Mail handling device

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING PIECES OF LETTER MAIL COMPRISING: (A) AN ENDLESS BELT PROVIDING A FRICTION SURFACE; (B) MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED FOR DRIVING SAID BELT ABOUT A CLOSED PATH TO TRANSPORT PIECES OF LETTER MAIL ON SAID FRICTION SURFACE PAST THE FORWARD END OF A REACH OF SAID BELT; (C) A ROLLER PROVIDING A PERIPHERAL FRICTION SURFACE; (D) MEANS MOUNTING SAID ROLLER AT A NORMALLY POSITION ADJACENT SAID FORWARD END OF SAID REACH OF SAID BELT; (E) SAID ROLLER, IN SAID NORMAL POSITION, BEING DISPOSED WITH SAID PERIPHERAL FRICTION SURFACE THEREOF SPACED FROM THE FRICTION SURFACE OF SAID BELT A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE AVERAGE THICKNESS OF THE PIECES OF LETTER MAIL TO BE HANDLED; (F) MEANS FOR ROTATABLY DRIVING SAID ROLLER TO MOVE THE FRICTION SURFACE THEREOF ADJACENT SAID BELT IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS, AND AT A LINEAR SPEED GREATER THAN, THAT OF THE ADJACENT PORTION OF THE FRICTION SURFACE OF SAID BELT; (G) SENSING MEANS FOR DETECTING THE TOTAL THICKNESS OF THE PIECES OF MAIL AS THE LATTER APPROACH SAID FORWARD END OF SAID BELT REACH; (H) A FIRST CONTROL MEANS FOR STOPPING THE DRIVE TO SAID BELT WHEN SAID TOTAL THICKNESS EXCEEDS A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT AND FOR RE-STARTING THE DRIVE TO SAID BELT AFTER SAID TOTAL THICKNESS IS REDUCED TO SAID PREDETERMINED AMOUNT; (I) AND A SECOND CONTROL MEANS FOR RE-STARTING THE DRIVE TO SAID BELT, AFTER STOPPING OF THE DRIVE THERETO UNDER THE ACTION OF SAID FIRST CONTROL, IN RESPONSE TO THE INCREASED LOAD ENCOUNTERED BY SAID ROLLER WHEN A SINGLE PIECE OF MAIL IS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ROLLER AND THE STOPPED BELT.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING PIECES OF LETTER MAIL COMPRISING: (A) AN ENDLESS BELT PROVIDING A FRICTION SURFACE; (B) MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED FOR DRIVING SAID BELT ABOUT A CLOSED PATH TO TRANSPORT PIECES OF LETTER MAIL ON SAID FRICTION SURFACE PAST THE FORWARD END OF A REACH OF SAID BELT; (C) A ROLLER PROVIDING A PERIPHERAL FRICTION SURFACE; (D) MEANS MOUNTING SAID ROLLER AT A NORMALLY POSITION ADJACENT SAID FORWARD END OF SAID REACH OF SAID BELT; (E) SAID ROLLER, IN SAID NORMAL POSITION, BEING DISPOSED WITH SAID PERIPHERAL FRICTION SURFACE THEREOF SPACED FROM THE FRICTION SURFACE OF SAID BELT A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE AVERAGE THICKNESS OF THE PIECES OF LETTER MAIL TO BE HANDLED; (F) MEANS FOR ROTATABLY DRIVING SAID ROLLER TO MOVE THE FRICTION SURFACE THEREOF ADJACENT SAID BELT IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS, AND AT A LINEAR SPEED GREATER THAN, THAT OF THE ADJACENT PORTION OF THE FRICTION SURFACE OF SAID BELT; (G) SENSING MEANS FOR DETECTING THE TOTAL THICKNESS OF THE PIECES OF MAIL AS THE LATTER APPROACH SAID FORWARD END OF SAID BELT REACH; (H) A FIRST CONTROL MEANS FOR STOPPING THE DRIVE TO SAID BELT WHEN SAID TOTAL THICKNESS EXCEEDS A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT AND FOR RE-STARTING THE DRIVE TO SAID BELT AFTER SAID TOTAL THICKNESS IS REDUCED TO SAID PREDETERMINED AMOUNT; (I) AND A SECOND CONTROL MEANS FOR RE-STARTING THE DRIVE TO SAID BELT, AFTER STOPPING OF THE DRIVE THERETO UNDER THE ACTION OF SAID FIRST CONTROL, IN RESPONSE TO THE INCREASED LOAD ENCOUNTERED BY SAID ROLLER WHEN A SINGLE PIECE OF MAIL IS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ROLLER AND THE STOPPED BELT.