Importance

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Abstract

Disclosed is a method for sorting a set of mail items according to a predefined delivery sequence, including the steps of generating first sequence number for each subset of mail according to its destination address, sorting the first subset into batches according to the first sequence number, associating one of the first sequence numbers corresponding to the destination addresses of the mail items in the first subset, generating a second sequence number sorting the second subset into batches according to the second and first sequence numbers disregarding N of the most significant digits of the first sequence number, interleaving the batches of mail items from the first and second subset; and sorting the mail items according to the N most significant digits of the first sequence numbers. In this way, all the mail is sorted in sequence, but sorting of the mail can begin prior to all the mail being physically present at the sorter or its location in the sorting scheme being known. A system and machine for practicing the method are also contemplated.

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First Claim