GB2284793A

GB2284793A - Automatic positioning of envelopes for insertion

Info

Publication number: GB2284793A
Application number: GB9325947A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sanz Jose Antonio Martinez
Original assignee: Pitney Bowes PLC
Current assignee: Pitney Bowes PLC
Priority date: 1993-12-20
Filing date: 1993-12-20
Publication date: 1995-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 2013-12-20
Also published as: DE4444876A1; FR2713992B1; IT1275692B1; ES2113285A1; FR2713992A1; ITMI942524A1; GB9325947D0; ITMI942524A0; ES2113285B1; GB2284793B

Description

1 2284793 AUTOUTIC POSITIONING OF ENVELOPES FOR INSERTION This invention

relates to automatic positioning of envelopes for insertion and more particularly to apparatus for controlling the position of an envelope in an inserter machine.

In U.S. Patent 4,903,456 (Meur) there is disclosed a control device for controlling the advance and positioning of envelopes in an insertion machine. This control device includes a stepper motor which is connected both to a mechanism for transferring empty envelopes towards the insertion station and to a mechanism for transferring filled envelopes away from the insertion station so they can be ejected. A circuit is provided for controlling and governing the speed of the stepper motor.

The stepper motor is driven on the basis of clock signals generated by a clock circuit synchronously with commands which are generated within the machine. The speed of the stepper motor is governed on the basis of a defined number of motor steps as detected, counting from the moment that an envelope ceases to go past an intermediate point on the transfer path. There is a detector at this intermediate point.

Other designs of inserter machine are described in U.K.

Patents Nos. 2,183,214 and 2,217,306.

The present invention aims to provide an accurate control of the positions of a series of envelopes in an inserter machine, so that inserts can be placed therein in a repeatable manner.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention employs an opto-electronic sensor which may be through beam or reflective, which is positioned in the path of the envelope upstream of an envelop f lap-opener. The opto-electronic sensor detects the trailing edge of the envelope which is unflapped (i.e. flap closed) at this stage. The envelope is held positively by nip rollers. The envelope is then transported a known and fixed distance to the insert area (also called "stuffing station" herein). The distance the envelope needs to travel to the insert area is controlled by the opto-electronic sensor and a timing disc device mounted within the envelope drive system.

2 There is particularly disclosed and illustrated herein an inserter machine comprising means for feeding an envelope withdrawn from a storage tray to a flap device capable of opening the envelope flap and forwarding the envelope along a deck with its base edge leading and its open flap trailing, there being a timing disc device connected for rotation in synchronisation with one or more rolls forming part of the forwarding means, wherein information provided from the timing disc device is used to determine the distance travelled by the envelope whereby it can be brought to a halt at the correct position, herein called a stuffing station, whereat one or more inserts is or are inserted into the envelope.

The invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting and illustrative description thereof, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the principal parts of an inserter machine according to the invention; and Figures 2A-2D illustrate an envelope; Figures 2A-2C being diagrammatic sections in a vertical plane and Figure 2D being a perspective view; these Figures showing the envelope at various positions in its path of travel.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, the illustrated insertion machine has a deck 10 along which envelopes are fed from an envelope tray 12 to the nip of a pair of rolls 14 and 16, the roll 14 of this pair having fixed to it, a timing disc or encoder 18. The timing disc has a plurality of holes, uniformly spaced and arranged in a circle near its periphery and is mounted in relation to a suitable light or I/R beam, the beam source being on one side of the disc and a receptor on the other. In this way, an electrical pulse is produced each time one of the holes intersects the beam as the timing disc rotates. The disc may be mounted on a drive motor which actuates the forwarding means which drives the envelope, or may be located to rotate with 3 one of the rolls of the fowarding means. As seen in Fig. 1, the disc is mounted to rotate with the roll 14, but it could be mounted to rotate with any other roll of the fowarding means. An opto-electronic device 20, which may be a reflective type sensor or a through beam type sensor, is positioned just downstream of the rolls 14, 16 to sense the trailing edge of an envelope which at this region is disposed transversely across the deck, substantially horizontal, with the base edge 70 leading, the flap 72 folded over as seen in Figure 2A, and the edge 74 trailing. The opto-electronic device 20 senses the passage of the trailing edge 74. The positioning of the rolls 14 and 16 is such that the envelope is angled upwardly somewhat. It then comes into engagement with the envelope flap-opening device 22.

The envelope then passes from the flap-opening device 22 to the is nip of a pair of rolls 24, 26 which forward the envelope towards the nip of a further pair of rolls 28, 30. A hold down finger 32 is located between the pair of rolls 24, 26 and the pair of rolls 28, 30 and serves to hold down the envelope flap 72, the envelope at this point being in the configuration illustrated by Figure 2B. The roll 30 is continuously running and the envelope is halted at the appropriate time, by downwardly retracting the roll 28, based upon information derived from the timing device 18 and the trailing edge signal from the opto-electronic device 20.

This ensures that the envelope is stopped at the stuffing station in the correct position for insertion of one or more inserts. The finger 32 is actuated to hold the flap 72 down at the time the roll 28 is downwardly retracted. The reader is referred to our U.K. Patent No. 2,227,234, particularly Figures 11 and 12 and the associated description, for further details of these features.

An insert is seen at 40. In use of the machine, the insert is fed from a tray, not shown, between rolls 42, 44, to a sloping guide 46 which directs it in the direction shown by arrow 48 and then between rolls 50 and 52. The insert 40 is then guided by 4 leaf springs (not shown) attached to the guide 46, which hold the insert up in contact with roll 30. In the process of insertion, the leading edge of the insert moves over the opened flap 72 of the envelope. The positioning of the roll 56 is such as to cause the envelope, whose leading edge contacts the downstream portion of the deflector plate 54, to be bent upwardly somewhat, so opening the envelope throat and facilitating insertion of the insert 40. Once the insert 40 has been fully inserted, the finger 32 is released, and at the same time the roll 28 is brought upwardly to re-engage the envelope which is thus transported away to an envelope closure mechanism 58.

The envelope closure mechanism preferably includes means for wetting the envelope flap. The wetter mechanism includes a pivotable wetter arm which carries a wetter pad at its free end.

The arm is lifted when actuated by a wetter solenoid, so permitting the envelope to pass beneath the pad.

Claims

1. An inserter machine comprising means for feeding an envelope withdrawn from a storage tray past a sensor in flap closed condition and to a flap device capable of opening the envelope flap and forwarding the envelope along a deck with its base edge leading and its open flap trailing, there being a timing disc device connected for rotation in synchronisation with one or more rolls forming part of the forwarding means, wherein information provided from the sensor and the timing disc device is used to determine the distance travelled by the envelope whereby it can be brought to a halt at the correct position, herein called a stuffing station, whereat one or more inserts is is or are inserted into the envelope.

2. A machine according to claim 1 including a hold-down finger which can engage the envelope flap to hold it in position while an insert is being stuffed thereinto.

3. A machine according to claim 1 or 2 arranged so that, in use, the envelope follows a substantially linear substantially horizontal path passing successively through the nips of three pairs of rolls and then between a deflector above the path and a roller below the path, the deflector and the roller serving to arch the envelope so assisting throat opening.

4. A machine according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 3 in which one of a pair of rolls located substantially at the stuffing station is downwardly withdrawable in order to halt the travel of the envelope at said station.

5. An inserter machine substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.