Single pass mail sorting system

1. A method of mail sorting, comprising:

sorting a batch of flat mail pieces addressed to recipients in a common postal delivery zone with an automated single pass mail sorting machine into groups wherein the flat mail pieces in each group have a common delivery destination, wherein individual flat mail pieces are each transported and inserted into one of a series of slots each containing one group of flat mail pieces;

removing the groups of flat mail pieces from their respective slots using an automated removal system;

transporting the groups of sorted mail using an automated conveying system to a delivery point packaging machine; then

packaging the groups of mail pieces with the delivery point packaging machine, wherein the step of transporting the groups of sorted mail using an automated conveying system comprises

extracting groups of mail pieces from slots into slots of transport barges, whereby groups of mail are kept separate from each other,

transporting the barges from the slots to an unloading station, automatically unloading the barges by automatically removing groups of flat mail pieces from the barge slots at the packaging machine, and

feeding the groups of mail pieces into the packaging machine.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising packaging the groups of flat mail pieces with the packaging machine by lowering a group of flat mail pieces endwise into the packaging machine and wrapping a plastic film about the lowered group of flat mail pieces.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the groups of mail pieces fed into the packaging machine in carrier delivery order.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packaging machine includes

a roll of a packaging sheet material mounted for rotation about its lengthwise axis;

a pair of vacuum rollers rotatably mounted side by side in spaced apart, parallel positions such that a free end of the sheet on the roll may be unwound and extend over a perforate circumferential surface each of the vacuum rollers;

a drive system that drives at least one of the vacuum rollers towards the other in a manner effective to form an upwardly facing well in a free end of the sheet held to respective perforate circumferential surfaces of each of the vacuum rollers, wherein the vacuum rollers are spaced sufficiently far apart so that a group of flat items can be deposited on the well from above; and

a cutter positioned between the roll and the vacuum rollers to sever a free end portion of the sheet.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the packaging machine also includes a support positioned beneath the well configured to support the weight of the group of flat items in the well.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packaged group of mail pieces is dropped as a bundle into an upwardly opening compartment formed by a series of spaced vertical divider walls secured to and extending upwardly from a horizontal conveyor beneath the packaging machine.

7. A method for sorting flat mail, comprising:

(a) loading a flat mail piece to be sorted into an insertion mechanism of a delivery robot;

(b) determining for the flat mail piece a destination slot the mail piece is to be delivered to, which slot is in a pod in a case, each pod having a plurality of slots wherein each slot corresponds to a delivery destination for mail, the destination slot associated with a specific pod;

(c) moving the delivery robot along a rail disposed at the front of the case near the slots into proximity with the specific pod by measuring movement of the robot along the rail, traveling a predetermined distance to the specific pod according to the measured movement, and locating an open end of the destination slot using a machine-readable tag associated with the destination slot, wherein the robot is self-propelled and can move along the rail from one slot to another;

(d) automatically inserting the flat mail piece from the delivery robot into the associated slot using an insertion mechanism of the robot; and

(e) returning the delivery robot to a loading station whereby steps (a)-(d) may be repeated until sorting is completed;

(f) then automatically unloading the mail pieces from the slots;

(g) transporting each group of mail using a transport mechanism to a packaging machine; and

(h) separately packaging each batch of mail pieces removed from the slots using the packaging machine.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein packaging the batches of flat mail pieces with the packaging machine is performed by lowering a group of flat mail pieces endwise into the packaging machine and wrapping a plastic film about the lowered group of flat mail pieces.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the batches of mail pieces transported to the packaging machine in carrier delivery order.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the rail is mounted adjacent a horizontal row of upright slots that receive flat mail pieces from the delivery robot through an open front side thereof, and the insertion mechanism that enters a slot and inserts a flat mail piece into one of the slots.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the packaging machine includes

a roll of a packaging sheet material mounted for rotation about its lengthwise axis;

a pair of vacuum rollers rotatably mounted side by side in spaced apart, parallel positions such that a free end of the sheet on the roll may be unwound and extend over a perforate circumferential surface each of the vacuum rollers;

a drive system that drives at least one of the vacuum rollers towards the other in a manner effective to form an upwardly facing well in a free end of the sheet held to respective perforate circumferential surfaces of each of the vacuum rollers, wherein the vacuum rollers are spaced sufficiently far apart so that a group of flat items can be deposited on the well from above; and

a cutter positioned between the roll and the vacuum rollers to sever a free end portion of the sheet.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the packaging machine also includes a support positioned beneath the well configured to support the weight of the group of flat items in the well.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the packaged batch of mail pieces is dropped as a bundle into an upwardly opening compartment formed by a series of spaced vertical divider walls secured to and extending upwardly from a horizontal conveyor beneath the packaging machine.