Insertion machine with distributed chargeback
First Claim
1. A machine of the type in which a plurality of feed stations feed items onto an insertion track for inclusion with an associated group of items, wherein the improvement comprises:
- means for designating at least one of said feed stations as a primary feed station;
means for designating at least two of said feed stations as chargeback feed stations;
processing means including memory means and arithmetic logic means;
means including said processing arithmetic logic means for using values indicative of the per item weight of items held in said primary feed station and said chargeback feed stations to obtain a calculated total weight with respect to a group of items;
means for using said calculated total weight to determine a postage category in which said group of items is to be classified;
means for determining whether the feeding from at least one chargeback station requires that said group of items be classified in a higher postage category than than in which said group otherwise would have been classified; and
means for apportioning, among the chargeback feed stations which fed items for inclusion with said group, the increase in postage cost occassioned by the classification of said group in said higher postage category.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a document insertion machine, third-party advertising documents are fed from downstream insert stations (36, 37, 38, 39). The third party insert stations include an optional insert station (39) from which documents are to be fed only if the additional weight occasioned by the feeding does not cause an increase in the postage for a customer'"'"'s stuffed envelope. The other third party insert stations (36, 37, 38) are chargeback stations which feed documents regardless of the impact of feeding upon the weight of a customer'"'"'s stuffed envelope. The insertion machine apportions, among the chargeback stations (36, 37, 38), any increase in postage cost which occurs when the feeding of documents from the chargeback stations causes a customer'"'"'s stuffed envelope to be classified in a more expensive postage category.
72 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A machine of the type in which a plurality of feed stations feed items onto an insertion track for inclusion with an associated group of items, wherein the improvement comprises:
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means for designating at least one of said feed stations as a primary feed station; means for designating at least two of said feed stations as chargeback feed stations; processing means including memory means and arithmetic logic means; means including said processing arithmetic logic means for using values indicative of the per item weight of items held in said primary feed station and said chargeback feed stations to obtain a calculated total weight with respect to a group of items; means for using said calculated total weight to determine a postage category in which said group of items is to be classified; means for determining whether the feeding from at least one chargeback station requires that said group of items be classified in a higher postage category than than in which said group otherwise would have been classified; and means for apportioning, among the chargeback feed stations which fed items for inclusion with said group, the increase in postage cost occassioned by the classification of said group in said higher postage category. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of operating a machine of the type in which a plurality of feed stations feed items onto an insertion track for inclusion with an associated group of items, wherein the improvement comprises:
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designating at least one of said feed stations as a primary feed station; designating at least two of said feed stations as chargeback feed stations; using values indicative of the per item weight of items held in said primary feed station and said chargeback feed stations to obtain a calculated total weight with respect to a group of items; using said calculated total weight to determine a postage category in which said group of items is to be classified; determining whether the feeding from at least one chargeback station requires that said group of items be classified in a higher postage category than than in which said group otherwise would have been classified; and apportioning, among the chargeback feed stations which actually fed items for inclusion with said group, the increase in postage cost occassioned by the classification of said group in said higher postage category. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A machine of the type in which a plurality of feed stations feed items onto an insertion track for inclusion with an associated group of items, wherein the improvement comprises:
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means for designating at least two of said feed stations as chargeback feed stations; processing means including memory means and arithmetic logic means; means including said processing arithmetic logic means for using values indicative of the per item weight of items held in said chargeback feed stations to obtain a calculated total weight with respect to a group of items; means for using said calculated total weight to determine a postage category in which said group of items is to be classified; means for determining the number of groups which, because of the feeding from at least one chargeback station, were classified in higher postage categories than those categories in which said groups otherwise would have been classified; and means for apportioning among the chargeback feed stations the increase in postage cost occassioned by the classification of said groups in said higher postage categories. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of operating a machine of the type in which a plurality of feed stations feed items onto an insertion track for inclusion with an associated group of items, wherein the improvement comprises:
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designating at least two of said feed stations as chargeback feed stations; using values indicative of the per item weight of items held in said chargeback feed stations to obtain a calculated total weight with respect to a group of items; using said calculated total weight to determine a postage category in which said group of items is to be classified; determining the number of groups which, because of r the feeding from at least one chargeback station, were classified in higher postage categories than those categories in which said groups otherwise would have been classified; and apportioning among the chargeback feed stations the increase in postage cost occassioned by the classification of said groups in said higher postage categories. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification