Feeder having an improved conveyor device for mail items

Abstract

In a feeder of a mail handling machine, a conveyor device is provided that includes a plurality of a drive members controlled by a suitable drive mechanism and designed to pass through a mail item receiver bed of said feeder, and each of said drive members is constituted by a cylindrical wheel provided with a set of straight teeth formed by a plurality of teeth between which there are interposed a plurality of independent small rollers having axes perpendicular to the axis of the wheel.

1 . A mail item feeder for feeding mail items into a mail handling machine, said mail item feeder including a plurality of a drive members controlled by a suitable drive mechanism and designed to pass through a mail item receiver bed of said feeder, wherein each of said drive members is constituted by a cylindrical wheel provided with a set of straight teeth formed by a plurality of teeth between which there are interposed a plurality of independent small rollers having axes perpendicular to the axis of the wheel. 
     
     
         2 . A mail item feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein said small rollers are mounted to be free to rotate about axes of rotation disposed in a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical wheel, each axis extending between the facing sides of two adjacent teeth. 
     
     
         3 . A mail item feeder according to  claim 2 , wherein said axes of rotation of the small rollers are distributed around the sides of a regular polygon and are positioned at a determined distance from said axis of rotation of the wheel. 
     
     
         4 . A mail item feeder according to  claim 3 , wherein each of said small rollers has an outer peripheral surface that projects by approximately in the range 0.5 mm to 1 mm relative to tops of the teeth. 
     
     
         5 . A mail item feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein said cylindrical wheel is made of a standard low-cost material of the polyoxymethylene type. 
     
     
         6 . A mail item feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein said small roller is made of one of the following materials: silicone, polyurethane, natural rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer. 
     
     
         7 . A mail item feeder according to  claim 1 , having at least six small-rollers spaced apart uniformly at 60° intervals.