Patent ID: 6443448
Filing Date: 2002-09-03
Classification: B07C,B65G,B65H

Abstract:
A transport system for transporting flat shipments of a length in a clamped manner comprising:a delivery part, driven at a first speed, that feeds separated shipments to a first transport device, said delivery part having a last delivery clamping point disposed adjacent said first transport device; said first transport device having a drive and a first clamping point, said first transport device moving individual, separated shipments in succession to a second transport device; said second transport device having a variable drive and a second clamping point which receives the individual, separated shipments from said first transport device, the variable drive of said second transport being independent from the drive of the first transport device, the second clamping point being spaced a distance from the last delivery clamping point so that the distance is greater than the length of the longest shipment; and a discharge part, driven at a second speed, having a discharge clamping point that receives the separated shipments from said second transport device where the first and second transport devices are disposed between said delivery and discharge parts in succession and adjacent clamping points are spaced from one another a distance that is less than the length of the shortest shipment; wherein said first transport device is driven at the first speed of said delivery part until such time as a respective shipment is clamped by said second transport device at the second clamping point so that said first transport device does not exert a driving or braking action of the respective shipment, and wherein once the respective shipment has left said first transport device, the first transport device is again driven at the first speed of the delivery device and said second transport device is driven at a variable speed which is changed when the respective shipment is transferred to said discharge part so that the respective shipment has a speed equal to the second speed of said discharge part which is maintained until a rear edge of the respective shipment has left said second transport device, and after the respective shipment has left said second transport device, said second transport assumes the first speed of the delivery part.