US1421867A - Machine for sealing and stamping envelopes - Google Patents

Description

M. VIDAVER.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING ENVELOPES...

I APPLICATION FILED )UNE 30. i917- IHEIIEWEI)l MAY 25, 1922.

Patented July 4, 1922.,

6 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M. VIDAVER.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING'ENVELOPES.

APPLICATION fllED IUNESO, 1917-Y RENEWED MAY 25| 1922, 1,421,867. v `\Iatlented July 4, 1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. NAN@ Y M. vlDAvER.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING ENVELOPES. APPLICATION FILED .IUNE30, I9I 7. RENEWED MAY 25, I922. 1,421,867.

Patented July 4, 1922;

@SHEETS-SHEET 3.

5 wvenfof,

M. VIDAVER.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING ENVELOPES.

APPucATloN FILED 1uNEao, 917. RENEWEDMAY 25.1922.

Patented Ju1y4, 1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

wpnfoz y 514 futon/w13 M. VIDAVER. MACHINE FOR SEALING AND ST'AMPING ENVELOPES.

APPLICATION man JUNE 30, 1 917. REnEwEn MAY 25. 1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5- Patented Ju1y4, 1922.

- M. VIDAVER. MACHINE FUR SEALING AND STAMPING ENVELOEES. APPLIcATloN rxLEnJuNE so, |917. nENEwEn MAY 25. 1922. 1,421,867.

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MAXWELL VIDAVER, or NEW Yoan, N. Y,

MACHINE FOR SEALNG AND STAMPING ENVELOPES.

Specification of Letteifs'Bat-ent. y 1 July 4,

Application iled June 230, 1917, Seriall No. 177,978. Renewed May 25, l1922. Serial No. 563,716.v

To @ZZ z /wm t Imay concern.' Be it known thatzl, iv/LiXwE-LL VmAviiR, a-

citizen of the UnitedStates, and. a resident` of the city of New York, borough of Man- Vhattan, inthe 'county andgState of New York. have. invented new` and useful AImliiiovenients'V inV Machines for Sealing and- Stam 31110'. Envelo ies of which the following t l rz? 7 c. isa specification.

This invention relates to a machine for scalino' envelopes and aflixine' stam Vsthere- Y b :D

to, and has for its object to improvefaiid simplify the construction of such machines torender the same more certain, efficient and rapid in operation than such `machines heretofore constructed.

.among the several improved features of the' machine may be mentioned the followings! Envelopes may be handled by said machine from pile in which the envelopes jare stacked in a natural ivay,"one upon theother andivithout any special arrangement or unfolding ofthe flaps, although, of course,

the envelope-sare uniformly arranged inthe pile. ln other Words, each envelopeof the i pile may lie fiat,\vith its '[lap normally closed iipoii it but unsealed, and said envelopes will he automatically taken from suolil a pile, one at a time, and advanced through the machine for the operations of sealing the envelope and axing 'a stamp thereto. The machine may, of course, he utilized to either sealfthe flaps Without aihxing the stamps, or to affix stamps Without sealing the flaps,

Vor to perform `both'operations as hereinafter described.

I resides in the coniparativelyvr slight oiint of handling ofthe envelope required :for performing the several operations above mentioned, which conduces to theeXpeditious loperation thereof. In the preferred construction shoivn, the envelope is advvanced,through the machine by engagement with successive sets of rolls so located that each set in advance will engage the envelope l i r'i before it leaves preceding set, whereby a continuous travel of the envelope through the machine may be effected. lt Will'be noted in the present arrangement 'that the several operations of receiving an envelope, moistening 'is flap,"sealing said iiapand a s ampto'said envelope are allv performed Within the narrow compass of these'three sets of said continuously-acting gummed .portion ,oft t vmoistening-operation'the envelope'in its con'- further advantage of the present ma*V .As an accompaniment to construction lof ,the maforvvarding rolls. this feature, Y the chine is r,otherwise simplified, in--consequence of; `Which'a far speedier operationof the 'ma-v i `chine may '.be attained than with other machinesoffth-is character.

As Will he hereinafter more particularly de'- sc-ri-ber'heaich'envelope is taken from. the supply withitsflap folded down `upon it and the; flap is, moistened Without' unfolding it from this normallyy closed position upon the envelope. -Anarrangement is provided for inserting a. moistening device beneath the closed down.v Hap andfbetiveen said flap Aand envelope, so. asito su ply .moisture to the 1llieiiap, after Which tinued travel is engaged bya set of rolls for sealing thefiap.A c A lfurther.vadvantage -vof the present im# Y provement consists in the stamp aiiixing mechanism; lnaffixing the stamp toithe envelope, 'the stampl ispreferaloly moistened, hut only uponfra'port'ion of its gnmined surface, and the means for conveying said stamp-from the moistening'devices tof'the envelope are arranged to engage the same only upon itsuiimoistened portion, whereby the moistened portion of the stamp is carried free. from contact vvith any portion `lof the machine, except, of course, the: "moistening devices.' This method-i of handlingthe stamp prevents the parts of` :the machinegfrom loe-V coming gummed up from continued contact Y,vitl'rthe' moistened and gummed'surface of Y the stamp. Y The means for feeding anenvelope tol the machine 'are arlrangedto feed oneenvelopevv ata'time, and as lsoon asone envelope` is fed into theV machine, the feeding' means ceases.'operation until saidenvelope .is forwardedfar enough for the machineto receivea neT envelope;l The devices for thus operating the feeding meansr are controlled Y ico automatically by the advancing envelope, Y

preferably lby the engagement of the en-` velope 4With Athe initial forwarding rolls. The advancing envelope, in thus controlling the-operation fof the feedingv means, meets f with 'no resistance infits travel nor is itfsulojected to any outside feeding pressure other than) fthe natural gripiof thel forwarding iio rolls as it passes therebetween. In the preferred construction, the kact of each envelope moving into the bite ofthe forwarding rolls serves to stop the feeding means for any further envelopes, and the departure of each envelope from the forwarding rolls serves to start the feeding means for another envelope. Y

- rIhe operation of the stamp-aixing mechanismis likewise controlled by an advancing .envelope entering the biteof a set of forwarding rolls. The stamp-afiiXing mechanism,whenautomatically set into operation by anV advancing envelope, acts to sever-and apply a single stamp to the envelope, advancing to-receive it. After applying* one stamp, the stainp-aiiixing mechanism automatically stops, irrespective of what becomes of the envelope which originally set'it into motion.k Before a new stamp will be fed forward and applied by said aiiixing mechanism, the previous envelope must first depart from the controlling Vforwarding' rolls, and a new envelope must advance into said controlling forwardingrolls. This action will prevent the machine from continuing to-feed and waste stamps, if, for .any'reasom the con-` trolling mechanism becomes inoperative through the clogging of an envelope therein,

or by any other means.V

Further advantages and improved features of the machine willbecome vapparent from the following description and the ac- I companying drawings, which-illustrate the preferred embodiment Yof the invention.

leferringfbriefly to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view; Y

Fig. 2 isa side elevation (the machine Vbeing at rest) y y Fig. 3 is a rear view, partlyin section;

lFig. 4- shows the right-hand yend of thc machine in elevatioin with :mechanisms in shifted position; A y

is a section on line o-'v of Fig. 4, illustrating portions of the stamp feed and: moistening mechanisms; .v

Fig. 6 is al detail ofthe stamp-feed mech-v anism in shifted position;

Fig. i7 is a plan view, partly in section,`of the envelope-Hap moistening device and stamp-feed mechanism;

Fig. S is al ,longitudinal section on line 8 8 of Fig. 1, showing the position of the partsafter the first envelope .has left the pile and hasadvanced into the first set of forwarding rolls; Y

Figa 9 is a similar section, showing the position ofthe parts when the envelope has advanced into the second set of forwarding rolls; Y A Y Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional details more or less diagrammatic of the stamp-aflixing mechanism, and showing the position of the parts when the envelope has advanced further along its course through the machine.

i ,esi ,sev

Referring more particularly to the draw-Y ings, the main frame of theV machine is indicated at 1, and the main driving shaft for the moving parts ofthe machine at 2L This i 70 .i

be operated from any suitable source of power or may berotated as herein "shown by a crank handle 3. In' the embodiment ol' the invention as illustrated, an envelope is taken from a pile lil-Figs. 8 and 9-andcaused to travel continuously through the machine along. a

horizontal .table l by the successive engage` driving shaft may Vment .thereof with aV series of rolls`,so'spaced that said envelope isengaged'by Ieach set the main shaft frame and are operated from said driving ,i

shaft, as shown in Fig. 1, by means of sprocket chains 13, 14: and 15, which are con-Y Y nected in turn to sprocket Vwheels Xedrto each of said rolls. Roll 10 drives throughineshed gears 16 and 17 atv one end thereof,

'its co-acting upper roll 18, and roll 11 simi-V larly` drives through meshed gears 18 and 19 its upper co-acting roll 20. Upper roll 21 of the ejecting set of rolls may either be driven positively from its lower roll 12 or preferablyrby frictional Contact therewith, as herein shown.

ted bearings within the main frame, seas` to be Vpressed in frictional contactwith said roll 12. I f Feeding means.,

The envelopes, preparatorytobeing fed through the machine, are4 supported upon an endless feedingbelt 22 passingaround rollers 23 and 9 and over table 26, and havingY a corrugated upper surface, as shown in Figs. 8 and' 9.` A'springepressedarm 211 has a roller 25 for engagingrsaid belt to maintain the same. taut. kThe envelopes indicated at,

ico.VV

lt will be understood thatroll.` 21 is rubber-covered and is mounted in slot- E are stackedV above' this feeding belt, each envelope lying-flat ywith its individual flap closed down against it, and adjacent to the near side of the machine (see Fig. Air adjustable stacking guide l27 may beA employed at one side of saidbelt, and adjacent the forward end of said belt is a fixed but adjustable gate 2S, with its lower edge 29 spaced from the upper surface ofthe beltV a suiiicient distance to allow but one envelope at a time to pass thereunder. The feeding belt k22 is driven intermittently to iso vmelee? feed the envelope successively beneathv the gate 28, preferably by the following mechanism:

The .roll 8, which is driven continuously from the driving shaft 2, is mounted in slotted bearings within the frame l so as to permit a slight vertical movement thereof. One end of said roll shaft 8 has fixed thereto a pinion 30-see Fig. 2-and extends through a bearing in a lever 3l, which lever is pivoted at 32 upon the main frame l. This lever carries pinions 33 and 34, the latterof which is adapted to mesh with pinion 35 upon the feed roll shaft 9. A spring 36, connected to the short end of said lever, normally. tends to keep the long end of said lever down, with the roll 8 pressing against roll 5 and gear 34 in mesh with gear While gear 34 meshes with gear 35, the feed belt 22 will be operated to carry the lowermost envelope from the pile E out from beneath said pile, past the gate edge 29 and into the bite of the rollers 5 and 8. As soon as said envelope passes into engagement with said rollers, the upper roll S is slightly raised, due to the thickness of the envelope, carrying' with it the long arm of lever 3l, whereupon gear 34, at the outer end of said arm, is liftedout of mesh with gear 35 of the feed roll shaft'9, thus stopping the operation of said feed belt. lWhen, however, the envelope has passed through the rolle 8 and 5, roll 8 and the long arm of lever 3l drop to again bring gear 34 into mesh with the feed belt drive gear 35, and another envelope is thereupon fed into said rolls 8 and 5. In this manner, the feeding of envelopes from the pile takes place automatically so as to feed but one envelope at a time into the machine.

Flap meisten/ing and sealing mechanism.

As the envelope, indicatedl at E', Fig..3, passes from the initial forwarding' rolls 8 and 5, its `flap is moistened and as it passes into engagement with the second set of forwarding rolls 18 and l0, its flap is pressed down and sealed thereby. y The liap-moisteuing devices 4are illustrated more clearly in Figs. l, .7, 8 and 9, and preferably comprise a thin moistening pad 3T supported from a water tank 3S secr-.red to the main frame l of the machine. The pad 37 has a wetted upper surface and extends across the path of the moving envelope slightly above the table 4 (see F ig. 8). lt is supplied with moisture from the tank 33 through connection 39 located. at one end 0f said pad. A presser rod 40 is supported from. a bracket 42 fixed to the frame l, in parallel relation to said pad 37, and spaced.` slightly in advance and above the same, as shown in Fig. v8. Also located in advance of said moistening pad 37 is a deflector blade 4l, likewise supported from the bracket 42 fixed to the main frame l. The defiector blade is spaced slightly above 37, to insure the moistening thereof. v It will be observed that the moistening devices, as thusdescribed, act to meisten the flap without substantially lifting it from the bod-y of the envelope or unfolding it from its normally closed position.

Sta-mp aym'ng mechanism.

The envelope E as it passes into engage-y ment with the rolls lO and 18, has' its flap sealed upon it and also serves to set the stamp-afiixing mechanism into operation for affixing a stamp thereto,` as will now 4be de-L scribed. Thev stamps are preferably in the form of a strip carried on a let-off reel 42,

as indicated in Fig. 2. nThe stamp strip S is led upwardly over a guide plate 43 into engagement with stamp-feeding rolls 44 and 45, which are intermittently operated, as will be hereinafter describechto feed successive stamps forward; into the moistening' and applying devices. 46 and 46 indicate the stamp moistening rolls, which are preferably separated to provide a narrow space between them and aremounted in the main frame below the roller l1 for .continual rotation with the lower part of theirperipheries ina water tank 47. The end ofthe roll 11, which lies above the moisteningy rolls 46 and46, has separated annular portions thereof cut away to provide a narrow edge carrying disk 43 betweenv said cut-away portions. As

shown in Fig. 5, the moistening rolls' 46, 46

are located opposite lthe annular cut-away portions of roll 1l, and the carrying disk 48 of said roll 1l is .located opposite the space. between `'said moistening rolls 46 and 46',

whereby, although said roll 1l and` said moistening rolls 46 and 46 have a common tangent, they do not comerinto Vactual contact with one another.

A. narrow endless carrying belt 49` is guided over small pulleys 50, 5l and 52, so

as to press against the carrying disk 48,'

throughout a portion of its periphery incoactlng with the. same for conveying astamp. As shown in Fig. 5, the stamp carryingA belt 49 passes through the space between the-Y moistening rolls and` 46'- and vengages only the central portion of the stamp against only of the stamps are carried into contact with the moistening rolls 46, 46. The stamp is carried around with disk 48 and eventuallyl rolled onto the envelope.` 58` and 125 the disk 48, whereby the marginal portions` -ends by a cross member 103 (see 59 are filler rolls located within the annular cut-away portionsv of. roll 11 and carried on pivoted spring-pressed arms 61 and 62,

whereby said rolls V58 and 59 aie maintained erably from roll 11', through a train ofV gears 54, 55, 56 and 57, the last named gear being fixed to said nioistening rolls (see Fig. 2). The carrying belt 49 is also posi-A tivelyl driven, preferably from end pulleyr 50, the shaft of which at one end has a pinion 60 in mesh with gear 18 of roll shaft 11. The other end belt pulley 52 is preferably mounted in bearings in the rear ends of swinging lever arms 62, 68, said arms being pivoted on a transverse ,rodl 64 of the main frame and connected at their forward The intermediate Vbelt pulley 51 is mounted in slotted bearings of the main frame (see machine (see Fig.

Fig. 4) and has a spring 65 Aconnected therewith to permit of yielding movement thereof. rlhe belt pulley 52 and belt carried thereby is thus permitted to have a swinging movement toward and away from the stampearrying disk 48, so as to facilitate the receiving of and grasping of a stamp as it is fed to said. disk and belt by the stamp feeding rolls 44 and 45.V The open position of saidfbelt preparatory to receiving a stamp is shown in -Fig. 8, and the closed position after seizing said stamp, in F ig. 9. 65 indicates a knife blade for sev! ering a single stamp from its strip as it asses through the rolls 44 and 45, said knife blade being fixed to the upper end of an arm 66 pivoted at 67 upon' the main frame, so thatsaid blade 65 may have a swinging movement transversely of said The lower end of arm 66 has a pin and slot connection with 'a swinging lever arm 68 extending fore and aft of the machine, and also pivoted on the rod 64 of the main frame. The means for swinging lever arms 62, 63 and 68 will be later described. Obviously, rollers or other suitable endless means may be substituted for the belt 49.

Cof/WOZ for stamp @fixing mechanism.

The means for operating and controlling the stamp 'aflixing mechanism will now be described. At one side of the main frame is mounted a rack bar frame, comprising upper and lower horizontal and parallel rackbars 69 and 7 0 resnectivel 1 connected.

The lower member 470 of said .rack barframe is also preferably guided at its rear end through rollers 77 and 78.

VDuring the operation of the machinethis above-described rack bar frame is given a reciprocatory movement in the following manner: lBloll 18 is mounted in bearings of the main frame to permit of bodilyy up and down movement andfone end of said roll extends through a bearing within a lever arm 79 pivoted at 8O upon themain frame. The long arm of said lever 80 car-l ries gear 81 and intermediate gear 82, Athe latter meshing with gear 83 upon said roll shaft 18. The short arm of said lever 79 is connected with a spring 84 tendingy to keep roll 18 down against roll 10. When an envelope as E, Fig; 9, enters the bite between rolls 18 `and.10, roll 18 is slightly raised against the force of spring 84, and the long end of arm 79 is likewise lifted to mesh gear 81 with the rack teeth of the upper member 69 of'said rack bar frame. Assuming gear 81 is rotating inthe direction of arrow, Fig. V4, the rack bar frame will thereupon be moved toward the left, as shown in said figure, until a blank, untoothed portion 85 ofsaid rack bar 69 comes opposite said Ygear 81. The yielding of upper rack bar 69 permits envelopes of different thicknesses to pass through rolls 18 and 10. When the envelope passesl from between the rolls 18 and 10, the roll 18 drops se as to swing gear 81 downwardly and thus cause it to mesh with the teeth of the lower horizontal bar 70 of the rack bar frame, whereupon said rack bar frame will be moved toward the right, until the blanked untoothed portion 86 of said bar comes opposite gear 81 (see Fig. 4). The rack bar will remain in this condition of rest until another envelope enters between the rolls 18 and 10, whereupon this operation will be repeated.

rhe back and forth movement of said rack bar frame accomplishes the following results. A pin 87, fixed to the lower horizontal member 70 of the rack bar frame on its rearward travel, is adapted to'engage'y a wedgeface88 upon a pawhcarrying armr89, see Fig. 6. The pawl-cairying arm 89 is pivoted at 90 alongside of a ratchet 91, which ratchet is fixed to the toothed pinion 92, said pinion operating in turn through an intermediate pinion 98, pinion 94 of said lower stampfeeding roll 44; see Figs. 2 and 4. The upper roll 45.is preferablyfdriven by'friction from the lower roll, and for this purpose may be rubber covered, as shown. The wedge face 88 upon the pa-wl-carrier 89 is designed to allow pin 87 to engage the same and swing said pawl-carrier 89 from one sideto the other and also to pass away from said wedge-shaped face in either direction. Referring to Fig. 4, a movement of the pin 87 to the right carries the 'pawloarrierrearwardly so as tov be in readiness for a driving action upon the ratchet 91. A movement of the pin 87 toward the left swings said pawl carrier 89 to act-uatelsai-d ratchet and through the train of pnnonsV above described,\operates roll 44 a sufficient distance to feed one stamp therethrough. Vertically spring-pressed pins 95 and 96 are located at each side of the pawl carrier and are arrangedto engage the wedge face 88 thereof when the latter is swung down wardly by the passing of pin 87, so vas to raise the same, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, into position for being re-.engaged by said pin 87 in its return travel.

Depending from the lower horizontal bar 70 is an'L-shaped arm 97 having pins 98 and 99 thereon adapted to alternately come vinto engagement with an arm `100 fixed to rock shaft 101 mounted-.Vin the main frame to swing the sameV backwards and forward. The short arm 102 also fixed to the rock shaft 101 is adapted to bear against the forward end of the lever 62 (see Fig. 7 The cross piece 103 of said lever arms 62 andV 63 carries an adjustable screw stud 104, whichis adapted to engage the forward end of the knife-operating lever 68.

A spring 105 coiled 'around said pivot rod 64 normally tends to raisethe cross-piece 103, together with the forward end of said knife-operating lever 68, whereby the knife at the rear is normally in raised position'and the belt pulley 52 carried in the rear Iends of arms 62 and 63 is normally swung away from the stamp-carrying disk 48. The forward ,movement of the rack bar frame swings the arm 100 down and operates the knife 45 to sever-a stamp and swing the beltI 49 toward the disk 48 for tightly grasping-2,

- the stamp, and the rearward movementA (to the right looking' at F ig. 8) restores the parts to initial position for the nextop eration.

Operation.-

The operation of the machine will be unto carry gear 34 out ofy mesh 'with the feed (seeFig. 4) upwardly'into engagement with the teeth of the. upper rack bar 69 suming that the rack bar frame is in its rearmost position). The rack bar will therei upon be moved 'to 'the left, untilit reaches the position shown inrF ig. 4, andin this movement the pin 87 on the lowerbar 70 will engagethe pawlcarrier 89 and, through? the train of gearing described, fecdfa single stamp through the rolls 4,4"and 45. The pin 99 will at the saine time engage arm 100 to depress thelev'er arms 62 and"63 and also lever arm topperate the severing knifeV 65 to cut off a stamp.' As the stamp is fed through the rolls44 and 45, pulley 52 and belt 4 9hang in the "open position (see` Fig. 8), sol asY to readily, receive the stamp. Upon the severing of the stamp and the downward movement of arms 62 and 63, the

roll 52andV belt V49 are raised against disk 48 soas to firmly seize the stamp atv its middle portion and Vcarry the marginal portions into fcontact with the wetting ,rollers. The'stam'p is thenL carried upwardly to be rolled onto the advancing envelope.Y Ass the stamp. is carried by thedisk 48 and belt 49 upwardly, it passes between roller 20 andflller rolls 58 andl 59 so as to be firmly pressed and `sealedI against the envelope passing through vrolls 11 and'20. Substantially the whole ygummed surface of the stamp is pressedagainst the envelope, while the' filler rolls 58 .and'59 yinsure that'l at least the moistened surface of said stamp is pressed against the' envelope. It will be noted thatin this operationuthe moistened portion of the gummed surface of the stamp iscarried free from contactwith anypart' of the machine, [thus preventing the possibility of the machine becoming gumme'dv up with the accumulated paste. The operating parts areso timed that the 'engagement of th'efad'vancing envelope. with the rolls 18 and 10 effects the actuation of thestampv afxing mechanism in time to apply a stamp to en elope as it'passes through'ther renseogandii;

uf jjlstlie envelopeleaves' the rollers 18and 10, the rac k bar-'frame is returned to the right or rear of the machine, ready for the neirti'joperation. Thejenvelope in the meanwhile continues onits c 'ourse through rollsf Q ()"and V11 vuntil it enters' between' the, ejectvelopes successively from a pile and maintain them in` motion longitudinally and without interruption of such motion, p-rogressivelyfmoisten and seal the flap, cut off a stamp, meisten a portion only of its gummed surface and affix the stamp to the advancing` and continuously-moving envelope, which is automatically ejected from the machine, completely sealed and stamped.

It will be obvious that various changes in specific details and arrangements of parts of the particular embodiment herein, disclosed may be made without departing from the spirit Vand scope of the invention as claimed.

`What l claim as new is:

l. ln a machine of the class described in 'combination7 means for forwarding'an envelope with flap lying against the body of Y the envelope continuouslythrough saidmachine, comprising three sets of rolls located in advance of one. another so thatan envelope is engaged byeach set in advance before it leaves a preceding` set, and means co-acting with said rolls for moi'stening and sealing the iap of said envelope and aiiixing a stamp to said envelope as it passes through said three sets of rolls, said flap being jat all times maintained in substantially its original position relative to' the body of said envelope.

2. 'In a machine of the class described in f combination, means for forwarding an envelope with flap lying against the body of the envelope continuously in a straight line through said'machine, comprising three sets of rolls located in advance of one vanother so that an envelope is engaged by each set in advance before it leavesA a preceding set7 and `means co-acting with said rolls for mois-Y tening and sealing the flap of said envelope and aftixing a stamp to said envelope as it passes through said three sets of rolls, said flap .being at all times maintained in substantially its original position relative to the bodyof said envelope.v

3. In a machine of the class described in combination, means for Yforwarding an envelope withl flap lying against the body of the envelope continuously through saidmachine, comprising three sets of rolls'located in radvance of one another so that an envelope is engaged by each set in advance before it leaves a preceding set, and means feed device for co-acting with said rolls for moistening and' sealing the flap of said envelope and affixing a stamp to said envelope as it passes through said three sets of rolls, said flapV forwarding rolls,` and said flap beingl combination, feeding mechanism for supply-V Y ing envelopes to said machine, means for forwarding an envelope through said rmachine comprising several sets of rolls located in advance of one another rso that an envelope is engaged by each setl in advance before it leaves a preceding set of rolls, said feeding mechanism being automatically controlled by the engagement `of an advancing envelope with said first set of rolls, and means co-acting with said several sets of rolls for moistening and sealing the flap of the envelope and aflixing a stamp tosaid en-l velope as it passes through said rolls.

5. In a machine of the class described in combination, means for forwarding an envelope with flap lying against the body of the envelope through said'machine, comprising three sets of rolls located in advance of one another so that an envelope is engaged 'by each set in advance before it leaves a preceding set, and means co-acting with said Y first and second set of rolls for moistening and sealing the flap of said envelope while' said flap is maintained in substantially its original position relative to the body of said envelope, and stamp aiiiring mechanismcoacting with the third set of rolls for applying a stamp tosaid envelope.

V6. ln a machine of the class described in combination, means for forwarding an envelope through said machine comprising three sets of rolls located in advance of one another so. that an envelope is engaged by each set in advance before it leaves a preceding set, and means co-acting with said first and second set 'ofrolls formoistening Y and sealing the fiap'ofsaid envelope and stamp mechanism co-acting withthe third set of rolls for applying a stamp to said envelope and means operated by the engagement of said second set of rolls with'an f advancing envelope for controlling the operation of said stamp afxing mechanism.

7. ln a machine of the class described in combination, forwarding rolls for an envelope with Hap lying against the' body of the envelope, flap sealing rolls located for engaging said advancing envelope beforeit leaves said forwarding rolls, a device located-between said forwarding rolls and said flap Vsealing rolls for applying moisture to said flap while said flap is reta-ined in substantially itsoriginal position relative to the iso body of the envelope, and stamp applying rolls located for engaging said envelope before it leaves said flap sealing rolls.

8. ln a machine of the class described in combination, forwarding rolls for an envelope with flap lying against the body of the envelope, flap sealing rolls located for engaging said advancing envelope before leaves said forwarding rolls, a device located between said forwarding rolls and said flap sealing rolls for applying moisture to said Hap while said flap isv maintained in substantially its original position relative to the body of the envelope, stamp applying rolls located for engaging said envelope Vbefore it leaves said flap sealing rolls, and ejecting rolls located for engaging said. envelope be fore it leaves said stamp applying rolls.

9. In a machine of the class described in combination, forwarding rolls 'for an envelope, flap sealing rolls located for engaging said advancing envelope before it lea-ves said forwarding rolls, a moisture applying device for said flap sealing operation located between said forwarding rolls and said flap sealing rolls, stamp aflixing mechanism comprising stamp applying rolls located `for engaging said envelope before it leaves said flap sealing rolls, and means operatedby the engagement of the envelope with said flap sealing rolls for controllingsaid stamp afn fixing mechanism.

10. In an envelope sealing and stamp af fixing machine in combination, a flap mois tening surface, a stamp moistening surface, means for advancing an envelope continuously through said machine and aixing a stamp thereto arranged to. maintain the moistened part of said flap free from contact with any part of said machine except said llap moistening surface, and to maintain the moistened part of said stamp free from contact with any portion of said machine except said stamp moistening surface.

l1. Stamp aliiXing mechanism comprising a moistening member with a wetted surface for contacting with a marginal portion of the gummed surface of said stamp, and a stamp carrying wheel with a co-acting beltv for engaging a central portion of said stamp and carrying the marginalportion of said sta-mg into contact with said wetted surface and means for aiixing the stamp to an advancing envelope.

l2. In a machine of the class described, in combination, stamp affiXing mechanism, a

stamp aflixing mechanism, intermittentlyv operated rolls for feeding a stamp to said pair of positively operated rolls for advancing an envelope to said stamp affixing mecha* nism, rolls for feeding a stamp to said stamp aifiixing mechanism, and means operated by the engagement .off said first-named rolls with an .envelope'for effecting the operation of said stamp feeding rolls.

18. ln a machine o f the class described, in combination, stamp affixing mechanism comprising continuously operating rolls for applying said stamp to an envelope, rolls for advancing an envelope to said stamp afXing mechanism, intermittently operated rolls for feeding a stamp to said stamp aHiXing mechanism, and means operated by the engagement of said first-named rolls with an envelope for effecting the operation of said stamp feeding rolls. l i

la. In a machine of the class described in combination, stamp affixing mechanism, forwarding rolls for an envelope, rolls for engaging the envelope before it leaves the forwarding rolls and advancing it to saidv stamp aiiixing mechanism, and means opvrated by the engagement of said second named rolls with an envelope for imparting a limited movement to said stamp feeding rolls to feed a stamp, said means being operable by the disengagement of said second named rolls with said envelope to prepare said stamp feeding rolls for their neXt feeding operation.

l5. In a machine of the class described in' combination, opposed rolls for engaging an envelope between them to advance the same, one of said rolls being bodily movable-toward and away from the other roll in engaging said envelope. a mechanism for operat` ingv upon the envelope and a gear connection controlled by the bodily movement of said roll for actuating said mechanism. v

16. ln a machine of the class described in combination, opposed rolls for engaging an envelope between them to advance the same,

Vone of said rolls mounted for bodily movement toward and away from said other roll in engaging said envelope and having a mov# `ablearm connected therewith, a mechanism for operating upon the envelope and an intermeshing geary carried on said arm for actuating said mechanism and adapted'to be moved in and ont ofoperable connection by the movement of said roll and arm.

MAXWELL VIDAVER.

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