DEVICE FOR PROCESSING MAIL ITEMS IN BUNDLES

• US 20090269173A1
• Filed: 04/23/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elsag Datamat SPA (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Elsag Datamat SPA (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Inventors: DE LEO, Guido Teodoro
• Granted Patent: US 8,226,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/288
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/14 Packaging paper or like sheets, envelopes, or newspapers, in flat, folded, or rolled form
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/141 packaging flat articles in boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/36 by grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/50 Stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/06 Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 15/02 Overturning piles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4214 of articles on edge
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/422548 filling or loading process
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/42268 by acting on one of the outermost article for moving pile of articles on edge along a surface, e.g. pushing
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2555/30 Multi-axis
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1916 Envelopes and articles of mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/06 the articles being piled on edge
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/3081 by acting on edge of the pile for moving it along a surface, e.g. by pushing
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/309 by acting on one of the outermost articles for moving the pile of articles on edge along a surface, e.g. by pushing

Abstract

A device for processing mail items, having: at least one stacking device for forming a bundle of superimposed mail items and moving it from a forming position to a loading position; one or more robots for removing the bundles in the loading position and moving them into a covering position; one or more covering devices for placing upside down containers over the bundles in the covering position, so the bundles of mail items are housed inside the containers; a conveying system supplied by the covering devices with bundles of mail items covered with respective upside down containers; and a turnover device for turning the containers over through 180°, so the containers are positioned with their respective openings facing upwards.

Claims

1. ) A device for processing mail items in bundles, comprising:

at least one stacking device (3) for forming a bundle (4) of mail items (7) and moving it into a loading position; and

pickup and handling means (9, 11, 15) designed to;

pick up said bundle (4) in the loading position;

place said bundle (4) inside a container (12).

2. ) A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pickup and handling means (9, 11, 15) comprise:

at least one covering device (11) for placing an upside down container (12) over said bundle, so the bundle of mail items is housed inside the container (12); and

a turnover device (15) for turning the containers (12) over through substantially 180°

, so the containers (12) housing respective bundles (4) are positioned with their respective openings upwards.

3. ) A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein

said pickup and handling means (9, 11, 15) pick up said bundle (44) in the loading position and move it into a covering position before said covering device (11) places an upside down container (12) over said bundle;

and

said turnover device (15) is supplied by the covering device (11) with bundles (4) of mail items covered with respective upside down containers (12), before turning the containers (12) over through substantially 180°

.

4. ) A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pickup and handling means (9, 11, 15) comprise:

at least one robot (9) for picking up said bundle (4) in the loading position and moving it into a covering position;

at least one covering device (11) for placing an upside down container (12) over said bundle (4), picked up and moved into the covering position by the robot, so the bundle of mail items is housed inside the container (12);

a turnover device (15) for turning the containers (12) over through 180°

, so the containers (12) housing respective bundles (4) are positioned with their respective openings upwards.

5. ) A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said turnover device (15) is located along a conveying system (14) supplied by the covering device (11) with bundles (4) of mail items covered with respective upside down containers (12).

6. ) A device as claimed in claim 3, and comprising a number of stacking devices (3) and at least one robot (9);

said robot (9) being movable with respect to said stacking devices (3) to engage one stacking device (3) at a time.

7. ) A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said robot is fitted to said covering device (11), which is movable with respect to said stacking devices (3).

8. ) A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said covering device (11) comprises

an articulated arm (18) with gripping members (19) for engaging an upside down container;

said robot (9);

a supporting surface (19b) having a supporting portion (50) that can be positioned adjacent to a selected said stacking device;

said robot (9) moving said bundle from said stacking device from the loading position to the covering position;

said articulated arm (18) being movable into a position in which said upside down container is lowered over said bundle in said covering position;

said articulated arm (18) also being movable to transfer the upside down container containing said bundle to a conveying system (14), by sliding it along said supporting surface.

9. ) A device as claimed in claim 8, and comprising a conveyor belt feed system associated with said covering device (11) and for supplying empty containers for pickup by said gripping members (19).

10. ) A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said articulated arm is movable angularly with respect to a substantially vertical axis (V) of the covering device (11).

11. ) A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stacking device (3) comprises:

at least one substantially horizontal, flat supporting wall (20), on which said bundle (4) is placed;

a front retainer (31) and a rear retainer (32), which engage opposite faces of said bundle (4) to keep the mail items (7) in the bundle (4) substantially perpendicular to said flat supporting wall (20).

12. ) A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said front retainer (31) is movable back and forth along said flat supporting wall (20) in a straight direction (D) perpendicular to the plane of the mail items (7).

13. ) A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said flat supporting wall (20) is fitted (24) with a straight rail (26) along which said front retainer (31) is movable back and forth.

14. ) A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said front retainer (31) is fitted with elastic means and/or a counterweight for moving it into a rest position and so pushing the front retainer, in use, against a front face of said bundle (4).

15. ) A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said front retainer (31) is movable angularly between an engaged position, in which a portion of the front retainer facing and close to said flat supporting wall (20) is positioned contacting a front face of said bundle (4), and a release position, in which the front retainer is positioned well clear of said flat supporting wall (20) and detached from said front face of said bundle (4).

16. ) A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said front retainer (31) comprises a blade (35).

17. ) A device as claimed in claim 11, and comprising a side wall (24) extending along an edge (20a) of said flat supporting wall (20) and perpendicular to said flat supporting wall (20).

18. ) A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said rear retainer (32) comprises a blade (40) positionable contacting a rear face of said bundle (4).

19. ) A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said robot (9) comprises:

at least one substantially horizontal, flat loading wall (50);

a first auxiliary retainer (54) and a second auxiliary retainer (58), which substitute respectively for said front retainer (31) and said rear retainer (32) to retain said bundle as it is moved from said flat supporting wall (20) to said flat loading wall (50);

said first auxiliary retainer (54) and said second auxiliary retainer (58) being movable synchronously by actuating means to transfer said bundle from said flat supporting wall (20) to said flat loading wall (50) by moving the bundle.

20. ) A device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said first auxiliary retainer (54) comprises a first paddle (54) fitted to the end of a first movable member (52) that moves axially back and forth with respect to said flat supporting wall (20) to and from said bundle (4);

said second auxiliary retainer (58) comprises a second paddle (58) fitted to the end of a second movable member (56) that moves axially back and forth with respect to said flat supporting wall (20) to and from said bundle (4).

21. ) A device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said first paddle (54) and said second paddle (58) are located on opposite sides of said flat loading wall (50).

22. ) A device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said first paddle (54) is movable angularly by said first movable member (52);

said first paddle (54) being designed to contact said front retainer (31) to move it from said engaged position to said release position.

23. ) A device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said second paddle (58) is movable angularly by said second movable member (56) between a first position, and a second position contacting a rear face of said bundle (4).

24. ) A device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said flat supporting wall (20) and said flat loading wall (50) are substantially coplanar in use.

25. ) A device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said flat supporting wall (20) and said flat loading wall (50) have respective elongated gaps (22, 51) aligned with each other to permit translation of said second paddle (58) in said second position by said actuating means.

26. ) A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pickup and handling means (9, 11, 15) comprise:

at least one turnover device (15) for receiving said bundle (4) from the loading position, and designed to place an upside down container (12) over said bundle, so the bundle of mail items is housed inside the upside down container (12);

said turnover device (15) turning the upside down container (12) over through substantially 180°

, so the container (12) housing a respective bundle (4) is positioned with its opening facing upwards.

27. ) A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pickup and handling means (9, 11, 15) place the bundle (4) inside said container (12) after making a straight translatory movement of said bundle (4), and a straight translatory movement of a container (12) in a direction crosswise to the plane of the bundle.