Systems and methods for residue collection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A residue collection system comprising:
- a cull conveyor means for creating a mail stream having a first depth;
a delayering conveyor means, for reducing the depth of said mail stream to a second stream of generally single item depth;
aerosol chamber means, said aerosol chamber means having an internal volume, an entrance means for allowing said second stream to enter said internal volume, and an exit means for allowing said second stream to exit said internal volume, but otherwise being substantially sealed;
compressing means, located within said aerosol chamber, said compressing means being capable of aerosolizing a residue present in one of said mail pieces into said internal volume; and
an air sampling system means, capable of maintaining said aerosol chamber means at a negative pressure and capable of transporting said air from said internal volume to a detector means, said detector means capable of detecting said residue.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for the detection of substances (particularly particulate substances) within mail pieces, specifically letters and other “flats” of mail. In particular, the systems and methods are for the detection of residues of Chemical or Biological Warfare Agents (CBWAs) which may be present within the mail pieces. The system is principally designed to be included as part of Dual Pass Rough Cull System (DPRCS) for the collection and detection of the residue when the contaminated mail piece first enters a mail facility and before it is intermingled with other mail pieces.
43 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A residue collection system comprising:
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a cull conveyor means for creating a mail stream having a first depth; a delayering conveyor means, for reducing the depth of said mail stream to a second stream of generally single item depth; aerosol chamber means, said aerosol chamber means having an internal volume, an entrance means for allowing said second stream to enter said internal volume, and an exit means for allowing said second stream to exit said internal volume, but otherwise being substantially sealed; compressing means, located within said aerosol chamber, said compressing means being capable of aerosolizing a residue present in one of said mail pieces into said internal volume; and an air sampling system means, capable of maintaining said aerosol chamber means at a negative pressure and capable of transporting said air from said internal volume to a detector means, said detector means capable of detecting said residue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A residue collection system comprising:
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at least two cull conveyors each creating a mail stream having a first depth; at least two delayering conveyors, each of said delayering conveyors reducing the depth of one of said mail streams to a second stream of generally single item depth; and at least two aerosol chambers each of said aerosol chambers taking in one of said second streams, each of said aerosol chambers including; an outer shell defining an internal volume, said outer shell having an entrance port for allowing mail to enter said internal volume and an exit port for allowing mail to exit said internal volume, but otherwise substantially sealing said volume; an intake within said outer shell; and a pair of pinch rollers, said pair of pinch rollers being capable of compressing said mail pieces so as to aerosolize a residue present in one of said mail pieces; wherein each of said intakes is capable of maintaining the associated aerosol chamber at a negative pressure; and wherein each of said intakes is attached to an air sampling system capable of transporting said air from said aerosol chamber to a detector capable of detecting said residue. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A residue collection system comprising:
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means for separating and removing thicks from a stream of mail pieces; means for arranging said remaining mail pieces horizontally in a singular layer; means for allowing gravity to pull said single layer of mail pieces into a chamber, said chamber having an internal volume, an entrance means for allowing said mail pieces to enter said internal volume, and an exit means for allowing said mail pieces to exit said internal volume, but otherwise being substantially sealed; means for compressing said mail pieces while they are within said chamber so as to aerosolize a residue present on one of said mail pieces into said internal volume; means for collecting air from said internal volume, said means for collecting air maintaining said chamber at a negative pressure and transporting said air and said aerosolized residue to a means for detecting said residue. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification