System for coding flat objects, in particular letters

Claim 1

System for coding flat objects according to addressing information marked on objects, comprising: a conveyor, a manual coding station coupled to a printer for printing codes on said objects as they are moved past the printer on said conveyor, an optical system for reading said addressing information located on the path of said conveyor on the upstream side of said coding station and adapted to control said printer so as to automatically print codes on said objects according to said addressing information, and a first switching device on a downstream side of said optical system to route said objects to said printer either directly or via said manual coding station and actuated by said optical system so that if the optical system is unable to read the addressing information on an object, that object is routed to said printer via said manual coding station, a temporary store for said objects at the entry to said manual coding station, and wherein said optical system is situated on a first level and said printer on a second level, and said system further comprising at least two level changer devices on the path of said conveyor, whereby said printer may be fed with said objects either on a first path passing via said optical system and a first of said at least two level changer devices or on a second path coincident with said first path at said optical system and said printer and passing via said temporary store and a second of said at least two level changer devices located upstream of said manual coding station to rejoin said coincident first path at said second level.