Patent ID: 7857122
Filing Date: 2010-12-28
Classification: B41J,B65H,G07B

Abstract:
1. A vacuum conveyance/manifold system for processing mailpieces, comprising: at least one conveyor belt rotating around a plurality of drive rollers, the conveyor belt having rows of aligned apertures disposed therein and a drive surface for engaging a face surface of each of the mailpieces for conveyance along the feed path, a compliant deck disposed beneath and supporting an underside surface of the at least one conveyor belt, the compliant deck, furthermore, defining a neutral axis in bending and having a high elongation, low modulus material in a portion of the deck which is distal from the bending neutral axis, and a high yield strength, high modulus material in a portion of the deck which lies coincident with the bending neutral axis, the compliant deck, furthermore, having a plurality of elongate slots formed in the high elongation, low modulus material, the elongate slots being aligned, and in fluid communication, with the rows of apertures disposed in the at least one conveyor belt, a vacuum source, and a flexible manifold system having a plurality of flexible tubes in fluid communication with the elongate slots of the compliant deck and the vacuum source for developing a pressure differential across each of the mailpieces when in contact with the drive surface.