CN1551840A

CN1551840A - Mail insertion method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN1551840A
Application number: CNA028124855A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 罗德尼・伊恩・罗林森; 罗德尼·伊恩·罗林森
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-05-21
Filing date: 2002-05-21
Publication date: 2004-12-01
Also published as: EP1395442A1; WO2002096670A1; CA2448115A1; US20040172923A1; JP2004526645A

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of inserting items of mail (22) into envelopes (24), the method including an insertion cycle comprising the steps of: circulating, in succession, a series of insertion stations (12) past at least one envelope feeder (16), past at least one mail feeder (18) and past a delivery point (20); feeding an item of mail (22) and an associated envelope (24) on to each station (12) as the station (12) passes the respective feeders (16,18); inserting each item of mail (22) into the associated envelope (24) while the associated station (12) moves towards the delivery point (20); and delivering each envelope (24) with its inserted item of mail (22) from the associated station (12) to the delivery point (20). Each station (12) is then recirculated past the feeders (16,18) and past the delivery point (20), to repeat the cycle. The invention extends to an apparatus (10) for performing this method.

Description

Mail insertion method and device

Technical field

The present invention relates to a kind of in envelope the automatic method and apparatus of plug-in mounting mail.

Summary of the invention

According to one aspect of the present invention, provide a kind of in envelope the method for plug-in mounting mail, this method comprises the plug-in mounting circulation of being made up of following step:

Make a series of insertion station continuously by at least one envelope feeder, transmit the step that point circulates by at least one mail feed arrangement with by one;

When insertion station is supplied with the step of mail and associated envelope during by corresponding feed arrangement on each insertion station;

When corresponding insertion station inserts each mail when mobile step in associated envelope to transmitting point; And

Each envelope that has inserted mail is sent to the step that transmits point from corresponding insertion station,

Each insertion station recirculation is by feed arrangement with by transmitting point to repeat above-mentioned plug-in mounting circulation.

Each envelope feeder can be positioned at the upstream of its corresponding mail feed arrangement, and is perhaps opposite, and perhaps they also can be in the same position on the route, and the back and then is an insertion station, but they all will be in the upstream of transmitting point.

Generally, this method comprise when corresponding insertion station when transmitting the some motion, the step of opening envelope flap before the step of mail being inserted envelope.

This method can comprise when corresponding insertion station when transmitting the some motion, the step of opening the flap of an envelope before opening the step of envelope flap.Be to be understood that, the step of opening each the flap of an envelope comprises flap from the position of smooth envelope body and closing envelopes mouth through rotation transformation to the position that exposes envelope sealing, and the step of opening envelope flap will comprise that the sidewall that makes envelope is separated from each other so that by the envelope flap of opening mail is pushed envelope, the memory space that promptly forms between sidewall and corresponding mail can be advanced in the envelope by plug-in mounting.

This method can comprise when corresponding insertion station when transmitting the some motion, the step of closing the flap of an envelope after the step of corresponding mail being inserted envelope.

Each mail and associated envelope can be fed on the corresponding insertion station basically simultaneously.

According to another aspect of the present invention, provide a kind of mail has been inserted the device of envelope, this device comprises:

The insertion station of series installation on endless belt conveyer, these insertion stations are made shuttling movement by envelope feeder, mail feed arrangement and transmission point continuously, each insertion station comprises a mail inserter, this mail inserter can turn round automatically supplying to mail on the corresponding insertion station from the mail feed arrangement, inserts from envelope feeder supplies to envelope on this insertion station; With

Conveyer is when can turn round automatically with the plug-in mounting within it envelope of mail of insertion station this conveyer when transmitting point is sent to the transmission point from each insertion station.

This mail insertion station can be the mail insertion station that can buy on market, for example " PLOCKMATIC " board of " NEOPOST " board of those the French NEOPOST productions that can buy in South Africa or Sweden Plockmatic International production.

This device can comprise letter opener, and this letter opener can be respectively cam-actuated naturally with special mail inserter.Therefore each mail inserter can comprise the cam that is driven by corresponding adjacent with conveyer belt stationary cam driven member engagement, and letter opener can comprise that similarly the cam follower that is linked to each other with conveyer belt by correspondence meshes the cam that drives.Preferred same cam follower combines with two cams simultaneously.Perhaps, letter opener and mail inserter can each self-contained cam followers that is driven by the stationary cam that links to each other with conveyer belt, each cam, for example, along the conveyer belt setting or be positioned on the conveyer belt.

Each cam can be between a side feed arrangement and the opposing party's transmission point, therefore, the engagement of the cam/driven member that is produced by the motion of insertion station can make letter opener and the mail inserter between a side feed arrangement and the opposing party's transmission point turn round simultaneously, therefore, particularly mail inserter can comprise the cam follower that is driven by the corresponding stationary cam that links to each other with conveyer belt, and this mail inserter is set between a side feed arrangement and the opposing party's the transmission point.Each insertion station can comprise a letter opener, the opening that it can turn round automatically and supply to the envelope on the corresponding insertion station from envelope feeder to open, by corresponding mail inserter corresponding mail is inserted in this envelope to prepare this envelope, and this letter opener can be cam-actuated.This letter opener can comprise the cam follower that is driven by the relevant stationary cam that links to each other with conveyer belt, and this letter opener cam is between a side feed arrangement and the opposing party's transmission point.

Perhaps, mail inserter and letter opener can be by engine-driven.

This device can also comprise the mail feed arrangement that is used for supplying with to continuous insertion station mail, so that mail is fed on each insertion station, and this device can comprise the envelope feeder that is used for supplying with to continuous insertion station envelope, so that envelope is fed on each insertion station.Particularly, the arrangement that can link to each other of mail feed arrangement and envelope feeder is so that envelope and mail are fed on each insertion station basically simultaneously.In use, insertion station can at first move through the mail feed arrangement, and is by envelope feeder, perhaps opposite then.Perhaps each insertion station can pass through mail feed arrangement and envelope feeder simultaneously, so the mail feed arrangement links to each other with envelope feeder and arranges so that envelope and mail are fed on each insertion station basically simultaneously.

Preferred endless belt conveyer is installed on a pair of pulley, and one of them is a driven pulley to pulley for this, and another is a guide wheel, and insertion station is installed on the conveyer belt along the length of conveyer belt at regular intervals.Endless belt conveyer can be tape conveyor belt or chain conveyor.

Description of drawings

Referring now to accompanying drawing, the present invention will be described by non-limiting embodiment.In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is the side schematic view according to device of the present invention;

Fig. 2 constitutes the envelope before the plug-in mounting of part of insertion station and the floor map of mail in the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is another embodiment schematic diagram according to device of the present invention that is equivalent to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is the end view of the device of Fig. 3 along the amplification of the letter opener component part of the mail insertion station of the IV-IV line among Fig. 3; And

Fig. 5 is for inserting schematic diagram in the associated envelope corresponding to the letter opener of Fig. 4 and mail inserter are collaborative with mail.

The specific embodiment

In Fig. 1, label 10 refers generally to the device that is used for mail is inserted envelope according to of the present invention.

Device 10 comprises a plurality of mail insertion stations 12 that are installed in continuously on the endless belt conveyer 14, and this mail insertion station 12 by envelope feeder 16 and mail feed arrangement 18, is made shuttling movement by transmitting point 20 along direction shown in the arrow 15 again.Each insertion station 12 is similar to " Neopost " and " Plockmatic " type that can buy on market, but should be appreciated that, also can use other known running to this device 10 not have the insertion station of substantial effect.Each insertion station 12 comprises a letter opener (not shown) and a mail inserter (not shown), and each opener and corresponding inserter can turn round automatically and will supply to mail 22 (referring to Fig. 2) on the corresponding insertion station 12 by mail feed arrangement 18 and pack into and supplied in the envelope 24 on the corresponding insertion station 12 by envelope feeder 16.As can see from Figure 2, each envelope 24 is at the flap of an envelope 17 under the situation of the position of opening and is fed on the corresponding insertion station 12, and at this moment envelope flap 19 is exposed to admit corresponding mail 18.Device 10 comprises a conveyer 26, and this conveyer 26 turns round automatically, is sent to transmission point 20 at insertion station 12 by transmitting 20 o'clock envelopes 24 with the mail 22 of wherein having packed into of each insertion station 12 of point.

Letter opener and mail inserter all are cam-actuated, and therefore, this letter opener and mail inserter respectively comprise one by being positioned at the cam follower 11 that the corresponding stationary cam engagement of the top of conveyer belt 14 drives with form with cam lever 13.For represent clear for the purpose of, this cam lever 13 does not show in Fig. 1.Therefore, the engagement of the continuous cam/driven member that produces by the motion of insertion station 12 by cam lever 13 can cause a

side feed arrangement

16 and 18 and the opposing party's transmission point 20 between letter opener and mail inserter turn round simultaneously.

Endless belt conveyer 14 is tape conveyor belt, comprises being installed in being with 27 on a pair of pulley 28, and one of them is a driven pulley to pulley 28 for this, and another is a guide wheel, and insertion station 12 is installed along the length of conveyer belt 27 by certain interval.Perhaps, this endless belt conveyer can be a chain type.

Therefore, plug-in mounting circulation comprises makes a series of continuous insertion station 12 move through envelope feeder 16 simultaneously and mail feed arrangement 18 carries out shuttling movement, on each insertion station 12, supply with envelope 24, and supply with mail 22 to each insertion station 12 simultaneously, so each mail 22 is arranged in a straight line with in this mail 22 insertion associated envelopes 24 with associated envelope 24.Envelope 24 is opened and mail 22 is inserted in the associated envelope 24, simultaneously corresponding insertion station 12 from

feed arrangement

16,18 to transmitting point 20 motions and by transmitting point 20.The envelope 24 of the mail 22 of band insertion is sent to from corresponding insertion station 12 by conveyer 26 and transmits point 20 to carry out next step processing then.Each insertion station 12 recirculation reaches by transmitting point 20 to repeat above-mentioned plug-in mounting circulation by

feed arrangement

16 and 18.

The present invention allows will be sent to each envelope 24 of the mail 22 that inserts in the identical time that mail 22 and envelope 24 is supplied on the insertion station 12 and transmits point 20, or being equivalent to the time of two insertion stations 12 by

feed arrangement

16 and 18, Hua Fei time is the longest in this case.In other words, the delivery time does not rely on inserts the speed of envelope 24 with mail 22, as long as the insertion station 12 of enough numbers is arranged on conveyer belt 14.

In Fig. 3, label 41 refers generally to another embodiment of being used for mail is inserted the device of envelope according to of the present invention.Unless stated otherwise, same label refers to same parts in Fig. 1-5.

In this embodiment of the invention, each envelope 24 is fed on the corresponding insertion station under the flap 17 of envelope 24 situation in the closed position, and at this moment flap 17 has sealed the mouth 19 of envelope.Therefore this device comprises a flap opener that is used for being loaded at corresponding mail 22 flap 17 of opening each envelope 24 between the envelope 24 continuously.This letter opener comprises that one presses close to the flat bars 38 of conveyer belt 14 vacantly from the top, when seeing that this installs 41 from the side, this rod 38 is parallel with conveyer belt, and from plan view (Fig. 3), the direction that the insertion station 12 shown in this rod 38 and the arrow 15 circulates at an angle.In use, when insertion station 12 carries out shuttling movement, rod 38 slides between the flap 17 of each envelope 24 and envelope body continuously, the motion of insertion station 12 makes rod 38 automatically flap 17 is folded to open position, and at this moment the mouth 19 of envelope 24 is exposed so that corresponding mail 22 inserts in the envelope 24.

Equally, device 41 comprises a flap of an envelope closer that is used for closing continuously the flap 17 of envelope 24 after mail 22 has been loaded into envelope 24.This flap closer comprises a flat bars 40 similar to the rod 38 of flap opener, when from plan view (Fig. 3), the direction of the rod 40 of this flap closer and the shuttling movement of insertion station at an angle, so that rod 40 is passed through in the motion of insertion station 12 continuously, thereby make rod 40 automatically close the flap 17 of each envelope 24.

Though do not show an envelope sealing machine to be arranged in the drawings by applying the power of sealing on the envelope body that flap 17 is pressed in envelope 24 to seal the flap 17 of each envelope 24 in the closed position.This envelope sealing machine can be the form of stationary roll that is positioned at the top of conveyer belt 14, and it is in the downstream of closing bar 40, and is pressed to conveyer belt 14.In addition, it is contemplated that in the direct upstream of flap sealer 40 a flap damper to be arranged, the flap 17 that is used for wetting each envelope is beneficial to make its sealing.

Device 41 has two cam rods above the conveyer belt 14 between

feed arrangement

16,18 and the transmission point 20, they are the opener cam rods 30 that are used for the inserter cam rod 13 of working in coordination with inserter cam follower 11 and are used for working in coordination with opener cam follower 36 on each insertion station on each insertion station 12.

Letter opener 32 comprises a pair of wedge 43, respectively there is one at the two ends of letter opener 32, this wedge comprises a upper prong 44 and a lower prong 46 (Fig. 4) of vertical arrangement, and each other at angle to constitute wedge 43, so that the narrow end 45 of each wedge 43 is towards the opening 19 of associated envelope 24 in use.Upper prong 44 is to rotate around the rotating shaft parallel with direction shown in the arrow 15 50, this rotating shaft 50 is set at the wide end 47 of wedge 43, so upwards rotate and separate around rotating shaft 50 with lower prong 48 by upper prong 44, the narrow end 45 of wedge 43 can be opened allowing corresponding mail 22 to pass through between most advanced and sophisticated 44,46, from the wide end 47 of wedge 43 to its narrow end 45.

Each letter opener 32 is to slide on the guide rail 42 that is arranged on the corresponding insertion station 12, this guide rail 42 is to stretch along the direction with the direction crosscut shown in the arrow 15, and letter opener 32 is to be caused by the synergy of opener cam follower 36 with opener cam rod 30 along the slip of guide rail 42.

The mail inserter 34 (Fig. 5) of each insertion station 12 also is can be static with respect to insertion station 12 and along slip on the inserter guide rail 48 of vertical with the direction shown in the arrow 15, parallel with opener guide rail 42 direction stretching, extension, similarly, the slip of each inserter 34 is to be caused by the synergy between corresponding inserter cam follower 11 and the inserter cam rod 13, each inserter 34 is arranged to go up in position, by the slip of inserter 34 towards envelope 24 corresponding mail 22 is pushed in the associated envelope 24.The structure of

guide rail

48,42 makes the slip that can overload mutually of inserter 34 and opener 32.

In use, the

cam follower

11,36 of each insertion station 12 collaborative respectively and between the cam rod 13,30 makes opener 32 and inserter 34 automatically open associated envelope 24 respectively and automatically mail 22 is inserted in the envelopes 24.At first, opener 32 slides towards envelope 24, and the narrow end 45 of wedge 43 enters the opening 19 of associated envelope 24, thereby the sidewall of envelope 24 is separated from each other to open opening 19 (Fig. 4).Then, inserter 34 slides towards envelope 24, promotes mail 22 between most advanced and sophisticated 44,46.Upper prong 44 rotates with corresponding lower prong 46 and separates so that the narrow end 45 of wedge 43 is opened, and mail 22 is pushed in the envelope 24 by the narrow end of opening 45.

Letter opener 36 slips off from envelope 24 then, so wedge 43 withdraws from and mail 22 is stayed the envelope 24 from envelope 24, and inserter 34 also slips off from envelope 24 thereafter.As mentioned above, after mail 22 had been inserted in the associated envelope 24 in such a way, the flap 17 of each envelope was closed by rod 40, and envelope is continued to be sent to transmission point 20.

The applicant recognizes in a kind of method of automatically mail being inserted on the insertion station of fixed position in the envelope, the insertion program comprises, one or more mail and the envelope that will pack into are accordingly delivered on the insertion station from feed arrangement, envelope is opened and mail is inserted in the envelope, the mail that wherein is equipped with of envelope and then remove so that allow insertion station admit other mail and envelope and repeat this program from the insertion station of fixed position.In the method, insertion station can not be accepted other mail and envelope is removed from insertion station up to the envelope that mail is housed from feed arrangement, has just caused that therefore delay, the present invention avoid or reduced this delay.

Claims

1, mail is packed into the method for envelope, this method comprises the plug-in mounting circulation of being made up of following step:

2, the method for claim 1 is characterized in that, when corresponding insertion station when transmitting the some motion, before the step of mail being inserted envelope, have the step of opening each envelope flap.

3, method as claimed in claim 2 is characterized in that, when corresponding insertion station when transmitting the some motion, before opening the step of envelope flap, have the step of the flap of opening each envelope.

4, each described method in the claim as the aforementioned is characterized in that, when corresponding insertion station when transmitting the some motion, after the step of mail being inserted associated envelope, have the step of the flap of closing each envelope.

5, each described method in the claim as the aforementioned is characterized in that each mail and associated envelope are to be fed into simultaneously on the corresponding insertion station basically.

6, mail is inserted the device of envelope, this device comprises:

7, device as claimed in claim 6 is characterized in that, said mail inserter is cam-actuated.

8, device as claimed in claim 7 is characterized in that, said mail inserter comprises the cam follower by the corresponding stationary cam driving adjacent with conveyer belt, and this mail inserter cam is between a side feed arrangement and the opposing party's transmission point.

9, as each described device among the claim 6-8, it is characterized in that, each insertion station comprises a letter opener, the opening that it can turn round automatically and supply to the envelope on the corresponding insertion station from envelope feeder to open inserts in this envelope corresponding mail to prepare this envelope by corresponding mail inserter.

10, device as claimed in claim 9 is characterized in that, letter opener is cam-actuated.

11, device as claimed in claim 10 is characterized in that, letter opener comprises the cam follower by the corresponding stationary cam driving adjacent with conveyer belt, and this letter opener cam is between a side feed arrangement and the opposing party's transmission point.

As each described device among the claim 6-11, it is characterized in that 12, this device comprises the mail feed arrangement that is used for supplying with to insertion station continuously mail, so that a mail is fed on the insertion station.

13, device as claimed in claim 12 is characterized in that, this device comprises the envelope feeder that is used for supplying with to insertion station continuously envelope, so that an envelope is fed on the insertion station.

14, device as claimed in claim 13 is characterized in that, the arrangement that links to each other with envelope feeder of said mail feed arrangement is so that envelope and mail are fed on each insertion station basically simultaneously.

15, as each described device among the claim 6-14, it is characterized in that endless belt conveyer is installed on a pair of pulley, one of them is a driven pulley to pulley for this, another is a guide wheel, and insertion station is installed on the conveyer belt along the length of conveyer belt at regular intervals.