A direction indicator placed on one site of a sorting block indicates, for a given good, the direction towards a nominated slot through which the good is to be placed in the block. This arrangement makes it possible for the hauler to immediately put a good into a nominated slot without looking around at sorting blocks at large, which will lead to the improvement of work efficiency. Moreover, because this will moderate the burden imposed on the hauler, the number of wrongly hauled goods would be greatly reduced. If a good is passed through a wrong slot, it is recognized by a sensor and then an alarming means is activated to generate a buzzing sound or a blinking light to alarm. This arrangement will make it possible to greatly reduce the number of wrongly hauled goods. In association with the entry of every good, the name of the provider, as well as the name of the manufacturer of the good, the property of the good and the number of its scheduled input, is given because the provider can feed his name through an input feeding means. This arrangement will make it possible to efficiently manage inflow goods according to the name of providers, simply dependent on identification codes generally attached to goods such as a JAN code or ITF code.

System for sorting commercial articles and method therefor

An automatic tray handling system (10) for use with an article or mail sortation system (13), such as a flats mail sortation system, is operable to automatically remove filled or partially filled trays (12b) from individual sorter units (14) and to replenish the sorter units (14) with empty trays (12a). The empty trays and/or filled trays are moved along at least one conveying surface (16) adjacent to the sorter units (14). The automatic tray handling system (10) includes a plurality of tray moving devices, which are operable to move the empty trays (12a) from the conveying surface (28) to the sorter units, whereby the trays are at least partially filled by the sorter units (14). The tray moving devices are then further operable to move the at least partially filled trays from the sorter units (14) to a conveying surface, whereby the filled trays (12b) may be conveyed to downstream operations, such as an automatic labeling station. Preferably, the empty trays (12b) are movable in a continuous loop about the mail sortation system (13). The automatic tray handling system (10) may include an upper (16) and lower (24) conveying surface and a vertical tray moving device (34), which is operable to lower empty trays from the upper conveying surface to the lower, empty tray-conveying surface, whereby the empty trays are returned to an upstream end of the conveying surface along the sorter units. The empty trays may be conveyed along the conveying surfaces and may be moved into a proper position for filling at an appropriate one of the multiple sorter units (14) positioned therealong.

Automatic tray handling system for sorter

A method and apparatus for processing mail is provided. Mail is placed into an input bin having a conveyor that conveys the mail towards a feeder. The feeder serially feeds the envelopes by engaging the lead envelope in the stack of mail and displacing the lead envelope transverse the stack of mail. The mail is then cut on a side edge and the top edge to cut open each envelope. A transport conveys the cut envelopes to an extractor. The extractor opens the edge-severed mail and presents the contents of the envelopes to an operator who manually extracts the contents. The operator drops the extracted contents onto a conveyor that conveys the contents to an imaging station. The contents are automatically separated and imaged to obtain image data for the contents. The contents are then sorted into a plurality of output bins.

Method and apparatus for processing mail to obtain image data of contents

Mail processing methods and techniques for sorting and commingling mail from various mail sources including the tracking of the mail pieces through the 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 final pass counts.

Mail piece consolidation and accountability using advanced tracking methods

The sorting and packaging system (100) comprises an induction and scanning system (104), a single pass sorting and packaging system (110) for automatically sorting and packaging a plurality of mailpieces based on a single scan by the induction and scanning system (104), and a control unit (112) connected to and controlling the induction and scanning system (104) and the single pass sorting and packaging system (110). The single pass sorting and packaging system (110) comprises at least one cell rack (302), at least one packaging system (304), and at least one delivery system (308). The cell rack (302) is connected to the induction and scanning system (104) by a transport sorting system (408). The cell rack (302) comprises a plurality of cells (402) and a purging system (416). The packaging system (304) is connected to the cell rack (302) and comprises a transport packaging system (410) and a packaging unit (426). The delivery system (308) is connected to the packaging system (304).

Method and system for single pass letter and flat processing

A method and apparatus for sorting articles to a delivery point sequence includes at least one article sorter adapted to sort articles and a conveying system operable to arrange and convey containers of articles sorted in a first sort pass to an induct of the article sorter for a second sort pass or process of the articles. The system or method automatically sorts and conveys trays containing sorted articles from a discharge of at least one sorting assembly to an induct of the at least one sorting assembly. The conveying assembly may have a generally continuous conveying track and is operable to automatically provide the trays to the induct of the at least one sorting assembly in a sequenced manner.

Delivery point sequencing mail sorting system with flat mail capability

A method and apparatus for sorting mail to delivery point sequence includes providing a first sortation assembly adapted to performing a first sort pass to mail articles supplied to it and a second sortation assembly adapted to performing a second sort pass to mail articles supplied to it. Mail articles are supplied to the first sortation assembly which identifies the mail articles and performs a first sort pass to sort the mail articles. The mail sorted by the first sortation assembly is conveyed to the second sortation assembly which performs a second sort pass to sort the mail articles to delivery point sequence depth of sort.

Sorting flat mail into delivery point sequencing

A method and apparatus for sorting articles to a delivery point sequence includes at least one sortation assembly adapted to sort articles and a buffer. The buffer is operable to arrange and convey containers of articles sorted in a first sort pass to an induct of the at least one sortation assembly for a second sort pass or process of the articles. The buffer automatically arranges the containers in an arranged manner prior to conveying the containers and articles to the induct of the at least one sortation assembly for the second sort process. The second sort process is then performed to sort the articles to a delivery point sequence or carrier walk sequence depth of sort. A conveyor assembly may be operable to convey containers to an appropriate one of multiple sortation assemblies and/or buffers to increase the sequencing matrix capability of the apparatus.

Method and apparatus for sorting mail articles

Mail sorting system with ordinary packing mail sorting ability, sorting flat mail into delivery point sequencing

The invention relates to a postal processing facility including a sorting system that receives mail in trays and sorts mail to trays and a dock area including a plurality of transportation docks that provide interface with transportation vehicles, comprising: a receiving and dispatching system that loads trays of sorted mail from a sorting system to transportation fixtures and unloads trays of mail to be sorted from transportation fixtures to the sorting system; and wherein said receiving and dispatching system is at the dock area of the postal processing facility thereby providing substantially direct movement of fixtures between transportation vehicles and said receiving and dispatching system.

Burns Gary P

Papers

Delivery point sequencing mail sorting system with flat mail capability

Sorting flat mail into delivery point sequencing

Method and apparatus for sorting mail articles

Mail sorting system with ordinary packing mail sorting ability, sorting flat mail into delivery point sequencing

Dock-to-dock receiving and dispensing for postal processing center