The instant invention relates to a modular device for transporting, aligning and stacking envelopes, and more particularly to such a device which can be combined with other like devices to provide any desired length of transport path and any desired number of stacking bins.
In high volume mailing applications, a plurality of documents are fed from document feeding devices to a location where they are inserted into an envelope. The envelopes are then transported seriatim from the document inserting position to another location for further processing, which typically includes the printing of postage on the envelopes. In many applications, it is desirable to separate the output of the inserter by diverting certain envelopes from the mainstream, or by directing certain envelopes, such as all those having the same zip code, to a designated collecting bin. When the objective is to print postage on the envelopes downstream of the inserting apparatus, it is necessary not only to transport the envelopes from the inserting apparatus to the postage meter or other printing device employed, but also to align the envelopes so that the printing occurs uniformly at the proper location on the envelopes.
There are available today various modules to perform each of the processes described hereinabove, i.e. transporting, aligning, diverting and stacking. These modules are situated at an appropriate location in the envelope path and perform their function as required. However, there is no single module available today which can be used to perform all of these tasks. Such a module obviously would provide significant cost savings to both the producer of the module and to the end user who would be able to simply purchase a plurality of similar modules and then deploy them as he saw fit.
Accordingly, the instant invention comprises a single module to be used in the envelope transport path which can be set up in a variety of formats and modified in order to perform the functions of transporting the envelopes, aligning the envelopes, stacking the envelopes and deflecting the envelopes out of the envelope path, all at a speed which does not slow down the inserting apparatus or the postage meter or other printing apparatus used to print the postage on the envelope.