Apparatus and method for preparing a mail piece

• US 5,628,249 A
• Filed: 12/27/1994
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Cordery, Robert A., Harman, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KELLEY, STEVEN SHAUN
• Application Number:
  US08/364,365
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 400/68, 400/82, 53/131.3, 53/131.4, 53/131.5, 53/284.3, 53/411, 53/569, 101/91
• US Class Current: 101/91
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/00 Measures preceding sorting according to destination

Abstract

An apparatus and method for producing mail pieces. The apparatus includes a first printer for printing documents and a second printer for printing envelopes and a mail finishing unit for receiving the printed documents from the first printer and the envelopes printed with corresponding addresses from the second printer and inserting the documents into the envelope to form a mail piece. The apparatus operates under the control of a single stream of job data from a host computer, where the job data includes a job header defining default mail piece attributes and mail piece records which include document data and address data, and which may include specific mail piece attribute data for each corresponding mail piece. The apparatus control mechanism partitions the data stream and controls the first printer to print the documents while controlling the second printer to separately print the envelopes which are moved along a separate path to an insert station where the mail piece is formed. Preferably the second printer is an ink jet printer and the apparatus includes a drying buffer to allow time for the printed addresses to dry, and accordingly the apparatus prints several envelopes to load the drying buffer before beginning to print the documents.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing a mail piece, said apparatus comprising:

a) a first printer for printing a document;

b) mail finishing means for receiving said document from said first printer and for inserting said document into an envelope to form said mail piece, said mail finishing means including a second printer for printing an address on said envelope prior to insertion of said document into said envelope;

c) control means responsive to mail piece data for controlling said apparatus to produce said mail piece in accordance with said mail piece data;

said mail piece data including first data defining said document, and second data defining said address;

d) a buffer station for buffering said envelope to allow said address to dry after printing; and

e) data storage buffer means for storing sufficient mail piece data to allow said envelope printer to continue printing envelopes for input to said buffer station while said first printer completes a sequence of documents if the input of mail piece data is interrupted;

whereby gaps in the sequence in said buffer station are prevented.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said second printer operates at a slower printing rate than said first printer, said slower printing rate of said second printer being at least sufficiently fast that it does not substantially limit the average processing rate of said apparatus.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said second printer is an ink jet printer.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said second printer prints said envelope prior to said first printer printing said document.

5. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said second printer is an ink jet printer.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said second printer prints said envelope prior to said first printer printing said document.

7. An apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising:

a) a controller for said mail finishing unit;

wherein, said controller responds to an indication that an address to be printed on the next envelope to be input to said buffer station cannot be finished printing before the next envelope to be output from said buffer station is needed to form the next mail piece to stop said next envelope to be printed before it is input to said buffer station, complete processing of all mail pieces in process to empty said buffer station, and reinitialize operation of said apparatus beginning with said next envelope to be printed;

whereby gaps in the sequence of envelopes in said buffer are prevented.

8. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein:

said mail piece data further includes third data defining mail piece attributes, said control means further for parsing said first data to said first printer for printing said document, said second data to said second printer for printing said envelope and said third data to said mail finishing means for use in producing said mail piece; and

wherein said third data includes information indicating a number of sheets contained in said document and a manner of folding said document.

9. An apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein:

said mail piece data further includes third data defining mail piece attributes, said control means further for parsing said first data to said first printer for printing said document, said second data to said second printer for printing said envelope and said third data to said mail finishing means for use in producing said mail piece; and

wherein said third data includes information indicating a number of sheets contained in said document and a manner of folding said document.

10. An apparatus as described in claim 7 wherein:

said mail piece data further includes third data defining mail piece attributes, said control means further for parsing said first data to said first printer for printing said document, said second data to said second printer for printing said envelope and said third data to said mail finishing means for use in producing said mail piece; and

wherein said third data includes information indicating a number of sheets contained in said document and a manner of folding said document.

11. A method for producing a mail piece, said method comprising the steps of:

a) printing a document in a first printer;

b) printing an address on an envelope in a second printer;

c) feeding said envelope along a first path and feeding said document along a second, intersecting path,

d) buffering said envelope to allow said address to dry after printing;

e) storing sufficient mail piece data to allow said envelope printer to continue printing envelopes for input to said buffer station while said first printer completes a sequence of documents if the input of mail piece data is interrupted;

whereby gaps in the sequence of envelopes in said buffer station are prevented; and

f) receiving said envelope and said document at an intersection of said paths and inserting said document into said envelope.

12. A method as described in claim 11 further comprising the step of delaying said envelope as it is fed along said first path to allow said address to dry after printing.

13. A method as described in claim 11 wherein said second printer operates at a lower printing rate than said first printer, said lower rate being at least sufficiently great that it does not substantially limit the average processing rate of said apparatus.

14. A method as described in claim 11 wherein said envelope is printed prior to printing said document.