Patent ID: 9334129
Filing Date: 2016-05-10
CPC Classification: B65B,B65G,B65H

Claim Text:
1. An automated mail tray filling apparatus for taking envelopes from a vertical stacker output of an inserter machine and placing them in mail trays, the vertical stacker arranged to provide a vertical stack of finished envelopes on a long vertical stacker table, the vertical stacker table being capable of transporting the vertical stack away from an inserter output where envelopes are added to the vertical stack; the apparatus comprising: a track positioned next the vertical stacker table parallel to the length of the vertical stacker table; a mail tray transport positioned beneath the track and arranged to transport mail trays beneath the track in a direction parallel to the vertical stacker table; a movable mail tray filler movably mounted on the track to travel in parallel next to the vertical stacker table and above the mail tray transport and arranged to withdraw envelopes from a distal end of the vertical stack in a sideways direction, to redirect the envelopes into a downward direction of travel, and feeding the envelopes into a mail tray positioned beneath the movable mail tray filler; wherein the movable mail tray filler comprises a take-away feeder positioned over the vertical stacker table and arranged to withdraw individual envelopes from the vertical stack into the movable mail tray filler in a sideways direction perpendicular to the direction of the stack; and wherein the take-away feeder includes a pressure sensor on the take-away feeder to determine a pressure of the vertical stack on the take away feeder, and whereby the pressure sensor is coupled to a filler transport mechanism on the movable mail tray filler to cause the movable mail tray filler to move along the track when predetermined pressure conditions are present.