Automatic mail processing apparatus

Claim 1

An automatic mail processing apparatus comprising: reading and sorting means for (i) reading out mail sorting data, (ii) forming mail stacks in accordance with said sorting data, and (iii) automatically and successively removing the mail stacks; convey means for transporting, along one direction, a stack of mail removed from said reading and sorting means; labeling means, provided on said convey means downstream of the reading and sorting means along said one direction, for attaching a label bearing the corresponding sorting data to a stack of mail transported by said convey means from said reading and sorting means; bundling means provided on said convey means downstream of said labeling means, for bundling a mail stack having said label attached thereto by said labeling means; detection means disposed between said labeling means and said bundling means for detecting a thickness of a mail stack transported by said convey means; and mail reject means disposed between said detection means and bundling means and including (a) a reject member movable between a first inoperative position relative to said convey means and a second operative position relative to said convey means, and (b) actuation means for normally holding said reject member in first inoperative position and for moving said reject member from said first inoperative position to said second operative position to thereby remove said mail stack from said convey means in response to said detection means detecting a thickness of said mail stack less than a predetermined thickness which is sufficient to prevent damage by said bundling means; said detection means including a light source and light receptor means for receiving light from said light source, said light source and said light receptor means establishing therebetween a light path which tranverse said convey means, and wherein said light source and said light receptor means are placed at a height corresponding to said predetermined thickness of a mail stack whose rigidness inhibits the bundling action from damaging the mail stack.