Modular system for automatically staging letters in connection with a letter sorting machine

• US 5,385,243 A
• Filed: 05/20/1992
• Issued: 01/31/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HK Systems Incorporated (KION GROUP AG)
• Original Assignee: Harnischfeger Engineers Incorporated
• Inventors: Hueman, Dennis G., Kirby, Rodney O., Jackson, Billy R., Hrica, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REICHARD, DEAN ALAN
• Application Number:
  US07/886,133
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 209/509, 209/584, 209/900, 198/349, 198/349.9, 198/350, 198/465.1, 414/267, 414/268, 414/280
• US Class Current: 209/509
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/06 Linear sorting machines in which articles are removed from a stream at selected points
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/10 Associated with forming or dispersing groups of intersupporting articles, e.g. stacking patterns

Abstract

A letter sorting apparatus comprising a letter sorting machine, and an automatic storage and retrieval system including a staging rack defining a plurality of staging locations, and a storage and retrieval machine which is positioned to receive letters from the sorting machine and to present letters for input to the sorting machine and which is operable to stage letters in and retrieve letters from the staging locations.

Claims

1. A letter sorting apparatus comprising

a letter sorting machine including means for receiving letters to be sorted, means for sorting letters, and means for dispensing sorted letters which are subsequently placed in letter trays, and

means separate from said letter sorting machine for automatically staging the letter trays, said staging means including an automatic storage and retrieval system including means defining a plurality of storage locations, and a storage and retrieval machine which is positioned to receive letter trays from said dispensing means and which is operable to store letter trays in and retrieve letter trays from said storage locations.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means defining said storage locations defines a plurality of levels each including a plurality of horizontally aligned locations, and a plurality of bays each including a plurality of vertically aligned locations, and wherein said storage and retrieval machine includes a mast movable horizontally adjacent said storage locations, a carriage movable vertically relative to said mast and adjacent said storage locations, and an extractor movable relative to said carriage for placing letter trays in and extracting letter trays from said storage locations.

2. A letter sorting apparatus comprising

a letter sorting machine including means for receiving letters to be sorted, means for sorting letters, and means for dispensing sorted letters, said sorting means sorting letters in at least first and second passes and requiring letters to be presented in a certain order for the second pass, said machine partially sorting letters during the first pass and dispensing partially sorted letters via said dispensing means after the first pass, and said sorting means further sorting the partially sorted letters during the second pass,

means separate from said letter sorting machine for automatically staging trays of letters from said dispensing means after the first pass, and

means for automatically presenting letter trays so that letters can be input to said receiving means in said certain order for the second pass.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 and further comprising means for automatically staging letters from said dispensing means after the second pass.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 and further comprising means for automatically presenting letters in proper order for conveyance after the second pass.

6. A letter sorting apparatus comprising

a letter sorting machine including means for receiving letters to be sorted, said receiving means receiving letters removed from letter trays, means for sorting letters, and means for dispensing sorted letters, and

means separate from said letter sorting machine for automatically staging letter trays for input of letters to said receiving means, said staging means including an automatic storage and retrieval system including means defining a plurality of storage locations, and a storage and retrieval machine which is positioned to present letter trays for input of letters to said receiving means and which is operable to store letter trays in and retrieve letter trays from said storage locations.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said automatic storage and retrieval system is also operable for automatically staging letters from said dispensing means.

8. A letter sorting apparatus comprising

a letter sorting machine including means for receiving letters to be sorted, and means for sorting letters which are subsequently placed in letter trays, and

an automatic storage and retrieval system including means defining a plurality of storage locations, said means defining said storage locations defining a plurality of levels each including a plurality of horizontally aligned locations, and a plurality of bays each including a plurality of vertically aligned locations, and a storage and retrieval machine which is positioned to receive trays of letters from said sorting means and to present letter trays for input to said receiving means and which is operable to store letter trays in and retrieve letter trays from said storage locations, said storage and retrieval machine including a mast movable horizontally adjacent said storage locations, a carriage movable vertically relative to said mast and adjacent said storage locations, and an extractor movable relative to said carriage for placing letter trays in and extracting letter trays from said storage locations.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said letter sorting machine is modular and includes one or more discrete modules each defining at least one letter dispensing location, and wherein said automatic storage and retrieval system is modular and includes one or more discrete system modules each defining a plurality of said storage locations, such that the number of said storage locations can be varied by varying the number of said system modules.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said letter sorting machine has two sides and dispenses letters on both of said sides, wherein said automatic storage and retrieval system is located adjacent one of said sides, and wherein said apparatus further comprises means for conveying trays from the other of said sides to said storage and retrieval machine.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 and further comprising means for conveying letter trays from said sorting means to said storage and retrieval machine.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 and further comprising means adjacent said sorting means for storing trays of letters from said sorting means, said storing means being located such that an operator can sweep letters from said sorting means into trays supported by said storing means, and means for conveying letter trays from said storing means to said storage and retrieval machine.

14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said means defining said storage locations includes shelves supported such that there are no partitions between adjacent storage locations.

20. An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 and further comprising storing means adjacent said other of said sides for storing letter trays, said storing means being located such that an operator can sweep letters from said sorting means into trays supported by said storing means, and wherein said conveying means conveys letter trays from said storing means to said storage and retrieval machine.

21. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said means defining said storage locations also includes cantilever supports for said shelves.

10. A letter sorting apparatus comprising

a letter sorting machine having two sides and including means for receiving letters to be sorted, means for sorting letters, and means on both of said sides for dispensing sorted letters,

a first sweep rack adjacent one of said sides for staging trays of letters from said sorting means, said first sweep rack defining a plurality of staging positions defined by respective upwardly facing surfaces,

an automatic storage and retrieval system located on the opposite side of said first sweep rack relative to said letter sorting machine, said automatic storage and retrieval system including a staging rack which is located directly above said first sweep rack and which defines a plurality of staging locations, and a storage and retrieval machine operable to stage letter trays in and retrieve letter trays from said staging locations,

a first conveyor for transporting letter trays from said first sweep rack to said storage and retrieval machine, said first conveyor extending through said first sweep rack and being located on the opposite side of said staging positions relative to said letter sorting machine such that an operator can push letter trays from said staging positions so that the letter trays slide off said upwardly facing surfaces and onto said first conveyor,

a second sweep rack adjacent the other of said sides of said letter sorting machine for staging trays of letters from said sorting means, and

a second conveyor for transporting letter trays from said second sweep rack to said storage and retrieval machine, said second conveyor extending through said first sweep rack.

15. A letter sorting apparatus comprising

a letter sorting machine having two sides and including means for receiving letters to be sorted, means for sorting letters, and means on both of said sides for dispensing sorted letters,

an automatic storage and retrieval system including means defining a plurality of staging locations, and a storage and retrieval machine operable to stage letters in and retrieve letters from said staging locations,

first staging means adjacent one of said sides for staging letters from said sorting means, said staging means including means defining a plurality of staging positions,

means for transporting letters from said first staging means to said storage and retrieval machine, said transporting means including a transport system located adjacent said staging positions such that an operator can push letter receptacles from said staging positions onto said transport system,

second staging means adjacent the other of said sides for staging letters from said sorting means, and

means for transporting letters from said second staging means to said storage and retrieval machine.

16. An automatic storage and retrieval system comprising

means defining a plurality of storage locations,

a storage and retrieval machine operable to store objects in and retrieve objects from said storage locations,

storing means defining a plurality of storage positions defined by respective upwardly facing surfaces, and

means for conveying objects from said storing means to said storage and retrieval machine, said conveying means including a conveyor located adjacent said storage positions such that an operator can push objects from said storage positions so that the objects slide off said upwardly facing surfaces and onto said conveyor.

17. An automatic storage and retrieval system comprising

a lower rack defining a plurality of storage positions,

an upper rack which is mounted on top of said lower rack and which defines a plurality of storage locations above said storage positions, said upper rack defining a plurality of levels each including a plurality of horizontally aligned storage locations,

a storage and retrieval machine operable to store objects in and retrieve objects from said storage locations, said storage and retrieval machine including a mast movable horizontally adjacent said storage locations, a carriage movable vertically relative to said mast and adjacent said storage locations, and an extractor movable relative to said carriage for placing objects in and extracting objects from said storage locations, and

a conveyor for conveying objects from said lower rack to said storage and retrieval machine.

25. A system as set forth in claim 17 wherein said conveyor has on output end, and wherein said storage and retrieval machine is operable to remove objects from said output end.

26. A system as set forth in claim 25 wherein said mast has a direction of movement, and wherein said conveyor is located directly beneath said storage locations and moves parallel to said direction of movement of said mast.

18. A method of handling letters being sorted by a letter sorting machine, said method comprising the steps of

providing an automatic storage and retrieval system including means defining a plurality of staging locations, and a storage and retrieval machine,

transporting letters in trays from the sorting machine to said storage and retrieval machine, and

operating said storage and retrieval machine to stage letter trays in and retrieve letter trays from said staging locations.

19. A method of handling letters being sorted by a letter sorting machine, said method comprising the steps of

providing an automatic storage and retrieval system including means defining a plurality of staging locations, and a storage and retrieval machine,

transporting letters in trays to said storage and retrieval machine, and

operating said storage and retrieval machine to stage letter trays in and retrieve letter trays from said staging locations and to stage letters for input to the letter sorting machine.

22. A letter sorting apparatus comprising

a letter sorting machine including means for receiving letters to be sorted, and means for sorting letters, said letter sorting machine being modular and including a plurality of discrete modules each having a module length and defining at least one letter dispensing location, and

an automatic storage and retrieval system including means defining a plurality of storage locations, and a storage and retrieval machine which is positioned to receive letters from said sorting means and to present letters for input to said receiving means and which is operable to store letters in and retrieve letters from said storage locations, said automatic storage and retrieval system being modular and including a plurality of discrete system modules each having a length substantially equal to said module length and each defining a plurality of said storage locations, such that the number of said storage locations can be varied by varying the number of said system modules, and such that the length of said automatic storage and retrieval system can be adapted to the length of said letter sorting machine.

23. A method of handling letters being sorted by a letter sorting machine which sorts letters in at least first and second passes, said method comprising the steps of:

A) providing an automatic storage and retrieval system;

B) inputting letters to the letter sorting machine for the first pass;

C) manually removing partially sorted letters from the letter sorting machine after the first pass, placing the partially sorted letters in trays and placing the trays of partially sorted letters in the automatic storage and retrieval system;

D) operating the automatic storage and retrieval system to stage the partially sorted letters after the first pass and to thereafter present the partially sorted letters in proper order for input to the letter sorting machine for the second pass; and

E) manually removing the partially sorted letters from the automatic storage and retrieval system by removing the partially sorted letters from the trays and inputting the partially sorted letters to the letter sorting machine for the second pass.

24. A method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the letter sorting machine has a plurality of output locations, and wherein step C further includes the steps of providing a plurality of trays each corresponding to a respective one of the output locations, and placing the letters from each output location in the corresponding tray.