Abstract: A method of monitoring the tension of a continuous endless drive elongate member mounted to be moved over a closed-loop path and having a slack run along which it forms undulations, said method consisting in placing a sensor along said slack run for detecting undulations going past in the slack run, and in counting the number of undulations detected, said number serving as a magnitude for measuring the tension of the drive member.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the tension of a continuous endless drive elongate member (13) mounted to be moved over a closed-loop path and having a slack run along which it forms undulations, said method consisting in placing a sensor (23) along said slack run for detecting undulations going past in the slack run, and in counting the number of undulations detected, said number serving as a magnitude for measuring the tension of the drive member.

Abstract: Device for conveying flat objects (1), held vertically, at high speed between processing equipment items, and in particular for conveying mail envelopes. This device comprises: a stationary baseplate (3) extending from one equipment item to the other, a motorized reference belt (4) stretched over a set of vertical pulleys (7) and extending above the baseplate along the conveying path between equipment items; a motorized press belt (5) mounted in such a way that it can be pressed against the reference belt along the conveying path; a series of defonnable wheels (6) along the conveying path between equipment items, which can come to bear against the press belt in the zone where the latter presses against the reference belt, so as to grip the conveyed envelopes appropriately in spite of the differences in thickness between envelopes.

Abstract: The device essentially comprises a conveyor, on which bins for storing articles stacked flat are loaded, and a coupling deck between the conveyor and the magazine, the coupling deck being hinged about its end adjoining the magazine and having firstly a tipping trough for tipping over the bin coming off the conveyor about the leading bottom edge of the bin, and secondly lateral retaining fins for retaining the bin tipped over onto the deck while the deck is being tilted. The invention is applicable to installations for unstacking postal articles.