Abstract: The invention relates to a system (1) for conveying articles (3), which system comprises an article conveyor (2) extending from an upstream end (4) to a downstream end (5), and a motor-driven shuttle trolley (6) having an article carrier deck (7) and designed to dock with said ends of the conveyor so as to transfer an article between the trolley and the conveyor. The conveyor is a gravity conveyor under which a ramp (12) extends, and the trolley is suitable for travelling under the conveyor and is provided with a lever (11) that is mounted to move vertically relative to the deck and that is designed to co-operate with the ramp while the trolley is moving under the conveyor so that, by following the ramp, the lever moves between a retracted position in which it is retracted under the conveyor and a deployed position in which it projects above the conveyor so as to drive an article along the conveyor.

Abstract: The mailpiece sorting machine includes a bin sorting conveyor (1) that acts under the control of a control unit (4) to move the bins (3) over sorting outlets (S1, S2, Sn) having removable storage trays (5). The control unit is suitable for detecting (20) that a current mailpiece has a destination address that does not correspond to an available sorting outlet in the machine. If such a situation is detected, a manipulator robot (R) comes to replace the tray of a sorting outlet with an empty tray (or with a tray already containing mail for the same destination address) into which the current mailpiece is sorted, while the replaced tray is placed on standby on a rack (8).

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (1) for conveying articles (3), which system comprises an article conveyor (2) extending from an upstream end (4) to a downstream end (5), and a motor-driven shuttle trolley (6) having an article carrier deck (7) and designed to dock with said ends of the conveyor so as to transfer an article between the trolley and the conveyor. The conveyor is a gravity conveyor under which a ramp (12) extends, and the trolley is suitable for travelling under the conveyor and is provided with a lever (11) that is mounted to move vertically relative to the deck and that is designed to co-operate with the ramp while the trolley is moving under the conveyor so that, by following the ramp, the lever moves between a retracted position in which it is retracted under the conveyor and a deployed position in which it projects above the conveyor so as to drive an article along the conveyor.

Abstract: A postal sorting machine includes a sorting conveyor having sorting outlets, a first feed branch adapted for automatically injecting heterogeneous postal articles of the small parcel type into the sorting conveyor, and a second feed branch adapted for injecting homogeneous flat mailpieces of the letter type, or the magazine type, or of some analogous type into the sorting conveyor. The first feed branch has an inlet adapted for receiving the heterogeneous postal articles loose, and it is provided with at least one robotized handling arm of the “pick and place” type.

Abstract: A method of sorting mailpieces by using a dynamic assignment process and an overbooking mechanism whereby an overbooked sorting destination (D) is substituted for a sorting destination that is already assigned to a certain sorting outlet (S) comprises the following steps: a) identifying from among said sorting outlets (S) a sorting outlet that has a filling level (N) greater than a first threshold (s1) and the longest idle time, and assigning the overbooked sorting destination to that sorting outlet; b) if all of the sorting outlets (S) have filling levels (N) less than said first threshold (s1), identifying from among the sorting outlets the sorting outlet that has the longest idle time, assigning that sorting outlet to said overbooked sorting destination, and indicating that said other sorting destination is a sorting destination to be amalgamated.

Abstract: A method of sorting mailpieces by using a dynamic assignment process and an overbooking mechanism whereby an overbooked sorting destination (D) is substituted for a sorting destination that is already assigned to a certain sorting outlet (S) comprises the following steps: a) identifying from among said sorting outlets (S) a sorting outlet that has a filling level (N) greater than a first threshold (s1) and the longest idle time, and assigning the overbooked sorting destination to that sorting outlet; b) if all of the sorting outlets (S) have filling levels (N) less than said first threshold (s1), identifying from among the sorting outlets the sorting outlet that has the longest idle time, assigning that sorting outlet to said overbooked sorting destination, and indicating that said other sorting destination is a sorting destination to be amalgamated.

Abstract: A postal sorting machine includes a sorting conveyor having sorting outlets, a first feed branch adapted for automatically injecting heterogeneous postal articles of the small parcel type into the sorting conveyor, and a second feed branch adapted for injecting homogeneous flat mailpieces of the letter type, or the magazine type, or of some analogous type into the sorting conveyor. The first feed branch has an inlet adapted for receiving the heterogeneous postal articles loose, and it is provided with at least one robotized handling arm of the “pick and place” type.

Abstract: Apparatus designed to cancel at least one postage or franking mark on a surface of a mailpiece moving on edge in a belt conveyor, said apparatus comprising: a conveyor portion with a plurality of small superposed belts and a plurality of superposed print heads; and control means for controlling the print heads in such a manner as to cause a print head to print one or more cancellation marks over the franking mark(s) detected on the mailpiece. Each print head is suitable for operating selectively with a plurality of superposed inkjets so as to print only a portion (¾, ½, ¼) of said cancellation mark or a scaled-down version thereof over the franking mark when said franking mark is positioned in such a manner as to be off-center between two belts.

Abstract: Apparatus designed to cancel at least one postage or franking mark on a surface of a mailpiece moving on edge in a belt conveyor, said apparatus comprising: a conveyor portion with a plurality of small superposed belts and a plurality of superposed print heads; and control means for controlling the print heads in such a manner as to cause a print head to print one or more cancellation marks over the franking mark(s) detected on the mailpiece. Each print head is suitable for operating selectively with a plurality of superposed inkjets so as to print only a portion (¾, ½, ¼) of said cancellation mark or a scaled-down version thereof over the franking mark when said franking mark is positioned in such a manner as to be off-center between two belts.

Abstract: A storage bin for mail items comprises a plurality of side walls and a bottom. The bottom comprises two walls that are inclined one relative to the other, one of the two walls constituting a jogging wall for jogging the mail items into alignment in the bottom of the storage bin.

Abstract: A method of sorting postal items in a plurality of sorting passes in a sorting machine having sort outlets with removable trays, the method including the steps of: (i) after a first sorting pass during which the sorted items are stored in the trays, determining and storing in a memory the pass sequence in which the items are to pass through the sorting machine for the subsequent sorting pass; and (ii) during said subsequent sorting pass, while a current item to be directed towards a sort-outlet tray is passing, determining in the pass sequence the difference in rank between the current item and a next item immediately following the current item and that is to be directed to the same sort-outlet tray as the current item, and comparing the difference with a threshold for causing the sort-outlet tray to be replaced with an empty tray.

Abstract: A method of sorting postal items in a plurality of sorting passes in a sorting machine having sort outlets with removable trays comprises the following steps, consisting: after a first sorting pass during which the sorted items are stored in the trays, in determining and storing in a memory the pass sequence in which the items are to pass through the sorting machine for the subsequent sorting pass; and during said subsequent sorting pass, while a current item to be directed towards a sort-outlet tray is passing, in determining in said pass sequence the difference in rank) between the current item and a next item immediately following the current item and that is to be directed to the same sort-outlet tray as the current item, and in comparing said difference with a threshold for causing said sort-outlet tray to be replaced with an empty tray.

Abstract: A storage bin for mail items comprises a plurality of side walls and a bottom. The bottom comprises two walls that are inclined one relative to the other, one of the two walls constituting a jogging wall for jogging the mail items into alignment in the bottom of the storage bin.