Mailpiece selector device having improved levers

• US 8,235,380 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neopost Technologies S.A. (Quadient SA)
• Original Assignee: Neopost Technologies S.A. (Quadient SA)
• Inventors: Claris, Yannick
• Primary Examiner(s): Joerger, Kaitlin
• Application Number:
  US12/913,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20110121507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 271/2, 271/35, 271/110, 271/121, 271/124, 271/131, 271/137, 271/119
• US Class Current: 271/131
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/623 gate arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1916 Envelopes and articles of mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/063 separating from the bottom of pile B65H3/0615, B65H3/0623 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/56 Elements, e.g. scrapers, fingers, needles, brushes, acting on separated article or on edge of the pile B65H3/52 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00467 Transporting mailpieces postal sorting B07C

Abstract

A mailpiece selector device comprising a guide co-operating with at least one opposing selector roller to separate mailpieces one-by-one from a stack of mailpieces and to transport them downstream, said guide having at least one selector lever that can pivot about a pivot axis against resilient return means, and the selector lever having a vertical section formed by an involute of a circle, the base circle of which is formed by the pivot axis.

Claims

1. A mailpiece selector device comprising:

a guide to separate mailpieces one-by-one from a stack of mailpieces, said guide having at least one selector lever that is pivotal about a pivot axis against resilient return means, wherein said selector lever has a vertical section formed by an involute of a circle; and

a roller, opposing the guide, for transporting the separated mailpiece downstream.

2. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 1, wherein the base circle of said involute is formed by said pivot axis.

3. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 1, having a plurality of selector levers that can pivot independently from one another about said pivot axis.

4. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 3, wherein said selector levers are positioned so that at least one of said selector levers comes into contact with said mailpiece in a zone extending from a midline of said mailpiece that is parallel to a referencing wall to a parallel edge of said mailpiece that is the edge that is further from said referencing wall of said mailpiece.

5. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 4, having two selector levers positioned respectively in the range 60 mm from said referencing wall to 85 mm therefrom and in the range 120 mm from said referencing wall to 150 mm therefrom.

6. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 5, further having a third selector lever positioned in the range 180 mm from said referencing wall to 230 mm therefrom.

7. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 5, wherein each of said levers has a width of about 10 mm.

8. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 1, wherein said selector lever is coated with a ceramic or with an elastomer.

9. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 1, wherein said common pivot axis is stationary.

10. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 9, wherein said selector lever pivots through in the range 0°

to about 108°

.

11. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 1, wherein said common pivot axis is articulated at an end of a suspension arm (28) that can pivot about a fixed axis (30) against resilient return means (32).

12. A mailpiece selector device according to claim 9, wherein said selector lever pivots through in the range 0°

to about 30° and

said suspension arm pivots through in the range 0°

to about 45°

.

13. A mailpiece feeder for a franking machine, which feeder includes a mailpiece selector device according to claim 1.