Automatic traying and automatic sweeping device for letter mail

摘要

An automatic device for sweeping letter mail or alternatively, stacking and sweeping letter mail, and depositing the resultant stack into a managed mail tray. The sweeping device provides an accumulation platform which receives a stream of mail, the platform having a slidable end plate urged against the accumulating stack of mail which overcomes the urging of the end plate to fill the accumulation platform. A sweep plate is thereafter actuated to pierce the stack and thereafter translate towards the end plate to compress the now captured stack to a specified length. The specified length correspond to trap doors provided in the accumulation platform which thereafter open to vertically drop the stack into a managed mail tray arranged therebelow. A forward plate is provided to pierce the stack with the sweep plate to hold back further accumulated mail while the specified stack is being compressed and deposited. In another embodiment a non-sliding blade is translated upwardly to pierce the accumulating stack at a position corresponding to the length of the trap door. Additionally, a sweeping and stacking device is provided which receives shingled mail pieces onto a conveyor belt which is engaged with an overhead pinch belt which partially wraps around a roller of the conveyor belt. The shingled mail is horizontally carried on the conveyor belt and turned vertically by the pinch belt to a position below the conveyor belt into an accumulation platform. An end plate is slidably held in the accumulation platform to insure a horizontal stack accumulation of the thus turned mail. The accumulation platform has trap doors which deposit a specified length of accumulated mail into a managed mail tray arranged therebelow.