Method of loading bagged mail from a loading dock into a highway vehicle

Claim 1

A bulk mail handling method for loading elongated mail bags from a loading dock into the load receiving area of an end loading transport vehicle backed into load receiving position adjacent the dock to dispose its end opening to receive the bags, and having its load receiving area empty without workers on the dock handling the bags having to enter the vehicle, and without requiring that pallets be employed or remain with the bags after they are loaded into the vehicle, said method comprising: mechanically conveying the bags, at a speed of about 200 feet per minute, one by one and free of any supporting pallet single file lengthwise of the vehicle load receiving area forwardly of the vehicle and to a spotting position short of the forward end of the load receiving area, consecutively accelerating the bags up to about 500 feet per minute and projecting the accelerated bags toward the vehicle forward end wall adjacent the lower portion of same and spotting them across the width of the vehicle load receiving area in superposed relation to form an initial bag load configuration extending longitudinally of the vehicle and piled up against the vehicle forward end wall lower portion, which configuration is generally triangular in section longitudinally of the vehicle, propelling further bags forwardly of the vehicle and consecutively spotting same across the width of the vehicle rearwardly of the bag load configuration to extend the bag load configuration rearwardly of the vehicle and build same up to act as a retainer for subsequent bags to be spotted at the forward end of the bag load configuration, then consecutively projecting succeeding bags at said accelerated speed across the bag load configuration extension and spotting same across the forward end of the bag load configuration to build up vertically the forward end of the bag load configuration, and alternately repeating said propelling and projecting steps to fill the vehicle load receiving area for the full length thereof and the depth of the vehicle working rearwardly of the vehicle.