Feeder module for use in a document forwarding system

A feeder for a stack of upright documents includes a horizontally disposed receptacle having a planar base and a side restrainer. A spring loaded back plate and a fanning device move the stack form one end of the base to the other end adjacent a separator. The fanning device, which includes a plurality of movable belts projecting above the planar base each having a different rate of linear speed relative to one another, cause individual documents to fan away from the stack and thereby relieves pressure.

BACKGROUND AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates in general to the handling of mail and, in 
particular, to a feeder module for use in an improved forwarding address 
system for use with mail sorting machines. 
The volume of mail handled daily by large businesses, institutions and 
governmental entities has steadily increased through the years. For 
example, credit card companies, utilities, mail order houses and other 
advertisers send and receive huge quantities of mail daily. Typically, the 
envelopes containing the material to be mailed are addressed and then 
sorted into common groups for mailing. Similarly, mail received by such 
entities is commonly sorted into groups based the subject matter of the 
received material. A third category of such envelopes are the returned 
mail category the creation of which is primarily due to the addressee 
having moved from a particular address resulting in the envelope being 
undeliverable. The present invention relates to a feeder module for 
individually separating documents or envelopes and feeding them to further 
areas in a larger system. One such system where the present invention can 
be utilized is directed to the solution of this wrong address problem, 
namely, the correction of the address by application of a secondary label 
to the envelope with the correct forwarding address that will permit its 
proper delivery. 
Several different types of machines have been developed to assist in the 
handling of such mail, other than manual review and correction by the 
individual mail carrier. These prior art devices typically comprised an 
envelope feeder, a read station, a selection of label station where a 
supply of labels permitted selection of an appropriate label and its 
application to an envelope, and a sorting and storage means. 
None of these prior art machines and systems proved satisfactory since they 
were large unwieldy machines that required not only a large amount of 
space but also required frequent replenishment of a vast array of 
pre-printed label supplies and applicating equipment. 
The present invention relates to a feeder module having a unique envelope 
feeder apparatus wherein incoming envelopes are separated from each other 
and delivered to a transport module both of which are part of a unique 
computer-operator controlled system with a plurality of unique stations 
that are suitable for use with conventional mail sorting machines. The 
transport module moves the envelope or document through a plurality of 
read stations that are provided with a single visual reporting means and 
input keyboard means tied to a main computer data source for use and 
control by an operator. Observation of indicia by the operator and 
selective input into the keyboard means results in an electable response 
being presented for use by the operator, the elected information then 
being sent to a print module for use in creation of an appropriate 
corrective label. 
The feeder module utilizing the teaching of the present invention includes 
means whereby a stack of envelopes or documents are maintained in an 
upright edgewise orientation and are fanned outwardly from one another to 
permit movement of individual envelopes, regardless of thickness, into the 
nip of the shifting rollers located at one end of the feeder module for 
lateral movement to the next station. By having the feeder module 
extending outwardly perpendicular to the balance of the machine the 
operator can be positioned adjacent to it and readily handle any problems, 
if any, that might arise at his elbow. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a feeder module of the 
type contemplated that will reliably operate over extended time parameters 
with minimal down times, as well as being relatively simple and economical 
to construct and operate. 
Other and further objects of this invention, together with all of the 
features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the 
following description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawing, wherein similar parts are designated by 
similar numerals, and particularly FIG. 1, a computer assisted document 
forwarding system of the type contemplated to utilize the present 
invention, and generally designated by the numeral 20, includes an 
integrated system of several modules, each of which in that system are 
interrelated with the other and mutually interdependent. However, certain 
of the modules in that system and particularly the feeder module 
contemplated by the present invention can operate independently or be 
integrated into other systems. 
Forwarding systems, of the type shown in FIG. 1, are designed to reduce the 
labor factor involved in updating a mailing list and also to accurately 
forward mail that has been erroneously deposited at a local post office. 
A forwarding system of the type contemplating the utilization of the 
present invention would include a feeder module 22, a transport module 24 
which has a plurality of observation means stations, a print module 26, a 
labeler module 28, a label cassette 30, and a sorting and stacking module 
32. It is such a system, referred to earlier, that can be used by the 
local post offices where documents, i.e. mail envelopes of various sizes, 
have been stopped because a customer has entered a change of address order 
and hence existing documents are not properly addressed for delivery 
purposes. 
The forwarding correcting system is basically an ancillary arm to a master 
computer where all of the address changes are fed and maintained for a 
predetermined time frame. The information in the master computer is made 
available to the subsidiary or remote stations for use by an operator to 
update on a ready basis the address to which particular pieces of mail are 
to be forwarded. 
One form of prior art feeder means, as shown in FIG. 2., includes a flat 
elongated base 34 having a flange-like rail 36 along at least one edge 
thereof. An angled moveable belt-means 38 carries stacks of edge supported 
envelopes toward the upper end, as seen in the drawing, and because of its 
angled disposition it tends to force the envelopes laterally against the 
rail 36. The angled belt 38 moves the stack over the horizontal 
transversely disposed moving belt 39 moving in generally the same 
horizontal plane as belt 38. A vertically disposed belt 40 moves 
transversely in the same direction and at about the same speed as belt 39 
and was designed to move the first envelope laterally into the nip of 
rollers 42-43. The angled wall 41, an extension of the side rail 36, was 
designed to direct the envelopes moved by belt 39 in the general direction 
of the nip of the rollers 42-43, however, it has been found that this 
action by the horizontal belt 39 toward angled wall 41 tends to move more 
than one envelope out of the stack and causes bunching and jamming. Thus, 
this feeder lacked the necessary consistency necessary for this type of 
operation. 
Referring now to FIGS. 3 through 6, and particularly FIG. 3, the feeder 
module 22 of the present invention includes an elongated planar base 50, 
which is shown as being transparent in FIG. 3 for ease in observation of 
the mechanisms located below the base. The transparency is not a necessity 
in practical operation. Along one edge there is provided an abutment or 
wall 52 carrying a slide or track means 54. Means 54 is adapted to accept 
a spring loaded back plate 56 for purposes of moving a stack 60 of 
envelopes standing upright on their elongated edges from one end of the 
base 50 to the other end. 
To assist in the movement of the stack 60, the base 50 includes a plurality 
of spaced parallel slots. In this embodiment the slots are three in number 
and are indicated as 62, 64, and 66. A plurality of belt-like members 68, 
70, and 72 are disposed respectively in slots 62, 64, and 66 and project 
slightly above the plane of base 50. Each of the belt-like members in 
operation has a different rate of linear speed relative to each other. In 
the preferred embodiment the spaced movable means, or belts, each have a 
relatively progressive increase in velocity as measured transversely from 
one edge of the base to the opposite edge. As seen in FIG. 3, the length 
of the arrows B.sub.1, B.sub.2, and B.sub.3 indicate the relative 
velocities of these belt-like members. A single power source in the form 
of motor 44 is provided with an elongated shaft 45 having a plurality of 
spaced driving drums 46, 47 and 48 with differing diameters and positioned 
in an ever increasing order of size along the shaft 45. In this fashion a 
constant speed motor 44 will provide the belts with differing velocities 
due to the linear speed developed as the belts 68-72 pass over the 
differing sizes of driving drums 46, 47, and 48. The opposite ends of the 
belts are supported on idler pulleys mounted on shaft 49 that is 
maintained in position by pillow blocks at its opposite ends. FIG. 3A 
discloses algebraically the relationship of the velocities of the belts in 
progressive increasing order as measured across the planar base 50. 
When documents that are standing on their edge on the base 50 are moved 
forward by the differing velocities of these belts, and assisted by the 
back plate 56, the end of the document edge contiguous to the belt having 
the highest velocity will tend to fan away from the stack and present one 
end canted and spaced from the stack for easy separation therefrom by 
suitable means such as a feeder wheel to move the document out of the 
stack and into the transporter module. 
As the stack is moved along the base 50, to the right as viewed in FIG. 3, 
the stack 60 will confront a plate-like member 74 that is pivoted at one 
end as at 76. The plate 74 is spring loaded about pivot 76 and carries at 
its other end, opposite pivot 76, a rotatable wheel means 78 spring loaded 
by spring 79 to confront and provide ease in movement of the first 
envelope in the stack 60. When the plate 74 is confronted by excessive 
pressure from the stack the plate will rotate clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 
3, about the pivot 76 and will engage switch means 80. When switch 80 is 
activated by the pivoted plate 74 it puts out a signal that stops motor 44 
and the feeding motion of the belts until the excessive pressure is 
relieved by removal of documents from the stack whereupon switch 80 is 
deactivated and the motor turned back on. 
Also located at the right hand end of base 50 is a feeder mechanism 86 
having a plurality of pairs of spaced wheel means mounted on common shafts 
for gripping the envelopes at spaced vertical locations to provide a 
smooth unskewed movement of the envelopes serially from the feeder module 
to the transport module. The first pair of such wheels are the feed wheel 
means 90 which are adapted to extend through suitable slot means in the 
plate 74 to thereby permit engagement of the feed wheel means 90 with the 
first envelope in the stack. The wheels 90 are serrated for the purpose of 
providing increased friction or alternatively the wheels 90 can be 
provided with a decreased durometer so that they bite and can insure 
movement of the first envelope in the stack when contacted by the wheels 
90. The feed wheel means 90 are mounted on a common shaft carried by a 
movable arm 118 which permits the feed wheel means to move in and out of 
engagement with the first document on the stack for purposes set forth 
hereinafter. 
When the feed wheels 90 engage the document it is moved into position in 
the nip between the first pair of driven rollers 92 and spring loaded 
back-up rollers 94. This first double pair of rollers are adapted to move 
the first document laterally away from the stack when the feed wheels 90 
initiate envelope movement toward the nip of the first driven rollers 92. 
The feeder module 86 then presents a second pair of vertically spaced 
driven rollers 94 opposed by spring loaded back-up rollers 96 in 
juxtaposed moveable opposition thereto and with the second pair of driven 
rollers being generally aligned with the first pair of driven rollers but 
spaced laterally therefrom and having a higher speed than the first pair 
of driven rollers. This is accomplished by having a common power source in 
the form of a motor 102 having a pulley 100 on its power shaft carrying a 
common belt 99 for driving rollers 92 and 94. The pulley engages and 
passes over pulley 96 (connected to first rollers 92) with pulley 96 
having an override clutch means integrally built therein and with pulley 
96 having a first predetermined diameter. The belt 99 then continues over 
a smaller diameter pulley 98 (driving rollers 94) with the belt 99 driving 
rollers 94 at a higher speed than rollers 92 due to the constant linear 
movement of the belt 99 and the difference in the diametral measurement of 
the two pulleys. Thus, with the driven rollers 94 moving at a higher speed 
than rollers 92 the document will be pulled from engagement with rollers 
92 (overriding the clutch in pulley 96) and moved into the transport 
module as will be explained hereafter. The facing or back-up rollers 104 
and 106 are maintained in moveable engaging positions with the respective 
driven rollers by means of the springs 108 and 110. 
The presence or absence of an envelope between the driven rollers 92 and 94 
is detected by suitable means 120 i.e. an electric eye photocell or an 
infra red detector, or any other suitable detection means. The presence of 
an envelope in that position activates the solenoid 112 which through its 
spring loaded power arm 114 causes another connected arm 116 that is 
fixedly connected to arm 118 to move the feeder wheels 90 in the direction 
of arrow A, as seen in FIG. 3. In this fashion the feeder wheel 90 is 
disengaged and prevented from delivering another envelope out of the stack 
60. When the blocking document clears the detection means the power is 
de-energized and the feed wheel means then moves in a direction opposite 
to arrow A into engagement with the next document. 
It will be noted that a common belt 91 is used to drive the pulleys which 
connect the feed wheels 90 and the first pair of rollers 92, said pulleys 
being of the same size. Therefore, the velocities, as best seen in 
algebraic symbolism in FIG. 3B, of the feed wheels 90 and the first set of 
rollers 91 are designated Velocity 4 and Velocity 5 and are equal, but 
both are less than the velocity of the next pair of rollers 94. Rollers 
94, as was previously noted, are driven by pulley 98 having a smaller 
diameter than the pulley 96 to thereby provide a faster linear speed and 
which will literally pull an envelope out of the nip between the rollers 
92 and the idler wheels 104 by permissive slippage of the overriding 
clutch in pulley 96. 
FIG. 4 discloses the stiff generally rigid cantilever construction 
extending forwardly from the oversize column 150 supported by suitable 
base means 152. The cover 154 encloses the separation system 86, the 
details of which are omitted from this figure. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 provide additional detail of the construction of the feeder 
module. An extrusion channel 160 provides the rigidity for the cantilever 
construction and serves to support the feed tray 50 as well as to provide 
internal support for the centrally disposed bearings 200 for the shafts 45 
and 49. The feed tray 50 has the parallel slots 62, 64, and 66 previously 
described. In certain instances, dependent upon the type of documents 
being handled, i.e. their relative size and weight, it may be desirable to 
provide a secondary support plate 51 to reinforce the feed tray 50. To 
provide a universality to plate 51 it is provided with two extra wide 
parallel slots 63 and 65 that are adapted to accept not only the single 
belt 68 but also the double belts 70 and 72, regardless of the orientation 
of plate 51. 
Other means for applying labels to envelopes or packages will be apparent 
to those skilled in the art and mechanical equivalents to those indicated 
above will be called to mind, however, it felt that this invention should 
be limited only by the claims attached hereto.