Abstract:
A device is disclosed for carrying sets of documents of various sizes utilizing at least a document support tray supported on the forearm of a carrier by a forearm supporter secured by a single arm and hand of a carrier such that the documents may easily be delivered utilizing the free arm of the carrier to selectively pick from one of the stacks made available through the device. The device also includes a holder to secure an animal repellent container. The device also permits a novel method of delivering mail whereby the carrier may have free use of the hand and arm opposite to that engaged by the device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/584,178 filed Jun. 30, 2004. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     This invention is directed to a document handling device and, more particularly, to a document handling device adapted to conveniently hold different types of mail that a mail carrier must distribute throughout the course of his or her route. The present device functions as a dispenser which allows the contents to be taken out and used in convenient or prescribed amounts.  
         [0004]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     When documents are provided to a mail carrier from the United States Postal Service, they are essentially divided into three groups. Direct point sequence bar coded mail (DPS mail) is machine sorted and provided to carriers in presorted bundles for specific addresses. Mail that is not able to be sorted by the sorting machines is hand sorted to the level of individual mail carrier routes and the individual mail carriers must then further sort this mail for specific addresses. Finally, mail carriers must deliver mass mailing literature that is uniformly distributed to each address. Given not only the large volume of mail a typical mail carrier must deliver, but furthermore, the variety of types of mail in separate bundles and the need to collate the bundles on the fly prior to delivery, it becomes very challenging for a mail carrier to efficiently perform the mail delivery tasks inherent with each route.  
         [0006]     DPS mail sorting machines have dramatically cut in-office labor costs but have transferred additional duties to the carrier. A device and method is needed to enhance the efficiency of mail distribution for a mail carrier along the mail carrier route.  
         [0007]     In the course of delivering mail over a postal route, a mail carrier typically encounters various animals, of which the most common and most threatening are dogs. Although mail carriers are supplied with an animal repellant in the form of a container with a spray repellant, the container is often knocked loose and lost unbeknownst to the carrier. If the container has not been lost previously during the day, retrieving this container, aiming the spray at the dog, and activating the spray all consume valuable time when the carrier is under attack and require the carrier to focus more on these actions than on the threatening dog. Additionally, handfuls of mail may be dropped and the satchel may need to be removed for defensive purposes. The satchel may be very heavy and difficult to maneuver and picking up dropped mail is very time consuming. As a result, a device is also needed to make it easier and faster for the mail carrier to activate the repellant spray when under attack or merely threatened with an attack.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     One embodiment of the subject invention is directed to a device for carrying sets of documents of various sizes in such a manner to permit convenient access to the topmost documents and rapid, coordinated distribution of the desired documents, the device adapted to be supported between a carrier&#39;s forearm and his body, the device having a document support tray for accepting and retaining documents. The tray has first and second ends, first and second edges and a top and a bottom surface, wherein a longitudinal axis extends between the first and the second end. The device also has a forearm supporter attached to the tray, wherein the forearm supporter is adapted to at least partially engage the forearm of a carrier and wherein the forearm supporter is positioned adjacent to the bottom surface of the tray.  
         [0009]     Another embodiment of the subject invention is directed to a method of delivering mail made up of documents of various sizes using a document holder. The holder has a document support tray for accepting and retaining documents, a document receptacle for accepting other documents such as mass mailing literature that must be folded or rolled, for the most convenient delivery, and a forearm supporter attached to the tray, wherein the forearm supporter is positioned adjacent to the bottom surface of the tray and is adapted to at least partially enclose the forearm of a carrier and wherein the document receptacle is attached to the tray and positioned adjacent to the top surface of the tray. The method comprises the steps of: 
        a) mounting documents upon the top surface of the tray;     b) holding other documents in the hand associated with the document holder; and     c) selectively removing for delivery mail for a particular address from the document holder and the opposing hand.        
 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a mail carrier holding one embodiment of the device in accordance with the subject application;  
         [0014]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are perspective views of the device illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the device illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the device illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a second embodiment of a device in accordance with the subject invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is an illustration of a carrier holding a device in accordance with the third embodiment of the subject invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the device illustrated in  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the device illustrated in  FIG. 7  held by a mail carrier and populated with mail but without an umbrella attachment;  
         [0021]      FIG. 9A  is a partial section view along arrows “ 9 A- 9 A” in  FIG. 9 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is a top view of the device illustrated in  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 11  is a front view of the device illustrated in  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 12  is a side view of the device illustrated in  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view illustrating the option of attaching document holders to the device illustrated in  FIG. 7 ; and  
         [0026]      FIG. 13A  is a partial cross-section along lines “ 13 A- 13 A” in  FIG. 13 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]      FIG. 1  illustrates the device  10  in accordance with a first embodiment of the subject invention wherein the device  10  is held by a carrier  15 . The device  10  is adapted to be supported between the carrier&#39;s inner forearm and his or her body. The device  10  is further illustrated in  FIGS. 2-5  and, unless specified otherwise, the discussion hereinafter will be directed to those figures for this embodiment.  
         [0028]     The device  10  is used for carrying documents of various sizes in such a manner to permit convenient access to the top most documents and rapid coordinated distribution of the desired documents. The device  10  is comprised of a document support tray  20  for accepting and retaining documents  25  (shown in phantom). The tray  20  has a first end  30 , and opposing second end  32 , a first edge  34  and an opposing second edge  36 , a top surface  38  and a bottom surface  40 . A longitudinal axis  42  extends along the length of the tray  20  between the first end  30  and the second end  32 .  
         [0029]     A forearm supporter  50  is also attached to the tray  20 . The forearm supporter  50  is adapted to at least partially engage the forearm of a carrier  15 . The forearm supporter  50  is positioned adjacent to the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20 . Additionally, the tray  20  has a ledge  52  positioned at the first end  30  of the tray  20 .  
         [0030]     The forearm supporter  50  is mounted to the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20  and, briefly referring to  FIG. 1 , the tray  20  is oriented to receive the forearm of the carrier when the tray&#39;s first end  30  rests against the torso of the carrier. Returning to  FIGS. 2-5 , the forearm supporter  50  may be arcuate with the concave side  54  facing the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20 . As a result of this design when held by a carrier, the natural range of motion of a carrier&#39;s forearm tends to urge the device  10  against the body of the carrier  15 .  
         [0031]     Carriers are provided with animal repellant. A typical animal repellant provided to carriers to deter animal attacks is a canister having a spray nozzle so that liquid repellant may be directed from a distance toward an animal. The device  10  in accordance with the subject invention may include a repellant holder  60  attached to the tray  20  for holding a repellant container  65  with the spray nozzle  67  of the repellant container extending therefrom. The repellant holder  60  may be in the form of a tube mounted upon the tray  20  and adapted to receive a cylindrical spray repellant container  65  and to direct the container spray away from the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20 . By doing so and once again briefly referring to  FIG. 1 , with the repellant spray directed downwardly from the tray  20 , the carrier may move his or her arm to reorient the tray  20  thereby reorienting the spray nozzle  67  for dispersion in a different direction. The tube  60  may be positioned proximate to the expected location of the fingers of the carrier  15  for easy access to activate the spray repellant. The tube  60  may be mounted to the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20  near the first end  30  of the tray  20 . Additionally, the tube  60  may be oriented in the direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  42  of the tray  20 .  
         [0032]     As a further enhancement to the subject invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the device  10  may include a document receptacle  80  extending at least partially below the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20 . As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the document receptacle  80  is a sleeve  82  located adjacent to and extending away from the first end  30  of the tray  20 . Other designs are possible to provide a document receptacle  80 , which is not in the form of a sleeve  82 .  
         [0033]      FIGS. 7-12  illustrate a device  10  in accordance with a third embodiment of the subject invention whereby the document receptacle  80  is a basket  84  suspended beneath the tray  20 . The embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 7-12  includes additional accessories which will also be described hereinafter.  
         [0034]     With respect to the basket  84  and directing attention to  FIG. 12 , the top surface  38  of the tray  20  defines a plane P and the basket  84  has a top surface  86  which is inclined downwardly from the second edge  36  of the tray  20  to the first edge  34  of the tray  20  to retain documents  88  ( FIG. 9 ) therein when the device  10  is held by a carrier  15 .  
         [0035]     It should be appreciated from inspection of  FIGS. 1 and 9  that the device  10  provides to the carrier  15  complete freedom of the opposite hand and arm not associated with the device  10 . This is a significant advantage over prior art delivery techniques, which often times engage both hands of the carrier thereby reducing efficiency.  
         [0036]     The arrangement of documents in any particular location on the subject device  10 , whether it is the document support tray  20 , or the document receptacle  80 , is at the discretion of the carrier  15  and may be arranged in any fashion desired by the carrier. However, two sets of documents may easily be accommodated through the device  10  and furthermore, a third set of documents may be secured with the carrier&#39;s hand.  
         [0037]     In one arrangement a carrier  15  may support non-presorted mail  93  directed to specific addresses within the document support tray  20  where it may be selectively removed for specific addresses. The mass mailing literature, otherwise called Advos, may rest within the document receptacle  80 . These unaddressed documents do not need to be examined before removal for each delivery to each address, and as a result, may be conveniently carried out of view, beneath the non-presorted mail. Finally, the DPS mail, which as previously mentioned is the Direct Point Sequence bar-coded mail, that is provided to carriers in bundles, pre-sorted specifically by address, may be held in the carrier&#39;s hand such that now the entire content of documents to be delivered is retained with the device  10  and secured by a single hand. Because the device  10  is secured to the forearm of the carrier, as a result of gravity the forearm tends to pivot against the body of the carrier  15 . As a result, a significant portion of the weight of the documents and device  10  is supported largely by the carrier&#39;s shoulder and does not require the exertion of significant muscular effort, which over a long term would be fatiguing.  
         [0038]     The non-presorted mail  93  is illustrated on the tray  20  in  FIG. 9  secured by elastic bands  94 . The same arrangement exists for the documents on the tray  20  in  FIGS. 2-5 . Each bundle of non-presorted mail  93  is kept together by an elastic band  94  and as a bundle is dispersed for delivery, the elastic band  94  may remain around the tray  20  to support the remaining bundles.  
         [0039]     Directing attention to  FIG. 9 , in order to secure the documents  88  within the basket  84  the device  10  further includes a resilient member  90  which is biased against the top surface  86  of the basket  84  to retain documents  88  therein. The resilient member  90  may be comprised of a flexible hose secured to a frame  100  used to support the tray  20  and the basket  84 . As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the resilient member  90  is a flexible tube  92 , which may be selectively passed through a bore  102  extending through the frame  100 , wherein the tube  92  is frictionally retained within the bore  102 . As an example, by pushing the tube  92  through the bore  102  the tube  92  is urged against the top surface  86  of the documents  88  thereby minimizing slippage of the documents  88  and retaining them within the basket  84 . Multiple bores  102  may be used to permit the tube  92  to be repositioned to stabilize and secure small coupon books within the Advos at the point where the Advo is grabbed for delivery. The tube  92  also applies pressure to the open end of the documents in a manner designed to insure that the topmost document&#39;s closed end extends farther away from the carrier&#39;s torso than the document below it. The orientation of the flexible tube  92  may be adjusted to provide more or less force on the top of the documents within the basket  84 . This makes blind retrieval of the topmost document easier since its edge will be the easiest edge in the stack to get a grip on. To further retain documents  88  within the basket  84 , the basket  84  has a wall  104  toward the first edge  34  of the tray  20 . As illustrated in  FIG. 12  and as previously discussed, the top surface  86  of the basket  84  is inclined and this acts to urge the documents against the wall  104 .  
         [0040]     Additionally, the basket  84  may have a side wall  106  located toward the second end  32  of the tray  20  to further retain documents within the basket  84 . As illustrated in  FIG. 9A , the side wall  106  may have a document separator  107  made up of a plurality of stepped supports  108 , wherein the stepped supports  108  are spaced to space apart documents  109  placed within the basket  84  for ease of removal of such documents  109 . The documents  109  also extend beyond the front face  106 A of the side wall  106  to make removal easier.  
         [0041]     The embodiment of the device  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-5  included a forearm supporter  50  which engages the forearm of a carrier  15  and as a result, the weight of the device  10  and its contents was transmitted at one location, to the forearm of the carrier. Additionally, the device  10  contacted the torso of the carrier along the first end  30  of the tray  20  and, therefore, the weight of the device was also transmitted to the torso of the carrier  15  since the first end  30  rested against the carrier&#39;s torso.  
         [0042]     The embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 7-12  includes a frame  100  used in lieu of the forearm supporter  50  previously discussed.  
         [0043]     In particular, and with attention to  FIG. 9 , as an overview a frame  100  may be used to support the tray  20  and the basket  84 , but furthermore, engage the arm of the carrier such that the frame captures the arm of the carrier to distribute the weight of the device to the carrier&#39;s forearm, upper arm and as before, to the carrier&#39;s torso.  
         [0044]     In particular, and with attention directed to  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 10 , the frame  100  extends beyond the first edge  34  of the tray and beyond the top surface ( FIG. 11 ) of the tray  20 . The frame  100  as a first member  105  ( FIG. 11 ) with a shape extending away from the top surface  38  of the tray  20  and then extending in the direction from the first end  30  to the second end  32  of the tray. In such a fashion the first member  105  of the tray  100  is adapted to engage the arm of a carrier holding the device  10 . The first support member  105  and the tray  20  are positioned relative to one another to engage the carrier&#39;s arm to transfer part or all of the weight of the device  10 , with documents therein, to the carrier&#39;s arm. This arrangement is illustrated in  FIG. 9 .  
         [0045]     The frame  100  may further include a second support member  110  which extends from the first support member  105 . The second support member  110  is adapted to enclose the arm of a carrier between the second support member  110  and the first support member  105  as illustrated in  FIG. 9 .  
         [0046]     It should be noted that the second support member  110  may be comprised of a hollow tube and as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , it is possible to mount an overflow document holder  115  to the second support member  110 . As illustrated in  FIG. 13A , the overflow document holder  115  may have a document separator  116  therein to space apart by height, documents  117  placed within the holder  115 . The document separator  116  may be angled, as illustrated in  FIG. 13A , or may be stepped in the same fashion illustrated in  FIG. 9A  for document separator  107 .  
         [0047]     The frame  100  may extend away from the opposite side of the tray also and may include a third support member  120  beyond the second edge  36  of the tray  20 . The third support member  120  is oriented in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  42  of the tray  10 . The third support member  120  acts to function as a repellent holder  125  containing therein a repellant container  130 . Wherein the repellant container  130  may be oriented in a fashion similarly discussed with respect to the first embodiment of the subject invention.  
         [0048]     As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the frame  100  may include a fourth support member  135  extending from the third support member  120  in a direction from the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20  and generally perpendicular to the plane P of the top surface  38  of the tray  20 . The fourth support member  135  may be used to support an umbrella  140  ( FIG. 8 ) or in the alternative, as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , may be used to support a clamp  145  or an additional overflow document holder (not shown) similar to an overflow document holder  115  illustrated in  FIG. 13 .  
         [0049]     The overflow document holder  115  ( FIG. 9 ) and the overflow document holder (not shown) that could be mounted to the fourth support member  135  ( FIG. 13 ), may be mounted in an orientation most suitable for ease of access by the carrier  15 .  
         [0050]     In general, the position of the forearm supporter  50  or the frame  100  may be adjusted upon the tray  20  in a lateral and rotational fashion to accommodate the orientation and size of the forearms of different carriers.  
         [0051]     The subject invention is also directed to a method of delivering mail made up of documents of various sizes using a device  10  having a document support tray  20  for accepting and retaining documents, a document receptacle for accepting other documents such as mass mailing literature that must be folded or rolled, and a forearm supporter  50  attached to the tray  20 , wherein the forearm supporter  50  is positioned adjacent to the bottom surface  40  of the tray  20  and is adapted to at least partially enclose the forearm of a carrier  15 . The document receptacle  80  is attached to the tray  20  and positioned adjacent to the top surface  38  of the tray  20 . Directing attention to  FIG. 1 , the method is comprised of the steps of mounting the documents upon the top surface  38  of the tray  20  while holding other documents in the hand associated with the device  10 . The method is then comprised of selectively removing for delivery, mail for a particular address from the document support tray  20  and from the hand of the carrier  15 .  
         [0052]     Briefly directing attention to  FIG. 6 , the method may further include the step of positioning folded or rolled documents into a document receptacle such as the sleeve  82  ( FIG. 6 ) or the basket  84  ( FIG. 8 ) and then additionally selectively removing documents from this document receptacle  80 .  
         [0053]     It should be appreciated that the relative location of the elements of the device  10  are intended to permit the carrier  15  to blindly pull documents from different locations and to activate the animal repellant without the need to first locate the repellant container visually.  
         [0054]     The frame  100  has been shown as hollow pipe. It should be understood that this arrangement is illustrative and that other structural elements may be used in place of such pipe.  
         [0055]     The device in accordance with the subject invention provides an apparatus and method whereby the efficiency and the safety of mail handlers may be significantly improved.  
         [0056]     This invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obvious modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the proceeding detailed descriptions. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modification and alterations.