Patent ID: 6732011
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: G07B

Abstract:
Apparatus for assembling mailpieces, said apparatus comprising:a) means for assembling said mailpieces, said assembling means including a plurality of stations for accumulating documents or inserts into said mailpieces as accumulations of said documents or inserts move through said stations, said plurality of stations including at least one upstream station and a control insert feeder located downstream of the upstream station, the control insert feeder feeding control inserts for inclusion in accumulations processed by the upstream station; and b) a scanner proximal to the control insert feeder, said scanner reading data from control inserts fed by the control insert feeder, said control inserts being included in said accumulated documents or inserts; and c) a controller, responsive to an element of said data read from an initial control insert to: c1) access storing means for storing mailing control files, said mailing control files comprising a plurality of mailpiece records, each of said records defining preparation of a corresponding mailpiece, to open a mailing control file identified by said element; c2) initialize said apparatus by forming accumulations in accordance with corresponding records in said opened file at each of said stations upstream of said control insert feeder station; and c3) thereafter sequentially process records in said opened file and controlling said apparatus to form a corresponding sequence of mailpieces.