Mail preparation system

摘要

A system for the preparation of items to be mailed, preparation of each item varying in accordance with selected values of pre-determined parameters. The system includes apparatus for marking each item with selected identification code values; apparatus for preparing each item to be mailed in accordance with stored parameters, the preparing apparatus having a detector for detecting and outputting identification values from the items; a data base system for storing selected values of the parameters in associated with the identification codes, a control system responsive to the output identification codes to access the associated selected values for output to the preparation apparatus. The preparation apparatus of the subject system includes an inserted system and the pre-determined parameters include parameters defining the inserts to be assembled with an item. The preparation apparatus also includes a printer which is controlled to print information on the items in accordance with other pre-determined parameters. The identification codes are printed on control documents for each item by a data processing system which includes a post-processing subsystem for removing conventional dash codes and substituting identification codes, and transmitting records of the values of the pre-determined parameters to the data base system together with associated identification codes.