Apparatus for changing the direction of motion of letters and similar rectangular pieces of mail

Claim 1

An apparatus for angularly changing the direction of motion of pieces of mail having a long edge and a short edge, from a direction of their long edge to a direction of their short edge, comprising: a first conveying segment extending in a first direction for seizing and positively feeding a piece of mail in a plane with its long edge moving along a reference line and its short edge forward, said first conveying segment having a first conveying section at a downstream end thereof in which the piece of mail is displaceably moved in said first direction; a first set of deflecting rollers by which the piece of mail is seized at its short edge and moved parallely away from said first conveying section in a second direction which is co-planar with said first direction and which forms an acute angle of at most 45° with said first direction; a second conveying segment which extends in said co-planar second direction for receiving, seizing and positively feeding the piece of mail moved by said first deflecting device, said second conveying segment having a second conveying section at a downstream end thereof in which the piece of mail is displaceably moved in said second direction; and a second set of deflecting rollers by which the piece of mail is seized at its long edge and moved parallely away from said second conveying section in a co-planar third direction which forms an angle of about 90° to said first direction and is co-planar with said first direction.

Claim 2

An apparatus for angularly changing the direction of motion of pieces of mail having a long edge and a short edge, from a direction of their long edge to a direction of their short edge, comprising: a first conveying segment extending in a first direction for seizing and positively feeding a piece of mail in a plane with its long edge moving along a reference line and its short edge forward, said first conveying segment having a first conveying section at a downstream end thereof in which the piece of mail is displaceably moved in said first direction; a first set of deflecting rollers by which the piece of mail is seized at its short edge and moved parallely away from said first conveying section in a second direction which is co-planar with said first direction and which forms an acute angle of at most 45° with said first direction; a second conveying segment which extends in said co-planar second direction for receiving, seizing and positively feeding the piece of mail moved by said first deflecting device, said second conveying segment having a second conveying section at a downstream end thereof in which the piece of mail is displaceably moved in said second direction; and a second set of deflecting rollers by which the piece of mail is seized at its long edge and moved parallely away from said second conveying section in a co-planar third direction which forms an angle of about 90° to said first direction and is co-planar with said first direction.

Claim 16

An apparatus for angularly changing the direction of motion of flat articles having a long edge and a short edge along a path from a direction of their long edge to a direction of their short edge comprising: a first conveying segment including a pair of endless belts (13, 15), each having an upper and lower run, said belts being superposed one above the other so that the lower run portion of the upper belt is disposed contiguous the upper run of the lower belt at an inlet end of said first conveying segment, said upper run of the lower belt extending beyond the lower run of the upper belt to define an exit end, said upper and lower runs of said pair of belts being slightly spaced at said exit end for displaceably transporting a flat article therebetween toward said exit end; first deflecting means (20) disposed adjacent said exit end, said first deflecting means including a pair of superposed conveying rollers defining a nip therebetween for seizing the article displaceably exiting said exit end, the axis of said conveying rollers being angularly disposed relative to an axis of said first conveying segment; a second conveying segment disposed at an acute angle relative to the axis of said first conveying segment, said second conveying segment including a second pair of endless conveyor belts (33, 37), each having an upper and lower run, said second pair of conveyor belts being superposed so that the lower run of the upper belt of said second pair of conveyor belts is disposed contiguous to the upper run of the lower belt of said second pair of endless belts at an inlet end of said second conveying segment, and the upper run of said lower belt of said second pair of belts extends beyond the lower run of said upper belt, whereby the article carried on said extended end is displaceably supported thereon; second deflecting means (40), said second deflecting means including a pair of superposed rollers defining a nip therebetween for seizing the article exiting from the exit end of said second conveying segment; and a third conveying segment, said third conveying segment angularly disposed relative to said first conveying segment at an angle of about 90°, said third conveyor segment including a third pair of superposed endless belts (53, 54), each having an upper and lower run, whereby the lower run of said belt of said third conveyor segment being disposed contiguous to the upper run of said lower endless belt of said third conveyor segment at an inlet end of said third conveying segment; each of said first, second and third pair of endless belts thereby seizing the flat article at the inlet end thereof and displaceably supporting the flat article at the exit end thereof, whereby the flat article travels in a co-planar path.

Claim 17

An apparatus for angularly changing the direction of motion of flat articles having a long edge and a short edge along a path from a direction of their long edge to a direction of their short edge comprising: a first conveying segment including a pair of endless belts (13, 15), each having an upper and lower run, said belts being superposed one above the other so that the lower run portion of the upper belt is disposed contiguous the upper run of the lower belt at an inlet end of said first conveying segment, said upper run of the lower belt extending beyond the lower run of the upper belt to define an exit end, said upper and lower runs of said pair of belts being slightly spaced at said exit end for displaceably transporting a flat article therebetween toward said exit end; first deflecting means (20) disposed adjacent said exit end, said first deflecting means including a pair of superposed conveying rollers defining a nip therebetween for seizing the article displaceably exiting said exit end, the axis of said conveying rollers being angularly disposed relative to an axis of said first conveying segment; a second conveying segment disposed at an acute angle relative to the axis of said first conveying segment, said second conveying segment including a second pair of endless conveyor belts (33, 37), each having an upper and lower run, said second pair of conveyor belts being superposed so that the lower run of the upper belt of said second pair of conveyor belts is disposed contiguous to the upper run of the lower belt of said second pair of endless belts at an inlet end of said second conveying segment, and the upper run of said lower belt of said second pair of belts extends beyond the lower run of said upper belt, whereby the article carried on said extended end is displaceably supported thereon; second deflecting means (40), said second deflecting means including a pair of superposed rollers defining a nip therebetween for seizing the article exiting from the exit end of said second conveying segment; and a third conveying segment, said third conveying segment angularly disposed relative to said first conveying segment at an angle of about 90°, said third conveyor segment including a third pair of superposed endless belts (53, 54), each having an upper and lower run, whereby the lower run of said belt of said third conveyor segment being disposed contiguous to the upper run of said lower endless belt of said third conveyor segment at an inlet end of said third conveying segment; each of said first, second and third pair of endless belts thereby seizing the flat article at the inlet end thereof and displaceably supporting the flat article at the exit end thereof, whereby the flat article travels in a co-planar path.