Abstract:
A mail justifier system including at least one bucket for holding a flat article and a plurality of ramps configured to contact the flat article through an opening defined on the bucket to raise the flat article to a desired level. A plurality of parallel rollers is configured to enter into the opening and contact the flat article. The parallel rollers rotate causing the flat article to move within the bucket from a first position to a second position.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to mail sorting processes, and more particular to an in-line justifier system and associated method for justifying mail pieces in a mail sorting process. 
         [0003]    2. Related Art 
         [0004]    Generally a flat mail sorting machine uses one or more carrousels of mail buckets. Mail pieces are singulated by one or several feeders and injected into the mail buckets. Generally, the buckets are configured to drop mail into trays positioned directly below the buckets according to a mail sort plan. However, due to the variable position of the mail within the buckets the mail stack quality in the tray may be affected. 
         [0005]    Several variables contribute to the position of the mail within the bucket, such as the bond of the mail in the injection area, the mail pieces injection into the bucket, the centrifugal force around the curves of the carousel, and the like. These variations in the lateral position of the mail in the bucket dictate where the mail piece may ultimately drop in the tray. The variations of the position of the mail piece within the tray creates challenges for controlling and potentially automating follow-on mail sorting processing of the mail piece in the tray. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In one aspect, a mail justifier system is provided for use in a mail sorting process. The mail justifier system includes at least one bucket for holding a flat article and a plurality of ramps configured to contact the flat article through an opening defined on the bucket to raise the flat article to a desired level. A plurality of parallel rollers is configured to enter into the opening and contact the flat article. The parallel rollers rotate causing the flat article to move within the bucket from a first position to a second position. 
         [0007]    In another aspect, a method is provided for justifying mail in a mail sorting process. The method includes providing at least one bucket for holding a flat article; and moving the flat article from a first unjustified position to a second justified position within the bucket. 
         [0008]    As mail sorting equipment becomes more capable of sorting a wider spectrum of mail shapes and sizes, justification of mail in mail trays has become a more critical component of the stack quality. Since stack quality of mail pieces in trays is important to automated mail processing steps, the present invention provides a beneficial component of any mail sorter design 
         [0009]    The in-line justifier system of the present invention allows mail pieces to be stacked in a justified manner into mail trays. Moreover, the present invention allows for automated mail processing after sorting of the mail pieces, allows automated mail processing for multiple passes in a sorting machine and eases any manual operation of mail stack unloading for an operator. 
         [0010]    The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an in-line justifier system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a simplified side view of the phases of operation of a single bucket of the in-line justifier system of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The following description is exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Various changes to the described embodiment may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described herein without departing from the scope of the invention. 
         [0015]    The justification of mail pieces is getting critical as the automation of mail processing is growing. For example, unloading a stack of mail pieces from a tray, changing the content from one tray to another, grouping mail pieces in new stacks, splitting mail pieces into smaller stacks, de-stacking and re-stacking mail pieces, are all automated operations that may require mail piece justification in order to be fully effective. 
         [0016]    Later processing of mail pieces after being stacked in a tray, is made much easier if the mail pieces are stacked in a justified manner. Attempting to justify mail pieces after being randomly stacked is a much more difficult task than justifying a single mail piece at a time. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of in-line justifier system  100  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In-line justifier system  100  includes a bucket assembly, which may include one to a plurality of buckets  102  coupled together as if to form a train of buckets  102 . In-line justifier system  100  also includes a plurality of parallel rollers  104 , and a corresponding plurality of ramps  106 . Parallel rollers  104  each have an axis of rotation which is parallel to the direction of movement or conveyance (arrow  110 ) of buckets  102  along a carousel  112 . Carousel  112  is operable to convey the bucket assembly on parallel rollers  104  in a manner known the industry. 
         [0018]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , each bucket  102  of the bucket assembly includes bucket side wall  204 , front and back walls  205 , and a justification wall  206  all combined to define a top opening and a bottom opening. Bucket  102  is configured to hold a flat article, such as a mail piece  210 , within the four walls of the bucket. Because bucket  102  is a location in which mail piece  210  is isolated in the mail process, bucket  102  is a prime location to justify mail piece  210 . 
         [0019]    Bucket  102  also includes a bucket flap  208 , located at a bottom end of each bucket  102 , which provides a closure for the bottom opening. Bucket flap  208  may be “opened” to expose the bottom opening, which allows parallel rollers  104  to pass through and make contact with mail piece  210  in bucket  102 . Each parallel roller  104  may be centered to the bottom opening created by rotating bucket flap  208  away from the bottom opening of bucket  102 . 
         [0020]    Ramps  106  are located directly adjacent and in-line with each parallel roller  104 . Ramps  106  contact bucket flap  208  and cause it to open and expose the bottom opening. Ramps  106  may then contact each mail piece  210  in order to raise each mail piece  210  from the bottom of bucket  102  to a first level corresponding to the top of parallel rollers  104 . 
         [0021]    Parallel rollers  104  continuously rotate (arrow  212 ) as bucket  102  is conveyed in direction  110  by carousel  112  through the mail sorting processes. 
         [0022]    Upon contact with mail piece  210 , the rotation  212  of each parallel roller  104  causes mail piece  210  to move within bucket  102 , tangent (arrow  214 ) to the direction of rotation  212 . Mail piece  210  moves from a first position, where mail piece  210  is free from contact with a surface of justification wall  206  to a second position, where mail piece  210  is in contact with the surface of justification wall  206 . Alternatively, bucket  102  may be configured with an alternative justification surface different from justification wall  206 . The alternative justification surface may be any surface disposed within bucket  102  provided to halt the lateral movement of mail piece  210  within bucket  102  for justifying mail piece  210 . 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, parallel rollers  104  are powered to a speed that provides synchronicity with the movement of bucket  102 , which minimizes mail damage that may otherwise be caused by mail piece  210  moving over the rotating parallel rollers  104 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a simplified side view of the phases of operation  302 ,  304 ,  306 , and  308  represented by a single bucket  102  of in-line justifier system  100  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In operation, in phase  302  bucket  102  is conveyed by carousel  112  along direction  110  in the mail sorting process ( FIG. 1 ). Typically, mail piece  210  is positioned at the bottom end  310  of bucket  102  somewhere between bucket side wall  204  and justification wall  206 . 
         [0025]    In phase  304 , as bucket  102  progresses along direction  110 , bucket flap  208  is made to open allowing mail piece  210  to contact ramps  106 . Ramps  106  raise mail piece  210  in direction  312  to a first level corresponding to the top of parallel rollers  104  to locate mail piece  210  onto the top of parallel rollers  104 . 
         [0026]    In phase  306 , mail piece  210  makes contact with parallel rollers  104 . The contact friction between mail piece  210  and parallel rollers  104  conveys mail piece in direction  214  tangent to the rotation  212  of parallel rollers  104  (into the page in  FIG. 2 ). In one embodiment, the lateral movement of mail piece  210  within bucket  102  causes mail piece  210  to contact a surface of justification wall  206 . In one embodiment, bucket flap  208  may include a corner flap (not shown) that facilitates the lateral mail motion by slightly pinching mail piece  210 . 
         [0027]    In phase  308 , bucket flap  208  closes and mail piece  210  drops in direction  314  back to substantially the bottom  310  of bucket  102 , flat and justified against the surface of justification wall  206 , after leaving the end of parallel rollers  104 . In this position mail piece  210  may be dropped, properly justified, and stacked to produce a justified stack of mail in the corresponding tray. 
         [0028]    The invention has been disclosed in an illustrative manner. Accordingly, the terminology employed throughout should be read in an exemplary rather than a limiting manner. Although minor modifications of the invention will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art, it shall be understood that what is intended to be circumscribed within the scope of the patent warranted hereon are all such embodiments that reasonably fall within the scope of the advancement to the art hereby contributed, and that scope shall not be restricted, except in light of the appended claims and their equivalents.