Method for the manual merging of manually processable mail flats

• US 20050045531A1
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bretschneider, Peter, Wilke, Wolf-Stephan
• Application Number:
  US10/925,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20050045531A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/584
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the manual merging of manually processable mail flats with mail items sorted automatically in a sorting machine according to a distribution sequence and deposited on a section conveyor, which transports the mail items in the sections to a collection station, at which the mail items are stacked automatically in collectors in the distribution sequence. The divider cards identifying delivery points, which are so large and stable that they form compartments between the mail items in the collector, are automatically inserted before or after the mail items for a delivery point or delivery point area. The collectors are only filled with mail items and divider cards to such a level that there is still space for the mail items to be merged manually. The collectors are then transported to the competent delivery office, where the manually processable mail items are inserted into the corresponding compartments according to their delivery address.

Claims

1. A method for the merging manually processable mail flats with automatically sorted mail items in a sorting machine according to a distribution sequence and deposited on a section conveyor, which transports the mail items in the sections to a collection station at which the mail items are stacked automatically in the distribution sequence in collectors, comprising the steps of:

automatically merging divider cards identifying delivery points, the cards being, so large and stable that they form compartments in the collector between the mail items, before or after the mail items for a delivery point or delivery point area;

filling the collectors with the mail items and divider cards to such a level that there is still space for the mail items to be merged manually; and

transporting collectors to a competent delivery office where the manually processable mail items are inserted into the corresponding compartments according to their delivery address.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the divider cards are automatically transported in the sections assigned to the delivery points before the automatically sorted mail items are deposited.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the divider cards are automatically transported in the sections assigned to the delivery points after the automatically sorted mail items have been deposited.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the divider cards are transported by the section conveyor automatically between corresponding mail items or stacks of mail items directly to the collectors during automatic loading of the collector.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the space for the mail items to merge manually is filled by a filler element during transport to the delivery office to hold the mail items in place.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collectors are configured so that they can be stacked with opening facing a side and are stacked to form a wall of compartments on a movable frame for manual merging of the mail items.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein part of the frame can be pivoted about a vertical axis at a side where the openings of the collectors are located.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the divider cards are colored to correspond to areas of a distribution route.