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 be shingled prior to passing through a scale if weighing is not necessary.

A layboy includes an upper belt section with a plurality of transversely spaced upper belts that extend in a longitudinal direction such that bottom portions of the upper belts lie in a first plane that defines an upper boundary of a transport path through the layboy and a lower belt section having a plurality of transversely spaced lower belts that extend in the longitudinal direction such that top portions of the lower belts lie in a second plane that defines an upper boundary of the transport path. The bottom portion of one of the top belts and/or the top portion of one of the bottom belts extends away from the transport path to define a gap in the transport path at which scrap moving through the layboy can fall out of the transport path.

A sheet aligning mechanism includes first and second conveyance mechanisms disposed on first and second sides of a sheet conveyance path, respectively. A nip is formed between the first and second conveyance mechanisms. The first conveyance mechanism includes a first roller, a second roller, and a first conveyance belt wound around the first and second rollers. The first and second rollers are configured to rotate in a first direction along a sheet conveying direction for sheet conveyance, and stop rotation or rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction for sheet alignment. The first conveyance belt includes an extended region between the first and second rollers in an extending direction inclined with respect to the sheet conveying direction, such that a width of the sheet conveyance path becomes narrower towards the nip in the sheet conveying direction.

A device attaches and detaches at least one of rollers in a belt conveyor in which an endless belt is wound around the rollers between a front plate and a rear plate of the belt conveyor. The device includes a guide and a roller holder. The guide has a base end and extends along a longitudinal direction of the detachable roller and includes a guide groove. The roller holder holds the detachable roller and includes an engagement portion, another engagement portion, and a guided portion. The engagement portion detachably engages with the front plate. The other engagement portion detachably engages with the rear plate. The guided portion slides along the guide groove toward the rear side or the front side of the device to engage or disengage the engagement portion with or from the front plate and engage or disengage the other engagement portion with or from the rear plate.

An apparatus for aligning at least one note of value along a transport path including at least one transport element, at least one first drive unit, first and second rotatably mounted deflecting elements, and a second drive unit. The transport element includes an endless drive belt. The first drive unit drives the transport element in a first direction of rotation which moves the note of value along the transport path in a transport direction. The transport element is deflected over the deflecting elements. The second drive unit displaces at least one of the first and second deflecting elements along its axis of rotation so that by displacing the one of the first and second deflecting elements the note of value contacting the at least one transport element is moved obliquely to the transport direction.

Disclosed is an automated insert feeding system and related methods, capable of removing bulk-packaged items from a tray or other package, and separating the bulk-packaged items individually for distribution into individual packages in high speed reliable fashion. The disclosed systems can also be loaded with multiple packages of the pre-packaged items for automatic feeding into the system which allows human operators to load several packages and allow the system to work unattended, thereby reducing man-hours spend on the process.

A paper sheet handling apparatus including a paper sheet transport direction switching unit adapted to switch transport directions of paper sheets and to then feed the paper sheets, the paper sheet transport direction switching unit includes: a first direction switching and feeding member adapted to pressurize one side of a paper sheet transported, switch the transport direction of the paper sheet, and feed the paper sheet switched in direction; and a second direction switching and feeding member facing the first direction switching and feeding member in such a manner as to operate together with the first direction switching and feeding member to pressurize the other side of the paper sheet transported, switch the transport direction of the paper sheet, and feed the paper sheet switched in direction.

A sheet transport device includes: a curved transport path for a sheet; and multiple endless belt pairs arranged along the transport path and having transport surfaces that are in contact with each other.

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 be shingled prior to passing through a scale if weighing is not necessary.

A pair of regulating guides is disposed on both sides of a conveying belt in a sheet width direction Y, each having a support surface that supports an end edge in the width direction of the sheet conveyed while being nipped by the conveying belt and balls and a guide surface that faces the end edge of the sheet in the width direction. Each of the pair of regulating guides is movable to a first guide position at which the end edge of the sheet in the width direction is supported by the support surface and guided by the guide surface and to a second guide position at which the end edge of the sheet in the sheet width direction is supported by the support surface and which is retracting further away from the end edge in the sheet width direction than the guide position.