Systems, devices and methods for receiving an item in a receptacle are disclosed. Features are disclosed for receiving and guiding an item in a receiving space of a receptacle so as to attenuate or remove the impact force of the item on the receptacle. Some embodiments of the disclosure include a bumper having an impact surface which absorbs most or all of the impact force of the item and thereby mitigates or removes the imposition of cyclic impact loads on the receptacle from repeated receipt of items. The bumper may be structurally and/or functionally de-coupled or otherwise physically separated from the receptacle such that an advantageous division of labor is created between absorbing the impact and receiving the item. This disclosure may be useful, for example, in modern industrial operations where a high volume of items are received daily, such as in mail sorting and handling operations.

A method for decreasing the time spent on inserting postal objects in and discharging them from a parcel terminal and a parcel terminal comprising at least one storage space with multiple compartments within the parcel terminal for loading and storing postal objects on movable trays; an insertion and discharge area with one or more insertion and discharge slots equipped with a door, and a control unit; a loading mechanism for transporting postal objects from the insertion and discharge area to the storage space of postal objects and from the storage space to the insertion and discharge area. For performing the method, the parcel terminal is provided with a stack of movable trays, an area for storing the stack of movable trays and a stacker of movable trays, the terminal includes a user zone and an internal zone and the method comprises the cycles of inserting and discharging a postal object in the user zone, a cycle parallel with the insertion and/or discharge cycle which is performed in the internal zone of the parcel terminal, a cycle of stacking and/or emptying the stack of trays in the user zone, and gathering and analyzing statistical data on the use of the terminal by means of the control unit.

A material handling system reduces or eliminates human interaction with articles sorted and deposited into an order container to maintain validation and integrity of the order. Validated articles are inducted onto a sortation conveyor that selectively dispenses or deposits each article at a destination into a container. A shuttle vehicle moves along a first side of row of such containers to replace an empty container in place of any container that holds a completed order and moves the latter onto a transport conveyor.

Embodiments of a system and method for sorting and sequencing articles in a processing facility are disclosed. Delivery endpoints are divided and grouped into stop groups. A first sorter sorts items according to stop group and outputs the items to trays. The output trays from the first sorter are loaded to a second sorter in stop group order. The second sorter can then sort the items into output bins in delivery sequence order.

Embodiments of a system and method for sorting and sequencing articles in a processing facility are disclosed. Delivery endpoints are divided and grouped into stop groups. A first sorter sorts items according to stop group and outputs the items to trays. The output trays from the first sorter are loaded to a second sorter in stop group order. The second sorter sorts items for each stop group into separate lanes. Each lane can then be sorted into output bins in delivery sequence order.

Systems, devices and methods for receiving an item in a receptacle are disclosed. Features are disclosed for receiving and guiding an item in a receiving space of a receptacle so as to attenuate or remove the impact force of the item on the receptacle. Some embodiments of the disclosure include a bumper having an impact surface which absorbs most or all of the impact force of the item and thereby mitigates or removes the imposition of cyclic impact loads on the receptacle from repeated receipt of items. The bumper may be structurally and/or functionally de-coupled or otherwise physically separated from the receptacle such that an advantageous division of labor is created between absorbing the impact and receiving the item. This disclosure may be useful, for example, in modern industrial operations where a high volume of items are received daily, such as in mail sorting and handling operations.

Embodiments of a system and method for sorting and sequencing articles in a processing facility are disclosed. Delivery endpoints are divided and grouped into stop groups. A first sorter sorts items according to stop group and outputs the items to trays. The output trays from the first sorter are loaded to a second sorter in stop group order. The second sorter can then sort the items into output bins in delivery sequence order.

A mail hazard screening machine is configured to compress mail pieces or envelops through compression rollers and draw out this air and any hazard that may have been contained in the envelope. The system may be able to detect a wide range of hazards such as chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear, explosive and drugs, abbreviated CBRNE+D. The sample air, the air drawn out from the hazard screening system, may be directed to one or more analysis devices and the mail processing machine may be stopped if any hazard is detected. The mail piece containing the hazard can then be found and further inspected safely.

A mail feeder system may be configured to deliver mail pieces to the hazard screening system without compression of the mail pieces or envelopes

A mail processing system utilizes a conveyor to shingle or de-shingle mailpieces as they move through the processing system and utilizes belts to move the mailpieces. A first shingling conveyor moves a first mailpiece to overlap with a second mailpiece to create shingled mailpieces. A second shingling conveyor moves a first mailpiece away from a second mailpiece to de-shingle them to create singulated mailpieces. A camera takes images of the mailpieces in the conveyor and image analysis software is used to determine dimensional aspects of the mailpieces that are used to control the belt speeds to move mailpieces with respect to each other. A mail processing system may include a mail processing station that scans addresses, applies postage and/or weighs the mailpieces. Mail may be de-shingled prior to being weighed and then re-shingled for subsequent processing, or mail may shingled prior to passing through a scale if weighing is not necessary.

Embodiments of a system and method for sorting and sequencing articles in a processing facility are disclosed. Delivery endpoints are divided and grouped into stop groups. A first sorter sorts items according to stop group and outputs the items to trays. The output trays from the first sorter are loaded to a second sorter in stop group order. The second sorter sorts items for each stop group into separate lanes. Each lane can then be sorted into output bins in delivery sequence order.