GB1590307A - Set of sub-assemblies for forming envelopes mailers or the like - Google Patents

Description

(54) SET OF SUB-ASSEMBLIES FOR FORMING ENVELOPES, MAILERS OR THE LIKE (71) We, HERVE ET FILS S.A., a French Society' Anonyme, residing at 90 Boulevard de la Villette, 75019 Paris, France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to sets of subassemblies for forming envelopes mailers or the like in continuous strip form.

It is known to manufacture wads of continuous sheets folded accordion-style each flap of which constitutes a 'unit folder' or envelope. These products, to which the English name "mailers" is generally given, may be printed upon in a printing machine such as the printer of a computer or of an electro-accounting machine. The lower sheet of the wad is adapted to form, for each of the envelopes, the back wall of the envelope, whilst the upper sheet forms the face or front wall of each of the envelopes. Intermediate sheets are adapted to form inner documents or inserts for each of the envelopes.

According to a known arrangement which makes use of, for example, carbon areas, chemical papers or self-reproducing units, possibly in zones, information imprinted by the printer may be selectively printed onto certain of the intermediate sheets (and there fore onto certain of the inner documents) whilst non-personalised endorsements (that is to say messages which are identical for all the envelopes) are usually printed on one or several sheets before they are assembled.

The wad usually also includes a covering strip-known as an archive or control strip which covers the upper sheet. This strip was originally intended to collect all of the imprinted data so as to permit subsequent checking thereof-hence its name control strip; but at the present time the memory capacity of computers makes this function unnecessary and the control strip exists only to "retain" data which should not appear on the upper sheet, that is to say generally all of the data-other than the name and address of the addressee (which are printed onto the upper sheet by means of carbon areas strategically placed on the back of the control strip).

All the sheets of the wad other than the control sheet are joined to one another by glueing along one of their side edges. The other side edges of the lower and upper sheets are also joined by glueing (the or each intermediate sheet is narrower than the upper and lower sheets and is not "seized" by this glueing). Each of the envelopes is sealed at head and foot by transverse threads of adhesive joining the upper and lower sheets which contact one another through transverse cut-outs formed in the intermediate sheets.

Detachable and/or rupture-starting lines of separation enable the opening of each envelope by its addressee and the extraction of the inner documents.

Finally, on each of its side edges the wad has drive perforations formed in a detachable marginal zone. These perforations enable the wad to be driven through a printing machine and to an envelope forming device, and they also enable each of the sheets to be driven to the wad assembly machine. The drive perforations are preferably preformed on each sheet (on both sides of the upper and lower sheets and on one side of the narrower, intermediate sheets).

After passage through the printer the wad is fed to a unit separator where-after removal of the covering strip (if one is included), the envelopes are separated from one another along accordion-fold lines either by rupture, by pulling or by cutting (for example with a guillotine). Longitudinal cutting wheels located at the input of the separator device, may be used to detach the marginal zones in which the drive perforations are formed; but such an arrangement is not essential, as the separation of these marginal zones from each envelope may be effected by its recipient.

Various types of such assemblies exist; they sometimes differ from one another in the arrangement of the inner documents but more often differ in the arrangement of the detachable and rupture starting lines of per forating so as to enable simplification of the method of opening the folder and extraction of the inner documents.

These assemblies are used more and more frequently for the distribution of personalised confidential information or for mass correspondence: for example publicity, deadline advices, invoices, statements of account, and settlements. However they all have a certain number of drawbacks: (a) None of the inner documents being in the original position can be used for optical or magnetic read out, which prevents, in particular, use of such articles for the transmission of universal payment documents (U.P.D.).

(b) A covering strip must be provided when information to be printed on the inner documents must not be printed on the face of the envelope (which is often the case) although this 'control' strip is almost immediately thereafter destroyed.

(c) To enable a clear imprint to be left by the printing machine on the inner documents (especially on the lowermost ones) it is necessary to use a lightweight paper for the upper strip which forms the faces of the envelopes. This requirement is incompatible with certain restrictions on the use of the envelopes, for example those connected with postal sorting equipment.

(d) The maximum number of inner documents is limited if clear and distinct impressions are to be made on them.

It is an object of the invention to provide arrangements alleviating or meeting at least some of the noted drawbacks.

According to the invention there is provided a set for forming envelopes, mailers or the like, of at least two sub-assemblies provided along each of their side edges with driving and registering means enabling their superposition in a desired manner and their unification by glueing to form a continuous assembly of sealed envelopes, mailers or the like; wherein each said sub-assembly is folded accordion-wise at same pitch about fold lines, wherein each sub-assembly is provided with a longitudinal strip of self adhesive or heat-sealing material at a location spaced from its marginal drive zones; wherein the sub-assembly for forming the backs of the envelopes, mailers or the like comprises a wad of sheets including a lower sheet for forming the back walls of the envelopes, mailers or the like, which lower sheet is provided with transverse strips of self adhesive or heat-sealing material each straddling a respective one of said fold lines, and at least one sheet for forming an inner document for each envelope, mailer or the like said at least one sheet being joined with the lower sheet by sealing along at least one of itsside edges and provided with equi-spaced cut-outs framing respective ones of the sealing strips of said lower sheet; and wherein the sub-assembly for forming the fronts of the envelopes, mailers or the like, is formed by a sheet provided with transverse strips of self adhesive or heat-sealing material each straddling a respective one of said fold lines at locations in register with those of the lower sheet after superposition of the two assemblies and each flap of which has a window.

With such an arrangement, it is clear that the sub-assembly forming the base of the stack and/or one or several intermediate sub-assemblies may pass directly over a printer and thus that one at least of the inner documents may receive an original impression and may be used in optical or magnetic read outs. The upper sub-assembly need not pass into the printer, and it may be manufactured separately and may be formed by a strip of heavy-weight paper similar to the lower sheet of the bottom subassembly. In arrangements embodying the invention the number of inner documents which may be provided is unlimited.In addition direct printing of the address through -the window may be carried out, which facilitates routing operations, in particular, when they are automatic; and the sheet forming the upper assembly does not have to transmit printing and may be of ordinary paper, which avoids "contaminations" due to the operations of dispatch and routing (stamping, sorting and various handling).

Of course, in the majority of cases, a single, sub-assembly will receive in the printer, personalised data so that upon superposition, for registration, only coincidence of the accordion fold lines need be effected. However, it is possible to visualise a more complicated registration, for example, carried out on a particular sign struck by the printer at the beginning of a more or less long series, which then enables several personalised documents of original impression to be contained in the same envelope. In all cases, when non-personalised data which cannot be pre-printed and must be printed on a printed ing machine, several sub-assemblies may pass directly through a printer before their superposition, which enables a considerable number of inner documents to be inserted in the finished product.

To facilitate passage through the printer of the base sub-assembly and/or of the intermediate sub-assemblies (especially when certain of the sheets are joined only at one side) the various sheets of these sub-assemblies are advantageously glued together by fugitive fingers of adhesive.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates manu facture of sub-assembly for forming the base of the stack; Figure 2 illustrates the way of superposing the sub-assembly of Figure 1 and another sub-assembly, and Figure 3 shows an envelope of which the various sheets are assumed to be detached from one another.

Figure 1 shows a sub-assembly for forming the base of the stack comprising a lower sheets 1 (which forms the backs of the completed envelopes) and two sheets 2 and 3 which form two inner documents for each envelope.

The manufacture of this sub-assembly is effected in a known way on a known forming machine. The sheets 1, 2 and 3, provided with marginal drive perforations 4a, 4b; 5a, 5b; and 6a, 6b unroll from spools I, II and III respectively. In the machine each sheet follows a particular route in the course of which it passes through a succession of forming stations at which it receives longitudinal lines of detachable perforations bounding the marginal drive zones (one of these lines is shown at 7 in Figure 1 but they are all visible in Figure 3), longitudinal tearing or rupture starting lines such as 8, 9, 10 and 11 (line 8 including half-moon shaped cutouts), longitudinal threads of glue, as at 12 and 13 at positions set slightly back from the marginal drive zones (which enable the assembly of three sheets together), transverse extending weakening lines 14 on the sheet 1 (enabling the accordion folding and rupture starting for separation), rectangular, transverse extending cut-outs 15 on sheets 2 and 3 (corresponding to the lines 14 of the sheet 1) extending between longitudinal tearing or rupture starting lines are also shown.

In the arrangement of the described embodiment sheet 1 receives an additional strip 16 of heat-sealing material stradling the lines 14 and extending transversely between the longitudinal threads of glue, and sheet 3 receives on its front at locations substantially in line with the longitudinal threads of glue, longitudinal strips 17a and 17b of heat-sealing material.

At the output of the machine, the subassembly is folded, accordion-wise, into a pack 18.

This pack is used to supply a printer, for example, a computer printer, which prints onto sheet 3 data such as the names and addresses of the addressees of the various envelopes, as shown at 19 in Figure 3.

According to the nature of the sheets 2 and 3 (which may be provided with carbon areas, chemical papers or be selfreproducing) data impressed on sheet 3 is carried over selectively onto sheet 2.

After passage into the printer, the subassembly is again accordion-folded to form a pack 181, which is then used to supply a machine comprising drive means and two heated pressure rollers, or an envelope forming machine (breaker or guillotine) on which two heated rollers are mounted.

At the time the first flap of the pack 181 is introduced into the machine the first flap of the pack 20 of an upper sub-assembly folded accordion-wise (as shown in Figure 2) is introduced thereto. It is sufficient for this introduction, for the fold lines of the two packs to be in register.

The upper sub-assembly is formed by a single sheet 21 produced on a conventional machine from a rolled strip of paper pro 'vided with lateral drive perforations. In the forming machine the sheet 21 is provided with detachable longitudinal lines of perforations (not shown) detachable longitudinal lines of perforations (not shown) bounding the marginal drive zones, a longitudinal tear line 22 (to lie in register with a line 8 of the sheet 1) with pre-cut-outs in half-moon shape, and rectangular cut-outs 23 corresponding to the positions 19 of the addresses on the sheet 3, with; if necessary, the application of transparent panels.

Passage between heated rollers results in the bonding of the sheet 21 to the sheet 3 (by means of the heat-sealing strips 17a and 17b) and the bonding of the sheet 21 and of the sheet 1 (by means of the heat-sealing strips 16 through the cut-outs 15). In this way there is obtained, after forming, envelopes 25 (see Figures 2 and 3) sealed on their four sides and each enclosing two inner documents 2 and 3, one having been directly unprinted upon. For better comprehension, the assembly in Figure 2 and the envelope in Figure 3 are shown with their sheets unjoined to one another. For the same reason the references 1, 2, 3 and 21 of the continuous sheets have been conserved to denote the sections of these sheets constituting the various elements of the envelopes 25.

The strips 16, 17a and 17b of heat-sealing material may be replaced by self-sealing strips and in this case the sheet 21 is provided, on its back, with self-sealing strips in register with the strips 16 along the weakening lines 25; and with longitudinal selfsealing strips 24a and 24b in register with strips 17a and 17b. To avoid interfering adhesion upon the accordion-wise folding, the strips 17a, 17b, 24a and 24b are formed by alignment of areas offset from one flap to the other in a known manner. In the same way the strips 16 and the corresponding strips of the sheet 21 are each formed by alignment of the areas located, asymetric ally, on both sides of the fold lines 14 and 25.

The base sub-assembly may comprise any number of sheets and upon their superposi tion (Figure 2), intermediate sub-assemblies, including sheets such as 2 and 3, may be inserted between the base sub-assembly and the upper sheet 21.

Lastly certain sheets such as 2 and 3 may be glued with the other sheets on only one of their side edges.

Advantageously, in each sub-assembly intended to pass through the printer, various sheets are glued together by fugitive fingers of glue.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A set for forming envelopes, mailers or the like, of at least two sub-assemblies provided along each of their side edges with driving and registering means enabling their superposition in a desired manner and their unification by glueing to form a continuous assembly of sealed envelopes, mailers or the like; wherein each said sub-assembly is folded accordion-wise at same pitch about fold lines, wherein each sub-assembly is provided with a longitudinal strip of self adhesive or heat-sealing material at a location spaced from its marginal drive zones; wherein the sub-assembly for forming the backs of the envelopes, mailers or the like comprises a wad of sheets including a lower sheet for forming the back walls of the envelopes, mailers or the like, which lower sheet is provided with transverse strips of self adhesive or heat-sealing material each strad diving a respective one of said fold lines, and at least one sheet for forming an inner document for each envelope, mailer or the like said at least one sheet being joined with the lower sheet by sealing along at least one of its side edges and provided with equi-spaced cut-outs framing respective ones of the sealing strips of said lower sheet; and wherein the sub-assembly for forming the fronts of the envelopes, mailers or the like, is formed by a sheet provided with transverse strips of self adhesive or heat-sealing material each straddling a respective one of said fold lines at locations in register with those of the lower sheet after superposition of the two assemblies and each flap of which has a window.

2. A set according to Claim 1, including one or more intermediate sub-assemblies the or each of which is formed by a wad of sheets, each sheet of which includes equispaced cut-outs extending transversely thereof and in register with those of each other sheet, and located so that, upon superposition of the or each intermediate subassembly upon the sub-assembly forming the backs of the envelopes, mailers or the like, said cut-outs are in register to the cutouts of said at least one sheet for forming an inner document.

3. A set according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the or each said marginal zone is detachable.

4. A set according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said window is provided with a transparent panel.

5. A set according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sub-assembly forming the backs of envelopes, mailers or the like includes a plurality of sheets attached to one another by fugitive fingers of adhesive.

6. A set according to Claim 5, wherein said sheets are joined together by fugitive adhesive in intermediate assemblies.

7. A set of at least two continuous subassemblies for forming envelopes, mailers or the like substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. inserted between the base sub-assembly and the upper sheet 21. Lastly certain sheets such as 2 and 3 may be glued with the other sheets on only one of their side edges. Advantageously, in each sub-assembly intended to pass through the printer, various sheets are glued together by fugitive fingers of glue. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A set for forming envelopes, mailers or the like, of at least two sub-assemblies provided along each of their side edges with driving and registering means enabling their superposition in a desired manner and their unification by glueing to form a continuous assembly of sealed envelopes, mailers or the like; wherein each said sub-assembly is folded accordion-wise at same pitch about fold lines, wherein each sub-assembly is provided with a longitudinal strip of self adhesive or heat-sealing material at a location spaced from its marginal drive zones; wherein the sub-assembly for forming the backs of the envelopes, mailers or the like comprises a wad of sheets including a lower sheet for forming the back walls of the envelopes, mailers or the like, which lower sheet is provided with transverse strips of self adhesive or heat-sealing material each strad diving a respective one of said fold lines, and at least one sheet for forming an inner document for each envelope, mailer or the like said at least one sheet being joined with the lower sheet by sealing along at least one of its side edges and provided with equi-spaced cut-outs framing respective ones of the sealing strips of said lower sheet; and wherein the sub-assembly for forming the fronts of the envelopes, mailers or the like, is formed by a sheet provided with transverse strips of self adhesive or heat-sealing material each straddling a respective one of said fold lines at locations in register with those of the lower sheet after superposition of the two assemblies and each flap of which has a window.

2. A set according to Claim 1, including one or more intermediate sub-assemblies the or each of which is formed by a wad of sheets, each sheet of which includes equispaced cut-outs extending transversely thereof and in register with those of each other sheet, and located so that, upon superposition of the or each intermediate subassembly upon the sub-assembly forming the backs of the envelopes, mailers or the like, said cut-outs are in register to the cutouts of said at least one sheet for forming an inner document.

3. A set according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the or each said marginal zone is detachable.

4. A set according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said window is provided with a transparent panel.

5. A set according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sub-assembly forming the backs of envelopes, mailers or the like includes a plurality of sheets attached to one another by fugitive fingers of adhesive.

6. A set according to Claim 5, wherein said sheets are joined together by fugitive adhesive in intermediate assemblies.

7. A set of at least two continuous subassemblies for forming envelopes, mailers or the like substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.