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 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 feeding device for feeding stacks of standing flat-folded cartons to a receiving station, comprising a conveyor track having a flat bearing plane adapted to support the stacks, where the conveyor track comprises at least two rows of teeth where each row of teeth comprises a plurality of spaced apart teeth adapted to support the stacks of flat-folded cartons, where the teeth can be positioned in either an erected position or in a folded position, and where the feeding device comprises a guide track arranged along the bearing plane adapted to hold the teeth in the selected position, and where the guide track ends at an end region of the conveyor track, such that the teeth are unsupported at the end region. The advantage of the invention is that stacks of flat-folded cartons can be merged continuously at an outfeed region.

An electric paper tray includes a base, a paper holding element pivotally mounted to at least one side of the base, a power unit arranged at the base, and a lifting module connected between the paper holding element and the power unit. The lifting module is movably mounted under the paper holding element. When the lifting module is driven by the power unit to move to a first position, with respect to the base, the lifting module drives the paper holding element to make the paper holding element rotate to a closed position, when the lifting module is driven by the power unit to move to a second position, with respect to the base, the lifting module drives the paper holding element to make the paper holding element rotate to an opened position.

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.

An electric paper tray includes a base, a paper holding element pivotally mounted to at least one side of the base, a power unit arranged at the base, and a lifting module connected between the paper holding element and the power unit. The lifting module is movably mounted under the paper holding element. When the lifting module is driven by the power unit to move to a first position, with respect to the base, the lifting module drives the paper holding element to make the paper holding element rotate to a closed position, when the lifting module is driven by the power unit to move to a second position, with respect to the base, the lifting module drives the paper holding element to make the paper holding element rotate to an opened position.

A supply apparatus that supplies corrugated cardboard sheets to a supply position in a box-making section that opens folded corrugated cardboard sheets and makes boxes. The supply apparatus comprises a conveying unit, a drive unit, and a control unit. The conveying unit conveys a plurality of the corrugated cardboard sheets to the supply position with the corrugated cardboard sheets stacked. The drive unit drives the conveying unit. A controller, serving as the control unit, estimates the total quantity of the plurality of stacked corrugated cardboard sheets on a conveying surface of the conveying unit. The controller acquires a value pertaining to the drive force of the drive unit when the drive unit drives the conveying unit, and estimates the total quantity of the plurality of stacked corrugated cardboard sheets on the basis of the acquired value.

A paper sheet feeding apparatus includes an inserting unit in which a paper sheet is inserted, a pick-up roller for picking up a paper sheet inserted in the inserting unit, a rotating shaft for rotating the pick-up roller, a detecting member that is supported by the rotating shaft so as to be able to rotate around the rotating shaft and is rotated by a bundling member that bundles paper sheets together, and a first detecting unit that detects rotation of the detecting member.

A carton handling system for a carton blank magazine. The carton handling system includes a carriage assembly with a carton handling tool. The carriage assembly moves the carton handling tool in two axes of motion to receive a slug of carton blanks and to position the slug of carton blanks in the carton blank magazine. The carton handling system further includes a finger carried on the carton handling tool. The carton handling tool is movable to engage the finger with an underside of a fallen carton blank lying at an end of an advancing stack of blanks in the carton blank magazine so as to lift the fallen carton blank against a preceding blank at the end of the advancing stack of blanks. The carton handling tool is also movable to position the slug of carton blanks at an endmost blank in the advancing stack of blanks.

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.