An automated greeting card conveyance system is disclosed that includes a first conveyor configured to transport pre-decorated greeting cards along a first conveyance path and a second conveyor configured to transport envelopes along a second conveyance path. A control system controls customization of each greeting card and envelope by (a) determining a card identifier of the greeting card, (b) identifying customized content associated with an order for the greeting card having the card identifier, and (c) causing the customized content to be printed on the greeting card and envelope. A coupling system may also be used to automatically insert the greeting card into the envelope. In addition, a sealing system may be used to automatically seal envelope having a pointed envelope flap.

An automated greeting card conveyance system is disclosed that includes a first conveyor configured to transport pre-decorated greeting cards along a first conveyance path and a second conveyor configured to transport envelopes along a second conveyance path. A control system controls customization of each greeting card and envelope by (a) determining a card identifier of the greeting card, (b) identifying customized content associated with an order for the greeting card having the card identifier, and (c) causing the customized content to be printed on the greeting card and envelope. A coupling system may also be used to automatically insert the greeting card into the envelope. In addition, a sealing system may be used to automatically seal envelope having a pointed envelope flap.

According to one embodiment, a sheet feed device includes a first roller, a second roller, a torque limiter, a holder, and a driving unit. The first roller conveys a sheet in a first direction while being in contact with a first surface of the sheet. The second roller faces the first roller and is in contact with a second surface which is a back side of the first surface of the sheet in a state of sandwiching the sheet between the second roller and the first roller. The torque limiter imparts an anti-torque to the second roller in order to generate a force on the second surface in a direction opposite to the first direction. The holder rotatably supports the second roller. The driving unit moves the holder and biases the holder toward the first roller.

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.

An article supporter for a supply device includes a feeder that supplies, by air suction, an uppermost thinly tabular article from a bundle of a plurality of thinly tabular articles that is stacked and is partially different in thickness, the article supporter for supporting the bundle with a gap between the uppermost thinly tabular article and the feeder, and the article supporter includes: a first support that supports respective thinner parts of the plurality of thinly tabular articles; a second support that supports respective thicker parts of the plurality of thinly tabular articles and is movable upward and downward; and an adjuster that adjusts a level of the second support such that the uppermost thinly tabular article of the bundle is set within a predetermined range in a vertical direction.

A dispenser of barrier envelopes is formed of a pair of selectively interlocking open-top box-like structures. When interlocked, the pair of structures forms an interior chamber that is configured to store and protect one or more barrier envelopes inside from external contaminants such as viruses, bacteria and/or fungi. The dispenser of barrier envelopes includes a through opening for the purpose of dispensing the one or more envelopes to a user, and a spring in its interior chamber for directing the one or more envelopes toward the through opening.

An automated system for transferring articles from a container. An item transfer system includes retainers configured to secure a first tray and a second tray, a movable paddle assembly, a frame, and a plurality of actuators. The system is configured to transfer articles from the first tray to the second tray by an automated process including securing the articles within the first tray with the paddle assembly, rotating the frame by approximately 90° to 100°, moving the paddle assembly in a series of linear translations to remove the items from the first tray and place the items into the second tray, rotating the frame back to its initial orientation, and releasing the items into the second tray.

A method for franking packages individually supplied from a stack on a conveyor line to a franking machine, such as envelopes, mailing bags, sleeves, cards, labels, printed products, or the like, which are removed at the lower side of the stack for separation and which are supplied on the upstream conveyor line to a printing mechanism of the franking machine and which, after printing of the packages, are discharged from the franking machine. The packages are supplied on the conveyor portion via a switch to the franking machine and after printing are supplied counter to the supply direction from the printing mechanism of the franking machine via the transposed switch of a depositing device which is provided therebelow for printed packages.

In an example of the disclosure, a driver correction specification is calculated based upon a time differential between a first sensor detection of a first portion of a leading edge of a media sheet and second sensor detection of a second portion of the leading edge. The driver correction specification is for causing skew correction of the media sheet as the media sheet moves along a media path to impact a blocker element. The driver is caused to operate according to the calculated driver correction specification.

In a method and apparatus for length measurement of a flat good in a goods processing system having first and second stations, each having a sensor in the transport direction of the flat good, a control processor implements a path control and counts encoder pulses of an encoder in the first station. An event is determined by the sensor of the second station, and an associated numerical value Z1 of the encoder pulses is stored in the control processor, as is a numerical value Z2 for a distance between the two sensors is also stored. An additional event is determined by the sensor of the first station, and an associated numerical value Z3 of the encoder pulses is stored. As soon as both events are present, Z2 and the difference Δ=Z3−Z1 are added by the control processor, and the sum is used to designate the length.