Abstract: A method and apparatus for high speed traying of mail pieces includes a tray filling head assembly, a tray fill conveyor assembly, and a tray feed assembly. A continuous stream of mail pieces are fed into the tray fill head assembly, which controllably moves the mail pieces one at a time into a postal carrier tray. The postal carrier trays are selectively staged for filling and automatically ejected when filled by the tray fill conveyor assembly. The tray feed assembly feeds the trays to the tray fill conveyor assembly. When a filled tray is being exited and an empty tray is being staged for filling, the tray fill head assembly buffers the mail pieces so that the continuous stream of mail pieces is not interrupted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for high speed merging of sheet material onto a transport from the side is disclosed. The apparatus includes a pocket formed from a series of bottom guides, a series of top guides, a side restrain, a front and rear backstop, all mounted to a framework and being mounted slightly above a transport via a provision. A source feeds insert material into the pocket at which time the insert material is held therein until advancing transport picks engage the insert as the picks pass through slots in the pocket and propel the insert out of the pocket and on to the transport or an existing sheet already on the transport. Paper control devices are positioned within the pocket to dampen bounce and help keep the insert contained in the pocket.

Abstract: An envelope packing apparatus for packing a plurality of envelopes with a packing material comprising a buffer stack for holding an accumulated stack of the envelopes and a packing assembly for accepting the envelopes from the buffer stack and inserting the packing material into the envelopes.

Abstract: A cassette assembly line including, a tape reel leadering and placement station having a table rotatable between reel supply, leader supply/clip/cutting and tape reel placement substations. The reel supply substation places unleadered tape reels in equally spaced relation on the rotary table. The table rotates to present unleadered tape reels to the leader supply/clip/cutting substation. A first reel is fed a leader supply, which leader is secured by a leader clip. The rotary table is then rotated so that the leader supply extends across a second and third tape reel, and leader clips secure the leader supply to the second and third tape reels. The leader is then cut between the second and third tape reels to form an exact length leader for the first and second tape reels. The leadered pair is then transferred to a cassette shell by the reel placement substation. In effect, the cut end still attached to the leader supply becomes the leader for the next pair.

Abstract: An endless belt conveyor having readily replaceable support rollers. In an endless conveyor support structure, support rollers are carried on a cross bar which is releasably secured to the underside of I-beams in the conveyor frame. Hoists are provided so that the cross bar may be lowered and then moved laterally so that the roller to be replaced is clear of the conveyor structure.

Abstract: A rock crushing and conveying apparatus for an open pit mining operation having an apron feeder conveyor, a rock crushing assembly and an endless belt drive station, each of which are capable of being lifted by a transporter vehicle and moved within the strip mine to different locations to reduce the amount of time lost in transporting raw material from the actual mining site to the rock crusher. The gyratory crusher is housed in a toroidal body mounted on three legs and elevated so that the underside of the body, which has a load bearing ring under the crusher, is accessible to said transporter vehicle.