Stacking assembly for a mailpiece sorter

摘要

A divert assembly is described for a mailpiece sorter operative to sort mailpieces into one of a plurality of sortation bins. The divert assembly comprising a re-direct mechanism for selectively re-directing mailpieces travelling along a feed path into the sortation bin and causing each selected mailpiece to be re-directed at an angle relative to the stack of mailpieces to be accumulated in the sortation bin. The divert assembly also including a stacking assembly including a Leading Edge (LE) urge roller, a support blade, and a Trailing Edge (TE) alignment device. The LE urge roller accepts and urges each of the selected mailpieces toward a sidewall of the sortation bin while the support blade holds each of the selected mailpieces between the urge roller and the support blade and in an on-edge parallel relationship relative thereto. The support blade is moveably mounted relative to the LE urge roller to allow the accumulation of additional mailpieces between the LE urge roller and the support blade. The TE alignment device includes a stepper motor rotationally driving a cam about a rotational axis. The cam defines a surface operative to urge the trailing edge portion of each selected mailpiece toward the support blade and into alignment with the stack.

主权项

1. A divert assembly for a mailpiece sorter operative to sort mailpieces into one of a plurality of sortation bins, the divert assembly comprising:
a re-direct mechanism for selectively re-directing mailpieces travelling along a feed path into the sortation bin and causing each selected mailpiece to be re-directed at an angle relative to the stack of mailpieces to be accumulated; and a stacking assembly including a Leading Edge (LE) urge roller, a support blade and a Trailing Edge (TE) alignment device, the LE urge roller operative to accept each of the selected mailpieces from the re-direct mechanism and urge a leading edge portion thereof toward a sidewall of the sortation bin, the support blade operative to hold the mailpieces in an on-edge parallel orientation against the urge roller and being moveably mounted relative thereto, and the TE alignment device including a first cam driven about a rotational axis by a digital rotary positioning device, the cam defining a surface operative to urge the trailing edge portion of each selected mailpiece toward the support blade and into alignment with the stack; a controller operatively coupled to the re-direct mechanism and stacking assembly for stacking mailpieces into a sortation bin; and wherein the cam surface is defined by the relationship:R⁡(θ)=RT/2×(1-COS⁡(Π×θ/θT) wherein θ is an angle from a line of reference wherein R(θ) is a rise height (in inches) at each angle θ; wherein RT is a total rise height (in inches) wherein θT is a total angle inscribed.