Method and an apparatus for addressing and stacking individual pieces of printed matter for mailing, especially magazine copies, booklets and other bindery articles

Claim 3

c. operating said shift member, the operation of said shift member being in response to a first set of symbol combinations stored at appropriate locations in said computer-processed recording means so as to stack the mailing pieces in batches comprising a selected number of pieces, the backs and the address labels of the pieces of each batch being oriented the same way, but oppositely of the backs of the pieces in an underlying batch, based on the said conveying means on which the pieces are conveyed; d. operating a selector means for initiating removal of a full pile composed of a plurality of batches of such oriented mailing pieces, the operation of said selector means being in response to a second set of symbol combinations stored at appropriate locations in said computer-processed recording means.

Claim 4

c. operating said shift member, the operation of said shift member being in response to a first set of symbol combinations stored at appropriate locations in said computer-processed recording means so as to stack the mailing pieces in batches comprising a selected number of pieces, the backs and the address labels of the pieces of each batch being oriented the same way, but oppositely of the backs of the pieces in an underlying batch, based on the said conveying means on which the pieces are conveyed; d. operating a selector means for initiating removal of a full pile composed of a plurality of batches of such oriented mailing pieces, the operation of said selector means being in response to a second set of symbol combinations stored at appropriate locations in said computer-processed recording means.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said symbols are printed between and on either side of said columns of addresses on said computer-printed stationary, the printing of said symbols being accomplished simultaneously with the printing of said addresses.

Claim 8

A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the position of said symbols is determined by the number of mailing pieces to be delivered to one post office or one zip code.

Claim 9

A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the total number of mailing pieces to be delivered to one post office or one zip code is larger than a given number, said symbols being positioned such that said shift member is operated whenever said number of mailing pieces or multiples thereof have entered said stacking machine, and such that said selector means is operated whenever said total number of mailing pieces belonging to said zip code has been conveyed into said stacking machine.

Claim 10

A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said symbols are positioned in the address stationary such that said shift member for thereby orienting the bottom piece of pile and the top piece of a pile is operated so that the address labels of said top and bottom pieces are visible from the top and the bottom respectively.

Claim 11

A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the total number of mailing pieces to be delivered to a post office or a zip code is smaller than a given number, said symbols being positioned such that said shift member is operated whenever said smaller number of mailing pieces has entered said stacking machine, and such that said selector means is operated whenever a total number of such oriented mailing pieces exceeds a predetermined pile number.

Claim 12

A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said shift member is operated such that the number of batches in one complete pile is an even number, the bottom and the top mailing piece thus having their address label turned inwardly.

Claim 13

A method as claimed in claim 7, including the step of providing a special label indicating the postal route onto said complete pile before or upon leaving the stacking machine.

Claim 14

Apparatus for stacking individual pieces of printed matter for mailing, such as sheets of paper, magazine copies, booklets and other bindery articles wherein each mailing piece has a back edge, said articles entering the stacking machine one by one oriented the same way and having an address label attached thereto at approximately the same location on each article, said apparatus comprising a stacking chamber for receiving said articles, first and second conveying means each having an inlet and an outlet, said first and second outlets each associated with a respective opposite side of said stacking chamber, a shift member adapted for diverting predetermined number of articles to either said inlet of said first conveying means or said inlet of said second conveying means, and a selector means for initiating removal of a pile of articles collected in said stacking chamber, the improvement comprising: means for driving said first and second conveying means at the same conveying speed, said conveying means including uninverted conveying parts for the articles conveyed there along, so that each article conveyed along the first conveying means will be delivered to the stacking chamber with its address label turned downwards and have its back edge facing away from said first outlet, and so that each article conveyed along the second conveying means will be delivered to the stacking chamber with its address label turned upwards and have its back edge facing away from the second opposite outlet, and the improvement further comprising: a detector means and a control unit, the shift member and the selector means being connected to the control unit for the operation of said shift member and said selector means in response to signals which are generated by the detector means, said detector means being positioned to detect pertinent code data associated with a data bank containing all the address data of the address labels, so as to operate said shift member in response to a first set of code data combinations for thereby stacking articles in batches comprising a selected number of articles all oriented the same way, and so as to operate said selector means in response to a second set of code data combinations for thereby removing a pile composed of a plurality of batches.

Claim 15

Apparatus for stacking individual pieces of printed matter for mailing, such as sheets of paper, magazine copies, booklets and other bindery articles wherein each mailing piece has a back edge, said articles entering the stacking machine one by one oriented the same way and having an address label attached thereto at approximately the same location on each article, said apparatus comprising a stacking chamber for receiving said articles, first and second conveying means each having an inlet and an outlet, said first and second outlets each associated with a respective opposite side of said stacking chamber, a shift member adapted for diverting predetermined number of articles to either said inlet of said first conveying means or said inlet of said second conveying means, and a selector means for initiating removal of a pile of articles collected in said stacking chamber, the improvement comprising: means for driving said first and second conveying means at the same conveying speed, said conveying means including uninverted conveying parts for the articles conveyed there along, so that each article conveyed along the first conveying means will be delivered to the stacking chamber with its address label turned downwards and have its back edge facing away from said first outlet, and so that each article conveyed along the second conveying means will be delivered to the stacking chamber with its address label turned upwards and have its back edge facing away from the second opposite outlet, and the improvement further comprising: a detector means and a control unit, the shift member and the selector means being connected to the control unit for the operation of said shift member and said selector means in response to signals which are generated by the detector means, said detector means being positioned to detect pertinent code data associated with a data bank containing all the address data of the address labels, so as to operate said shift member in response to a first set of code data combinations for thereby stacking articles in batches comprising a selected number of articles all oriented the same way, and so as to operate said selector means in response to a second set of code data combinations for thereby removing a pile composed of a plurality of batches.

Claim 20

An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said detector means includes a number of readers corresponding to the number of columns of addresses on said stationary plus one.

Claim 21

An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the readers are positioned so as to scan the intermediate areas between said columns and the edge areas outside the columns, said columns and the edge areas outside the columns, said symbols being printed in said intermediate areas and the edge areas, thereby not being disturbed by the characters representing the addresses.

Claim 22

An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein a first edge reader and any intermediate readers detect first symbols representing the number of mailing pieces which are to form batches in which the pieces have their backs and their address labels oriented in the same direction, the detection of such first symbols giving rise to a signal-initiating operation of said shift member, whereas a second edge reader detects symbols which, when appearing together with the symbols detected by said first edge reader or any of the intermediate readers, give rise to a signal-initiating operation of said selector means for initiating removal of a full pile.