Inter-machine buffer for mailpiece fabrication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9573709-B2
Application number	US-201214113973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2012
Priority date	Jun 3, 2011
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for wrapping sheet material to produce finished mailpieces includes an upstream content module, a downstream mailpiece assembly module including a wrapper module adapted to encapsulate content material, and a buffer module interposing the upstream content and downstream assembly modules. The buffer module includes a plurality of buffer gates adapted to convey the content material from an upstream gate to a downstream gate to maintain a threshold pitch distance between successive pieces of content material. A controller is operatively coupled to the modules and controls the conveyance of content material through the buffer gates. More specifically, the controller coordinates the delivery and insertion of content material into the wrapper module to minimize dry-holes, maintain stresses below a threshold level to ensure continued operation, and optimize system throughput.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for wrapping sheet material to produce finished mailpieces, comprising:
an upstream content fabrication module for conveying content material along a feed path;
a downstream mailpiece assembly module including a wrapping module having wrapping material therein and adapted to convey a web of sheet material along a downstream conveyance deck, the wrapping module adapted to encapsulate the content material in a tube-shaped wrap to produce wrapped mailpieces; and
a buffer module including a plurality of buffer gates disposed in serial arrangement and interposing the upstream content fabrication module and the downstream mailpiece assembly modules, the buffer gates adapted to convey the content material from an upstream buffer gate to a downstream buffer gate to maintain a threshold pitch distance between pieces of content material; and
a controller, operatively coupled to the upstream content fabrication module, the downstream mailpiece assembly module and the buffer module, the controller operative to control the conveyance of the content material through the buffer gates to coordinate the delivery and insertion of the content material into the tube-shaped wrap consistent with an acceleration profile in the wrapping module that maintains acceleration of the wrapping material below a threshold level and includes both an acceleration cycle and a deceleration cycle whereby damage to the wrapping material is prevented with the wrapping module.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the buffer module includes a downstream buffer gate and an upstream buffer gate, each of the buffer gates including position sensors for detecting an edge position of each piece of content material, and wherein the controller determines an error signal between a desired pitch distance and an actual pitch distance as measured by the position sensors of each gate.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein buffer module includes at least four (4) buffer gates.

4. The system according, to claim 1 wherein the buffer module includes at least six (6) buffer gates.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein each of the upstream content fabrication modules drive content material along a conveyance deck at a first velocity and wherein each of the downstream mailpiece assembly modules drive wrapping material of the wrapping module along a conveyance deck at a second velocity and wherein the controller is operative to match the first and second velocities to optimize throughput.

6. The system according to claim 2 wherein each of the buffer gates drives content material along a conveyance deck at a velocity, wherein the velocity of an upstream buffer gate is dependent upon the velocity of a buffer gate immediately downstream of the upstream buffer gate and wherein the controller drives the velocity of the upstream buffer gate to minimize an error in pitch distance between a desired pitch distance and an actual pitch distance.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the buffer module includes a downstream buffer gate for conveying content material to the wrapping module and at least one upstream buffer gate for conveying content material to the downstream buffer gate, the upstream buffer gate being controlled by a pitch control algorithm and the downstream buffer gate being controlled by an intercept control algorithm.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the threshold level is about 0.5 g's of acceleration.

9. A method for integrating a mailpiece fabrication system having an upstream content fabrication system and a downstream mailpiece assembly system, the upstream content fabrication system including a chassis module having a plurality of overhead feeders to build content material and the downstream mailpiece assembly system having a wrapping module including wrapping material for wrapping the content material to produce finished mailpieces, comprising the steps of:
operating the wrapping module in accordance with acceleration profile that maintains acceleration of the wrapping material below a threshold level and includes both an acceleration cycle and a deceleration cycle whereby damage to the wrapping material is prevented within the wrapping module, and
buffering the conveyance of the content material through buffer gates to coordinate the delivery and insertion of the content material into the wrapping material consistent with the acceleration profile.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of buffering the content material includes buffering content material in at least four (4) buffer gates.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of buffering the content material includes buffering the content material in at least six (6) buffer gates.

12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising the step of including the step of controlling the velocity of the chassis module to match the velocity of the wrapping module.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of controlling the velocity of an upstream buffer gate based upon the velocity of a downstream buffer gate, and controlling the velocity of each to minimize an error in the pitch distance from a desired pitch distance to an actual pitch distance between pieces of content material.

Assignees

• Chapman Carl L
• Depoi Arthur H
• Rosenfeld Boris
• Masotta John R
• Ballestrazzi Aris
• Pitney Bowes Inc

Inventors

• Chapman Carl L
• Depoi Arthur H
• Rosenfeld Boris
• Masotta John R
• Ballestrazzi Aris

Classifications

• B43M5/04

  automatic · CPC title

• B65B11/00 Primary

  Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material (bundling articles by applying narrow strips or bands of flexible material B65B13/00) · CPC title

• B65B57/02 Primary

  responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages · CPC title

• B65B9/06

  Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in a longitudinally-folded web, or in a web folded into a tube about the articles or quantities of material placed upon it · CPC title