Postal stamp process, apparatus, and metering device, therefor

• US 4,876,000 A
• Filed: 08/28/1987
• Issued: 10/24/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ameer G. Mikhail
• Original Assignee: Ameer G. Mikhail
• Inventors: Mikhail, Ameer G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Application Number:
  US07/090,839
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 209/583, 209/584, 209/592, 209/900, 364/464, 364/467, 364/468, 283/71
• US Class Current: 209/584
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/14 using light-responsive detecting means for information carriers G06K7/14
• 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: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00475 Sorting mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0062 Label
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0285 Stamp-like labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/02 Forms or constructions layered products B32B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

The invention relates to the fields of postal stamps, automated postal sorter machines, sorting processes, and postal metering devices. The prior art of postal stamps and processing systems failed to provide for automatic sorting and processing without replacing the usual stamp with a machine printed decal thus: (1) depriving the ordinary stamp user from using the system which requires a special stamp printing machine, and (2) destroying the philatelic nature of the stamp for the hobby of stamp collecting. The invention solves these problems by providing a multi-part stamp where machine readable data are entered by the ordinary user without the need for a special machine. One portion of the stamp (42) includes the ordinary stamp attributes thereon and another portion (43) carries marking indicia (47) and (48) which are to be filled with the information of the points of origin and destination. The stamp portions may be separated along lines of perforation, resulting in one piece being the typical unaffected stamp collected by millions of stamp collectors. In addition, automatic postal sorting apparatus, sorting process, and a metering device which all use the new features of the invented stamp are introduced to facilitate the implementation of the automatic sorting of mail.

Claims

1. A mail sorting process for sorting mail, each mail piece having thereon at least one postal stamp, each postal stamp having at least two surfaces at least one of which is ungummed, said stamp being formed of at least two separate pieces, one piece of said stamp containing on its ungummed surface some markings that may define the attributes of said stamp, another piece of said stamp containing on its ungummed surface indicia for entering with a tool special codes identifying both the origination and destination mailing centers where such entering can be detected and read by a scanning device, the same piece of said stamp having at least one distinct marking printed for use as a reference frame to alert said scanning device in determining the location and orientation of said special codes of each of said origination and said destination mailing centers, said same piece of said stamp having a different marking printed thereon which defines the monetary value of said stamp, said marking being detectable and readable by either said scanning device or by a similar scanning device, the process comprising the steps of;

triggering the scanning device of a scanning machine by the reference frame markings printed on the stamps affixed on a mail piece to be sorted in association with both the origination and destination identifier codes, reading identifier codes at any orientation angle and the postal monetary value marking printed on each stamp by another scanning device, storing the read information temporarily in said machine, adding up the total monetary value of said stamps, storing this added up monetary value temporarily, calculating the postal distance between two read origination and destination codes based on preset tables, weighing the mail piece and storing the weight value temporarily, computing the postage fee value by employing the postal distance and the measured weight and storing said values temporarily, comparing the read total postage value affixed to said mail piece to the required postage fee value as compared earlier, and marking the mail piece before routing to a special container for further special processing if the comparison indicates that postage is due.

2. A mail sorting apparatus of sorting mail, each mail piece having thereon at least one postal stamp, each postal stamp having at least two surfaces at least one of which is ungummed, said stamp being formed of at least two separate pieces, one piece of said stamp containing on its ungummed surface some markings that may define the attributes of said stamp, another piece of said stamp containing on its ungummed surface idicia for entering with a tool special codes identifying both the origination and destination mailing centers where such entering can be detected and read by a scanning device, the same piece of said stamp having at least one distinct marking printed for use as a reference frame to alert said scanning device in determining the location and orientation of said special codes of each of said origination and said destination mailing centers, said same piece of said stamp having a different marking printed thereon which defines the monetary value of said stamp, said marking being detectable and readable by either said scanning device or by a similar scanning device, said apparatus comprising a weighing scale for weight measuring, a computing device located within said apparatus with said scale connected to said computing device, said computing device storing the information measured by said scale as well as other information sent to it by other components of the apparatus for later use, a first scanning device which is able to detect and read specific codes including both the destination and origination identifier codes on the stamp, said information read by said scanning device being transferred to said computing device for temporary storage, a second scanning device similar to said first scanning device being positioned across from the first scanning device in a manner that allows the mail piece path to pass between the two scanning devices, a third scanning device for detecting and reading the stamp monetary value marking, and third scanning device connected to said computing devices, said computing device receiving the information from said third scanning device and adding the values for all stamps read on one package and storing the sum thereof for later use, a fourth scanning device of the same type as said third scanning device positioned across from the third scanning device keeping the moving mail piece stream between them, at least one pushing mechanism located downstream of the scanning devices along the path of the moving mail piece stream, at least one guiding channel positioned across from the least one pushing mechanism in a manner allowing it to receive the mail pieces pushed by the least one said pushing mechanism, said at least one pushing mechanism being a system of mechanical elements which are activated according to the information processed by said computing device, wherein at least one container is designated for mail pieces which are determined by the computing device to have insufficient postage on them.