Device for turning flat mailing items through 90

Abstract

The invention proposes to turn rectangular mail items of differing thicknesses and sizes and containing different page ratios through 90°. To achieve this, the mail items are conveyed away in at least one direction at right angles to the feeding direction by eccentric rollers. In order to pick up the mailing items without damaging the latter, the eccentric rollers are configured from an elastic material and include segments arranged in a non-radial manner.

1 . A device for turning flat mail items, comprising: 
 means for feeding mail items individually in a first direction to a deflection point and individually in at least one second direction away from the deflection point, the second direction being essentially orthogonal to the feeding direction,    the deflection point comprising at least one eccentric roller having a peripheral part with at least one flattened position and the eccentric roller is actuatable in two rotational directions corresponding to the second direction in order to convey the mail items away according to two different positions.    
   
   
       2 . The device according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the peripheral part comprises elastic material.    
   
   
       3 . The device according to  claim 1 , 
 further comprising means for carrying non-flattened section of segments in a non-radial direction.    
   
   
       4 . The device according to  claim 3 , 
 wherein the segments are arranged in an S-shape.    
   
   
       5 . The device according to  claim 1 , 
 further comprising a cross belt arranged in the second direction to the eccentric rollers in order to convey away the mail items.    
   
   
       6 . The device according to  claim 5 , 
 further comprising another cross belt arranged in the opposite second direction to the eccentric rollers in order to convey away the mail items.    
   
   
       7 . The device according to  claim 5 , 
 further comprising a first motor arranged to drive the eccentric rollers and a second motor arranged to drive the cross belt.    
   
   
       8 . The device according to  claim 7 , 
 further comprising a free wheel mechanically coupled to the eccentric rollers and the cross belt so that at higher conveying speeds of the eccentric rollers the cross belt is likewise accelerated to the higher conveying speed and that the second motor is not thereby entrained to the higher conveying speed.    
   
   
       9 . The device according to  claim 7 , 
 wherein the first motor is a stepping motor.    
   
   
       10 . The device according to  claim 1 , 
 further comprising a nubbed belt comprising supports and arranged so as to feed the mail items in the first direction to the deflection point.    
   
   
       11 . The device according to  claim 10 , 
 further comprising a feeder rotationally coupled to the nubbed belt in order to ensure a defined position of the mail items when they are conveyed away by the eccentric rollers.    
   
   
       12 . The device according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the eccentric rollers are actuatable the moment a mail items reaches the conveying away position.