Patent ID: 7493189

Claim:
A method for sorting mailings according to a distribution sequence in a sorter having circulating pouches, wherein a predetermined number of pouches is lower than a number of mailings to be sorted, and wherein the distribution sequence includes coherent mailing points in a predetermined order of distribution, wherein the order of distribution begins at a first distribution point and ends at a last distribution point, the method comprising: in a first phase, separating a mailing from the number of mailings to be sorted; reading a mailing address of the mailing; determining a distribution point assigned to the mailing address and determining a position of the distribution point within the order of distribution; loading the mailing into an empty pouch; repeating the steps of the first phase until each pouch is filled with one mailing; in a second phase, if all pouches are filled, separating a subsequent mailing from the number of mailings to be sorted; reading a mailing address of the subsequent mailing; determining a distribution point assigned to the mailing address of the subsequent mailing and determining a position of the distribution point within the order of distribution; if the position of the distribution point assigned to the mailing address of the subsequent mailing is lower than a highest position of a distribution point of a mailing in a pouch, feeding the mailing having the highest position from the pouch to a buffer, and loading the subsequent mailing into the pouch; if the position of the distribution point assigned to the mailing address of the subsequent mailing is higher than the highest position, feeding the subsequent mailing to the buffer; and repeating the steps of the second phase until the pouches include only mailings having neighboring distribution points.