Stacking assembly for a mailpiece sorter
View Patent ↗A divert assembly is described for a mailpiece sorter operative to sort mailpieces into one of a plurality of sortation bins. The divert assembly comprising a re-direct mechanism for selectively re-directing mailpieces travelling along a feed path into the sortation bin and causing each selected mailpiece to be re-directed at an angle relative to the stack of mailpieces to be accumulated in the sortation bin. The divert assembly also including a stacking assembly including a Leading Edge (LE) urge roller, a support blade, and a Trailing Edge (TE) alignment device. The LE urge roller accepts and urges each of the selected mailpieces toward a sidewall of the sortation bin while the support blade holds each of the selected mailpieces between the urge roller and the support blade and in an on-edge parallel relationship relative thereto. The support blade is moveably mounted relative to the LE urge roller to allow the accumulation of additional mailpieces between the LE urge roller and the support blade. The TE alignment device includes a stepper motor rotationally driving a cam about a rotational axis. The cam defines a surface operative to urge the trailing edge portion of each selected mailpiece toward the support blade and into alignment with the stack.
1. A divert assembly for a mailpiece sorter operative to sort mailpieces into one of a plurality of sortation bins, the divert assembly comprising:
a re-direct mechanism for selectively re-directing mailpieces travelling along a feed path into the sortation bin and causing each selected mailpiece to be re-directed at an angle relative to the stack of mailpieces to be accumulated; and
a stacking assembly including a Leading Edge (LE) urge roller, a support blade and a Trailing Edge (TE) alignment device, the LE urge roller operative to accept each of the selected mailpieces from the re-direct mechanism and urge a leading edge portion thereof toward a sidewall of the sortation bin, the support blade operative to hold the mailpieces in an on-edge parallel orientation against the urge roller and being moveably mounted relative thereto, and the TE alignment device including a first cam driven about a rotational axis by a digital rotary positioning device, the cam defining a surface operative to urge the trailing edge portion of each selected mailpiece toward the support blade and into alignment with the stack;
a controller operatively coupled to the re-direct mechanism and stacking assembly for stacking mailpieces into a sortation bin; and
wherein the cam surface is defined by the relationship:
R
(
θ
)
=
R
T
/
2
×
(
1
-
COS
(
Π
×
θ
/
θ
T
)
wherein θ is an angle from a line of reference
wherein R(θ) is a rise height (in inches) at each angle θ;
wherein RT is a total rise height (in inches)
wherein θ T is a total angle inscribed.
2. The divert assembly according to claim 1 wherein the digital rotary positioning device is a stepper motor.
3. The divert assembly according to claim 1 wherein the TE alignment device includes a rotary encoder operative to detect the rotational position of the cam about the rotational axis.
4. The divert assembly according to claim 2 wherein the cam is driven by a shaft, the shaft driven by the stepper motor through an elastomeric coupling operative to isolate vibratory oscillations imposed on the cam by impact with the stacked mailpieces.
5. The divert assembly according to claim 1 wherein the cam is dual lobed.
6. The divert assembly according to claim 1 wherein the cam surface is further defined by a locus of points N about a common vertex, each point N being disposed on a radial line a distance X from the vertex, and at the angle θ from the line of reference; the cam surface being further defined by the relationship described in the following table:
Total
Point No.
Angle θ
Displacement (X − inches)
1
0.00
0.538
2
4.66
0.540
3
9.33
0.544
4
14.000
0.552
5
18.667
0.563
6
23.333
0.577
7
28.000
0.594
8
32.667
0.614
9
37.333
0.635
10
42.000
0.659
11
46.667
0.685
12
51.333
0.712
13
56.000
0.741
14
60.667
0.771
15
65.333
0.801
16
70.000
0.832
17
74.667
0.863
18
79.333
0.893
19
84.000
0.923
20
88.667
0.952
21
93.333
0.979
22
98.000
1.005
23
102.667
1.029
24
107.333
1.050
25
112.000
1.070
26
116.667
1.087
27
121.333
1.101
28
126.000
1.112
29
130.667
1.120
30
135.333
1.124
31
140.000
1.126.
7. A mailpiece sorting assembly, comprising:
a feeder module for feeding and singulating mailpieces from a stack of mailpieces, each mailpiece being fed along a feed path in a first on-edge orientation;
a scanner for reading information contained on each of the mailpieces, and issuing electronic data useful for grouping the mailpieces for delivery;
a stacker/sorter having a plurality of sortation bins, each sortation bin having a stacking assembly including: a Leading Edge (LE) urge roller, a support blade and a Trailing Edge (TE) alignment device,
the LE urge roller operative to accept each of the selected mailpieces from the re-direct mechanism and urge a leading edge portion thereof toward a sidewall of the sortation bin, the support blade operative to hold the mailpieces in an on-edge parallel orientation against the urge roller and being moveably mounted relative thereto, and the TE alignment device including a first cam driven about a rotational axis by a digital rotary positioning device, the cam defining a surface operative to urge the trailing edge portion of each selected mailpiece toward the support blade and into alignment with the stack; and
a controller operatively coupled to the feeder, scanner and stacker/sorter for sorting mailpieces in to one of the sortation bins; and
wherein the cam surface is defined by the relationship:
R
(
θ
)
=
R
T
/
2
×
(
1
-
COS
(
Π
×
θ
/
θ
T
)
wherein θ is an angle from a line of reference
wherein R(θ) is a rise height (in inches) at each angle θ;
wherein RT is a total rise height (in inches)
wherein θ T is a total angle inscribed.
8. The mailpiece sorting assembly according to claim 7 wherein the digital rotary positioning device is a stepper motor.
9. The mailpiece sorting assembly according to claim 8 wherein the TE alignment device includes a rotary encoder operative to detect the rotational position of the cam about the rotational axis.
10. The mailpiece sorting assembly according to claim 9 wherein the cam is driven by a shaft, the shaft driven by the stepper motor through an elastomeric coupling operative to isolate vibratory oscillations imposed on the cam by impact with the stacked mailpieces.
11. The mailpiece sorting assembly according to claim 8 wherein the cam is dual lobed.
12. The mailpiece sorting assembly according to claim 8 wherein the cam surface is further defined by a locus of points N about a common vertex, each point N being disposed on a radial line a distance X from the vertex, and at the angle θ from the line of reference; the cam surface being further defined by the relationship described in the following table:
Total
Point No.
Angle θ
Displacement (X − inches)
1
0.00
0.538
2
4.66
0.540
3
9.33
0.544
4
14.000
0.552
5
18.667
0.563
6
23.333
0.577
7
28.000
0.594
8
32.667
0.614
9
37.333
0.635
10
42.000
0.659
11
46.667
0.685
12
51.333
0.712
13
56.000
0.741
14
60.667
0.771
15
65.333
0.801
16
70.000
0.832
17
74.667
0.863
18
79.333
0.893
19
84.000
0.923
20
88.667
0.952
21
93.333
0.979
22
98.000
1.005
23
102.667
1.029
24
107.333
1.050
25
112.000
1.070
26
116.667
1.087
27
121.333
1.101
28
126.000
1.112
29
130.667
1.120
30
135.333
1.124
31
140.000
1.126.