METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SEQUENTIALLY ORDERING OBJECTS USING A SINGLE PASS DELIVERY POINT PROCESS

• US 20070102328A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Roth, J., Hanson, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 8,063,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/584
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/02 Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/082 In which the objects are carried by transport holders and the transport holders form part of the conveyor belts conveyors with carriers B65G47/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/912 Endless feed conveyor with means for holding each item individually

Abstract

A method and system using a single pass sequencer having a transport system for transporting the mail pieces to a transport system having a moveable carriage system and a stationary carriage system with a plurality of holders slidable between the moveable carriage system and the stationary carriage system. The plurality of holders hold a mail piece of the mail pieces received from the transport system. The mail pieces are sequenced as they are transported or moved from the stationary carriage to the moveable carriage.

Claims

1. A system for sorting objects, comprising:

at least one feeding station feeding non-sequenced objects to separate holders extending from a carriage movable in at least one direction; and

a stationary carriage adjacent the moveable carriage;

wherein the separate holders with the non-sequenced objects are transported from the moveable carriage to the stationary carriage to sort the non-sequenced objects stored in the separate holders into a sequence.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the separate holders are transported back and forth between the moveable carriage and the stationary carriage.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the separate holders include a hinge and a releasable latch mechanism located at respective bottom corners.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising an actuator for disconnecting the releasable latch mechanism at a predetermined time or location.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the separate holders include a releasable bottom.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism for attaching each of the separate holders to the moveable carriage and the stationary carriage; and

a mechanism for transporting each of the separate holders between the moveable carriage and the stationary carriage.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the mechanism for transporting transports each of the separate holders between the moveable carriage and the stationary carriage via sliding or rolling

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a reading device and sort computer, the reading device reading information associated with the objects and delivering the information to the sort computer to assign sort codes to the separate holders and positions on the moveable carriage, the sort computer further instructing the movement of the moveable carriage, incrementally, and the mechanism for transporting the separate holders to the stationary carriage in the delivery sequence.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the moveable carriage is movable in two directions for loading of the non-sequenced objects and unloading of the objects, in a sequence.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the objects are mail pieces.

11. A system for sorting objects, comprising:

at least one feeding station feeding non-sequenced objects to separate holders extending from a carriage movable in at least one direction; and

a stationary carriage adjacent the moveable carriage;

wherein the separate holders with the non-sequenced objects are transported from the moveable carriage onto the stationary carriage to sort the non-sequenced objects stored in the separate holders into a sequence.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the separate holders include a hinge and a releasable latch mechanism located at respective bottom corners.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a mechanism for attaching each of the separate holders to the moveable carriage and the stationary carriage; and

a mechanism for transporting each of the separate holders between the moveable carriage and the stationary carriage.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the moveable carriage is movable in two directions for loading of the non-sequenced objects and unloading of the objects, in a sequence.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the objects are mail pieces.

16. A system for sorting objects, comprising:

at least one feeding station feeding non-sequenced objects to separate holders extending from a carriage movable in at least one direction; and

a stationary carriage adjacent the moveable carriage;

wherein the separate holders with the non-sequenced objects are transported from the moveable carriage to the stationary carriage and from the stationary carriage to the moveable carriage to sort the non-sequenced objects stored in the separate holders into a sequence.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the separate holders include a hinge and a releasable latch mechanism located at respective bottom corners.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a mechanism for attaching each of the separate holders to the moveable carriage and the stationary carriage; and

a mechanism for transporting each of the separate holders between the moveable carriage and the stationary carriage.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the objects are mail pieces.

19. The system of claim 161 wherein the moveable carriage is movable in two directions for loading of the non-sequenced objects and unloading of the objects, in a sequence.