US1541155A - Envelope opener - Google Patents

Description

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June 9," 1925. i 1,541,155 F. N. KRoEsEN ENvELoPE QPENER Filed JulyI 24 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwumfto/a A amm,

Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES 'FRANK N. KRonsEN, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA,

ENVELOPE OPENER.

Application filed July 24, 1924. Serial No. 728,012.

p Opener, of which the following is a, specification.

This invent-ion relates to new and useful improvements in envelope. openers and has for its principal object to provide a simple and efficient device for slitting onerof the edges of a sealed envelope in order to remove the contents thereof without teaiging the contents thereof as frequently happens p in opening a sealed envelope by hand.v

A further object of the inventionV is to provide an envelope opener of the above mentioned character, wherein means is provided for clamping the envelope so'that the.

same will be maintained in proper position while one edge thereof is being slit. additional means being provided for releasing the clampingmeans after the envelope has been slit., i

A further object of the invention is to provide an envelope opener of the above mentioned character, which is of such construction as to enable a person to open letters or the like expeditiously and in such a manner as not to sever any portion of the contents of the sealed envelope. j A further object of the vinvention is to provide an envelope opener of the above y mentioned character, `which is simple in construction, inexpensive, strong and dura@ ble and furthermore adapted for vthe purposes for which it is designated.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the same Figure l is a top plan view of my improved envelope opener'.

Figure. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Figure 3 is a transverse section taken approximately on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4L is a bottom plan view of the carriage. j

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the carriage showing the manner in` which the rotary cutter is mounted thereon, and

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the stop plate. y Y

In tliedrawing wherein for. the purpose. of illustration is shown the preferred ein! bodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates gene-rally the base of my improved envelope open'er and the same has its side and end langesdepending therefrom so that the base will be spaced from a table or the like upon which 'the same is placed. The base is preferably constructed of pressed metal although any other suitable material may be substituted therefor and I do not wish to limit myself to the particular kind of material to be used. The base Vl is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 2 adjacent the forward rlongitudi'nal edgeof the base and the purpose thereof will hereinafter be more fully described. Secured on the base 1 and extending longitudinally thereon adjacent the forward "longi'tudinal edge thereof is the stationary cutter blade and the cutting edge @thereof is disposed directly adjacent one of thelongi Atudinal edges of the slot 2 in the manner more clearly illustra-ted in Figure 3 ofthe drawings. The securing means for the stationary cutter blade 3 is shown at 5.

Fivotally supported between the upstanding brackets 6 and 7 respectively mounted on the base l adjacent. the ends ofthe sta- 'tionary-cutter blade 3 is the envelope clamping plate 8. The clamping plate 8 is dispose-d adjacent the cuttingedge 4 and the slot 2 andthe purpose thereof will also here-v A nut 11 is threadedon the lower yend of Adapted for slidable movementon the Y base `i isthe carriage designa-ted generally by the numeral 13. The carriage has an leX- tension le provided on thelower portion thereof which operates within a suitable slot 15 provided in 'the basel and which extends longitudinally adjacent the intermediate portion of the base. The longitudinal edges of the slot 15 on the under side of the base 1 have the longitudinally extending ribs 16 and 17 formed thereon and the purpose thereof is to provide a means for cooperation with the upwardly disposed ends 18 and 19 respectively. The plate 20 which is secured to the bottom of the extension 14 by any suitable fastening means such as is illustrated at 21. rlhis construction enables the carriage to be slidably supported on the base and against accidental disengagement therefrom and from the slot 15.

The carriage 13 is provided at its forward end with the enlarged head 22 and the central portion of the carriage has extending upwardly therefrom the handle portion 23. Y

The carriage is further provided with a longitudinally extending recess which terminates at a point adjacent the rear 'end thereof and the same is illustrated. at 24k` in the drawings. Supported in the recess 24C is the shaft 25, the forward end of which extendsA beyond the forward face of the carriage and rotatably supports thereon the rotary cutter 26. The inner end of the shaft 25 is reducedV as illustrated at 27 and encircling Vthe reduced port-ion ofthe shaft 25 is the coil spring 28. One end of the coil spring abuts the shoulder formed on the sha-ft 25 while the opposite end of the spring engages the inner wall of the recess 211 in the manner more clearly illustrated in Figure 5 ofthe drawings.

The lower portion of the forward enlarged head 22 of the carriage 13 is cut away as yillustrated at 29 and secured on the out away portion 29 and extending laterally from the carriage is the `finger 30,- the outwardly projecting end of which .is reduced and slightly beveled and the purpose thereof will hereinafter be more fully described. Extending over the forward end of the carriage and removably supported on the enlarged head thereof is the guard 31, the same acting asa protector for the rotary cutter blade 26, it being also understood thatv the guard 31 is cut away at its lower portion to cooperate Y with the cut away lower portion of the enlarged head of the carriage, The rotary cutter 26 is adapted to operate in the slot 2 and `cooperates with the cutting edge 4: of the stationary cutter blade 3 when the device is in use as will be hereinafter more fully i described.

Secured to the under side of the base 1 adjacent the slot 2 and extending longitudinally thereon is the plate 32 and the same has its forward edge bent upwardly to pro-y vide a stop flange 33 and this flange extends upwardly within the slot 2 and directly behind the rotary cutter f 26 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 3.

The use of my improved envelope opener may be briefly stated as follows A sealed letter is inserted beneath the clamping plate 8 so that the edge to be slit engages the stop flange 83. The carriage being positioned at one end of the slot` 15 is then moved longitudinally on the base kby means of the handle portion 23 and as the carriage moves along on the base, the rotary knife or cutter blade 26 cooperating with the stationary cutter blade 3 will slit the edge of the envelope in a uniform manner, it being understood of course that the clamping plate 8 is normally under the'tension of the coil spring 12 holds the envelope in proper position on the base in order to slit one ofthe edges thereof without cutting or otherwise -severing the contents of the envelope.

When the carriage has traveled the full length of the slot 15, the finger 30 carried by the cut away portion 29 on the forward end of the carriage will have its beveled free end engaging the extension 9, causing the' latter to move upwardly against the tension of the coil spring and releasing the clamping plate 8 from engagement with the envelope where by the latter may be readily and easily removed after the same has had one of its edges slit. Vhen the linger is disengaged from the projection 9 or extension formed on one end of the clamping plate, the latter will resume its normal position and will be in a position ready to receive another envelope which isto have one ofits edges slit.

The provision of an envelope opener of `the above mentioned character, will enable vthat various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is An envelope opener comprising a base having a longitudinal opening therein, a stationary cutter blade on said base, the cutting edge'thereof being disposed adjacent said opening, a clamping plate mounted on said base and adapted to hold anenvelope in position on the base, a stop for the edfre of the envelope to be slit, a carriage slidab e on the base, and a rotary cutter carried by the carriage, said rotary cutter disposed in said opening and cooperating with the cutting edge of the stationary cutter blade in slitting der tension, and a linger projecting laterally the edge of an envelope, means for releasing iroin the carriage and adapted to engage the the clamping plate from engagement with extension after the edge of the envelope has 10 the en velope, said means comprising an eX- been slit and the carriage has traveled the 5 tension formed on one end of the clamping tull length of the opening.

plate, n'ieans associated with the extension ln testimony whereof I aiX my signature. for normally holding the clamping plate un- FRANK N. KROESEN.

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