Patent ID: 7387196

Claim:
A device for combining at least two partial flows of first and second items to be sorted so as to form a total flow of items to be sorted, in which the items to be sorted are at largely equidistant intervals from each other at a combining section, the device comprising: a first withdrawing device configured to withdraw first mail items discontinuously and at different distances to each other; a first section connected downstream from the first withdrawing device and configured to accelerate the first mail items, wherein the first withdrawing device and the first section are arranged in at least a first partial flow; a second withdrawing device configured to withdraw second mail items continuously and equidistantly to each other without interruption; a second section connected downstream from the second withdrawing device and configured to accelerate the second mail items, wherein the second withdrawing device and the second section are arranged in at least a second partial flow; and a control device configured to buffer or accelerate the second items to be sorted conveyed on the second section to ensure that the second items to be sorted remain largely at equidistant intervals from each other in the total flow, wherein the control device is further configured to control the second section such that a buffer period for one of the items to be sorted and delivered periodically in the second partial flow is at least as long as a conveyance period required by an item to be sorted in the first partial flow to cover the first section plus required largely equidistant interval between two adjacent items to be sorted in the total flow.