Abstract: A device and a method are disclosed for identifying overlaps of flexible flat items being moved along a conveyance path in a conveyor segment which is configured to move the items sequentially while the items are standing on edge and such that at least one section of each of the items is deflectable perpendicularly with respect to the conveyance path. A deflection element is disposed adjacent the conveyor segment for temporarily deflecting a section of the flat items perpendicularly with respect to the conveyance path by a predetermined amount while the items are being conveyed. Each deflection element is associated with a detection device which detects an overlapping of the items based on a flip-back behavior of the temporarily deflected section of the items.

Abstract: Separating flat parcels from a stack of parcels is accomplished by moving a drawing element in a conveying direction so that a surface of the drawing element comes into contact with a first parcel of the stacked parcels. A stacking pressure is generating with a stack support element in a direction toward the surface of the drawing element so that a force is exerted on the first parcel in the direction of the drawing element and the surface of the drawing element is in close frictional contact with the first parcel. The force exerted on the first parcel in the direction of the surface of the drawing element is increased by generating a vacuum on a side of the drawing element. The first parcel is conveyed with the drawing element through a gap between the drawing element and a guide wall provided for front edges of the stacked parcels.

Abstract: For a mail stacker including a compartmented path equipped with switches and stack compartments for sorting the letters, to avoid congestion of the letters assigned to the same compartment upon entry into the compartment there is provided a secondary conveying path parallel to part of the primary conveying path, with the length or transporting speed of the secondary conveying path being dimensioned so that, after two of the above-mentioned letters have been separated and combined again, they are now transported in an overlapping arrangement.

Abstract: A Method of Controlling the Withdrawal Process is carried out in a Singling Device and Arrangement to increase the throughput of singled shipments such a letters, postcards and the like from a singling device to a conveyor, the delivery of successive shipments from the singling device is controlled as a function of the measured parameters like length, height, thickness, stiffness, surface roughness, and weight of the shipment previously withdrawn from the singling device so that a minimum distance depending on the parameters of the preceding shipment can be adjusted between the withdrawn shipments on the conveyor. Thus, the singled, successive shipments can be offered to a distribution section, such as one equipped with directing switches and stacking compartments, via the conveyor, the minimum spacings between them and with the assurance of troublefree stacking of the shipment in the stacking compartments.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the automatic adaptation of mailing formats of different sizes to be scanned opto-electrically, to a given image reproduction format, is used in particular for scanning the address fields of letters and the like. An image content reduction is carried out in such a way that in the scanning of the mailing in dependence on the height and/or length excess of the mailings from given standard values H.sub.o, L.sub.o, a corresponding number of image points within each image scan element are omitted according to a given rule and the image reproduction is generated by non-omitted image points of the image scan elements. In order that lettering edge sharpness will remain equally sharp, the image point magnification between image point scan size and image point reproduction size is maintained constant.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a video coding system for mail including a scanner by which pass all letters, and a plurality of monitors for displaying a scanned address. The monitors are video monitors with screens having a controllable color reproduction so as to provide a simple means for realizing changing background hues. The color control signal required for this purpose is generated, uniformly for the entire picture or frame either by means of a simple color detecting device arranged in the area of the scanner or by a respective color control signal generator which is controlled by a random signal generator switched to correspond with the change of frame.