EP0856483B1 - Postal item feeding device - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to the field of treatment of mail and it relates more particularly to a device for supply of a franking machine with mail items presenting very thick.

Prior art

Conventionally, a franking machine must be adapted to receive different types of mail items such as documents, folds or envelopes with greater or lesser thicknesses. For this, it often includes upstream of the insertion slot of these articles a feeding device allowing in particular the conveying to different speeds of envelopes with flaps in the folded down or open position. This automatic feeding device usually includes means for reception / stacking, selection, transport and possibly closure of mail items to be processed.

US Patent 4,850,580 shows such an automatic feeder which includes a selection module which can be retracted for a passage manual of thick articles. Automatic closing of this type of mail item is therefore not possible which limits it notably the performances. In addition, the cleaning of this feeder does not is not carried out in a simple and rapid manner despite this retraction.

Object and definition of the invention

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a device for supplying mail items, intended for be placed upstream of a franking machine, to facilitate feeding of this machine into heavy mail items and allow eventually cleaning by a quick and easy access to the path transportation of these items.

These aims are achieved by a device for supplying articles of mail intended to be mounted upstream of a franking machine and comprising successively, along a transport path for these articles of mail, a first area for supplying mail items for receive a stack of mail items, a second selection area and for transporting these mail items comprising a selection module and transport to separate the items one by one from the stack and possibly a third area for closing these mail items comprising a module for closure for closing these mailpieces, characterized in that said module selection and transport comprises selection means comprising selection rollers to separate mail items one by one from the feeding zone and means of transport comprising at least one set of transport rollers cooperating with conveying means the selection and transport area for transporting mail items thus separated towards the closing area (or directly towards the entrance of the franking machine), the selection rollers and the transport rollers being integral with each other through a directly articulated assembly maneuverable from manual release means. The means of manual release includes a first release position in which only said selection rollers are raised when the mail items have a thickness greater than a predetermined thickness.

By this specific structure, it is possible to introduce into the device feeding thick items without affecting the functioning of the downstream postage meter which will continue to be supplied automatic by the transport (and possibly closing) mechanism of this feeder.

Similarly, the manual release means comprise a second release position for, in the event of a jam, also raise said transport rollers to completely free the transport path.

Preferably, the articulated assembly whose pivoting is produced by the manual release means comprises a friction element intended to cooperate with a corresponding element of said manual release means. It has a plate that can pivot, like a swing, around an axis of rotation mounted between two longitudinal walls arranged on one side and on the other side of the transport path, one of the two ends of this plate having a first support axis connected to the selection rollers and the other of its ends comprising a second support axis connected to the rollers of transport.

The first support axis is connected to the selection rollers by through a cylindrical tube comprising a first elastic means and the second support axis is connected to the transport rollers by via levers articulated at the ends of the arms ensuring support for these transport rollers.

Advantageously, the support arms have substantially a very open V shape and are crossed in the middle by an axis of tilting fixed between the longitudinal walls.

Preferably, the second end of the plate is further terminated by a hook-shaped part intended to receive and lift a fastening pin to which is fixed a first end of means elastic, the second end of these elastic means being connected to said support arms via said levers.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un dispositif d'alimentation en articles de courrier selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessous en perspective du module de sélection et de transport du dispositif de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue de dessus en perspective du module de sélection et de transport du dispositif de la figure 1,
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe longitudinale du module de sélection et de transport des figures 2 et 3, et
• la figure 5 montre une perspective éclatée du module de sélection et de transport du dispositif d'alimentation selon l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following description, given by way of non-limiting illustration, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device for supplying mail items according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the selection and transport module of the device in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view from above of the selection and transport module of the device of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 4 is a view in longitudinal section of the selection and transport module of FIGS. 2 and 3, and
• FIG. 5 shows an exploded perspective view of the selection and transport module of the supply device according to the invention.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

The device for supplying mail items of FIG. 1 comprises a feed zone 10 essentially formed by a tray 12 and a movable side wall 14 and intended to receive a stack of articles mail with flaps folded or not. This area has first means of transport comprising a plurality of rollers 16 for moving mail items downstream at a separation and transport zone 18 comprising a module 22 for separation and transport and in which these items are extracted one by one from the stack. Second means of transport comprising a plurality of conveyor rollers 24 are of course also provided at this separation and transport area to transfer even more to the downstream mail items thus extracted, for example, when the device supply is provided, to a zone 20 for closing these articles of mail comprising a module 26 for closing (and for gluing by humidification in particular). The space between these second means of transport and the separation and transport module defines a path transport 28 for mail items. The feeding device further comprises various known means of command and control (not shown) necessary for its operation (in particular at the actuation of the different rollers for driving the articles of mail) and therefore need not be described in more detail.

Figures 2 and 3 show the structure of the separation module and transport 22. This comprises successively, in the direction of the advance of a mail item along transport path 28, a mechanism for selection 30 with a die 32 and selection rollers 34 and a transport mechanism 36 with two sets of transport rollers front and rear 38, 40. The selection rollers and the two sets of transport rollers are intended to cooperate with the rollers conveying 24 of the selection and transport area 18 to select a mail item and only one and transport it to the closure module 26 or towards the entrance of the franking machine when the device does not have such a module. The two mechanisms of selection and transport module 22 are integral with one another by through an articulated assembly 42 whose tilting, under the single action of a single operating lever 44, in particular makes it possible to clear the transport path 28 by moving the rollers away from this module conveyor rollers.

The articulated assembly 42 is now described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 which are respectively a longitudinal section and a perspective exploded view of the module of FIGS. 2 and 3. This assembly comprises a plate 50 which can pivot, like a swing, about an axis of rotation 52 passing through its center of gravity and mounted between two walls longitudinal 54, 56 on either side of the transport path 28. At one of the two ends of this plate is fixed transversely to this path a first support axis 58 and at the other of its ends is also transversely fixed a second support axis 60. In addition, this second end is terminated by a hook-shaped part 62 intended for receiving and lifting a fastening pin 64 during the tilting of the plate 50. The first support axis 58 crosses in its middle a first end of a cylindrical tube 66 (at a slot 68), the other of which end is in turn crossed by a retaining pin 70 secured to the through a reinforcing element 72, selection rollers 34. This tube 66 further contains a first elastic means, such as a spring 74, maintained between the first support axis 58 and the holding axis 70 and intended to ensure perfect selection rollers selection on the articles of mail. On the second support axis 60 are embedded first fork-shaped ends of four levers 76, 78, 80, 82 whose second ends are articulated at the ends of four arms 84, 86, 88, 90 ensuring the support of the two sets of transport rollers 38, 40. The two support arms of each set of transport rollers, which have a very open V shape (a first end of this V receiving the axis of rotation of these rollers and the second end the axis of articulation of the forks), are crossed in their middle by an axis pivot 92, 94 fixed between the longitudinal walls 54, 56. Des second elastic means such as four springs 96, 98, 100, 102 are furthermore mounted between the aforementioned attachment axis 64 and the articulation axes of the four levers at the second ends of the support arms so that the contact between the transport rollers and the conveyor rollers either constantly maintained when processing standard thickness mail (i.e. less than the predetermined thickness).

The pivoting of the articulated assembly 42 is achieved by means of the operating lever 44, one end of which advantageously includes a toothed sector 104 intended to cooperate with a corresponding toothed sector 106 of plate 50 (we can observe this contact in figure 2 which shows the connection between the operating lever 44 and the articulated assembly 42). The movement of this lever takes place between an initial rest position 108 in which the plate 50 is substantially horizontal and the rollers of selection and transport are in contact with the conveyor rollers 24 and an extreme position 110 in which the plate 50 is inclined and these same rollers are fully raised to free the transport path 28. Between these two positions, an intermediate position can be defined 112 which corresponds to mail items having a greater thickness at a predetermined thickness and in which the plate 50 is slightly inclined so that only the selection rollers 34 are raised. We note that the guidance of the lever is facilitated by the presence of a light 114 made in the longitudinal wall 56.

The functioning of the feeding device is presented as follows. In a normal mode, in which the operating lever 44 occupies its rest position, standard thickness mail items are stacked on the plate 12 of the feed zone 10 and are driven by the rollers 16 to the separation and transport area 18 where they are successively extracted one by one then transported (by module 22 in cooperation with the conveyor rollers 24) to the module closure 26 before being introduced into the franking machine proper. On the other hand, when this article of mail presents a strong thickness and a risk of blockage of the supply device is then important, it is possible by a first manual action of the operator on the operating lever 44, which is thus moved from its rest position initial to a first working position, to raise the selection 30 to facilitate the introduction of this article in the module separation and transport 22 at which it is seized and transported between the transport rollers 38, 40 and conveyor 24 to be directed towards the closing module 26. It will have been noted, that with the structure of the invention, only the selection mechanism is switched off, the other functions of the feeding device (transport and closure of the treated article) remaining fully operational. In addition, in case of jamming of articles of mail at this selection mechanism, it is also possible by moving this same lever 44 to a second working position, raise not only the selection mechanism but also the transport, thus completely freeing up the path 28.

With the structure of the invention, simple and particularly easy access fast (indeed it is only used with a single action on a lever) to transport route is thus permitted in the event of jamming of the articles of mail.

Claims (10)

1. A mail item feed device adapted to be mounted on the upstream side of a franking machine and including in succession along a mail item transport path (28), a first mail item feed area (10) for receiving a stack of mail items, a second mail item selection and transport area (18) including a selector and transport module (22) for separating the mail items one by one from the stack, and a third mail item closing area (20) including a closing module (26) for closing said mail items, characterised in that said selector and transport module includes selector means (30) including selector rollers (34) for separating the mail items one by one from the feed area and transport means including at least one set of transport rollers (38, 40) co-operating with conveyor means (24) in the selection and transport area to transport the mail items separated in this way towards the closing area, the selector rollers (34) and the transport rollers (38, 40) being fastened together by an articulated assembly (42) operable directly from manual release means (44).
2. A mail item feed device adapted to be mounted on the upstream side of a franking machine and including in succession along a mail item transport path (28), a first mail item feed area (10) for receiving a stack of mail items, and a second mail item selection and transport area (18) including a selector and transport module (22) for separating the items one by one from the stack and transporting them in the downstream direction towards the franking machine, characterised in that said selector and transport module includes selector means (30) including selector rollers (34) for separating the mail items one by one from the feed area and transport means including at least one set of transport rollers (38, 40) co-operating with conveyor means (24) in the selection and transport area to transport the mail items separated in this way towards an entry of the franking machine, the selector rollers (34) and the transport rollers (38, 40) being fastened together by an articulated assembly (42) operable directly from manual release means (44).
3. A feed device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that said manual release means include a first release position (112) in which only said selector rollers are raised when the mail items have a thickness greater than a predetermined thickness.
4. A feed device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that said manual release means include a second release position (110) to further raise, in the event of a jam, said transport rollers in order to provide totally free access to the transport path (28).
5. A feed device according to claim 4, characterised in that the articulated assembly (42) which is pivoted by the manual release means (44) includes a toothed sector (106) adapted to cooperate with a corresponding toothed sector (104) of said manual release means.
6. A feed device according to claim 4, characterised in that said articulated assembly includes a plate (50) that can pivot like a swing about a rotation shaft (52) mounted between two longitudinal walls (54, 56) disposed on respective opposite sides of the transport path (28), one of the two ends of this plate carrying a first support shaft (58) coupled to the selector rollers (34) and its other end carrying a second support shaft (60) coupled to the transport rollers (38, 40).
7. A feed device according to claim 6, characterised in that the first support shaft (58) is coupled to the selector rollers (34) by a cylindrical tube (66) including first spring means (74).
8. A feed device according to claim 6, characterised in that the second support shaft (60) is coupled to the transport rollers (38, 40) by levers (76, 78, 80, 82) articulated to the ends of arms (84, 86, 88, 90) supporting said transport rollers.
9. A feed device according to claim 8, characterised in that said support arms have a very open V shape and a pivot pin (92, 94) fixed between the longitudinal walls (54, 56) passes through their middle.
10. A feed device according to claim 6, characterised in that the second end of the plate (50) further terminates in a hook-shaped part (62) adapted to receive and to raise an attachment shaft (64) to which is fixed a first end of spring means (96, 98, 100, 102), the second end of said spring means being coupled to said support arms by said levers.

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