Patent ID: 7814031

Claim:
Apparatus for handling mail, in particular mail in arbitrarily mixed batches, said apparatus comprising: a feed module for feeding in mail items to be franked; a detector for detecting at least one dimension of said mail item; an evaluator for evaluating a weighing time taken to weigh said mail item as a function of said at least one dimension; and a regulator adapted to take account of said weighing time in order to regulate the speed of advance of a conveyor of a weigh module, said conveyor being adapted to drive said mail item towards a franking module; said weigh module further including: a selector adapted to obtain one mail item at a time, from said feed module; a weigh tray for weighing said mail item; and a computer for computing an enciphered code representing, in particular, the weight of said mail item; and said franking module including a printer adapted to print said enciphered code onto said mail item, and a second conveyor for conveying said mail item that is independent of the conveyor of said weigh module.