Transfer mechanism and method of use

Abstract

A transporting device includes a power roller mounted to a chassis for transporting a tray between positions. A belt transfers power from the power roller to a shaft. The belt may be used to rotate the shaft. A pulley is mounted to the shaft and rotates in substantially synchronous motion with the shaft. The pulley may also be used to rotate a roller in a bin location for moving a tray from a staging area to a working area. A method is also provided for using the device.

1 . A system of transporting trays, comprising: 
 a bin location having a plurality of rollers for transporting trays from at least a staging area to a working area;    a take-away conveyor; and    a transport mechanism located within the bin location and proximate the take-away conveyor, the transport mechanism comprising: 
 a power roller mounted to a chassis for transporting a tray within the bin location and to the take-away conveyor;  
 a rotatable shaft;  
 a lift belt rotating the shaft upon activation of the power roller;  
 a pulley mounted to the shaft and rotating with a rotation of the shaft; and  
 a belt extending between the pulley and at least one of the plurality of rollers in the staging area, the belt rotating the at least one of the plurality of rollers in the staging area upon rotation of the pulley to transport another tray from the staging area to an area of the power roller.  
   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of rollers mounted to the chassis, wherein 
 at least one of the plurality of rollers is at an elevated level and at least another of the plurality of rollers is at a lower level, and    the power roller is at an elevated level with respect to the shaft.    
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a position sensor proximate to the power roller to determine the presence or absence of the tray and, in combination with a controller, for activating or deactivating the power roller.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tray holds mail pieces.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pulley is mounted to the shaft at either side of the chassis.  
   
   
       6 . The system of claim of  claim 1 , wherein the transport mechanism is modular  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transport mechanism utilizes a Plug-N-Play cable design.  
   
   
       8 . A method of transporting trays; comprising the steps of: 
 determining a time to move trays in a working area and staging area of a bin location; and    activating a roller system to move the tray to a conveyor from the working area and to move another tray from the staging area to the working area.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein activating a roller system includes activating a transfer roller in contact with a bottom surface of the tray in the working area.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the transfer roller grips a bottom surface of the tray to induct the tray to the conveyor while the another tray in the staging area is placed on the transfer roller via movement of a lift belt.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising sensing when the tray or the another tray is placed in the working area after a previous tray has been inducted onto the conveyor.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further inducting mail pieces into tray placed into the working area.