Automatic continuous mail handling system
Storace et al.  
 [ 1 AUTOMATIC CONTINUOUS MAIL HANDLING SYSTEM [75] Inventors: Anthony Storace, Tarrytown, N.Y.;  
 Fredric E. Zucker, Stamford, Conn.  
 [73] Assignee: Pitney-Bowes, lnc., Stamford, Conn.  
 [22] Filed: June 5, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 476,618  
 [52] U.S. CI. 177/1; 177/3; 198/39 [51] Int. Cl.....- G0lg 23/38; B65g 69/00 [58] Field of Search 177/1, 3, 12, 25. 52, 13;  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,085,640 4/1963 Allen 177/3 3,196,964 7/1965 Allen 177/3 3,290,491 12/1966 Wahlberg 209/121 X 3,453,167 7/1969 Arvidson et al. 198/39 X 3,811,522 5/1974 Wolf et al. 177/13 Primary E.raminerGeorge H. Miller, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William D. Soltow, Jr.; Albert W. Scribner; Robert S. Salzman Apr. 15, 1975 [57] ABSTRACT A continuous mail sorting and postage imprinting system which automatically weighs and meters each piece of mail. The system is designed to rapidly handle a large quantity of mixed mail. Mixed mail is continuously and synchronously fed in seriatim along a continuous feed path. Unsealed envelopes have their flaps wetted and sealed. All the envelopes are stopped at a weighing station where they are weighed, and the postage corresponding to their particular weight is computed. The determined postage value is used to continuously reset a postage meter which imprints the required postage upon each envelope as it arrives at a metering station. The metering and weighing functions of the system are synchronized such that the postage meter will imprint the proper postage upon each piece of mail, despite the fact that several envelopes may be simultaneously in transit along the feed path. Overweight pieces of mail are rejected from the feed path prior to their reaching the postage meter station. Metered and overweight pieces of mail are separately stacked.  
 19 Claims, 29 Drawing Figures ceeoen. DRIVE nae-sen. 5am Pas-sate POST-SCALE l3 TRANSFER ISTNIION TRANSFER Mspgn STATION 17 srmou 18 srmou 2| TRANSFER WEIGHIMG GATE 23 POSTAGE METER STATION 20 22 STATION 23 I \ETER Z4 1 8 %88 age 0 1 T reso mu SEDARAZOR SCALE 1% STATION 25 REJECT STACKER &#39;26 (OVER-WEIGHT MAIL) METERED MAIL STAG KE R 2&#39;7 PATENTEDAPRI 51975 SHEET OBUF 19 PATENTEDAPR 1 5191s SHEEY on HF 19 .Eogam w2 du ob PATENTEDAPRI 5 I975 SHEET UBUF 19 coAwmv PATENTEUAPRI 5191s saw 070F 19 3871531 PATENTEDA RI W5 3.877. 531 SHEET 080F 19 PATENTEB 51975 SHEET Us 0F 19 3. 8.7 I. 531  
 FIGJG.  
 FlG.7b  
 CLOCK PULSE FIG. l3  
 lld.  
 H0. HC  
 llb  
 FIG. I la.,b,c,oL  
 PMENTEDAPR 1 5 I975 SHEET lUOF 19 ACTUATOR SETTINGS STEPPER MOTORS sousuoms DOLLARS (O-l) TENS (0-9) CENTS (0-9) PATENTEU APR 1 51975 SHEET 17 0F 19 PATENTEDAPR 1 5197s SHEET 180!-&#39; 19