Mail handling system - Patent 0476984

(19)

(11)

EP 0 476 984 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	14.10.1992 Bulletin 1992/42

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	25.03.1992 Bulletin 1992/13

(21)	Application number: 91308491.9

(22)	Date of filing: 18.09.1991

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁵: B07C 3/04

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	DE FR GB

(30)

Priority:

19.09.1990 GB 9020413

(71)	Applicant: READYPRIDE LIMITED
	Romford Essex, RM1 2AR (GB)

(72)	Inventor:
	Gilham, Dennis Thomas Brentwood, Essex CM13 2SL (GB)

(74)	Representative: Loughrey, Richard Vivian Patrick et al
	HUGHES CLARK & CO 114-118 Southampton Row London WC1B 5AA London WC1B 5AA (GB)

(56)

References cited: :

(54)	Mail handling system

(57) A system for handling and sorting mail items is disclosed. Destination of the mail items (16) is read and the mail items are fed into pockets (14) of a rotating carrier (13). A plurality of bins (11) are located beneath the carrier and as a pocket containing a mail item to be received in a specified bin aligns with that bin, the bottom (18) of the pocket is opened to release the mail item. The pockets and bins are arranged around a central hub (12) housing operating elements of the system. A module (17) for feeding mail items to the pockets and for reading destination addresses is mounted radially outwardly of the rotatable carrier. The system is controlled by a controller (28) which operates to allocate bins to destination addresses of the mail items. Sensors are provided to monitor operation of the system and to cause bin full indications to be provided to an operator of the system.

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