Postal sorting machine with a carriage for handling mailpieces

• US 8,393,475 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solystic
• Original Assignee: Solystic
• Inventors: Hugues, Damien, Bayon, Mathieu, Duclot, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Joseph C
• Application Number:
  US12/677,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20110211939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 209/584, 209/630, 209/704, 209/900, 414/789.9
• US Class Current: 209/630
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/02 Compartmented furniture, e.g. pigeon-holes B07C7/005 takes precedence; furniture per se A47B; storage racks B65G

Abstract

A sorting machine for sorting mailpieces such as letters and flats, said machine having at least one row of sorting outlets (3) and a trolley for handling the mailpieces as a stack outside the sorting outlets. The trolley is mounted to slide on the machine along said row of sorting outlets and carries a deck that is substantially horizontal and that is mounted to move in rotation relative to the trolley (8) about a vertical axis so as to take up at least two angular positions that are offset from each other by 90 degrees.

Claims

1. A sorting machine for sorting mailpieces, said machine having at least one row of sorting outlets and a trolley for handling the mailpieces as a stack outside the sorting outlets, wherein the trolley is mounted to slide on the machine along said row of sorting outlets and carries a deck that is substantially horizontal and that is mounted to move in rotation relative to the trolley about a vertical axis so as to take up at least two angular positions that are offset from each other by 90 degrees,

wherein the deck comprises

a guide ramp,

a horizontal platform, and

a sloping support wall serving as a sloping-top desk,

the horizontal platform being interposed between the sloping wall and the guide ramp, and

said desk being arranged to take up an angular position in which the guide ramp follows on from and in continuity with the sorting outlet so as to enable the mailpieces to be moved as a stack by being slid from the sorting outlet to the platform of the deck.

2. The sorting machine according to claim 1, wherein the guide ramp of the top deck is provided with a substantially horizontal slide sill along at least one of its edges so as to provide the continuity with a sorting outlet.

3. The sorting machine according to claim 1, wherein the deck takes up a third angular position that is offset by 90 degrees relative to one of said two angular positions.

4. The sorting machine according to claim 1, wherein the trolley is provided with an angular locking abutment for angularly locking the top deck in said angular positions.

5. The sorting machine according to claim 1, wherein the trolley carries a handle on which to hang a bag serving to contain the mailpieces in the order required for the delivery round.