EP0009323B1 - Semi-automatic insertion machine - Google Patents
Semi-automatic insertion machine Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0009323B1 EP0009323B1 EP19790301693 EP79301693A EP0009323B1 EP 0009323 B1 EP0009323 B1 EP 0009323B1 EP 19790301693 EP19790301693 EP 19790301693 EP 79301693 A EP79301693 A EP 79301693A EP 0009323 B1 EP0009323 B1 EP 0009323B1
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- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- envelope
- envelopes
- machine
- flaps
- further characterized
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B43—WRITING OR DRAWING IMPLEMENTS; BUREAU ACCESSORIES
- B43M—BUREAU ACCESSORIES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B43M3/00—Devices for inserting documents into envelopes
Definitions
- the present invention is directed to a machine for inserting materials into envelopes, and more particularly to a semi-automatic machine for assisting an operator in placing materials into envelopes.
- U.S. Patent Specification No. 3368321 discloses such a fully automatic machine for the placing of materials into envelopes of the type having a body and an adjacent seal flap pre- folded in an unsealed closed position over said body, the machine comprising a plurality of process stations, conveying means for transporting a plurality of envelopes in succession to each of said process stations, enveloped storing means adjacent said conveying means for maintaining a plurality of envelopes to be processed in a ready condition, envelope transferring means for transferring envelopes one at a time in succession from said envelope storing means to said conveying means, envelope flap unfolding means at a first one of said process stations for bending the flap of each envelope from its prefolded unsealed position to a position substantially in line with its body, and envelope opening means at a second one of said process stations for disposing each envelope in an opened condition.
- Such a machine will be referred to as being of the kind
- U.K. Patent Specification No. 944255 discloses a semi-automatic insertion machine satisfying such criterions.
- the machine suffers from at least one disadvantage in that it has no means for facilitating the manual placing of materials into opened envelopes by an operator.
- an insertion machine of the kind specified is characterised by a table top extending along and adjacent to said conveying means defining an operator work position on its side opposite said conveying means, and a guide plate associated with said table top adjacent to and facing said opening means to facilitate the placing of materials into the opened envelopes by an operator.
- the machine 10 there illustrated and which embodies the present invention includes a substantially horizontal frame 11 which is supported by a pair of pendant legs 12, 13. On top of the frame 11 is an upper horizontally disposed surface 14 upon which envelopes and materials to be inserted therein may be placed for convenient access.
- a lower horizontal surface 15 is provided to form a work surface for the operator. Within the work surface 15 is a push or press bar 16 which is depressed by the operator to cause the machine to sequence for processing the envelopes in a manner to be described subsequently.
- a conveying means which includes a substantially horizontal top plate 17.
- the conveying means also comprises a pair of belts 20 and 21 which are caused to travel along the conveyor top plate 17 by rotating wheels 22 and 23.
- An envelope storing means in the form of an envelope hopper or stacker 25 is disposed adjacent to the conveying means and more particularly above the conveyor.
- An envelope feed means to be described hereinafter is located beneath the conveyor top surface and transfers the bottom envelope of the envelope stack 26 one at a time in succession upon each depression of the press bar 16.
- a foot pedal or other actuating device may be utilized as well in serving the function of press bar 16.
- the machine 10 is particularly adapted for processing envelopes of the kind which have a body comprising a pair of side walls or panels and an adjacent seal flap adjoining one of the sidewalls and prefolded in an unsealed closed position, over the body.
- the machine 10 includes along the horizontal conveyor a plurality of processing stations.
- a first processing station 30 unfolds the prefolded unsealed envelope flaps to dispose the envelope flaps in a substantially in line orientation with respect to the envelope bodies.
- a second processing station 35 is also provided along the horizontal conveyor which opens the envelopes and presents the envelopes to the operator in an opened condition in manner which facilitates the ready insertion of materials into the envelopes.
- a third processing station 45 may be provided to facilitate weighing of the processed envelopes to facilitate sorting of the processed envelopes by weight, for example, or can be utilized as an idle station for conveniently discarding defective envelopes.
- the envelope storing means or hopper 25 includes a horizontal support for the envelopes which comprises a substantially U-shaped member 50 and a link member 51.
- a horizontal support for the envelopes which comprises a substantially U-shaped member 50 and a link member 51.
- the envelope feed means beneath the top plate of a conveyor includes a pair of suction cups 55 and 56 which are arranged for reciprocating movement and which are also coupled to a source of negative pressure by a line 57.
- the suction cups 55 and 56 are caused to reciprocate upwardly and downwardly by a mechanism which includes a cam 58, a link 59, a yoke shaped coupling member 60, and a vertical rod 61.
- the vertical rod 61 as best seen in Fig. 9a, is coupled to the yoke member 60 by a collar 62 which receives the rod 61 through a pair of slots 63 in the coupling member 60.
- the link member 59 will pivot about a pivot point 64 to cause the coupling member 60 to reciprocate upwardly and downwardly.
- the rod 61 Because the rod 61 is confined on the coupling member 60 by the collar 62, the rod in turn will reciprocate in movement and cause the suction cups 55 and 56 to reciprocate upwardly and downwardly.
- the source of negative pressure is actuated to cause the suction cups 55 and 56 to grip the bottom envelope of the stack 26 and carry it downwardly into engagement with the conveyor belts 20 and 21.
- the suction cups 55 and 56 After bringing the bottom envelope into engagement with the conveyor, the suction cups 55 and 56 will retract into a pair of apertures 70 and 71 within the conveyor top plate 17 where they will remain until the next envelope is to be transferred from the stack 26 to the conveyor belts.
- the members 50 and 51 of the envelope storing means include an elongated lip portion 75 and 76 having an inclined surface which aids the suction cups in pulling the bottom envelope from the stack.
- a pair of idler pressure rollers schematically illustrated at 77 and 78 are brought into engagement with the envelope to releasably hold the envelope in engagement with the conveyor belt 20 immediately prior to and during the transportation of the envelope from the feed station to the envelope flap unfolding station.
- the horizontal bottom support for the envelope stack 26 which comprises the members 50 and 51 may be adjusted to accommodate envelopes of many different sizes.
- the substantially U-shaped member 50 includes a bore 80 which receives an elongated threaded member 81 having an end knob 82.
- the threaded member 81 extends through the bore 80 and into a threaded bore 83 of member 51.
- guide rod 85 extends from the substantially U-shaped member 50 to and through a second bore 89 of the member 51.
- the conveyor belts 20 and 21 will increment causing the envelope to travel from the feed station to the first processing station which unfolds the pre- folded unsealed flap of the envelope.
- the flap unfolding processing station includes a pair of pressure rollers 31 and 32, a deflection post 33, and a straightener post 34.
- the rollers 31 and 32 are vertically disposed with respect to the horizontal belts and are mounted to shafts fixed to a vertical panel 41 of the machine. Referring specifically to Figs. 4 and 5, the body 90 of the envelope comprising side panels 91 and 92 is captured between the pressure rollers 31 and 32 and the conveyor belt 20.
- the flap 93 of the envelope which adjoins the envelope sidewall 92 and which was pre-folded over the envelope body is deflected to a partially unfolded position by the deflection post 33.
- the deflection post 33 engages the external surface 94 of the flap 93 causing the envelope sidewall 92 to bend at 95 around the comer edge 96 of the conveyor top plate 17.
- the flap 93 is partially unfolded as illustrated in Fig. 5 and is ready to be received by the straightener post 34.
- the straightener post 34 engages the internal surface 97 of the flap 93 and is disposed at an angle both vertically and horizontally with respect to the corner edge 96 of the conveyor top plate 17. As a result, the straightener post 34 will cause the envelope flap 93 to further unfold and pass underneath the straightener post 34 as the envelope travels from the flap unfolding processing station 30 to the envelope opening processing station 35.
- the envelope opening processing station 35 includes a guide plate 36, a suction cup 37, an arm 38 connected to the suction cup 37, and a pair of pressure rollers 39 mounted on shafts which extend through a pair of slots 40 of the vertical panel 41 of the machine. Likewise, the arm 38 extends through a slot 42 of the vertical panel 41.
- the bottom surface 100 of the guide plate 36 at its end 101 is spaced slightly above the upper surface of the conveyor belts 20 and 21.
- the envelope flap 93 passes beneath the guide plate 36.
- the conveyor stops and the arm 38 lowers so that the suction cup 37 grips the side panel 91 of the envelope which is opposite the flap 93 and its adjoining side panel 92.
- the suction cup 37 is coupled to a source of negative pressure through the arm 38.
- a pressure pad 120 is provided and also is arranged for reciprocal movement.
- the pressure pad 120 prior to the raising of the suction cup 37, is caused to move upwardly and confine the flap 93 between the pressure pad 120 and the bottom surface 100 of the guide plate 36.
- the suction cup 37 raises and causes the envelope panel 91 to in turn raise, the envelope will open due to the fact that the flap 93 is confined in a substantially horizontal position in line with its adjoining panel 92.
- the pressure rollers 39 although not engaged with the envelope as the envelope is opened, are spaced just above the envelope so that the end of the envelope opposite the flap 93 will not rise up as the envelope is opened by the suction cup 37.
- the guide plate 36 is positioned so that the operator may place the materials to be inserted into the envelope on the guide plate and merely pushes the materials along the guide plate and into the envelope.
- the guide plate 36 is provided with a curved side portion 121 to further aid in the guiding of the materials into the envelope 26.
- the operator then depresses the press bar 16 which causes a solenoid to act to release the air pressure within the arm 38 and suction cup 37.
- the envelope panels 91 and 92 will rapidly collapse to ready the envelope for further transportation to the next processing station.
- the pressure roller 39 will be caused to pivot about a pivot point 122 by a linkage 123 to cause the envelope to engage the conveyor to assure transportation of the envelope from the envelope opening station to the next processing station.
- the linkage 123 has a pair of collars 124 and 125 which include set screws 126 and 127 which provide an adjustment for the degree of travel of the pressure roller 39. Because the pressure rollers are pivotal about the pivot point 122, they releasably hold the envelope into engagement with the conveyor and may be readily moved out of the way during the envelope opening process.
- the third processing station 45 which may be an idle station as previously described or may be a station which provides an ancillary function which contributes to the efficiency of the mail preparation process afforded by the machine of the present invention.
- the third processing station may be of the type which weighs the processed envelopes to facilitate sorting of the processed envelopes by weight.
- Figs. 7 and 8 which illustrate such a weighing mechanism.
- a criss-cross aperture 130 is provided within the conveyor top plate 17. Through the criss-cross aperture 130 a weighing platform may be raised to engage the envelopes.
- Fig. 8 shows the weighing apparatus prior to engagement of the platform 131 with an envelope 26.
- the weighing apparatus includes the platform 131, a rod 132 coupled to the platform 131, a guide 133 for the rod 132, a first arm 134, a second arm 135, a pivot 136, and a spring 139.
- the first arm 134 and second arm 135 are independently pivotal about the pivot 136 but are coupled together by the spring 139 which extends between the first arm 134 and an extension 137 of the second arm 135.
- a rotating eccentric cam 138 is provided which, when rotated, deflects the first arm 134 to place the spring 139 under tension.
- the second arm 135 pivot about the pivot point 136 and to in turn cause the rod 132 to rise vertically for engaging the platform 131 with the envelope 26.
- the platform will not be able to rise up a sufficient distance so as to cause a pair of contacts 140 and 141 to make contact.
- the platform will be caused to rise up a sufficient distance so that the contacts 140 and 141 will engage.
- These contacts may be utilized in an indicating system for turning on a light or a buzzer for example to indicate that the envelope is below a predetermined weight for sorting purposes.
- the tension of spring 139 may be adjusted for different predetermined envelope weights to be detected by the turning of a threaded member 142 arranged to vary the spring tension in a known manner.
- Figs. 1, 9 and 10 The operation of the machine will now be summarized by making reference to Figs. 1, 9 and 10. Assuming that a plurality of envelopes 26 have been placed into the hopper 25 for ready use, and assuming that sufficient envelopes have been processed so that there is an envelope at each of the processing stations, the machine will be in a condition such that a first envelope 151 will be resting on the conveyor at the feed station, a second envelope 152 will be partially opened at the unfolding station, a third envelope 513 will be at the envelope opening station and have materials inserted therein, and a fourth envelope 154 will be at the weighing station and has been weighed.
- the suction cup 37 holding envelope 153 open will release the envelope through the termination of the air suction therethrough by a fast-acting solenoid in a time indicated by the arrow 160.
- the pressure pad 120 (Fig. 6) will release the flap of the envelope during the time indicated by arrow 161.
- the feed means at the feed station will feed a new envelope onto the conveyor by the raising of the suction cups 55 and 56 into engagement with the bottom envelope of the stack 26.
- the air suction through the suction cups 55 and 56 is initiated immediately prior to the engagement of the suction cups with the bottom envelope.
- the suction cups 55 and 56 are then caused to move downwardly in a manner previously described to place the envelope onto the conveyor.
- the envelope is thereby placed onto the conveyor and is ready for processing during the time period indicated by the arrow 163, which terminates at t 4 , the ending of the processing cycle.
- the envelope just conveyed to the opening station is caused to be opened during a time indicated by the arrow 164 which terminates at t 3 .
- the arm 38 and suction cup 37 are lowered into engagement with the envelope with negative air pressure being initiated immediately prior to the suction cup 37 engaging the envelope.
- the suction cup 37 after gripping the envelope is then caused to move upwardly to open the envelope and present it to the operator in a condition to facilitate the ready insertion of the materials into the envelope.
- This function is completed by t 3 .
- the time period between t 3 and t 4 is provided to give the operator time to place the materials into the envelope. If the operator is operating the machine at maximum efficiency, he will be afforded the time period indicated by the arrow 165 for accomplishing that function. However, it is to be understood that the operator could take a longer period of time to insert the materials into the envelope before the press bar to initiate a new cycle.
- the weighing station is caused to weigh the envelope just conveyed to it during the time period indicated by the arrow 166.
- the cam 138 (Fig. 8) is caused to rotate in the direction indicated to place the spring 139 under tension to cause the platform 131 to rise up in the manner previously described for weighing the envelope above the platform.
- the operator can then take the envelope just weighed and send it down a discharge ramp 155 into a receiving and storage tray 156 for placing of the envelopes into suitable postage machines which are well known in the art. These postal machines are adapted to reclose the flaps of the envelopes, seal the envelopes, and place the appropriate amount of postage onto the envelopes.
- the present invention provides a new and improved apparatus for processing mail pieces. More particularly, the present invention provides a semi-automatic mail insertion machine which assists an operator in the placing of materials into envelopes for mailing.
- the machine of the present invention presents each of the envelopes to be processed to the operator in an open condition in a manner which facilitates the ready placement of the materials into the envelopes.
- the machine also automatically unfolds the prefolded envelope flaps and presents the opened envelopes to the operator in rapid succession under control by the operator.
- large numbers of mailing pieces may be processed without the need of employing a fully automatic envelope stuffing machine which, as previously explained, is very expensive and complicated.
- the semi-automatic mail insertion machine of the present invention provides a better solution to the problem.
- the machine of the present invention provides sufficient assistance to an operator so that mail processing workloads which are too large to be handled by manual personnel, but which are too small to substantiate investment of a fully automatic machine may be satisfied.
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- Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
- Delivering By Means Of Belts And Rollers (AREA)
- Packaging Of Special Articles (AREA)
- Feeding Of Articles By Means Other Than Belts Or Rollers (AREA)
Description
- The present invention is directed to a machine for inserting materials into envelopes, and more particularly to a semi-automatic machine for assisting an operator in placing materials into envelopes.
- There are many commercial environments where thousands of mail pieces must be processed each day. For example, banks, utility companies and the like must prepare extremely large numbers of mail pieces to be sent out to their customers on a daily basis. The preparation of the mailing pieces usually includes the placing of materials in the form of, for example, cancelled cheques or bills for customers into envelopes. While it may appear that the opening ot an envelope and the placing of materials therein is a simple matter, this procedure is in actuality laborious and time consuming, costing such businesses thousands of dollars each year.
- To reduce the cost of preparing such mailings, various forms of fully automatic "envelope stuffing" machines have been developed. U.S. Patent Specification No. 3368321 discloses such a fully automatic machine for the placing of materials into envelopes of the type having a body and an adjacent seal flap pre- folded in an unsealed closed position over said body, the machine comprising a plurality of process stations, conveying means for transporting a plurality of envelopes in succession to each of said process stations, enveloped storing means adjacent said conveying means for maintaining a plurality of envelopes to be processed in a ready condition, envelope transferring means for transferring envelopes one at a time in succession from said envelope storing means to said conveying means, envelope flap unfolding means at a first one of said process stations for bending the flap of each envelope from its prefolded unsealed position to a position substantially in line with its body, and envelope opening means at a second one of said process stations for disposing each envelope in an opened condition. Such a machine will be referred to as being of the kind specified.
- These machines are very complicated and expensive, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, and as has been found in practice, can only be economically employed for very large mail-processing workloads. Hence, such machines are suitable only for very large banks, utility companies, or the like.
- There are many businesses, on the other hand, which must prepare mailings which are too small in number to substantiate, economically, the utilization of a fully automatic machine, but which are too large in number to economically employ the required personnel for manual mail preparation. Such may be the case in small banks or rural utility companies for example. Hence, there is a need in the art for a machine which is inexpensive in comparison to the cost of fully automatic envelope stuffing machines, but which will enable mail preparation by relatively few operators at a rate which satisfies mail preparation workloads that are too small to justify a fully automatic machine and too large to justify the employ of manual personnel.
- U.K. Patent Specification No. 944255 discloses a semi-automatic insertion machine satisfying such criterions. However, the machine suffers from at least one disadvantage in that it has no means for facilitating the manual placing of materials into opened envelopes by an operator.
- It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine of the kind specified, in which means are provided for collating material and for facilitating the placing of materials into opened envelopes by an operator.
- With this object in view, an insertion machine of the kind specified is characterised by a table top extending along and adjacent to said conveying means defining an operator work position on its side opposite said conveying means, and a guide plate associated with said table top adjacent to and facing said opening means to facilitate the placing of materials into the opened envelopes by an operator.
- While the features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims, the further objects and advantages thereof may best be appreciated by making reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the several figures of which like reference numerals indicate identical elements and wherein:
- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a semi-automatic mail insertion machine embodying the present invention;
- Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. 9, illustrating particular details of the envelope storing means and the envelope feed means of the machine of Fig. 1;
- Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;
- Fig. 4 is a partial top plan view illustrating the manner of operation of the envelope flap unfolding means of the machine of Fig. 1;
- Fig. 5 is a partial side view of the envelope flap unfolding means of Fig. 4;
- Fig. 6 is a side view, primarily in diagrammatic form, illustrating the envelope opening means of the machine of Fig. 1;
- Fig. 7 is a partial perspective view of a criss-cross aperture provided in a top plate of the machine of Fig. 1 which facilitates the weighing of the processed envelopes;
- Fig. 8 is a side-view partially in cross-section of a weighing apparatus which may be employed for weighing the processed envelopes and which may be utilized in the machine of Fig. 1;
- Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic side view illustrating the operation of the machine of Fig. 1, and illustrating the condition of the envelopes at each stage of the process performed on the envelopes by the machine;
- Figs. 9a and 9b illustrate in more specific detail a particular aspect of the envelope feed means of the machine of Fig. 1; and
- Fig. 10 is a graphical representation of the machine timing for each process performed on the envelopes by the machine.
- Referring now to Fig. 1, the
machine 10 there illustrated and which embodies the present invention, includes a substantially horizontal frame 11 which is supported by a pair ofpendant legs surface 14 upon which envelopes and materials to be inserted therein may be placed for convenient access. A lowerhorizontal surface 15 is provided to form a work surface for the operator. Within thework surface 15 is a push orpress bar 16 which is depressed by the operator to cause the machine to sequence for processing the envelopes in a manner to be described subsequently. Between thehorizontal surfaces horizontal top plate 17. The conveying means also comprises a pair ofbelts conveyor top plate 17 by rotatingwheels - An envelope storing means in the form of an envelope hopper or
stacker 25 is disposed adjacent to the conveying means and more particularly above the conveyor. An envelope feed means to be described hereinafter is located beneath the conveyor top surface and transfers the bottom envelope of the envelope stack 26 one at a time in succession upon each depression of thepress bar 16. Of course, a foot pedal or other actuating device may be utilized as well in serving the function ofpress bar 16. - The
machine 10 is particularly adapted for processing envelopes of the kind which have a body comprising a pair of side walls or panels and an adjacent seal flap adjoining one of the sidewalls and prefolded in an unsealed closed position, over the body. For processing envelopes of this kind to facilitate the insertion of materials herein, themachine 10 includes along the horizontal conveyor a plurality of processing stations. Afirst processing station 30 unfolds the prefolded unsealed envelope flaps to dispose the envelope flaps in a substantially in line orientation with respect to the envelope bodies. A second processing station 35 is also provided along the horizontal conveyor which opens the envelopes and presents the envelopes to the operator in an opened condition in manner which facilitates the ready insertion of materials into the envelopes. Athird processing station 45 may be provided to facilitate weighing of the processed envelopes to facilitate sorting of the processed envelopes by weight, for example, or can be utilized as an idle station for conveniently discarding defective envelopes. - The envelope storing means or
hopper 25 includes a horizontal support for the envelopes which comprises a substantially U-shapedmember 50 and alink member 51. Along themembers support posts 52 which extend upwardly from themembers envelopes 26. As can be seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 9, the envelope feed means beneath the top plate of a conveyor includes a pair ofsuction cups line 57. Referring particularly to Fig. 9, thesuction cups coupling member 60, and avertical rod 61. Thevertical rod 61 as best seen in Fig. 9a, is coupled to theyoke member 60 by acollar 62 which receives therod 61 through a pair ofslots 63 in thecoupling member 60. As the cam 58 rotates, the link member 59 will pivot about apivot point 64 to cause thecoupling member 60 to reciprocate upwardly and downwardly. Because therod 61 is confined on thecoupling member 60 by thecollar 62, the rod in turn will reciprocate in movement and cause thesuction cups suction cups stack 26 and carry it downwardly into engagement with theconveyor belts suction cups apertures conveyor top plate 17 where they will remain until the next envelope is to be transferred from thestack 26 to the conveyor belts. - Referring again to Figs. 2 and 3, it can be seen that the
members elongated lip portion conveyor belts conveyor belt 20 immediately prior to and during the transportation of the envelope from the feed station to the envelope flap unfolding station. - The horizontal bottom support for the
envelope stack 26 which comprises themembers member 50 includes abore 80 which receives an elongated threadedmember 81 having anend knob 82. The threadedmember 81 extends through thebore 80 and into a threadedbore 83 ofmember 51. Also,guide rod 85 extends from the substantially U-shapedmember 50 to and through a second bore 89 of themember 51. As a result, as theknob 82 is turned, the spacing between theenvelope support lips - After an envelope is fed to the conveyor in the manner previously described, upon depression of the
press bar 16, theconveyor belts pressure rollers deflection post 33, and astraightener post 34. Therollers vertical panel 41 of the machine. Referring specifically to Figs. 4 and 5, thebody 90 of the envelope comprisingside panels pressure rollers conveyor belt 20. Theflap 93 of the envelope which adjoins theenvelope sidewall 92 and which was pre-folded over the envelope body is deflected to a partially unfolded position by thedeflection post 33. The deflection post 33 engages theexternal surface 94 of theflap 93 causing theenvelope sidewall 92 to bend at 95 around thecomer edge 96 of the conveyortop plate 17. As a result, theflap 93 is partially unfolded as illustrated in Fig. 5 and is ready to be received by thestraightener post 34. - The
straightener post 34 engages theinternal surface 97 of theflap 93 and is disposed at an angle both vertically and horizontally with respect to thecorner edge 96 of the conveyortop plate 17. As a result, thestraightener post 34 will cause theenvelope flap 93 to further unfold and pass underneath thestraightener post 34 as the envelope travels from the flap unfoldingprocessing station 30 to the envelope opening processing station 35. - The envelope opening processing station 35 includes a
guide plate 36, asuction cup 37, anarm 38 connected to thesuction cup 37, and a pair ofpressure rollers 39 mounted on shafts which extend through a pair of slots 40 of thevertical panel 41 of the machine. Likewise, thearm 38 extends through a slot 42 of thevertical panel 41. - Referring to Figs. 4 and 6, it can be seen that the bottom surface 100 of the
guide plate 36 at its end 101 is spaced slightly above the upper surface of theconveyor belts envelope 26 is transported from the unfoldingprocessing station 30 to the envelope opening process station 35, theenvelope flap 93 passes beneath theguide plate 36. After the conveyor has incremented and theflap 93 is fully beneath theguide plate 36, the conveyor stops and thearm 38 lowers so that thesuction cup 37 grips theside panel 91 of the envelope which is opposite theflap 93 and itsadjoining side panel 92. As in the case of thesuction cups suction cup 37 is coupled to a source of negative pressure through thearm 38. It reciprocates in an upward and downward direction by thearm 38 being pivoted at apivot point 110. Pivotal action of thearm 38 is afforded by a reciprocating linkage 111 which is coupled to thearm 38 by a pair ofcollars set screws arm 38 and thesuction cup 37. Just prior to thesuction cup 37 being lowered, the negative air pressure is administered to thearm 38 so that by the time thesuction cup 37 engages thepanel 91 of theenvelope 26, it will grip theenvelope panel 91. As thearm 38 moves thesuction cup 37 upwardly, the suction cup will cause thepanel 91 to raise. - A
pressure pad 120 is provided and also is arranged for reciprocal movement. Thepressure pad 120, prior to the raising of thesuction cup 37, is caused to move upwardly and confine theflap 93 between thepressure pad 120 and the bottom surface 100 of theguide plate 36. As a result, as thesuction cup 37 raises and causes theenvelope panel 91 to in turn raise, the envelope will open due to the fact that theflap 93 is confined in a substantially horizontal position in line with its adjoiningpanel 92. Thepressure rollers 39 although not engaged with the envelope as the envelope is opened, are spaced just above the envelope so that the end of the envelope opposite theflap 93 will not rise up as the envelope is opened by thesuction cup 37. - After the envelope is opened, it is presented to the operator in a manner which facilitates the ready insertion of materials into the envelope. As can be seen in Fig. 1, the
guide plate 36 is positioned so that the operator may place the materials to be inserted into the envelope on the guide plate and merely pushes the materials along the guide plate and into the envelope. Theguide plate 36 is provided with acurved side portion 121 to further aid in the guiding of the materials into theenvelope 26. - After the materials are inserted into the envelope, the operator then depresses the
press bar 16 which causes a solenoid to act to release the air pressure within thearm 38 andsuction cup 37. As a result, theenvelope panels press bar 16 is depressed, thepressure roller 39 will be caused to pivot about apivot point 122 by alinkage 123 to cause the envelope to engage the conveyor to assure transportation of the envelope from the envelope opening station to the next processing station. As can be seen in Fig. 6, thelinkage 123 has a pair ofcollars 124 and 125 which include setscrews 126 and 127 which provide an adjustment for the degree of travel of thepressure roller 39. Because the pressure rollers are pivotal about thepivot point 122, they releasably hold the envelope into engagement with the conveyor and may be readily moved out of the way during the envelope opening process. - After the envelope has been opened and the materials inserted therein, it is transported to the
third processing station 45 which may be an idle station as previously described or may be a station which provides an ancillary function which contributes to the efficiency of the mail preparation process afforded by the machine of the present invention. Specifically, the third processing station may be of the type which weighs the processed envelopes to facilitate sorting of the processed envelopes by weight. To that end, reference may be made to Figs. 7 and 8, which illustrate such a weighing mechanism. In Fig. 7, it can be seen that between theconveyor belts conveyor top plate 17. Through the criss-cross aperture 130 a weighing platform may be raised to engage the envelopes. - Fig. 8 shows the weighing apparatus prior to engagement of the
platform 131 with anenvelope 26. The weighing apparatus includes theplatform 131, arod 132 coupled to theplatform 131, aguide 133 for therod 132, afirst arm 134, asecond arm 135, apivot 136, and aspring 139. Thefirst arm 134 andsecond arm 135 are independently pivotal about thepivot 136 but are coupled together by thespring 139 which extends between thefirst arm 134 and anextension 137 of thesecond arm 135. A rotating eccentric cam 138 is provided which, when rotated, deflects thefirst arm 134 to place thespring 139 under tension. This causes thesecond arm 135 to pivot about thepivot point 136 and to in turn cause therod 132 to rise vertically for engaging theplatform 131 with theenvelope 26. If theenvelope 26 weighs more than a predetermined weight, determined by the tension ofspring 139, the platform will not be able to rise up a sufficient distance so as to cause a pair ofcontacts contacts spring 139 may be adjusted for different predetermined envelope weights to be detected by the turning of a threadedmember 142 arranged to vary the spring tension in a known manner. - The operation of the machine will now be summarized by making reference to Figs. 1, 9 and 10. Assuming that a plurality of
envelopes 26 have been placed into thehopper 25 for ready use, and assuming that sufficient envelopes have been processed so that there is an envelope at each of the processing stations, the machine will be in a condition such that afirst envelope 151 will be resting on the conveyor at the feed station, asecond envelope 152 will be partially opened at the unfolding station, a third envelope 513 will be at the envelope opening station and have materials inserted therein, and afourth envelope 154 will be at the weighing station and has been weighed. When the operator depresses thepress bar 16 at ta, thesuction cup 37 holdingenvelope 153 open will release the envelope through the termination of the air suction therethrough by a fast-acting solenoid in a time indicated by thearrow 160. Simultaneously, the pressure pad 120 (Fig. 6) will release the flap of the envelope during the time indicated byarrow 161. These functions are accomplished at t, at which time the conveyor is caused to increment for a time indicated byarrow 162. The conveyor is energized for a sufficient time to cause each of the envelopes to be aligned with its next respective processing station. At this time, t2, the conveyor stops. At t2, the feed means at the feed station will feed a new envelope onto the conveyor by the raising of thesuction cups stack 26. The air suction through thesuction cups arrow 164 which terminates at t3. During the time period indicated by thearrow 164, thearm 38 andsuction cup 37 are lowered into engagement with the envelope with negative air pressure being initiated immediately prior to thesuction cup 37 engaging the envelope. Thesuction cup 37, after gripping the envelope is then caused to move upwardly to open the envelope and present it to the operator in a condition to facilitate the ready insertion of the materials into the envelope. This function is completed by t3. The time period between t3 and t4, indicated byarrow 165, is provided to give the operator time to place the materials into the envelope. If the operator is operating the machine at maximum efficiency, he will be afforded the time period indicated by thearrow 165 for accomplishing that function. However, it is to be understood that the operator could take a longer period of time to insert the materials into the envelope before the press bar to initiate a new cycle. - Lastly, at t2, the weighing station is caused to weigh the envelope just conveyed to it during the time period indicated by the
arrow 166. During this time period, the cam 138 (Fig. 8) is caused to rotate in the direction indicated to place thespring 139 under tension to cause theplatform 131 to rise up in the manner previously described for weighing the envelope above the platform. After the envelope has been weighed and responsive to the indication provided by the indicating means coupled to thecontacts discharge ramp 155 into a receiving andstorage tray 156 for placing of the envelopes into suitable postage machines which are well known in the art. These postal machines are adapted to reclose the flaps of the envelopes, seal the envelopes, and place the appropriate amount of postage onto the envelopes. - From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a new and improved apparatus for processing mail pieces. More particularly, the present invention provides a semi-automatic mail insertion machine which assists an operator in the placing of materials into envelopes for mailing. The machine of the present invention presents each of the envelopes to be processed to the operator in an open condition in a manner which facilitates the ready placement of the materials into the envelopes. The machine also automatically unfolds the prefolded envelope flaps and presents the opened envelopes to the operator in rapid succession under control by the operator. As a result, large numbers of mailing pieces may be processed without the need of employing a fully automatic envelope stuffing machine which, as previously explained, is very expensive and complicated. Hence, the semi-automatic mail insertion machine of the present invention provides a better solution to the problem. Specifically, the machine of the present invention provides sufficient assistance to an operator so that mail processing workloads which are too large to be handled by manual personnel, but which are too small to substantiate investment of a fully automatic machine may be satisfied.
- While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, modifications may be made, and it is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (19)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US94072878A | 1978-09-07 | 1978-09-07 | |
US940728 | 1978-09-07 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0009323A1 EP0009323A1 (en) | 1980-04-02 |
EP0009323B1 true EP0009323B1 (en) | 1982-07-07 |
Family
ID=25475324
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19790301693 Expired EP0009323B1 (en) | 1978-09-07 | 1979-08-17 | Semi-automatic insertion machine |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0009323B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JPS5537399A (en) |
AU (1) | AU524757B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA1124694A (en) |
DE (1) | DE2963298D1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4974825A (en) * | 1988-09-09 | 1990-12-04 | Ciba-Geigy Corporation | Envelope feeder with separator shuttle assembly |
GB9204944D0 (en) * | 1992-03-06 | 1992-04-22 | Printed Forms Equip | Envelope opener mechanism |
DE10101545C1 (en) * | 2001-01-15 | 2002-08-14 | Pitney Bowes Technologies Gmbh | inserter |
Family Cites Families (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1543842A (en) * | 1924-04-05 | 1925-06-30 | American Mach & Foundry | Envelope-charging device |
US2058005A (en) * | 1935-01-16 | 1936-10-20 | Edward P Donnellan | Mechanism for assembling and inserting enclosures in envelopes |
FR958858A (en) * | 1945-02-20 | 1950-03-21 | ||
US3015926A (en) * | 1960-05-23 | 1962-01-09 | Galambos Max | Apparatus for selectively opening and closing envelope flaps |
GB944255A (en) * | 1961-03-24 | 1963-12-11 | Hilda May England | Improvements in and relating to office mailing machines |
US3368321A (en) * | 1964-10-30 | 1968-02-13 | Bell & Howell Co | Inserter |
US3474711A (en) * | 1967-08-14 | 1969-10-28 | Theodore C Swinyar | Envelope flap deflecting apparatus |
US3935800A (en) * | 1974-04-08 | 1976-02-03 | Pitney-Bowes, Inc. | Flap separating mechanism |
FR2304528A1 (en) * | 1975-03-19 | 1976-10-15 | Testut Aequitas | Labelling machine for adhesive labels - can reject duplicated labels from feed mechanism |
US4079576A (en) * | 1975-04-21 | 1978-03-21 | Bell & Howell Company | In-line inserter |
US3965644A (en) * | 1975-10-31 | 1976-06-29 | Bell & Howell Company | Apparatus and method for mail preparation |
DE2749095A1 (en) * | 1977-11-02 | 1979-05-03 | Gruner & Jahr | Printed matter opening machine - exerts hindering force perpendicular to travel direction causing top half to arch upwards |
-
1979
- 1979-08-13 CA CA333,637A patent/CA1124694A/en not_active Expired
- 1979-08-17 DE DE7979301693T patent/DE2963298D1/en not_active Expired
- 1979-08-17 EP EP19790301693 patent/EP0009323B1/en not_active Expired
- 1979-09-06 AU AU50645/79A patent/AU524757B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1979-09-07 JP JP11433079A patent/JPS5537399A/en active Pending
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE2963298D1 (en) | 1982-08-26 |
EP0009323A1 (en) | 1980-04-02 |
CA1124694A (en) | 1982-06-01 |
AU524757B2 (en) | 1982-09-30 |
AU5064579A (en) | 1980-03-13 |
JPS5537399A (en) | 1980-03-15 |
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