| Patent Number |
Title Of Patent |
Date Issued |
| 6471044 |
Hold and release singulator |
October 29, 2002 |
| A hold-and-release singulator includes a conveyor having a transport mechanism for carrying a group of items such as parcels, packages, containers or the like from an entry end towards an exit end of the singulator, a hold and release system that can hold items that have entered the |
| 6459061 |
Segmented conveyor sorter |
October 1, 2002 |
| A sorter conveyor system according to the invention includes at least one endless conveyor loop including a rail. One or more conveyor segments are mounted on the rail. Each segment is a series of cart units each having wheel structures mounted for rolling movement along the rail, a carr |
| 6401936 |
Divert apparatus for conveyor system |
June 11, 2002 |
| In one embodiment, an article sorting system includes successive coarse and fine singulators and a recirculating loop for processing a disordered stream of items including three-dimensional non-flat articles. A coarse singulator includes cascaded ramped conveyors, preferably operating at |
| 6371032 |
Trolley with passive discharge mechanism |
April 16, 2002 |
| A passive discharge mechanism for discharging articles from a trolley at selected locations is disclosed. The trolley may be equipped with on-board intelligence for communicating with an external controller, monitoring the trolley's location, and signaling actuation of a moveable member |
| 6365862 |
Ergonomic method for sorting and sweeping mail pieces |
April 2, 2002 |
| In a process for sorting mail pieces according to the invention using a priori or first sort pass derived information, a sorting machine is used having a first array of pockets and a second array of pockets physically separate from the first array of pockets. The first and second arrays |
| 6360673 |
Trolley chassis |
March 26, 2002 |
| A trolley car for conveying articles along a monorail having arcuate portions includes a rigid frame having a longitudinal axis and opposed ends. A pair of rotatable yokes are coupled to the frame adjacent to the opposed ends of the frame for rotational movement around an axis perpen |
| 6359238 |
Apparatus and method for weighing a moving object |
March 19, 2002 |
| An apparatus and method for measuring the weight of a moving object is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a platform for supporting the moving object to be weighed, means for permitting the object to move smoothly over the platform, a weight sensor for measuring a f |
| 6253909 |
Modular power roller conveyor |
July 3, 2001 |
| A modular power roller conveyor is described having a conveyor section for transporting a product unit. The conveyor section comprises a number of active zones, each active zone containing means for sensing the entry of a product unit into the active zone. A programmable controller gener |
| 6246023 |
Segmented tilt tray sorter |
June 12, 2001 |
| A sorter conveyor system according to the invention includes at least one endless conveyor loop including a rail. One or more conveyor segments are mounted on the rail. Each segment is a series of cart units each having wheel structures mounted for rolling movement along the rail, a tray |
| 6238164 |
Pivoting transfer apparatus for transferring mail between trays and cartridges |
May 29, 2001 |
| An apparatus for handling and transferring letter mail from and to different sized mail receptacles or containers such as cartridges and mail trays includes a support frame rotatably supporting a platform and intermediate transfer pan. The platform is adapted to receive a letter mail |
| 6183191 |
Method and system for sorting flat articles |
February 6, 2001 |
| A flat article turntable for use in a flat article sorting system having a flat article holding cartridge, a cartridge handling mechanism and an automatic flat article feeder is provided with an empty cartridge presentation mechanism for presenting empty cartridges to a cartridge han |
| 6135697 |
Transfer of cartridges containing flat articles |
October 24, 2000 |
| A method and apparatus for automatically transferring and handling cartridges containing flat articles. The method and apparatus robotically transfers filled cartridges from the output compartments of a sorting machine to a buffer shelf; and from the buffer shelf to a docking station |
| 6064921 |
Product dispensing apparatus |
May 16, 2000 |
| A product dispensing apparatus includes a gathering conveyor and a plurality of product dispensers for dispensing items onto the gathering conveyor, the plurality of product dispensers including a first subset of product dispensers and a second subset of product dispensers, the first |
| 5993132 |
Transferring a stack from a cartridge |
November 30, 1999 |
| A method and apparatus for transferring a stack of flat articles from a cartridge. The method and apparatus are adapted for use in connection with a method and apparatus for automatically stacking mail into cartridges in output compartments of a sorting machine, robotically transferring |
| 5947468 |
Method and apparatus for jogging and edging of mail and other flat articles |
September 7, 1999 |
| An improved device for edging flat products is provided having a plurality of spaced apart generally upstanding fingers, the fingers being forwardly translatable with a group of flat products between them. Each of the fingers is rockable back and forth across a vertical centerline as the |
| 5906268 |
Sensor roller |
May 25, 1999 |
| A sensor roller and method for detecting the presence of a tray located thereon, where the tray is traveling along a conveyor system, includes a housing having an interior chamber and a plurality of apertures. The apertures are in one-to-one correspondence with actuators, where the a |
| 5893464 |
Method and apparatus for sorting mailpieces |
April 13, 1999 |
| A mail sorting process used with a sorting machine where the next successive sort is performed during the sweeping operation of the previous sort. In a first sort, a batch of mailpieces are sorted and directed to a selected first array or group of destination pockets or bins. After the |
| 5857830 |
Method and apparatus for stacking flat articles into a cartridge |
January 12, 1999 |
| A method and apparatus for stacking flat articles into a cartridge. The method and apparatus are adapted for use in connection with output compartments of a sorting machine, robotically transferring filled cartridges from the output compartments to a buffer shelf; and from the buffer |
| 5841540 |
Dichotomous scan system for detection of edges of objects and overlapped objects having relative |
November 24, 1998 |
| Apparatus and method for detection of leading and trailing edges of objects moving along a defined path. A light radiation source directs a light beam toward a beamspot on the path. Light reflected from the beamspot is received by two light sensors. An edge of an object moving along the |
| 5833076 |
Cartridge for containing flat articles |
November 10, 1998 |
| A cartridge for containing mail. The cartridge is specially adapted for use in a method and apparatus for automatically stacking mail into cartridges in output compartments of a sorting machine, robotically transferring filled cartridges from the output compartments to a buffer shelf; an |
