Patents by Inventor Walter Conard
Walter Conard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20070119757Abstract: A modular bin or pocket has an integrated transport assembly and mail piece diverter assembly and is usable in a bin stacker section in mail handling and sorting systems. The modular bin is individually removable, interchangeable and replaceable from the bin stacker sections of the mail processing system to allow for repair or maintenance of malfunctioning bins leading to reduced down time of the mail processing system. The modular bin further enables vertical and/or horizontal progressive modularity, i.e., vertical and/or horizontal expansion, of the bin stacker sections of the mail processing system which allows for cost-effective expansion of mail handling systems. Further, there is disclosed a tray management system and a tier diverter system that are usable in mail handling systems that use the modular bin with double sided bin stacker sections or single sided bin stacker sections with or without a turnaround section.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2007Publication date: May 31, 2007Applicant: Bowe Bell & Howell CompanyInventors: Ed Svyatsky, Walter Conard, Tomasz Bednarek, John Overman, Tony Estis, Mike Stollenwerck, Manny Panopoulos, Gary VanErmen, Mike Swift, Richard Szewczyk
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Publication number: 20070053001Abstract: An optimization service is provided for optimizing the run-time performance of a document processing system. The method of optimization includes analyzing an electronic file representing soft copy documents for a plurality of documents to be printed and processed through a document processing system to estimate an expected result of an optimizing operation if the printed documents are processed through the document processing system in accord with the optimizing operation. The estimate of the expected result of the optimizing operation is then presented to the user. If simulated performance information from the service provider regarding expected performance is favorable to the user, the user instructs the service provider to perform the selected optimizing operation. Recommended optimization techniques may be provided to enhance future performance of the document processing system, based on a comparative analysis.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2005Publication date: March 8, 2007Inventors: Steven Huntley, Robert Selph, Sarah Elliott, Walter Conard
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Publication number: 20060124514Abstract: A modular bin or pocket has an integrated transport assembly and mail piece diverter assembly and is usable in a bin stacker section in mail handling and sorting systems. The modular bin is individually removable, interchangeable and replaceable from the bin stacker sections of the mail processing system to allow for repair or maintenance of malfunctioning bins leading to reduced down time of the mail processing system. The modular bin further enables vertical and/or horizontal progressive modularity, i.e., vertical and/or horizontal expansion, of the bin stacker sections of the mail processing system which allows for cost-effective expansion of mail handling systems. Further, there is closed a tray management system and a tier diverter system that are usable in mail handling systems that use the modular bin with double sided bin stacker sections or single sided bin stacker sections with or without a turnaround section.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2006Publication date: June 15, 2006Inventors: Ed Svyatsky, Walter Conard, Tomasz Bednarek, John Overman, Tony Estis, Mike Stollenwerck, Manny Panopoulos, Gary VanErmen, Mike Swift, Richard Szewczyk
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Publication number: 20060108266Abstract: Mail processing methods and techniques for sorting and commingling mail from various mail sources including the tracking of the mail pieces through processing. Such tracking entails uniquely identifying each mail piece, received in batches from the mail sources, and recording the unique identification of each mail piece. The received mail is sorted and commingled in a first pass, to form first collections, and each first collection is loaded into a uniquely identified mail container. For each respective mail piece, the tracking entails recording an association of the unique identification of one of the mail containers into which it is likely the respective mail piece is sorted on the first pass. After processing is complete, postal and client reports can be adjusted based on actual first pass counts.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2005Publication date: May 25, 2006Inventors: Brian Bowers, Steven Krejcik, Walter Conard, Michael Swift
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Publication number: 20060102531Abstract: Today, high density mailings such as “marriage mail,” Advo type advertisements, saturation mail, periodicals, and catalogs often require manual handling by the postal authority. Other than saturation mailings, where every carrier stop gets the same article, these items must be addressed. Verification of production is often desired due to spoilage and damage during production, which requires rework by the mailer. The addition of a data controlled mail collation feeder to existing or new Postal Authority automation equipment or the like eliminates the need to manually handle these difficult mail types and eliminates the need to address specific items. The manual casing at the delivery is eliminated. The data processing system that controls the data controlled mail collation feeder will also perform delivery confirmation and may assess postage due.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2005Publication date: May 18, 2006Inventors: Walter Conard, Daniel Parenti, Richard Wojdyla
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Publication number: 20050216118Abstract: Disclosed is a method for processing a stream of mail pieces from different sources. The steps include detecting information corresponding to the first source from at least a first mail piece of the stream, detecting information corresponding to the second source from at least a second mail piece of the stream, counting a number of mail pieces for each of the first source and the second source, and generating a report detailing a count of mail pieces for each of the first source and the second source.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2005Publication date: September 29, 2005Inventors: Walter Conard, Steve Krejcik
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Patent number: 6949710Abstract: An apparatus and method to individually weigh continuously fed mail pieces wherein each mail piece is configured in a vertical orientation and fed through the weighing system in seriatim. The apparatus contains a scale transport assembly for transporting mail pieces seriatim, a mail piece channel pathway assembly for maintaining the vertical orientation of individual mail pieces, a load cell assembly for measuring the mail piece weight, an x-y table assembly for allowing position adjustments of the weighing system, data collection circuitry, and a support module. The apparatus can be used in conjunction with bulk mail processing systems or it can be used independently.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2002Date of Patent: September 27, 2005Assignee: Bowe Bell + Howell Postage Systems CompanyInventors: Walter Conard, Patrick Casher, John O'Callaghan, Daniel Gibbons, Fredrick Hegland, Roy Schoon, George Rabindran
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Publication number: 20050189409Abstract: A mail preparation system for processing a mail piece comprises a magazine section to hold the mail piece and a feeder for feeding the mail piece into a transport path in a vertical position. Mail processing equipment may be placed along the transport path for processing the mail piece.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2005Publication date: September 1, 2005Inventors: Walter Conard, David Schwaba, Richard Wojdyla
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Publication number: 20050139323Abstract: A mail piece processing system for applying a printed linerless label to an object, such as a mail piece, includes a printer for printing information on the label material; an unwind assembly for feeding the label material to the printer; a label applicator for cutting a label from the printed linerless label material and applying the label to a mail piece; and, a controller coupled to the label applicator for controlling operation of the label applicator and coupled to the printer for controlling the operation of the printer. The labels contain a repositionable adhesive such that the labels are repositionable labels that can re removed from and re-applied to objects.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2004Publication date: June 30, 2005Inventors: Gary Syde, Walter Conard, Richard Wojdyla, Jack Olson, Fred Hegland
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Patent number: 6217274Abstract: The present invention provides for a continuous flow transfer system designed to transfer the contents of a mail tray into a cartridge for subsequent processing and then, after processing, to transfer the contents of the cartridge back into a mail tray without disrupting the facing or orientation of each piece of mail. The continuous flow transfer system comprises both a cartridge loader and a cartridge unloader, both of which have a tray section, a transfer conveyor and a cartridge section. The tray section, or infeed section, of the cartridge loader is designed to deliver filled mail trays to the transfer section of the loader. At the transfer section, the contents of each mail tray are deposited into an intermediate container that is affixed to the transfer section. The transfer section then delivers the contents of the intermediate container into empty cartridges being fed onto the cartridge section, or discharge section, of the loader.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 1999Date of Patent: April 17, 2001Assignee: Bell & Howell Postal Systems, Inc.Inventors: Eduard Svyatsky, David Schwaba, Anatoly Estis, Walter Conard, James Carl McClain, Stephen R. Archer, Fred Hegland
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Patent number: 6019364Abstract: A document transporting system for conveying documents along a transport path in a first direction from a document infeed station to a document processing station, certain of such documents being advanced along the transport path from the infeed station with an improper facing orientation. A plurality of document re-orienting devices are disposed adjacent the transport path between the infeed station and the document processing station. Each of the document re-orienting devices are adapted to receive an improperly oriented document, to reverse the orientation of the previously improperly oriented document, and to transport the correctly oriented document back onto the document transport path. Control elements operatively associated with each of the plurality of document re-orienting devices deliver improperly oriented documents into a pre-selected empty re-orienting device.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1997Date of Patent: February 1, 2000Assignee: Bell & Howell Postal Systems Inc.Inventors: Eduard Svyatsky, Walter Conard, John M. Buday, James Carl McClain