Abstract: A mail processing system utilizes a conveyor to shingle or de-shingle mailpieces as they move through the processing system and utilizes belts to move the mailpieces. A first shingling conveyor moves a first mailpiece to overlap with a second mailpiece to create shingled mailpieces. A second shingling conveyor moves a first mailpiece away from a second mailpiece to de-shingle them to create singulated mailpieces. A camera takes images of the mailpieces in the conveyor and image analysis software is used to determine dimensional aspects of the mailpieces that are used to control the belt speeds to move mailpieces with respect to each other. A mail processing system may include a mail processing station that scans addresses, applies postage and/or weighs the mailpieces. Mail may be de-shingled prior to being weighed and then re-shingled for subsequent processing, or mail may be shingled prior to passing through a scale if weighing is not necessary.

Abstract: An envelope feeder for a printer having two aligned conveyors moving at different speeds is disclosed. An upstream conveyor moves a backwards slanted procession of envelopes having aligned upper edges onto an inline downstream conveyor that accelerates the envelopes along a curved upper edge so that by the time any single envelope arrives at the printer ingestion or feed slot, the envelope is almost completely flat yet supported upwards slightly so that the pickup roller of the printer can easily and reliably ingest the envelope for processing. Due to the speed of the downstream conveyor, envelopes are continually and reliably presented to the printer to avoid printer stalls. The configuration reduces the amount of skill and operating labor required to establish a high-speed envelope feed source for high-speed printing.

Abstract: Device for automatic stacking of packages on a support in a predetermined spatial arrangement for formation of a stack, having at least one supply conveyor which provides the separated packages (W) in a predetermined succession, a lifting and lowering unit for lifting and lowering a support disposed in a stacking site in the Y direction and a displacement device which adjoin an output end of the supply conveyor and which receive packages (W) from the supply conveyor (2) and transport them to the predetermined position in the stack (S). The displacement device includes a positioning conveyor adjoining the output end of the supply conveyor and being disposed horizontally and longitudinally with respect to one side of the stacking site in order to position the packages (W) in the X direction, and at least one pushing plate and a pusher (14) in order to transport the packages (W) from the positioning conveyor in the Z direction to the predetermined position in the stack (S).

Abstract: A case packer is adapted to convey a plurality of packages and to pack the plurality of conveyed packages in a box. The case packer includes a first conveying unit, a detector, a second conveying unit and a control unit. The first conveying unit is configured and arranged to convey the packages. The detector is configured and arranged to detect a thickness of at least one of the packages. The second conveying unit includes an accumulating portion where the packages are accumulated with the packages being partially overlaid on one another. The second conveying unit is configured and arranged to convey the packages overlaid in the accumulating portion. The control unit is configured to adjust operation of the second conveying unit based on a detected value from the detector.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device (1) with at least one grouping belt (3) for the transport and/or grouping of packages (5) with a dimensionally stable protruding edge (9) and including means for moving two adjacent packages towards one another and for overlapping the protruding edges (9), whereby the edge (9) of the preceding package comes to rest over the edge (9) of the following package on the grouping belt (3). The disclosure further relates to a method of operating a device (1) of this nature preferably in packaging systems with deep-draw packaging machines or tray sealing machines and to the use of appropriate packages (5) which are then placed into an outer packaging in a space-saving manner. With the above device and method, space saving of the packages (5) in an outer packaging (14) can be achieved in a simple manner.

Abstract: A method and a device for the conveyance of planar products (10, 10?, 20, 20?), in particular printed products, are provided wherein a product group (100) composed of at least two products (10, 10?, 20, 20?) is gripped by a gripper (42) in the area of a product edge (12, 12?, 22, 22?) and conveyed in a direction of conveyance (F2). At least one of the products (10, 10?, 20, 20?) is displaced relative to the other product or products (10, 10?, 20, 20?) in the product group (100) in a direction of displacement (A) defined by the gripped product edge (12, 12?, 22, 22?), such that in each case a projection (14, 24) is formed in the direction of displacement (A). Thus a first projection (14) is associated with at least one displaced product (10, 10?, 20, 20?) and a second projection (24) is associated with the remaining product or products (10, 10?, 20, 20?) of the product group (100).

Abstract: A bag supply apparatus for supplying bags onto a conveyer for transporting a bag bundle stacked such that an upper level bag is shifted forward, including a bag lifting device, which is provided with a pair of bag support members disposed facing one another on the left and right sides near the rear edge of a belt conveyor, and a rotation mechanism, which imparts translational motion of rotation in symmetric in a vertical plane with respect to the conveyance direction of the belt conveyor. The bag supporting portions of the bag support members contact the bag bundle from below to lift up the rear edge portion of the bag bundle and then separated from the bag bundle outwardly. While the bag supporting portions thus lifting the bag bundle, a new bag is fed into the space between the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor and the bag bundle.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided to convey and align sheets being fed to a processing machine. In the event of a machine “stop,” a sheet, which has been separated from an overlapping stream, is conveyed back into the overlapping stream by raising the rear sheet edge with a mechanical or pneumatic device.

Abstract: Apparatus (10) loads product in the form of bags into a carton held at a tilt angle. The leading ends of the bags on an adjustment conveyor (20) are abutted by a bumper (30) to reorient the bags 90° on the adjustment conveyor (20). The downstream roller (44) of a twist conveyor (40) is tilted to collate bags on a decline conveyor (70). The collated bags are moved on an orientation conveyor (74) to engage a product scoop (110) extending at an inclined position and moved to a vertical position to vertically orient the bags. The orientation conveyor (74) is moved to an offset position to allow the bags to drop onto a lowerator (92) of an accumulator (86) where they can be sandwiched between retainer plates (88, 90). A pusher plate (94) pushes the bags off the lowerator (92) into the carton and is tilted to correspond to the tilt angle of the carton.

Abstract: There is described a machine for forming groups of ordered products, each group including products disposed according to superposed layers. The machine includes a succession of conveyors aligned according to a principal direction of alignment, with a feed conveyor and a delivery conveyor. The feed conveyor receives single layers of products aligned with and spaced from one another; and the conveyors are disposed and controlled so as to distribute layers of products on a predetermined number of levels at different heights, and to unload onto the delivery conveyor a predetermined number of layers, superposed on one another, equal to the predetermined number of the levels at different heights.

Abstract: A mailpiece inserter includes a feed conveyor adapted to feed a shingled stack of mailpiece envelopes along a feed path to an insert module and a chassis module adapted to produce content material for insertion into the mailpiece envelopes processed by the insert module. An envelope position detector is operative to sense a discontinuity in the shingled stack and issues a first position signal indicative thereof, and an input conveyor module is adapted to convey mailpiece envelopes into shingled engagement with an aft end of the shingled stack of mailpiece envelopes on the feed conveyor. The input conveyor module has an input end proximal to a single workstation of the chassis module which enables an operator to (i) feed mailpiece envelopes to the input module and (ii) supply content material to the chassis module.

Abstract: Two supply streams (1.1 and 1.2) of printed products are combined to form a combined printed-product stream. For this purpose, the supply streams are conveyed into a combining region (V) in a main conveying direction (F) in a state in which they, for example, rest loosely on conveying surfaces (3.1 and 3.2), are parallel to one another, adjacent to one another and on the same level, inner and outer edges of the printed products (P) of the two supply streams (1.1 and 1.2) being oriented parallel to the main conveying direction (F). At the entrance to the combining region (V), the inner edge region of each printed product of the first supply stream (1.1) is raised and, as they are conveyed through the combining region (V), the printed products of the two supply streams (1.1 and 1.2) are pushed transversely to the main conveying direction (F) and towards one another. An inner edge region of a printed product of the second supply stream (1.

Abstract: A method and a device for the conveyance of planar products (10, 10?, 20, 20?), in particular printed products, are provided wherein a product group (100) composed of at least two products (10, 10?, 20, 20?) is gripped by a gripper (42) in the area of a product edge (12, 12?, 22, 22?) and conveyed in a direction of conveyance (F2). At least one of the products (10, 10?, 20, 20?) is displaced relative to the other product or products (10, 10?, 20, 20?) in the product group (100) in a direction of displacement (A) defined by the gripped product edge (12, 12?, 22, 22?), such that in each case a projection (14, 24) is formed in the direction of displacement (A). Thus a first projection (14) is associated with at least one displaced product (10, 10?, 20, 20?) and a second projection (24) is associated with the remaining product or products (10, 10?, 20, 20?) of the product group (100).

Abstract: The present invention discloses a conveying and stacking device for corrugated boards, which is used in a conveyor of a corrugated board production line to stack corrugated boards by a specified number and comprises an exhaust facing the downstream of the conveyor and a sucker arranged at the upstream of the exhaust and facing the procession of the corrugated boards. The sucker and the exhaust are arranged in an elevator for elevating the corrugated boards and respectively suck air and exhaust air simultaneously.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for separating imbricated flat products, in particular, folding boxes, with a delivery belt on which the products are supported in the form of an imbricated flow and are transported at a transport speed, with a transfer conveyor belt, disposed downstream of the delivery belt, which has a higher transport speed than the delivery belt. The transfer conveyor belt is designed as vacuum belt, or comprises a vacuum belt, and a retaining device is provided for the trailing flat products.

Abstract: A method for feeding blanks (2) to a boxing machine (AS), includes picking up, one by one, groups (20) of blanks (2) in flat configuration from a support surface and transporting, one by one, the groups (20) to a line (1) for continuously feeding the blanks (2) to the boxing machine (AS) in a predetermined forward movement direction (A). The transport step includes releasing each group (20) of blanks (2) between two adjacent prongs (13) defining a pocket (V) of a horizontal pocket conveyor (10, 11) of the feeding line (1).

Abstract: A device for correcting uneven spacing of successive articles includes a first conveyor belt having a plurality of articles spaced thereon. At least one article is unevenly spaced. A second conveyor belt is located downstream of the first conveyor belt upon which the plurality of articles are evenly spaced or shingled. A controller moves forwards and backwards, thereby extending or retracting a discharge end of the first conveyor belt and allowing uniform spacing or stacking of the articles on the second conveyor belt.

Abstract: An apparatus for the counting and stacking of food portions in preparation for packaging, and without human intervention, including a conveyor for receiving and moving food portions therealong to form rows of food portions, at least one counter, and a stacking rake positioned with respect to said conveyor as to moveably shuffle the rows of food portions into a horizontal stack for packaging. The conveyor, counter, and stacking rake are cooperatively interconnected by a programmable computer so that the rows of food portions are moved along the conveyor for stacking by the stacking rake.

Abstract: Apparatus for collating products into arrays, comprising: (a) an upper conveyor receiving the products at random intervals, the upper conveyor moving in a first direction, the upper conveyor establishing a first gap thereon between each product and a second gap thereon to create groups of products, the upper conveyor having a nose; (b) a lower conveyor positioned below the upper conveyor and receiving the products from the upper conveyor, the lower conveyor moving in a second direction substantially opposed to the first direction; and (c) a reverse shingling plate associated with the upper conveyor at the nose thereof and blocking product movement beyond the nose, whereby product encountering the reverse shingling plate drops onto the lower conveyor.

Abstract: A collator includes a first conveyor having a discharge end and a second receiving conveyor positioned below the discharge end of the first conveyor. As each product bag falls toward the second conveyor, an air blast assists in uprighting the bag. The second conveyor may be temporarily operated at a high speed to separate the product bags into groups. A deflector may be mounted at the discharge end of the second conveyor for directing product bags into containers. Chutes may be used to direct incoming product bags between parallel conveyors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for palletizing rectangular packages received in random size and weight. A “corner”-based modeling system is used to assist in evaluating possible placements of packages accumulated on a line conveyor, and a placement evaluation process is used to select a “best” package placement based on heuristic analysis. Statistically-based measurement and comparison is used to assist in the evaluation process.