A device for feeding items to a sorting machine, including: a conveyor plane (26) for feeding items or parcels along an advancement direction (A1); an optical detection device (18), to allow the acquisition, while the items are in motion on the conveyor plane (26) of the three-dimensional coordinates of a determined number of points on the surface of the items and to organize them into coordinate vectors; a manipulator (19) provided to pick the items from the conveyor plane (26) and to place the items picked in a desired position; a control system, provided to process, for each item in motion on the conveyor plane (26), the coordinate vectors in order to obtain a three-dimensional representation of the item, including the information based on which the control system handles the manipulator for picking and placing the items. The invention also relates to a sorting machine and a method for feeding items to a sorting machine aimed at increasing production capacity and accuracy thereof.

A device for feeding items to a sorting machine, including: a conveyor plane (26) for feeding items or parcels along an advancement direction (A1); an optical detection device (18), to allow the acquisition, while the items are in motion on the conveyor plane (26) of the three-dimensional coordinates of a determined number of points on the surface of the items and to organize them into coordinate vectors; a manipulator (19) provided to pick the items from the conveyor plane (26) and to place the items picked in a desired position; a control system, provided to process, for each item in motion on the conveyor plane (26), the coordinate vectors in order to obtain a three-dimensional representation of the item, including the information based on which the control system handles the manipulator for picking and placing the items. The invention also relates to a sorting machine and a method for feeding items to a sorting machine aimed at increasing production capacity and accuracy thereof.

In one embodiment, a system has a carousel that has a guiderail that forms a loop that has a loading position and an unloading position. The carousel also has a plurality of buckets, each having an upper end and a lower end. The lower end includes at least one bottom wall that is moveable between (i) a transporting configuration where the at least one bottom wall substantially closes the lower end of the bucket and (ii) a discharge configuration where the at least one bottom wall is moved so as to define an opening in the lower end of the bucket. The buckets are supported by the guiderail such that the buckets can be driven from the loading position towards the unloading position in the transporting configuration. The buckets can be transitioned to the discharge configuration so as to unload inventory items at the unloading position into a packaging material.

In one embodiment, a system has a carousel that has a guiderail that forms a loop that has a loading position and an unloading position. The carousel also has a plurality of buckets, each having an upper end and a lower end. The lower end includes at least one bottom wall that is moveable between (i) a transporting configuration where the at least one bottom wall substantially closes the lower end of the bucket and (ii) a discharge configuration where the at least one bottom wall is moved so as to define an opening in the lower end of the bucket. The buckets are supported by the guiderail such that the buckets can be driven from the loading position towards the unloading position in the transporting configuration. The buckets can be transitioned to the discharge configuration so as to unload inventory items at the unloading position into a packaging material.

Systems and methods for parcel one pass labeling and sorting for presort qualification. The system includes a conveyor on which parcel pieces are placed by an operator, where the conveyor ensures proper gap between parcel pieces and justifies the parcels to an edge of the conveyor in order to align the parcels with labelers which print and apply shipping documents and shipping labels. The labeled parcel pieces are then sorted according to the destination indicated and deposited into a sort bin. The system is configured to allow dynamic reassignment of the sort bins based on capacity and sort destinations processed. A single bin is used for depositing parcel pieces which do not need to be sorted by destination.

Systems and methods for parcel one pass labeling and sorting for presort qualification. The system includes a conveyor on which parcel pieces are placed by an operator, where the conveyor ensures proper gap between parcel pieces and justifies the parcels to an edge of the conveyor in order to align the parcels with labelers which print and apply shipping documents and shipping labels. The labeled parcel pieces are then sorted according to the destination indicated and deposited into a sort bin. The system is configured to allow dynamic reassignment of the sort bins based on capacity and sort destinations processed. A single bin is used for depositing parcel pieces which do not need to be sorted by destination.

A conveying system transports items, such as postal items, along a main conveying direction. A conveying route includes segments that are arranged one behind the other along the main conveying direction. The segments have conveyors arranged parallel to one another and the segments are offset relative to one another in a transverse direction. The conveyors are driven and activated individually by a control unit. The items are conveyed along the main conveying direction by transferring an item from a preceding segment to a following segment that is offset relative to the preceding segment and then transporting the item on the following segment. Items with small dimensions, which rest on just one conveyor can also be manipulated during the transportation.

A conveying system transports items, such as postal items, along a main conveying direction. A conveying route includes segments that are arranged one behind the other along the main conveying direction. The segments have conveyors arranged parallel to one another and the segments are offset relative to one another in a transverse direction. The conveyors are driven and activated individually by a control unit. The items are conveyed along the main conveying direction by transferring an item from a preceding segment to a following segment that is offset relative to the preceding segment and then transporting the item on the following segment. Items with small dimensions, which rest on just one conveyor can also be manipulated during the transportation.

The postal sorting machine comprises a sorting conveyor suitable for transporting postal articles in series past sorting outlets and a postal article feed unit having a magazine for loosely storing postal articles to be sorted and a separator that has a robotized arm and a vision sensor and that is suitable for picking up the postal articles to be sorted one-by-one from the magazine and for putting them on the sorting conveyor while placing them in series at constant pitch. The sorting conveyor has a flat conveyor that slopes sideways to form a jogging edge against which the postal articles are jogged by gravity.

The postal sorting machine comprises a sorting conveyor suitable for transporting postal articles in series past sorting outlets and a postal article feed unit having a magazine for loosely storing postal articles to be sorted and a separator that has a robotized arm and a vision sensor and that is suitable for picking up the postal articles to be sorted one-by-one from the magazine and for putting them on the sorting conveyor while placing them in series at constant pitch. The sorting conveyor has a flat conveyor that slopes sideways to form a jogging edge against which the postal articles are jogged by gravity.