Methods and apparatus to combine mail streams in a binding line

• US 8,880,214 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2005
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LSC Communications US, LLC (LSC Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RR Donnelley & Sons Company
• Inventors: Brown, Chris, Drummond, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Ramya
• Application Number:
  US11/217,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20070050081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,351 Days
• Field of Search: 270/1.01, 270/1.02, 270/1.03, 270/52.02, 700/219, 700/220, 700/221, 700/223, 700/224, 700/226, 700/227, 532/843
• US Class Current: 700/223
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/02 Forming articles into a stream; Arranging articles in a stream, e.g. spacing, orientating transport of sheets B65H
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00467 Transporting mailpieces postal sorting B07C
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00483 Batch processing of mailpieces

Abstract

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture to combine mail streams in a binding line are disclosed. An example method is used to create a first book on a production line, where the first book is associated with a first recipient address. The example method is then used to deposit the second book associated with a second recipient address via a book feeder on the first book as the first book moves along the production line.

Claims

1. A method of combining mail streams, comprising:

creating a first book on a production line, wherein the first book is associated with a first recipient address; and

depositing a second book via a book feeder on the first book as the first book moves along the production line, wherein the second book is associated with a second recipient address.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second recipient addresses are obtained from a mailing list stored in a database.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first book is associated with a first book title, and wherein the second book is associated with a second book title.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the size of the first book is different from the size of the second book.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein creating the first book comprises creating the first book using a saddle stitch binding process.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising printing personalized information on at least one of the first and second books.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising forming a bundle of books including the first and second books, wherein the recipient address of each book in the bundle of books is associated with the same postal code.

22. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the depositing of the second book via the book feeder on the first book is performed prior to delivering the first and second books to a stacker.

8. An apparatus to combine mail streams, comprising:

a controller;

a memory coupled to the controller and having a plurality of instructions stored thereon that enable the controller to;

determine that a first primary book is associated with a first recipient address and a first secondary book is associated with a second recipient address; and

deposit the first secondary book via a book feeder on the first primary book at a first book position on a production line.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions stored in the memory enable the controller to create an empty book position if a second book position is associated with a second secondary book.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the first primary book is associated with a first book title, and wherein the first secondary book is associated with a second book title.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the size of the first primary book is different from the size of the first secondary book.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions stored in the memory enable the controller to create the first primary book via a saddle stitch binding process.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions stored in the memory enable the controller to print personalized information on at least one of the first primary book or the first secondary book.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions stored in the memory enable the controller to form a bundle of books including the first primary and secondary books, wherein the recipient address of each book in the bundle of books is associated with the same postal zip code.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions stored in the memory enable the controller to deposit the first secondary book via the book feeder on the first primary book prior to delivering the first primary book and the first secondary book to a stacker.

15. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-accessible medium having a plurality of machine-accessible instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

determine that a first primary book is associated with a first recipient address and a first secondary book is associated with a second recipient address; and

deposit the first secondary book via a book feeder on the first primary book at a first book position on a production line.

16. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15 having the plurality of machine-accessible instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to create a second primary book in a second book position if the second book position is associated with the second primary book.

17. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15, wherein the first primary book is associated with a first book title, and wherein the first secondary book is associated with a second book title.

18. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15, wherein the size of the first primary book is different from the size of the first secondary book.

19. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15 having the plurality of machine-accessible instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to create the first primary book via a saddle stitch binding process.

20. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15 having the plurality of machine-accessible instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to print personalized information on at least one of the first primary book or the first secondary book.

21. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15 having the plurality of machine-accessible instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to bundle the first primary and secondary books in a bundle of books associated with the same postal zip code as the first recipient address.

24. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 15 having the plurality of machine-accessible instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to deposit the first secondary book via a book feeder on the first primary book prior to delivering the first primary book and the first secondary book to a stacker.