Flats bundle processing system

• US 7,006,891 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanson, Bruce H., Roth, J. Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Application Number:
  US10/778,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20040162631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 700/217, 700/218, 700/223, 700/224, 700/225, 700/226, 209/542, 209/540, 209/584, 209/900
• US Class Current: 700/217
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0267 Pallets
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/00 Indexing code relating to control or detection of the articles or the load carriers during conveying
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 61/00 Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4213 of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/42256 Pallets; Skids; Platforms with feet, i.e. handled together with the stack
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/40 Identification
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/51 Sequence of process
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1916 Envelopes and articles of mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/78 Mailing systems
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/00 Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs combinations of piling and depiling operations, of interest apart from the single operation of piling or depiling B65H83/00; machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together sheets or signatures B42C1/00

Abstract

A processing system for automating the packaging, packing, unpacking, transfer/short term storage and loading of flats mail into flats sorters for sortation is disclosed. This involves bundling flats mail into bundles or logs and creating pallets for transporting in a standardized manner at mailer facilities such as publishers so that the sort depth and final destination of the bundle contents are preserved and used throughout its journey through postal facilities. Sort depth and destination bar coding is placed on each bundle. An automated method for palletizing involves creating a stack of bundles on a pallet in a predetermined sequence so that sorting processes in the postal facility become more efficient. Once the pallets are received at the postal facilities, the pallets are broken down in a pre-determined sequence in accordance with the sequence of original creation. The bundles are scanned into the sorter processes of the postal facility where the scanned information concerning destination codes and sort depth facilitates or eliminates routing and sorting within the postal facility, thereby reducing overhead and costs. A system to create pallets using both robotic and conveyor mechanisms is disclosed.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling a mechanism for stacking one or more bundles onto one or more pallets, comprising:

a first controller for storing bundle information associated with the one or more bundles;

a second controller for controlling a scanner which scans the bundle information;

a third controller for determining the availability and errant bundle information associated with the one or more bundles;

a fourth controller for controlling a moving mechanism to load each of the one or more bundles to a predetermined pallet or location based on the bundle information, availability and errant bundle information; and

a fifth controller for determining whether the pallet is full and if not determining a position of a non-filled pallet for moving a bundle of the one or more bundles.

2. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a report controller for generating reports based on at least one of inventory and shipping information, detailed data on bundles per pallet, destination codes and sort depths, carriers for transport, time data, and cost information.

3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the fourth controller controls the moving mechanism to move the each of the one or more bundles to a predetermined location on the predetermined pallet.

4. The control system according to claim 3, wherein the fourth controller includes a counter for counting the each of the one or more bundles moved to the predetermined pallet in order to prevent over filling of the predetermined pallet.

5. The control system according to claim 3, wherein the fourth controller determines when the predetermined pallet is full and determines a new position for the predetermined pallet.

6. A control system for controlling the breakdown of pallets into bundles, comprising:

a first controller for storing bundle information associated with one or more bundles;

a second controller for controlling a scanner which scans the bundle information;

a third controller for controlling an unloading mechanism to move each of the one or more bundles to a predetermined conveyance system; and

a fourth controller for determining whether the pallet is empty and moving the pallet to an empty pallet stack.

7. The control system according to claim 6, wherein the fourth controller determines whether there are any more pallets required to be broken down, wherein if there are more pallets to be broken down, the fourth controller controls a mechanism for moving a next pallet proximate to the unloading mechanism.