Stacker device for flat items

Abstract

A stacker device in an items processing system is a last station of a mail line. The stacker device has a receiving plate to receive flat items, a longitudinal alignment wall, graduated in at least two steps, at a rear side of the stacker device, and a stop wall that is arranged at the downstream end of the receiving plate.

Claims

1. A stacker device comprising: a receiving plate onto which flat items proceed in a longitudinal movement direction between an upstream end and a downstream end of said receiving plate; an alignment wall proceeding along said longitudinal movement direction, said alignment wall being attached to and extending upwardly from said receiving plate; a stop wall situated at said downstream end of said receiving plate that stops movement of said flat items and thereby causes said flat items to accumulate in a stack on said receiving plate, adjacent to said alignment wall; said alignment wall having at least two steps therein that are stepped individually toward said flat items, each of said steps limiting an accumulated height of said flat items in said stack; and said receiving plate being situated downstream of an upstream device, and comprising a telescoping leg situated at said downstream end of said receiving plate that provides support to said receiving plate, said telescoping leg having an extensible foot and an extensible head that are connected with the receiving plate so as to be detachable, said extensible head being situated at the downstream end of the receiving plate and having openings for a rail carrier on which said stop wall is installed, said rail carrier being displaceable in said longitudinal movement direction, and said receiving plate comprising a fastener at said upstream end adapted to fasten said receiving plate to said upstream device.

2. A stacker device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said receiving plate and said alignment wall form an angle therebetween, and: said receiving plate is adapted to receive said flat items after said flat items are ejected, in a flight path, from an exit slot of an items processing device, said exit slot extending parallel to a horizontal line at an end of a horizontal cover of said items processing device, said items proceeding in said longitudinal movement direction in said flight path; said receiving plate is inclined downwardly at an angle relative to said longitudinal movement direction, and being inclined rearwardly at an angle relative to said horizontal line in a direction toward said alignment wall; and said alignment wall proceeds downstream, with a longitudinal boundary, inclined at said angle relative to a first line that is perpendicular to said horizontal line, said longitudinal boundary proceeding parallel to, and at a distance B from an edge of the receiving plate at a front side of the receiving plate, and wherein one of said at least two steps forms a stack height stopping surface that is parallel to said receiving plate at least at said angle .

3. A stacker device as claimed in claim 2 wherein =90.

4. A stacker device as claimed in claim 2 wherein 90120, and wherein said stop wall is displaceable in said longitudinal direction of movement.

5. A stacker device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said stop wall is perpendicular to said horizontal cover, and extends parallel to said first line.

6. A stacker device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said at least two steps of said alignment wall has at least one step attribute, selected from the group consisting of step depth and step height, that is uniform for each of said at least two steps.

7. A stacker device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said at least two steps has at least one step attribute, selected from the group consisting of step depth and step height, that decreases from step-to-step.

8. A stacker device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stop wall is parallel to a line that is perpendicular to said alignment wall and extends upwardly, parallel to a further line that is perpendicular to said receiving plate.

9. A stacker device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said items processing device is a franking machine, and said flat items are mail pieces.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1a is a schematic depiction of a stack box from the right, according to the prior art.

(2) FIG. 1b is a schematic depiction of a stack box according to the invention, from the right, with graduation of the longitudinal alignment wall.

(3) FIGS. 2a and 2b are schematic depictions of a stack box from the right, with a right angle and with graduation of the longitudinal alignment wall, with a first design and with an alternative design.

(4) FIG. 2c shows a detail of FIG. 2b.

(5) FIG. 2d is a schematic depiction of a stack box from the right, with an obtuse angle between the receiving plate and the longitudinal alignment wall, and with graduation of the longitudinal alignment wall.

(6) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an items processing apparatus with a stack box for stacking flat items.

(7) FIG. 4 is a side view of a stack box with telescoping leg, from the left.

(8) FIG. 5a is a view of a retracted telescoping leg,

(9) FIG. 5b is a view of an extended telescoping leg.

(10) FIG. 6 is a side view of a head of the telescoping leg, from the right.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(11) FIG. 1a shows a schematic depiction of a stack box from the right, according to the prior art, on which different flat items are stacked. The stack has grown beyond a reference plane at the front side and threatens to tip over, or the uppermost mail pieces 3 are at risk of sliding off the stack.

(12) FIG. 1b shows a schematic depiction of a stack box from the right, with graduation of the longitudinal alignment wall 22. The angle between the receiving plate and the longitudinal alignment wall 22 preferably forms a right angle. Running on the inside of the angle is a straight line with which the receiving plate and the longitudinal alignment wall meet, one after another, or at which the longitudinal alignment wall is bent away from the receiving plate. The aforementioned line at the longitudinal alignment wall 22 is designated in the following as a longitudinal boundary. The longitudinal alignment wall has vertical steps, wherein an edge 20b of the receiving plate that travels parallel to the longitudinal boundary is provided at a front side F of the stacker device, which edge 20b extends at a distance (spacing) B from the longitudinal boundary, wherein a distance Bi<B of the step from the reference plane results at the front side, which distance Bi<B is reduced per step with every step STi of the stepped longitudinal alignment wall. The distance B is the effective width of the receiving surface of the receiving plate for a stack. The receiving plate is inclined at the angle relative to horizontal H, and the longitudinal alignment wall 22 is inclined by the angle relative to a first perpendicular line S1. Shown at each step STi is a partial stack Pi, with Pi being one of P1, P2, P3, P4, wherein the partial stacks form the graduation. For i=1, a first step ST1 and a partial stack P1 result, which partial stack P1 rests on a first partial segment 22b of the longitudinal alignment wall 22 that extends beginning at the longitudinal boundary up to the level of the first step ST1. A second partial segment 22c of the longitudinal alignment wall 22 subsequently follows that extends up to the second step ST2. A third partial segment 22d of the longitudinal alignment wall 22 follows as of a third step ST3. At the upper edge of the longitudinal alignment wall, a plastic part 22g is attached that forms a fourth step ST4 and upper partial segment of the longitudinal alignment wall 22.

(13) FIG. 2a shows a schematic depiction of a stack box according to the invention from the right, with graduation of the longitudinal alignment wall 22 according to a first embodiment variant. The first step ST1 is at a distance with the step height h from the longitudinal boundary. It is situated closer to the longitudinal boundary than the second step (not shown), which is separated at a distance of 2 h. An identical step height h and step depth T are preferably provided for each step. The distance B is reduced by a step depth T with each step i, with
Bi=BT(1) and
T=h.Math.tan .(2)

(14) The step depth T results from an inclination of the receiving plate 20 in the direction of the longitudinal boundary of the longitudinal alignment wall 22, given inclination of the receiving plate by an angle relative to a horizontal H. The maximum stack height c of the first partial stack up to the first step is:
c=h.(3)

(15) The number of steps i (with i=1, 2, 3, . . . , n, . . . , u) is at least i=2, preferably n and at most i=u. The smallest letter format in Germany is C6 (11.416.2 cm). The step depth is therefore preferably in a range of T=1 to 7.5 cm, and for example is at T=1.44 cm. The step height is preferably in a range h=2T to 5T, and for example h=4T=6 cm. An angle of 15 results due to tan =T/h=1.44/6=0.24. For example, an angle of 23.3 results at T=2.3 cm and h=6 cm.

(16) The longitudinal alignment wall is formed with vertical steps so that stacked, flat items lying on their side again reach a stop surface on the step underside as of a specific stack height. A (dashed) line perpendicular to the stop surface at the step underside is preferably situated parallel to a second perpendicular (dashed) line S2 that is situated perpendicular to the receiving plate. The uppermost of the flat items of the first stack has a slight positive engagement with the step underside, whereby the first stack receives an additional hold. The step depth T and/or step height h may be uniform for every step or decrease (the manner is not shown) with the step number.

(17) FIG. 2b shows a schematic depiction of a stack box according to the invention from the right, with graduation of the longitudinal alignment wall having an alternative design. A line perpendicular to the stop surface is parallel to a first perpendicular line S1 that is situated perpendicular relative to the horizontal H. The positive engagement of the respective uppermost flat stack good of the partial stack with the stop surface is thereby improved if an additional partial stack is resting on top. The stack height c up to the first step remains the same as the stack height c only the step height h is increased by h=T.Math.tan to h, whereby the material consumption for the longitudinal alignment wall increases. A more acute angle is formed between the partial wall piece that determines the step depth T and the partial wall piece that increases the step height h by h.

(18) This detail arises from FIG. 2c. The step depth T is in fact likewise increased relative to T, but only marginally by T (not shown). The increased material consumption for this is negligible.

(19) In a further embodiment variant (not shown), the partial wall pieces for the step depth and the step height form an obtuse angle. That has the advantage that the arrangement of the respective uppermost flat stack good in the partial stack is improved.

(20) In each step, the flat items lying flat on their sides may be aligned at the longitudinal alignment wall with their one edge ordered again. Via these steps it is ensured that the flat items of each stack rest more stably, and that each stack has a stack height that is uniformly within a predetermined range. A tipping forward of a first stack is also then prevented, although an additional stack of the next, following step rests, offset forward, on the surface of the first stack, since the uppermost of the flat items of the first stack has a slight positive engagement with the step underside, whereby the first stack receives an additional hold.

(21) The advantage of a better removal of partial stacks results via graduation because the graduation forms in the partial stacks of the entire stack, and thus the partial stacks in the majority exhibit an approximately identical stack height. The entire stack does not need to be removed at once; rather, the removal may take place per partial stack from top to bottom.

(22) Alternatively, the step height and step depth may be of variable design, without the fundamental function of the graduation being impaired. The longitudinal alignment wall is produced from metal, for example, preferably steel plate.

(23) An additional advantage results via the possibility to further reduce the wall thickness of the longitudinal alignment wall, since the stability of the longitudinal alignment wall is improved by the graduation. The weight of the stack box is also thereby reduced, which is customer-friendly and cost-effective.

(24) FIG. 2d shows a schematic depiction of a stack box from the right and with an obtuse angle between the receiving plate 20 and the longitudinal alignment wall 22, as well as with a graduation of the longitudinal alignment wall. As an alternative to the right angle, an obtuse angle may be realized in order to increase the step depth. Given an obtuse angle , the slight positive engagement with the step underside is likewise consequently improved, corresponding to the increase of the step depth.

(25) Given an obtuse angle =90+ up to the first step, the distance of the longitudinal alignment wall from the reference plane increases by E. Relative to the distance B that an edge 20b of the receiving plate 20 has from the longitudinal boundary at a front side F of the stacker device, the distance Bi of the step from the reference plane decreases for smaller angles < given an increase of the step depth:
T>T=h.Math.sin (5)

(26) With each step, the distance B from the longitudinal boundary is reduced by a portion D of the step depth T=D+E. It applies that:
Bi=BD(6)

(27) FIG. 3 shows a perspective depiction of a stacker device that connects to a items processing device which has an exit slot 13 for flat items and that may be fastened with a fastening device (the manner is not shown) to table top, wherein the stacker device has: a receiving plate 20 to receive flat items 3 that have been ejected piece by piece via the exit slot 13, wherein the exit slot 13 extends at the end of a horizontal cover 12 of the items processing device, parallel to a horizontal line H, whereinfrom the cover 12, downstream in the direction of the flight path of the ejected flat items, the receiving plate 20 is inclined downwardly at an angle relative to the transport direction z of the flat items on the cover, and also is inclined rearwardly at an angle relative to the horizontal line H in a direction x relative to the graduated longitudinal alignment wall 22; a longitudinal alignment wall 22 that is graduated in at least two steps n is arranged at a rear side of the stacker device 2, wherein the longitudinal alignment wall 22 extends downstream with a longitudinal boundary 22a, and is inclined at an angle relative to a first line S1 perpendicular to the horizontal line H, wherein the longitudinal boundary 22a travels at a distance B parallel to an edge 20b of the receiving plate 20 at a front side F of the stacker device, wherein the first perpendicular line S1 is perpendicular to the horizontal cover 12, and wherein a first stop surface 22b is arranged perpendicularly at an angle =90, or at an angle greater than 90, relative to the receiving plate 20. a stop wall 24 that extends along a lateral edge 20c of the receiving plate 20.

(28) The stop wall 24 is arranged at the downstream end of the receiving plate and is designed to as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction (white arrow). Either the stop wall 24 travels parallel to a line perpendicular to the longitudinal alignment wall 22 and extends upwardly, parallel to the second line S2 that is perpendicular to the receiving plate 20, or the stop wall 24 is aligned perpendicularly to the cover 12 and extends in the y-direction, parallel to the first perpendicular line S1.

(29) The stacker device 2 is arranged downstream of a items processing device; that a telescoping leg is arranged near the downstream end of the stacker device for additional support of the receiving plate 20; that the telescoping leg has an extensible foot and a head that is connected with the receiving plate so as to be detachable; that the head has, at the downstream end of the receiving plate, openings for a rail-like carrier on which the stop wall 24 is installed; and that the rail-like carrier is designed so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction. A fastening device is provided with which the stacker device may be fastened with its other end onto a table plate. The fastening device has brackets or bar clamps or comparable fastening elements (the manner is known).

(30) The step depth T and/or the step height h is designed uniformly for each step, or decreasing with the step count. Alternatively, individual steps may also deviate from the uniform values of the dimensions.

(31) As of the second step, the perspective depiction of a stacker device according to FIG. 3 shows a more than doubled height of the third partial segment 22d of the longitudinal alignment wall 22. At the upper end of the longitudinal alignment wall, a plastic part may be attached (the manner is not shown) that projects into the inner space of the stacker device in order to form a fourth step.

(32) The angle between the receiving plate 20 and the longitudinal alignment wall 22 is a right angle in the depiction according to FIG. 3.

(33) The following angle ranges are provided for the angles:

(34) =90 120,

(35) =2-45 and

(36) =2-45.

(37) For example, the stacker device 2 is provided for operation at a franking machine, specifically for stacking mixed mail. The receiving plate 20 is comprised of a sheet metal plate that has an edge 20c at the stop side, wherein the sheet metal plate is bent downward at the edge 20c. Openings for a rail-like and extensible carrier are arranged in the bend, on which carrier the stop wall 24 is installed. The receiving plate 20 and the longitudinal alignment wall 22 are preferably produced from two sheet metal plates. The receiving plate 20 then exceeds the width B that is effective for a stacking up to a bend edge (not shown) that has a distance from the line 20a. The line 20a for its part has the distance B from the edge 20b. A longitudinal boundary 22a meets the longitudinal alignment wall 22 at the line 20a given an installation on the receiving plate 20.

(38) Alternatively, the receiving plate 20 can have an effective width B from the edge 20b at the front side up to the longitudinal boundary 20a if the sheet metal plate is bent upwardly at the longitudinal boundary 20a and transitions into a longitudinal alignment wall 22.

(39) In the preferred embodiment, the longitudinal alignment wall 22 has the following design or dimensions: metal plate with 1 cm thickness. Given a 275 cm length of the longitudinal boundary 22a, the downstream edge travels at an acute angle (of 74.9, for example) into the longitudinal boundary 22a of the longitudinal alignment wall 22.

(40) The steps proceed parallel to the longitudinal boundary 20a. The step height of the first partial segment 22d of the longitudinal alignment wall 22 is h=6.1 cm. The step height of the second partial segment 22c of the longitudinal alignment wall 22 is h=6.0 cm. The step height of the third partial segment 22d of the longitudinal alignment wall 22 is h=5.9 cm, given a plastic part 22g installed on the longitudinal alignment wall 22, the downstream edge of which plastic part 22g is 123.7 cm length. The upstream edge of the installed plastic part 22g, whose length L is approximately 13.7 cm, travels parallel to the downstream edge. The upstream edge of the metal plate is 24.5 cm long overall, and the downstream edge of the metal plate is 330 cm long overall. The upper edge is rounded at the corners and is only 26.1 cm overall, and travels parallel to the transport direction z of the mail piece 3 on the cover 12.

(41) The stop wall 24 is composed of a transparent plastic, for example acrylic glass, having 6 cm thickness and 164 cm width. The height of the stop wall at the front side of the stacker device is at least 22.5 cm, and the height at the rear side is at most 33 cm. The corners of the stop wall 24 are rounded.

(42) FIG. 4 shows a side view of a stack box having a telescoping leg, from the left. It is likewise provided (not shown) that the stacker device 2 is arranged downstream of a goods processing device. A telescoping leg 4 is arranged near to a downstream end of the stacker device 2 for additional support for the receiving plate 20. The telescoping leg 4 has a head 42, a guide tube 43, a lower tube 44 and a foot 41. The head 41 is connected so as to be detachable with the receiving plate 20. At the downstream end of the receiving plate, the head 42 has openings 421, 422 (FIG. 6) for a rail-like carrier 21 at which the stop wall 24 is installed. The rail-like support 21 is designed so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction. The lower tube 44 is supported with its end in the guide tube 43 so as to be displaceable. At the other end of the lower tube 44, a foot plate 40 of the foot 42 is installed so that it can be bent, which foot plate 40 may therefore be adapted to arbitrary unevenness of the flooring. The lower tube 44 may be positioned firmly on the guide tube 43 in any extended state (the manner is not shown).

(43) An attachment device 5 with which the stacker device 2 can be attached with its other end to a table plate is provided at the other end of the stacker device 2 that is situated upstream. The attachment device has brackets or a screw clamp 5A or comparable attachment means.

(44) FIGS. 5a and 5b show a view of a retracted telescoping leg and an extended telescoping leg. The lower tube 44 can be slid into the guide tube 43 so far that only a part of the lower tube 44 having a length L1 protrudes from the guide tube 43. The guide tube 43 has a length L2=4 L1, for example. The minimum length of a retracted telescoping leg (FIG. 5a) therefore results as Lmin=5 L1. The extended telescoping leg (FIG. 5b) has a maximum length Lmax=9 L1, for example.

(45) FIG. 6 shows a side view of a head of the telescoping leg from the right, with openings 421 and 422. The latter enable a guidance of a rail-like carrier 21 of the stop wall 24 upon its extension or retraction.

(46) Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the Applicant to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of the Applicant's contribution to the art.