(19)
(11) EP 0 812 628 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
06.05.1999 Bulletin 1999/18

(43) Date of publication A2:
17.12.1997 Bulletin 1997/51

(21) Application number: 97304165.0

(22) Date of filing: 13.06.1997
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6: B07C 1/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

(30) Priority: 14.06.1996 GB 9612536

(71) Applicant: THE POST OFFICE
London SW1Y 1PY (GB)

(72) Inventors:
  • Tansey ,Simon Peter
    Wroughton Swindon,Wilshire SN4 ORT (GB)
  • Holland ,Owen Edward
    Rodborough Stroud Gloucestershire GL53NF (GB)

(74) Representative: O'Connell, David Christopher 
Haseltine Lake & Co., Imperial House, 15-19 Kingsway
London WC2B 6UD
London WC2B 6UD (GB)

   


(54) Automated portering system


(57) In a mail processing centre, each mail item passes successive stations, travelling from one station to the next on a selected one of a number of available routes. Each route has associated therewith a number of mail carriers. The mail carriers are capable of independent and unconstrained movement between the two mail processing stations defining the end points of the relevant route. Each mail carrier has a wheeled base part, which includes drive means, and one of a plurality of exchangeable mail carrying devices.






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