CODING AND ROUTING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 3,587,856 A
• Filed: 09/05/1967
• Issued: 06/28/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1967
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Original Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Inventors: Lemelson, Jerome H.
• Application Number:
  US04/665,526
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• US Class Current: 209/3.3
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/18 Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks applying data to information carriers G06K1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10772 Moved readers, e.g. pen, wand
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

AN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CODING AND DISTRIBUTING ARTICLES SUCH AS MAIL PIECES IS PROVIDED WHICH IS SUBJECT TO SEMIAUTOMATIC OR AUTOMATIC OPERATION. IN ONE FORM OF THE INVENTION, FLAT ARTICLES SUCH AS ENVELOPES AND CARDS ARE FED, ONE AT A TIME BY SELECTION MEANS, FROM A SUPPLY OR STACK THEREOF, TO A READING STATION. AN OPERATOR, AFTER READING THE IDENTIFICATION MEANS SUCH AS THE ADDRESS ON THE FACE OF EACH CARD OR ENVELOPE, OPERATES A BANK OF PUSHBUTTON SWITCHES RO OTHER MEANS FOR APPLYING A DESTINATION CODE TO AN EDGE AREA OF THE MAIL PIECE. THE APPARATUS MAY ALSO INCLUDE MEANS FOR APPLYING ERASABLE RECORDING MATERIAL SUCH AS MAGNETIC RECOREDING MATERIAL AS A TAPE OR FILM TO A PREDETERMINED AREA OF EACH MAIL PIECE EITHER WITH THE CODE DEFINING THE MAIL PIECE OR ITS DESTINATION RECORDED ON SAID APPLIED MATERIAL OR TO BE RECORDED THEREON AFTER IT IS APPLIED. IN ANOTHER SYSTEM, ALPHANUMERIC CHARACTERS PRINTED ON THE FACE OF THE MAIL PIECE OR A LABEL APPLIED THERETO ARE AUTOMATICALLY READ BY A DOCUMENT CHARACTER SCANNER WHICH PROVIDES A CODE OUTPUT SIGNAL WHICH IS USED TO MODULATE A MEANS FOR RECORDING CHARACTERS OR CODES ALONG A PREDETERMINED BAND AREA OF THE MAIL PIECE. THE APPARATUS ALSO INCLUDES IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STRUCTURES OF THE CONVEYING, SCANNING AND CODING EQUIPMENT UTILIZED THEREIN. MEANS FOR MODIFYING THE APPARATUS FOR CODING AND SCANNING PACKAGES OTHER THAN FLAT ENVELOPES OR CARDS ARE ALSO PROVIDED.

Claims