutual distance in the conveying direction (3) and with trailing edges (12, 13) at a mutual distance in the conveying direction (3) to form the set (7). From the combining until the folding, the sheets (1, 2) are mutually fixed and during folding, at least one fold (14) is provided in the sheets (1, 2).

Abstract: An inserting apparatus for inserting documents into envelopes comprising an envelope holder for holding an envelope in a document inserting position, wherein a first upstream end of the envelope is in an open position for receiving the document, a document displacement arrangement for displacing the document along a document inserting path into the envelope, wherein the apparatus further comprises a document steering arrangement arranged opposite to an envelope crease line provided between an envelope flap and an envelope body. The arrangement comprises steering elements spaced apart along a central axis that in use is substantially aligned with the envelope crease line. The steering elements are interconnected such that in use the respective steering elements are rotatable about the central axis in a similar direction with a similar speed during a similar time interval.

Abstract: An inserting apparatus, for inserting documents into envelopes, comprising: an envelope holder for holding an envelope at least in a document inserting position, a document inserting path arranged upstream of the envelope holder for feeding a document to the envelope, an envelope opening device comprising an opening element adapted to be inserted in the envelope to move an envelope throat and an envelope body away from each other, the opening element comprising an opening element inserting finger arranged to be inserted in an inner space of the envelope, a sensor device with a primary sensor part mounted to the inserting finger and a secondary sensor part mounted to a base part or to the inserting finger of the opening element, wherein the sensor device is adapted to detect if the inserting finger is positioned in between the throat and the body.

Abstract: An inserting apparatus for inserting documents into envelopes comprising an envelope holder for holding an envelope in a document inserting position, wherein a first upstream end of the envelope is in an open position for receiving said document, a document displacement arrangement for displacing the document along a document inserting path into the envelope, wherein the apparatus further comprises a document steering arrangement arranged opposite to an envelope crease line provided between an envelope flap and an envelope body. The arrangement comprises steering elements spaced apart along a central axis that in use is substantially aligned with the envelope crease line. The steering elements are interconnected such that in use said respective steering elements are rotatable about the central axis in a similar direction with a similar speed during a similar time interval.

Abstract: An apparatus for moistening flaps of envelopes has a liquid dispenser for dispensing liquid to the envelope flap of each envelope to be moistened. A liquid sensor is provided for sensing liquid carried by the dispenser and generating a humidity signal indicating an amount of the liquid held by the dispenser. A method for moistening flaps of envelopes is also described.

Abstract: For collating postal items into sets, the actual relative positions of the collated first and second postal items (6-9) is measured and a tolerance between nominal relative positions of the first and second postal items (6-9) and the actual relative positions of the collated first and second postal items (6-9) is determined. For at least one later set to be collated, the feeding of the second postal item (7, 9, 52-55; 102) is controlled for bringing the leading or trailing edge (27, 29; 57-60; 104) of the second postal item (7, 9, 52-55; 102) into a nominal off-set relative to the leading or, respectively, the trailing edge (26, 28; 56; 103) of the first postal item (6, 8; 61; 101), which nominal off-set is larger than or equal to the determined tolerance. An apparatus for carrying out such a method is also described.

Abstract: An assembly for conveying stacked documents includes a conveying surface extending along the conveying path and a conveyor roller that is suspended opposite to the conveying surface for movement between positions at different distances from the conveying surface. In the operating condition, the conveyor roller exerts a press-on force. The assembly also includes a transmission for driving the conveyor roller. The transmission is coupled with the conveyor roller in such a manner that if a couple is exerted on the conveyor roller in the conveying sense, a force directed against this press-on force is exerted on the conveyor roller. As a result, the temporary increase of the couple and the temporary reduction of the circumferential speed of the conveyor roller is limited.

Abstract: In an inserting apparatus an envelope holder comprises a first envelope support connecting to a document feed path, for holding an envelope in a filling position in or against a first surface, and a second envelope support connecting to an envelope discharge path, for carrying another envelope in or against a second surface and in an overlapping relation with an envelope simultaneously held in the filling position. Also described is a method in which an envelope to be filled is brought into the filling position before the preceding, filled envelope has left a feed-through path and this envelope brought into the filling position temporarily overlaps the filled envelope. The proposed apparatus and method enable an increased processing capacity.

Abstract: An inserting apparatus comprises an envelope holder for holding an envelope in a filling position, a document feed path and a flap holder for holding a flap of an envelope in an open position. On the side of the document supply path where the flap holder is also located, the most downstream roller is formed by a return pulley of a conveyor belt. Owing to a conveyor belt being trained over the most downstream roller on that side of the document feed path where the flap holder is also located, a small roller can be used without this leading to run-in problems. The documents are moreover forcefully advanced at the end of the document feed path into a nip between two rollers.