Did You Know...
...that in the early 1940s GE engineer James Wright was charged with a task of utmost importance to the war effort: develop a cheap substitute for rubber that could be used to produce tires, gas masks and a whole host of military gear. Wright tackled the task diligently -- and wound up inventing Silly Putty.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7442896 | Method for processing mail A method for processing mail, wherein a plurality of mailing items inserted into insertion places are collected and subsequently transported in a container to postal centers where they are sorted in sorting devices according to postal categories. The invention is ch... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7439468 | Method of sorting postal items with predictive management of sort-outlet tray replacement A method of sorting postal items in a plurality of sorting passes in a sorting machine having sort outlets with removable trays, the method including the steps of: (i) after a first sorting pass during which the sorted items are stored in the trays, determining and ... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7439467 | Method and apparatus for processing outgoing bulk mail A method and apparatus for processing mail is provided. The mail is serially fed from a stack of mail into a system transport. The system transport conveys the mail to an imaging station, which scans the mail to obtain image data corresponding to at least a portion ... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7423231 | Organizing a plurality of items into a delivery point sequence A method and system for providing delivery point sequencing consistent with the invention includes assigning the plurality of items dynamic sequence numbers as the plurality of items pass through a sequencing component a first time, the sequencing component componen... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7414218 | Cross circulation mail sorter stacker design with dual ported input, and method of operating the same A new and improved mail sorting system, which is able to dramatically increase the throughput sorting volume of mail pieces or articles, comprises the incorporation of a plurality of cross-circulation path (CCP) conveyors within a conventional looped or folded conve... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7414219 | System and method for grouping mail pieces in a sorter A method and system for processing of media items includes a separator system feeding a series of media items onto a transport system that is controlled such that adjacent media items destined for the same sortation bin are transported along a transport path as a gr... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7414217 | Sorting system A system and method are provided for sorting a plurality of items into a predetermined sorted sequence. Items are initially located on initial sorting regions of a sorting apparatus. The items are then sorted into at least one intermediary sorted set and then sorted... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7411146 | Method and system for sequentially ordering objects using a single pass delivery point process A method and system using a single pass sequencer having a transport system for transporting the mail pieces to a transport system having a moveable carriage system and a stationary carriage system with a plurality of holders slidable between the moveable carriage s... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7405375 | Method for sequentially ordering objects using a single pass delivery point process A method using a single pass sequencer having a transport system for transporting the mail pieces to a transport system having a first carriage system and a second carriage system with a plurality of holders slidable between the first carriage system and the second ... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7397009 | Systems and methods for sorting mail using a name/firm database A system (100) and method for sorting mail (112) includes a first database (106) containing addresses and zipcodes for a plurality of mail item recipients, a second database (104) containing a plurality of individual and firm names and th... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7397011 | Device for the sorting of flat mailings A device for sorting flat mailings has a pouch loop system defining a transport path including a lower level and an upper level coupled via level transitions. The transport path has several partial loops including the level transitions and arranged within an inner a... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7397010 | Sorting device for flat mail items The invention relates to a sorting device which includes a mail item buffer storage having storage pouches, circulating in a conveying loop and moving past charge station. Below straight handover sections of the conveying loops, circulating mail from containers, dis... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7396011 | Progressive modularity assortment system with high and low capacity bins A modular bin or pocket has an integrated transport assembly and mail piece diverter assembly and is usable in a bin stacker section in mail handling and sorting systems. The modular bin is individually removable, interchangeable and replaceable from the bin stacker... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7390987 | Method of handling postal objects using dynamic overflow In a method for sorting postal objects in a sorting machine comprising sorting outlets with movable trays for the storage of the postal objects, respective logical destinations (DL) are associated to the sorting outlets and some sorting outlets of the machine are re... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7390986 | System and method for dynamically adjusting the allocation of mail items associated with particular delivery points within a carrier structure System and method for dynamically adjusting cells in a carrier structure for receiving mail items for delivery through a postal delivery service. Delivery points, which may represent a post office address, correspond to cells in the carrier structure. The allocation... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7388168 | Mail processing system and method A mail processing system includes a plurality of trays that are each adapted to hold a plurality of mail items. The mail items in a tray are directed to a common recipient. The system also includes a plurality of mail processing machines that are adapted to process ... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7380675 | Method and device for processing sheet-like articles The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing sheet material, in particular bank notes, papers of value and the like. When sheet material is checked for adherence to criteria, at least a group of sheet material fulfilling the criteria... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7378610 | Mail sorting and distributing transfer system A mail sorting and distributing transfer system, which smoothly conveys mail on a mail sorting line having a compound curve whose line is not in a plane, but is three-dimensional, whereby the mail can be reliably transferred to a conveyor basket and conveying power ... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7346591 | Messaging services for uniquely identified mail A method that enables the recipient to receive notification of the letters, flats and/or packages (mail) that the recipient is going to receive prior to the delivery of the mail. The recipient is then able to inform a post or courier i.e., Federal Express®, Airborn... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7329824 | Mail processing system and method A mail processing system includes a plurality of trays that are each adapted to hold a plurality of mail items. The mail items in a tray are directed to a common recipient. The system also includes a plurality of mail processing machines that are adapted to process ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7315007 | Method and apparatus for stiffness and thickness detection in mail sorting systems A method is provided for preventing flat mail pieces having excessive thickness or stiffness from entering a mail processing machine wherein flat mail pieces are held on opposite sides and conveyed by paired conveyor belts around one or more curves, including one cu... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7304260 | System and method for filling, removing and transporting containers The present invention relates to a system and method for automatically transporting receiving containers for sorted products. The containers are filled with the sorted products along a sorting stretch at individual, similar target stations, and automatically transpo... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7304259 | Mail processing system with multilevel contaminant detection and sterilization A method of sorting mail according to the invention includes the steps of receiving a plurality of first mail pieces of unknown origin in a first apparatus for bulk processing of the mail pieces, processing the mail pieces in the first apparatus by one of testing th... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7301115 | System and method of identifying and sorting response services mail pieces in accordance with plural levels of refinement in order to enhance postal service revenue protection A method to reduce lost postal revenue by identifying and sorting a mail piece by determining whether algorithmically-resolved image data corresponding to the mail piece indicates that the mail piece is business reply mail. The method is facilitated in part by maint... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7282658 | Delivery point sequencer and method of use A device and method for device for sequencing disparate products includes at least a first feeder mechanism feeding a stream of a first product type in a pre-sequenced order. At least a second feeder mechanism feeds a stream of second product type though a sequencin... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7259346 | Progressive modularity assortment system with high and low capacity bins A modular bin or pocket has an integrated transport assembly and mail piece diverter assembly and is usable in a bin stacker section in mail handling and sorting systems. The modular bin is individually removable, interchangeable and replaceable from the bin stacker... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7259345 | Method and apparatus for sorting and bundling mail A method of sorting and bundling mail for delivery to a plurality of delivery points includes sorting the mail pieces in one or more passes through an automated sorting machine using destination codes associated with the mail pieces that are scanned and stored by a ... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7250582 | Method and system for sequentially ordering objects using a single pass delivery point process A method and system using a single pass sequencer having a transport system for transporting the mail pieces to a transport system having a moveable carriage system and a stationary carriage system with a plurality of holders slidable between the moveable carriage s... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7235756 | Mail sorting and sequencing system A mail sorting and sequencing system having a number of DPP units cooperating with one another to sort and sequence mail items of three different types of mail. Each DPP unit having: a conveyor system wherein a number of trucks travel along a path; at least three tr... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7232126 | Over the raceway divert device, system and method for diverting suspect documents The present subject matter relates to the field of document material handling in high-speed in-line mailing systems. In particular, the present subject matter relates to a cross track divert device, system and method for diverting a suspect or invalid document from ... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7227094 | Method for processing flat deliveries in delivery containers A method for processing a batch of mail wherein a mail sorting machine sorts the batch of mail to a plurality of sorting bins according to a predetermined sorting plan includes steps of reading an identification code from an empty mail tray, loading the empty tray i... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7225990 | Card stripper for removing cards from card carriers An automated system for preparing cards for further processing includes an envelope feed hopper configured to receive a plurality of envelopes, each having contents including a card carrier and one or more cards attached thereto. The systems also includes an envelop... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7210893 | Flats mail autotrayer system A method and apparatus is disclosed for combining multiple small stacks of flats mailpieces into a single large stack of mailpieces and then transferring the large stack to a standard flats mail tray, all while maintaining the sequence order of the mail in the accum... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7205497 | Apparatus and method for automated parcel screening A system and method (FIG. 1) for automated handling and identification of parcels sorted by an automated high-speed mail sorting apparatus that identifies parcels that contain hoax or biological threat material comprising an opener (120) and a particle... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7199323 | Postal sorting machine including an injection carousel fitted with flexible deflectors A postal sorting machine includes an injection carousel (1) and a system (4) for injecting mail items (3) standing on edge into receptacles (2) of the carousel (1). Each receptacle (2) of the carousel (1) is defined b... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7185748 | Object transport and sorting assemblies and methods An object sorting apparatus and method using chutes for transporting objects to selected locations. The chutes include one or more openings through which a fluid may be forced to reduce friction between the objects and the chute. Diverters are operatively aligned wi... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7182335 | Method of detecting overlaps in a postal sorting installation The method of detecting overlapping postal items in a postal sorting installation (1) consists in detecting variation in the length of each item by causing each item to go past a plurality of proximity detectors (4, 5, 6, 7). The proximity detectors ar... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7178714 | Container for flat objects in a vertical position The invention relates to a container for flat objects in a vertical position, comprising a base, two lateral longitudinal sides and two front sides, the flat objects being aligned with their largest surfaces facing the front sides. At least one front side consists o... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7175029 | Mail sorting machine comprising a blower between a system for the injection of mail articles and an injection carousel A postal sorting machine comprises an injection carousel (1) and a system (4) for injecting mail items (3) standing on edge into receptacles (2) of the carousel (1). Each receptacle (2) of the carousel (1) is defined ... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7177444 | Method and apparatus for reading and decoding information A method and apparatus is disclosed for reading and decoding information extracted from a form. In the system of the present invention, packages are randomly placed on a conveyor belt, with their labels facing a two-camera subassembly. As the conveyor belt moves, th... | 02/13/2007 |
