US1454701A - Envelope-closing means - Google Patents

Description

May 8, 1923.

F. CLARKE ENVELOPPE CLOSING MEANS Filed Abril 30. 1921 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 8, w23.

`IilstANK CLARKE, OF WAGO, TEXAS ENVELGlE-CLOSING- MEANS.

Application filed April 30, 1921. '.SerialNo. 465,677. v

T all fwiiofmz't may' concern.'

Be it known that l, FRANK CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVaco, in the county of McLennan and State or" Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Envelope-Closing Means., or" which the following is a specification. This invention. relates to a device for closing'envelopes, the general object of the invention being to provide means for turning the flap over-upon the body of the envelope and applying'pressure to tlieflap after it has been turned over to cause the adhesive to adhere to the body, such means being associated writ-h suitable conveying means.

`Another object of the invention is to provide a part of the folding means with a knife edge for giving the liap its initial turning movement.

This invention also consistsin certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to 'be hereinafterV fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail,'reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a. plan view showing the folding means and a. part of the conveying belt.

Figure Q. is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2. l

Figure 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the front end of the folding member showing its knife edge.

In these views 1 indicates a. part of the conveyor frame and 2 a part of the conveyor belt which is provided with the transverse strips 3 at its front edge. which form brackets for receiving the envelopes. one of which is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

The folding means consists of a folding member 4 and a holding member 5. the member 4 being supported by the brackets 6 which are secured to a part of frame 1 and the holding member 5 is supported by the bracket 7 which is also connected to a part of the frame. Member 4 is` formed from an angle bar, the brackets 6 beingvsecured to the horizontal flange. the horizontal flange is of large dimensions, as shown at 8, and the vertical flange is curved outwardly acrossr this enlargement, as shown at 9, this flange being slightly in- The front endofl clined'at itsiouter end, as shown in Figures 1 and 5. The innerer forward corner of part 811s provided with a knife edge, as

shown at 10, so that the apof the envelope will ride over the same and thus be given its initial lifting movement;V Adjacent the center of the member 4 the vertical `flange is twisted, as at 11 so as to locate the rear part of this flange at an incline. as shown at 12 which graduallymerges' into the horizontal flanges at the eXtreme end of the member.

Tt will thus be seen that as the Hap rides` over the knife edge it'will be lifted-slightly and then'as itstrikes the curved partr9 ot'v the vertical flan ge it will be movedfto ayertical position.l or a position at right angles' to the body, and upon the continued movement of the belt, said; flap will strike the twisted part 11 so that it will be moved downwardly towards the body of the envelopeA and then as it moves along the part 12 it will gradually be `forced upon the body. In order to press the flap rmly upon the body to cause the adhesive thereon to stick to the body l. provide a member 13 which is hinged to the rear end ot member 4 and is pressed upon the belt by the spring 14. Thus as theenvelope leaves` tbe folding device its flap will encounter this member 13 which will apply pressure upon the same and thus cause it to adhere to the body.

The holding member 5 is' also formed of a channel bar with the bracket 7 secured. to

the horizontal flange thereof. This flange coming in contact with the adhesive coated' surface of the flap of the envelope. This member 5 serves the purpose of holding the envelope upon the belt and acts as a straight edge about which the flap is turned.

As the envelope moves under the holding member of the folding` device it will be firmly held in posit-ion with the flap ready to be acted upon by the folding' member. The knife edge of the folding member will canse the iiap to move off the conveyor belt and the curved part oi the vertical ange of said member will move the iiap into upright position and then the twister part will move it downwardly towards the body of the `envelope, the rear part l2- finishingg the folding` operation and the spring member 1S will apply pressure upon the flap vand cause the flap to adhere to the body.

The device is mainly intended for use upon envelopes with narrow flaps1l siichj for example, as envelopes for containing' seeds, though it will of course be understood that the device could he made for `ose upon other kinds of envelopes with but slight change.

The belt may travel upon rollersn such es shown at '17 and I locate one of 'these rollers under the member 13 to take the pressure thereof. v

It is thought from the forego-ingr description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination yand arrangement of the several parts, provided that vsuch changes fall within lthe scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is l. An envelope closing device comprising a conveyor, a holding ymember for holding the envelope upon the. conveyor and a folding member associated with the holding member and comprising a curved and twisted flange for folding` the flap upon the envelope, the front end of said folding member being iiat and provided with a knife edge for in-itiall;7 lifting the flap.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising; a conveyor, holdingmeans `for holding the envelopes upon the conveyor, a folder associated with the. holding means and comprising a iiat front end having its inner corner provided with a knife'edge and an upwardly extending lanfre havingoits front end curved outwardly across the flat part and an intermediate part twisted outwardly and downwardly and 'its rear part being substantially fiat.'

3. A device of thel class :described coinprising a conveyor belt, a holding vmember hayingr its forward end curving upwardly :and its rear part cut away to leave a reduced fiat part` a folding .member associated with the holding member, said folding member having a. knife edge at yits front end and an upwardly extending flange havk ing' an outwardly curved front zedge and a downwardly and outwardly intermediate twisted part and ya spring actuated hinged member at the rear end of the folding means. g

in testimony whereof I aflifx my signature.

FRANK CLARKE.

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