System for controlling a singulating belt in a mailpiece feeder

A system for conveying mailpieces (14) along a feed path (FP) includes a plurality of conveyances (20, 22). A first conveyance (20) is operative to convey mailpieces (14) along the feed path (FP) and includes a singulating (40) and drive belt (42). The singulating and drive belts (40,42) define a throat (TH) for singulating a mailpiece (14) from the stack of mailpieces. A second conveyance (22) accepts mailpieces from the first conveyance (20) and conveys singulated mailpiece downstream of the first conveyance (20). The system further includes a series of sensors (30) extending from the first to the second conveyance for issuing a gap signal (G) indicative of the relative spacing between sequential mailpieces (14) along the feed path (FP). Additionally, the system includes a means (26; RA; M1), responsive to the gap signal (G), for developing a variable opposing force between the singulating and drive belts (40, 42) to optimize singulation of mailpieces (14) along the feed path (FP).