James T Mcclain

Author:

James L. McClain

ISBN #:

0300027362

Author:

James L. McClain

ISBN #:

0393041565

Author:

James L. McClain

ISBN #:

0801429870

Author:

James L. McClain

ISBN #:

0801436303

US Patent:

60193646, Feb 1, 2000

Filed:

Nov 14, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/970797

Inventors:

Eduard Svyatsky - Libertyville IL
Walter Conard - Lake Villa IL
John M. Buday - Des Plaines IL
James Carl McClain - Chicago IL

Assignee:

Bell & Howell Postal Systems Inc. - Lincolnwood IL

International Classification:

B65H 2900

US Classification:

271186

Abstract:

A document transporting system for conveying documents along a transport path in a first direction from a document infeed station to a document processing station, certain of such documents being advanced along the transport path from the infeed station with an improper facing orientation. A plurality of document re-orienting devices are disposed adjacent the transport path between the infeed station and the document processing station. Each of the document re-orienting devices are adapted to receive an improperly oriented document, to reverse the orientation of the previously improperly oriented document, and to transport the correctly oriented document back onto the document transport path. Control elements operatively associated with each of the plurality of document re-orienting devices deliver improperly oriented documents into a pre-selected empty re-orienting device. Correctly oriented documents are conveyed onto the transport path when a gap is present between documents being transported along the document transport path.

US Patent:

62172743, Apr 17, 2001

Filed:

Jan 20, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/234239

Inventors:

Eduard Svyatsky - Libertyville IL
David Schwaba - Chicago IL
Anatoly Estis - Morton Grove IL
Walter Conard - Lake Villa IL
James Carl McClain - Chicago IL
Stephen R. Archer - Des Plaines IL
Fred Hegland - Lake Zurich IL

Assignee:

Bell & Howell Postal Systems, Inc. - Lincolnwood IL

International Classification:

B65G 47248

US Classification:

414405

Abstract:

The present invention provides for a continuous flow transfer system designed to transfer the contents of a mail tray into a cartridge for subsequent processing and then, after processing, to transfer the contents of the cartridge back into a mail tray without disrupting the facing or orientation of each piece of mail. The continuous flow transfer system comprises both a cartridge loader and a cartridge unloader, both of which have a tray section, a transfer conveyor and a cartridge section. The tray section, or infeed section, of the cartridge loader is designed to deliver filled mail trays to the transfer section of the loader. At the transfer section, the contents of each mail tray are deposited into an intermediate container that is affixed to the transfer section. The transfer section then delivers the contents of the intermediate container into empty cartridges being fed onto the cartridge section, or discharge section, of the loader. Once filled, each cartridge is then transported away from the cartridge loader for processing, where the mail is removed from each container, processed and place back into a cartridge.