FR2757841A1 - Automatic insert folder and envelope filler, esp. for advertisement materials - Google Patents

Abstract

An insert folder and envelope filler consists of a first track (10) connected to an inlet (1) for postal envelopes and feeding a folding module (11) with two folding pockets (110, 112) and an assembly of folding rollers (120, 122, 124, 126), a second track (20) linked to an inlet (2) for empty envelopes, and a third track (30) connected to an outlet (3) for the filled and closed envelopes. The machine incorporates an additional, fourth track (40) connected to an inlet for inserts and/or reply envelopes and feeding an insertion module (31) through the folding module (11) to allow the insert/reply envelope to be injected into the postal envelope during its final folding stage and before insertion into the empty envelope.

Description

Technical area
The present invention relates to a folder / inserter of documents, in particular in the field of processing and routing of mail. More particularly, it relates to a device for the automatic feeding of documents such as sheets or mail folds, reply envelopes and advertising inserts.

Prior art
It is known in particular from French patent No. 93 15909 of the applicant an automatic document feeder intended to be mounted on a folding and / or insertion machine and comprising a plurality of operating modes providing this machine with a very large flexibility of use, since the document entry of this machine is overcome in this feeder by at least two loading bins capable of cooperating with this entry according to different operating modes, individually or in combination. with the other, by means of a set of detectors and drive members managed by a microprocessor of the general machine control circuit.

 However, for particular uses such as the insertion of inserts or reply envelopes, it appeared that this feeder has certain limits. Mainly, the use of numerous inserts of a relatively large weight has the effect of causing an increased risk of blockage of the machine and relatively frequent folding faults (non concomitant folding of the insert and of the associated document for example). .

Object and definition of the invention
The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a feed device specially adapted for inserts and reply envelopes, which gives the folding / insertion machine to which it is connected increased reliability and even greater flexibility of use. increased. Another object of the invention is to increase the loading capacity in inserts or response envelopes of the order of at least five times more than the feeder of the prior art (preferably ten times more).

Yet another object of the invention is to overcome the adjustment of the folding dimensions of the document by making it independent of the dimensions of the insert or of the response envelope.

 These aims are achieved by an automatic supply device for inserts and / or envelopes-responses of a folding and / or insertion machine, provided with a body forming a document supply magazine and comprising a support plate for receiving these documents, at least one pick roller driven by motor means through drive members to drive these documents and a die for selecting these documents one by one and bringing them to the entry of a document transport path, the outlet is connected directly to the level of the folding zone of this machine, characterized in that this transport path consists of a first half-pipe comprising driven rollers and a second half-pipe comprising simple pressure rollers, this second half-duct being articulated with respect to the first half-duct to allow access to the transport path when a closing device ensuring the locking of the second half-duct on the he first half-pipe is released.

 By this particular structure, it is possible to feed a folding and / or inserting machine with inserts and reply envelopes without resorting to the transport path usually used for mail folds, which limits the risks of snagging or folding these documents and, due to this separate feeding, allows the loading capacity of this type of document to be increased considerably (in a ratio of 1 to 1 () up to a few hundred copies). In addition, the articulation of this transport path facilitates its access in the event of any jamming.

 Advantageously, the rollers of the first half-duct are driven by the motor means of the folding and / or insertion machine, preferably through belt transmission means.

 Preferably, the document transport path is mounted in a mobile pocket block of the folding and / or insertion machine and the output of the document transport path is substantially aligned with an exit path of the envelopes loaded and closed by the machine. dc folding ct / or insertion.

 To facilitate cleaning and maintenance of the folding and / or insertion machine, the document feed magazine can pivot around an axis integral with this machine to allow access to the transport path when a locking device ensuring maintaining the position of the magazine on the machine is released.

 The present invention also conccrnc a folding and / or insertion machine of the type comprising a first path coupled to a mail fold entry and feeding a folding module with two folding pockets associated with a set of folding rollers, a second path coupled to an inlet of empty envelopes and supplying an insertion module itself coupled to the folding module for receiving the documents delivered and a third path coupled to an outlet of loaded and closed envelopes and to the insertion module, this machine comprising in addition a fourth path coupled to an input of inserts and / or response envelopes and supplying the insertion module through the folding module to allow if necessary the injection of the insert / response envelope into the mail fold, during the final folding phase of this fold, before its insertion into the empty envelope. The fourth path for transporting inserts / response envelopes has an outlet which is substantially aligned with the inlet of the insertion module.

 Thus, advertising inserts or reply envelopes which are generally of a considerable thickness are not folded or bent in the machine (which was the case in the devices of the prior art) but can be introduced directly into empty envelopes. The risks of jamming are all the less reduced.

 Preferably, the motorization of the different document transport paths and of the folding module is ensured from single motor means.

Brief description of the drawings
Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following description, which is indicative and non-limiting, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 represents in a very schematic form a folding / insertion machine provided with a feed device according to the invention, - Figure 2 shows a detail of the feed device in the working position, and - Figure 3 shows a detail of the feed device in the open position for a possible maintenance.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment
In accordance with FIG. 1, a folding and inserting machine provided with a feeding device according to the invention serves to ensure the enveloping of documents such as mail folds, inserts and reply envelopes, preferably as these folds are made. It is part of the equipment of a secretarial workstation where it constitutes one of the machines made available to the person working at this workstation. This machine is simply placed on its work plan and its access is easy, in particular for the presentation of the folds which this person ensures the envelope.

 The machine has a ply inlet 1 located at the base of a main mail ply feeder 100 advantageously comprising two loading bins 101, 102, an auxiliary feeder 400 according to the invention and comprising a magazine 4 of carts / reply envelopes, a magazine 2 of empty envelopes and an exit 3 of loaded and closed envelopes. These different structural elements are formed on a machine chassis 5, itself formed in two parts called upper chassis SA and lower chassis SB. The upper chassis at its open lower face and is mounted articulated on the lower chassis with open upper face, around an axis SC carried advantageously by the lower chassis at its rear part. The upper chassis SA is moreover locked on the lower chassis SB which it then closes, by known unlockable means SD.

 The inlet 1 of the folds and the magazine 2 for empty envelopes are defined on the upper wall of the upper frame 5A, with the inlet 1 further forward than the magazine 2 for empty envelopes. Tray 4 to receive inserts / response envelopes is defined behind magazine 2 of empty envelopes on the back of the machine at the top of the upper chassis 5A and at the output 3 of the loaded and closed envelopes is defined at the bottom and at the bottom. front of the lower chassis SB. The mail envelopes made up are thus easily introduced on entry 1, while the closed envelopes are parceled out quite easily taken on exit 3. The empty envelopes are loaded into the magazine 2 which constitutes the entry d '' empty envelopes, which avoids manual insertion of each empty envelope on this entry. Likewise, the inserts or the reply envelopes are also introduced in packs without more difficulty at the level of the store 4.

 At the entrance 1 of the folds there corresponds a path 10 of the folds into the machine, which feeds a functional folding module 11. The folding module 11 is preferably with two folding pockets, an upper pocket 110 advantageously intended for carrying out 'a first fold and a lower pocket 112 for the production of a second fold, associated with a set of four folding rollers 120 to 126 of which one 120 acts as a drive roller. This path 10 defines the path of the folds between the entry 1 and the folding module 11. It forms an elbow guiding the folds from the entry 1 towards the rear part of the upper chassis SA, to supply the folding module, mounted in part in the rear part of the chassis SA and for the other part also in the rear part of the chassis SB. This folding module itself ensures at the end of the path 10, a folding of the path of the folds during the folding that it performs.

 The store 2 of empty envelopes, constituting the entry of empty envelopes, corresponds to a path 20 of the empty envelopes in the machine. This path 20 intersects the path 10 of the folds to reach the substantially middle part of the machine. It is equipped with a means for opening the flap of empty envelopes (not shown).

 According to the invention, to the store 4 of inserts / reply envelopes constituting the entry of inserts / reply envelopes, there corresponds a path 40 of inserts or reply envelopes in the machine which connects the entrance of store 4 to the area for forming the second document fold in the folding module 11 (at the entrance to the second folding pocket 112).

 At the outlet 3 of closed envelopes, there is a path 30 of loaded envelopes. This path 30 is substantially linear and extends above the outlet 3, between the upper and lower chassis SA, 5B, from the front part of the machine to the substantially middle part of the machine and it is aligned with the exit from the folds of the folding module 11 and substantially with the exit from the path 40 of the inserts / response envelopes.

This path 30 is conventionally equipped with different modules which become disorganized with the opening of the upper chassis SA on the lower chassis SB: a functional module for loading folds into empty envelopes (insertion module 31), a functional module for wetting the flaps and a folding module and closing the flaps (the latter two modules are not shown).

 A control circuit 6 defines the commands of the machine during a control cycle, in connection with an interface circuit 61 specific to the main feeder 100 and an interface circuit 62 specific to the auxiliary feeder 400.

 The two-pocket folding module 11, the path 10 for mail folds, the inlet 2 for the empty envelopes and their path 20, the path 30 for envelopes loaded with the insertion module 31 and the wetting and closure and the control circuit 6 are described in detail in patent EP 0 352 692 of the applicant.

 We now refer to figures 2 and 3 for a more detailed description of store 4 and path 40 of inserts / envelopes-responses.

 The supply magazine 4, which can for example be made of welded sheet metal, is articulated relative to the upper frame SA of the machine. It comprises on a support plate 402, two lateral feeders 404 self-centering without locking (sliding in synchronism by a rack not shown) and a rear prcsseur 406 mobile. It is articulated around a horizontal shaft 408 located in the upper part of the chassis located under the magazine. In the working position, it is locked on the rear of the machine. An unlocking mechanism 410 (for example a lever arm secured to one end of the magazine and whose other end is a hook) with a handle allows the magazine to be tilted back to access the insert path 40 / reply envelopes, for example for cleaning purposes. The support plate 402 comprises a fixed bottom part 412 provided with a die and constituted by a pad covered with a rough coating to ensure a separation selection of the inserts or the reply envelopes extracted from the store. The drive of these documents is carried out by at least one roller, preferably two rollers 414, 416 for taking documents, driven by the control motor 10 of the machine, by means of a set of drive pinions. 418, 420.

 Lc path 40 of inserts / response envelopes is constituted by a conduit 440 arranged in the mobile pocket block 442 (such a pocket block is described in French application n ° 90 13580 dc the plaintiff) and composed of a half-conduit lower 444 provided with three rows of rollers 446 advantageously driven by a belt 448 from the motor 10, through an intermediate pinion 450 and an upper half-duct 452 provided with pressure rollers 454 also distributed in three rows. The upper half-duct is articulated around an axis 456 to allow a document to be removed during a cleaning operation (see for this purpose FIG. 3) and it is locked (for example by a simple hook 458) on the lower half-duct The lower half-duct is fixed for example on spacers of the pocket block 442 arranged for this purpose.

 The injection of the insert into the envelope is ensured by the existing folding motorization from the motor 10, by means of a clutch 460 (see FIG. 1) mounted on the shaft of the drive folding roller. 120 (the other three rollers 122, 124, 126 being successively driven in rotation during the advancement of the fold). This motorization is of course chosen so that its power is sufficient to inject the insert or the reply envelope into the mail fold during training, and this at a speed identical to that of this fold.

 Of course, various sensors are provided to ensure correct operation of this auxiliary feeder 400. In particular to detect entry into the transport path 40 (end of selection by the die), for the exit of this path at the roller 124, for the formation of the fold (at the folding stop 128 of the second pocket 112), for the presence of documents (inserts or reply envelopes) in the magazine 4, for the opening of this magazine and for the presence of multiple documents in the document path.

 The folding pockets 110, 112 are provided with means 462, 464 for guiding and refocusing the folds to avoid any fluctuation in length during folding. In addition, the first pocket 110 may have at its input a retractable stop 132 to prohibit access thereto when a single fold fold method is carried out.

 The operation of the auxiliary feeder is as follows.

 First of all, it will be noted that the store 4 is easily accessible, the reply envelopes or the inserts being stored in a vertical position, the flap backwards and directed downwards. The installation of these inserts is carried out simply in packs by removing the rear presser.

 During a first phase, the insert (or response envelope) is withdrawn from the magazine by the document pick-up rollers 414, 416 and after selection by the die 412 is driven between the drive rollers 446 and the pressure rollers 454 along the path 40 until it exits at the level of the roller 124 where it remains in the waiting position (a detector not shown makes it possible to determine this position and to cut (disengage) the motor means 10 for moving the insert Of course, in order not to excessively decrease the speed of the machine, this first operating phase will preferably be carried out in parallel with the other phases of this machine. The course of the second operating phase is carried out differently depending on whether this insert is inserted alone in an empty envelope or in addition to a mail fold. In the first case, the insert will be set in motion again when the empty envelope extracted from the store 2 and traversing the path 20 is ready for insertion at the insertion module 31. In the second case, the mail fold which arrives at the folding module 11 from the path 10 (in the direction of arrow E) is driven by the rollers 120, 122 in the first folding pocket 110 then, after forming a loop (resulting from the contact of the fold with the stopper 130), it is driven by the rollers 120, 124 in the second folding pocket 112 until it comes into contact with the second folding stop 128 of this second pocket. At this instant (in the final folding phase), the insert is again set in motion and injected into the folding zone to be driven by the rollers 120, 126 according to the arrow S towards the insertion module 31 of the path 30 It will be noted that the stops 128, 130 are adjustable, by a translation along each pocket, to choose the position of the first and second folds. When it is desired to make only one fold, the stop 132 is activated to prevent access of the document to be folded into the first pocket 110 and to force it directly towards the second pocket 112.

 In the event of an insert blocking in the machine, an action on the handle 410 makes it possible to tilt the magazine 4 to access the path 40. If necessary, unlocking this path by releasing the hook 458 further facilitates this extraction. . In an extreme case of jam at the end of path 40, access to the blocked insert will be ensured from the front by opening the machine (unlocking of 5D and tilting around 5C) and by pivoting the mobile pocket block as indicated in the request No. 9013580.

 Note that due to the similarity of functions of the feeders, interface cards of the same type can be used. In addition, the necessary modifications to the machine's electronic power boards are minimized.

Claims (9)

 1. Device for automatically feeding inserts and / or response envelopes for a folding and / or inserting machine of the type comprising a first path (10) coupled to one of the mail folds (1) and supplying a folding module (11) with two folding pockets (110, 112) associated with a set of folding rollers (120, 122, 124, 126), a second path (20) coupled to an inlet of empty envelopes (2) and supplying an insertion module (31) itself coupled to the folding module for receiving the documents delivered and a third path (30) coupled to an outlet of loaded and closed envelopes (3) and to the insertion module, characterized in that it forms a fourth path (40) coupled to an input of inserts and / or response envelopes (4) and feeding the insertion module (31) through the folding module (11) to allow if applicable, the injection of the insert / reply envelope in the mail fold, during the final folding phase of this fold, before its insertion in the empty envelope.  2. Automatic feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fourth path for transporting inserts / response envelopes has an outlet which is substantially aligned with the inlet of the insertion module (31).  3. Automatic feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the motorization of the different document transport paths (10, 20, 30, 40) and of the folding module (11) is ensured by means single motor (10).  4. Automatic feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a body (400) forming a document supply magazine (4) and comprising a support plate (402) for receiving these documents, at least one pickup roller (414, 416) driven by a motor means (10) through drive members (418, 420) for driving these documents and a die (412) for selecting these documents one by one and bring them to the input of a document transport path (40, 440), the output of which is connected directly to the level of the folding zone of the folding and insertion machine, the transport path being constituted by a first half -conduit (444) comprising driven rollers (446) and a second half-duct (452) comprising simple pressure rollers (454), this second half-duct being articulated (456) relative to the first half-duct to allow access to the transport path (40) when a closing device (458) has on locking the second half-pipe on the first half-pipe is released.  5. Automatic feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the drive of the rollers (446) of the first semi-duct (444) is provided by the motor means (10) dc the folding and / or insertion machine, preferably through belt transmission means (448, 450).  6. Automatic feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the document transport path (40) is mounted in a mobile pocket block (442) of the folding and / or insertion machine.  7. Automatic feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the outlet of the document transport path (40) is substantially aligned on a path (3) dc outlet of the loaded and closed envelopes (3) of the machine folding and / or insertion.  8. Automatic feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the document feeding magazine (4) can pivot around an axis (408) integral with the folding and / or insertion machine to allow access to the transport path (40) when a locking device (410) ensuring the holding in position of the magazine on the machine is released.  9. Folding and / or insertion machine comprising an automatic device for feeding ct inserts / or reply envelopes according to any one of claims 1 to 8.