FLATS BUNDLE PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20040052617A1
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanson, Bruce H., Roth, J. Edward
• Granted Patent: US 6,714,834 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0267 Pallets
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/00 Indexing code relating to control or detection of the articles or the load carriers during conveying
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 61/00 Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4213 of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/42256 Pallets; Skids; Platforms with feet, i.e. handled together with the stack
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/40 Identification
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/51 Sequence of process
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1916 Envelopes and articles of mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/78 Mailing systems
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/00 Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs combinations of piling and depiling operations, of interest apart from the single operation of piling or depiling B65H83/00; machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together sheets or signatures B42C1/00

Abstract

A processing system for automating the packaging, packing, unpacking, transfer/short term storage and loading of flats mail into flats sorters for sortation is disclosed. This involves bundling flats mail into bundles or logs and creating pallets for transporting in a standardized manner at mailer facilities such as publishers so that the sort depth and final destination of the bundle contents are preserved and used throughout its journey through postal facilities. Sort depth and destination bar coding is placed on each bundle. An automated method for palletizing involves creating a stack of bundles on a pallet in a predetermined sequence so that sorting processes in the postal facility become more efficient. Once the pallets are received at the postal facilities, the pallets are broken down in a pre-determined sequence in accordance with the sequence of original creation. The bundles are scanned into the sorter processes of the postal facility where the scanned information concerning destination codes and sort depth facilitates or eliminates routing and sorting within the postal facility, thereby reducing overhead and costs. A system to create pallets using both robotic and conveyor mechanisms is disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for processing mail, comprising:

a packing mechanism for packaging flats into one or more bundles;

a stacking mechanism for stacking the one or more bundles onto one or more pallets in a first sequence based on bundle information;

a de-stacking mechanism for breaking down the one or more pallets in a second sequence based on the bundle information;

a transport system for transporting the one or more pallets from the stacking mechanism to the de-stacking mechanism; and

a controller for controlling at least one of (i) the stacking mechanism to load each of the one or more bundles in the first sequence based on at least bundle information and (ii) the de-stacking mechanism to unload each of the one or more bundles in the second sequence based on at least the bundle information.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first conveyance mechanism for conveying the one or more bundles to the stacking mechanism;

a second conveyance for conveying the one or more bundles away from the de-stacking mechanism, and

a bundle storage area for storing the de-stacked one or more bundles;

at least one flats sorter for sorting flats from the de-stacked one or more logged bundles; and

a transporting mechanism for transporting the de-stacked one or more bundles from the second conveyance to one of the bundle storage areas and the at least one flats sorter.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the stacking mechanism comprises a robotic arm capable of lifting the one or more bundles.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the controller controls the movement of the robotic arm to predetermined locations on predetermined pallets of the one or more pallets of the one or more pallets based on the bundle information such that the one or more bundles are in the first sequence.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the controller includes a counter for counting the one or more bundles moved by the robotic arm to the predetermined pallets.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the stacking mechanism comprises a conveyor mechanism, wherein at least a part of the conveyor mechanism is capable of at least one of lateral motion and vertical motion.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more bar coding mechanism for placing and reading the bundle information on the one or more bundles, the bundle information including at least one of destination codes, sort depth codes, bundle number, and mailer identification.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the de-stacking mechanism comprises a robotic arm capable of lifting the one or more bundles from the one or more pallets.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the controller controls the movement of the robotic arm to between predetermined locations on predetermined pallets of the one or more pallets and a predetermined conveyor for transport based on the bundle information.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the controller includes a counter for counting the one or more bundles moved by the robotic arm.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the de-stacking mechanism comprises a conveyor mechanism, wherein at least a part of the conveyor mechanism is capable of vertical motion.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the conveyor mechanism comprises:

a lifting mechanism for lifting a top layer of the one or more bundles from the one or more pallets and of tilting to form a gap between the top layer and a next layer of the one or more bundles; and

a laterally movable separator conveyor for penetrating into the gap for moving the one or more bundles from the top layer.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller further:

stores bundle information associated with the one or more bundles;

determines the availability and errant bundle information associated with the one or more bundles; and

determines whether the a pallet if the one or more pallets is full and if not determines a position of a non-filled pallet for moving a bundle of the one or more bundles.

14. A control system for controlling a mechanism for stacking one or more bundles onto one or more pallets, comprising:

a first controller for storing bundle information associated with the one or more bundles;

a second controller for controlling a scanner which scans the bundle information;

a third controller for determining the availability and errant bundle information associated with the one or more bundles;

a fourth controller for controlling a moving mechanism to load each of the one or more bundles to a predetermined pallet or location based on the bundle information, availability and errant bundle information; and

a fifth controller for determining whether the pallet is full and if not determining a position of a non-filled pallet for moving a bundle of the one or more bundles.

15. The control system according to claim 14, wherein the fourth controller controls the moving mechanism to move the each of the one or more bundles to a predetermined location on the predetermined pallet.

16. The control system according to claim 15, wherein the fourth controller includes a counter for counting the each of the one or more bundles moved to the predetermined pallet in order to prevent over filling of the predetermined pallet.

17. The control system according to claim 15, wherein the fourth controller determines when the predetermined pallet is full and determines a new position for the predetermined pallet.

18. The control system according to claim 14, further comprising a report controller for generating reports based on at least one of inventory and shipping information, detailed data on bundles per pallet, destination codes and sort depths, carriers for transport, time data, and cost information.

19. A control system for controlling the breakdown of pallets into bundles, comprising:

a first controller for storing bundle information associated with one or more bundles;

a second controller for controlling a scanner which scans the bundle information;

a third controller for controlling an unloading mechanism to move each of the one or more bundles to a predetermined conveyance system; and

a fourth controller for determining whether the pallet is empty and moving the pallet to an empty pallet stack.

20. The control system according to claim 19, wherein the fourth controller determines whether there are any more pallets required to be broken down, wherein if there are more pallets to be broken down, the fourth controller controls a mechanism for moving a next pallet proximate to the unloading mechanism.

21. A method of processing mail, comprising the steps of:

building bundles, wherein the bundles contain flats;

stacking the bundles onto one or more pallets according to a sequence;

transporting the one or more pallets;

breaking down the one or more pallets into bundles according to a second sequence; and

scanning the bundles to read information.

22. The method of processing mail according to claim 21, further including the steps of:

conveying the bundles to one of a bundle storage and a flats sorter, wherein the bundles are stored in the bundle storage or conveyed to the flats sorter based on the scanned information;

retrieving the bundles from the bundle storage; and

conveying the bundles to the flats sorter; and

opening the bundles and extracting flats for sorting at the flats sorter.

23. The method of processing mail according to claim 21, wherein the building bundles step comprises the steps of:

loading a sleeve container with flats;

folding ends of the sleeve container; and

wrapping the sleeve container with straps.

24. The method of processing mail according to claim 21, wherein the stacking the bundles step comprises:

scanning a next bundle to obtain destination and sort depth information data;

checking whether the bundle is available;

checking for an errant bundle, and

if an errant bundle is found, removing the bundle and placing on a first pallet;

moving a loading mechanism to pick-up the bundle;

moving the bundle to a specific location on a specific second pallet;

updating a counter to record the stacking of the bundle; and

recording bundle information data in a database.

25. The method of processing mail according to claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

checking whether the second pallet is full; and

if it is full, wrapping the pallet with a wrap;

moving the full pallet for one of storage and shipping; and

positioning a new pallet

26. The method of processing mail according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

requesting a report; and

generating the report comprising inventory and shipping information.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein the breaking down the one or more pallets step comprises:

moving a pallet breakdown mechanism to a next bundle location on the one or more pallets and picking up the next bundle;

moving the next bundle to an appropriate conveyor;

checking if the one or more pallets is empty; and

if empty, moving the empty one or more pallets to an empty stack;

checking to see if more one or more pallets are available;

if more available,

moving next full one or more pallets to the breakdown robot arm; and

removing wrapping from pallet.