System and method for preparing letters for mailing

• US 5,538,232 A
• Filed: 06/23/1995
• Issued: 07/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Longford Equipment International Limited
• Original Assignee: John A. Long
• Inventors: Long, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryznic, John E.
• Application Number:
  US08/494,288
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 270/1.1, 270/45, 270/51, 270/52, 270/52.5, 270/58, 270/59, 53/50, 53/569, 53/411, 53/131.5, 53/284.3, 53/460, 364/478, 235/380, 235/375
• US Class Current: 270/1.03
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 5/027 Sheets or cards attached to a carrier strip or web shipping forms B42D15/006
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00314 Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00362 Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00467 Transporting mailpieces postal sorting B07C
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00661 Sensing or measuring mailpieces weighing G01G19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00322 Communication between components/modules/parts, e.g. printer, printhead, keyboard, conveyor or central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0037 Calculation of postage value
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00491 Mail/envelope/insert handling system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00701 Measuring the weight of mailpieces

Abstract

A system reads a data record from a card and, based on this information, prints on a section of a travelling web of paper. The printed web section is tracked and the card providing the data record is affixed to the web section. The printed web section with card is then separated to form a letter sheet and inserts are selected for the letter sheet with card based on the previously read data record for the card. The letter sheet with card and selected inserts is then stuffed into an envelope and an indication of the weight of the envelope with enclosures, based on the known weight of the envelope, card and letter sheet and the known weights of the selected inserts, is provided to a franking machine.

Claims

1. A system for preparing letters for mailing comprising the following:

a letter data database;

a source of data records comprising a plurality of data cards, each having a data record;

means for conveying a web of paper in a downstream direction along a first path;

a high speed printer in said first path for printing upon said web;

control means operatively connected to said letter data database and responsive to said data records source for, repetitively, reading a data record from a card of said plurality of data cards and, responsive to said read data record, reading data from said letter data database and, responsive to at least said read data from said letter data database, controlling said printer to print on a section of said web;

a card feeder arranged to feed said data cards in a downstream direction along a second path merging with said first path such that each data card is inserted onto one said section of said web;

said control means comprising a card reader in said second path and timing means so that a given data card is inserted onto a section of said web printed in response to letter data which was read from said letter data database in response to the data record read from said given data card; and

a separator at the downstream end of said first path for separating a letter sheet from each printed section of said web of paper.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means to time said second path includes a FIFO data card buffer in said second path for temporarily holding data cards.

3. The system of claim 1 including a letter sheet conveyor for conveying letter sheets separated by said separator in a downstream direction along a third path.

4. The system of claim 3 including a plurality of insert feeders adjacent said third path, each for feeding inserts to letter sheets travelling along said third path and means for, repetitively, tracking a web section printed in accordance with a given data record and the resulting letter sheet and selectively activating said insert feeders in accordance with said given data record when said resulting letter sheet is at said insert feeders.

5. The system of claim 4 including folding plows for folding margins of said web about a middle portion of said web upstream of said separator and further including an unfolding plow for partially unfolding letter sheets separated from said web upstream of said insert feeders and a folding plow for folding said letter sheets downstream of said insert feeders.

6. The system of claim 4 including means to divert a card from said second path where said card reader means is unable to read a data record from said card.

7. The system of claim 6 including means responsive to said means for tracking a web section and the resulting letter sheet for tracking a web section which would be merged with a data card but for the data card being diverted and for diverting the letter sheet resulting from said tracked web section downstream of said separator.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein said means for conveying a web of paper comprises a plurality of feed rollers.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said control means comprises a processor.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said means for, repetitively, tracking a web section printed in accordance with a given data record and the resulting letter sheet and selectively activating said insert feeders in accordance with said given data record when said resulting letter sheet is at said insert feeders comprise said processor, a web section sensor, and a letter sheet sensor, said web section sensor and said letter sheet sensor being operatively coupled to said processor.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said processor is operatively connected to said card feeder.

12. A method for preparing letters for mailing comprising the following steps:

storing letter data in a database;

reading consecutive data cards, each having a data record;

retrieving letter data from said letter data database in response to each record read from said data cards;

conveying a web of paper in a downstream direction along a first path;

printing upon consecutive sections of said web responsive to consecutive retrieved letter data from said letter data database corresponding to consecutive data records read from said data cards;

timing and affixing said data cards to said web so that a section of said web printed in response to letter data read from said letter data database corresponding to a given data card is the section of the web to which said given data card is affixed; and

separating letter sheets from each section of said web of paper conveyed along said first path.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of printing upon consecutive sections of said web is also responsive to consecutive data records read from said data cards.

14. The method of claim 13 including the step of conveying separated letter sheets in a downstream direction along a second path.

15. The method of claim 14 including the step of tracking the progress of a given section of the web and the resulting letter sheet separated from said given section of the web and feeding selected inserts to said resulting letter sheet in response to the data record utilised in printing said given section of the web.

16. The method of claim 15 including the steps of folding margins of said web about a middle portion of said web prior to said separation step, partially unfolding letter sheets separated from said web prior to said insert feeding step, and folding said letter sheets after said insert feeding step.

17. The method of claim 16 including the step of diverting a card where said step of reading a data record from said card is unsuccessful.

18. The method of claim 17 including the step of tracking a web section to which a data card would be affixed but for the data card being diverted and for diverting the letter sheet resulting from said tracked web section after said letter sheet is separated from said web.

19. The method of claim 18 including the step of temporarily holding data cards prior to affixing ones of said data cards to consecutive web sections.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of printing comprises printing text transversely of said downstream direction.