US1543842A - Envelope-charging device - Google Patents

Description

June 30, 1925.

C5. W. VVMJ EIT I'L.

Erw/131.10m Mmmm 12m/mrs Filed April 1524 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 30, 1925. G. W. GWINN ET AL ENVELOPE CHARGING DEVICE Filed April 5. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY new??? im.

Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATEN'Iv OFFICE.

GEORGE W. GWINN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND WILHELM B. IBRONANDER, OF MON'ICLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN MACHINE & FOUNDRY COM-r `PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ENVELOPE-CHARGIN G DEVICE.

Application led April 5,

To 0?/ 'tr/ont muy conocen:

Be itl known that we, Geenen W. GwlNN and WnJnaLM B. BuoNANnnn, citizens of the United States, respectively, residing at Brooklyn, county ot Kings and State of New York,.and at Monl clair, county of Essex and State ot New Jersey, have invented a new and useful l'n'iprovementin Envelope- Charging Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in envelope charging devices and it has for its main object the production ofa simple device for automatically, successively and rapidly moving envelopes from a source of supply, opening them and charging them with articles; or in other Words, loading articles into them. With this and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying.,r drawings, which florm a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a device constructed in accorda-nce with the invention; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation ot the device shown in Fig. 1, certain parts being shown in section; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale 1nd taken on the line 33 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view ot the so-urce of envelope supply or magazine, taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view ot the spout., taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line (5*6 in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the suctionhead taken on the line 7-7 in Fig. 1; and Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the device.

ln carrying the invention into effect, there is provided a source of envelope supply or means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes, means for successively removing envelopes therefrom. a spout in the path of the flaps of the moving envelopes, and means for pushing articles Athrough said spout into the envelopes. In the best constructions, the supporting means is in the form of ay vertical magazine, from' the bottom of which the envelopes are removed; Vthe push- 1924. Serial No. 704,508.

ing means also conveys the charged envelopes beyondrthe range of action of the moving means'and discharges them in a delivery chute; the moving means include-s a suction head; and means for controlling the suction is also provided. All of the above mentioned `parts and means may be widely varied in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular device selected toi illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention therefore is not to be restricted to the precise details of the 4structure shown and described.

Referring to the drawings, 12 indicates the main frame of the device, .and 13 is an auX- iliary frame for supporting certain parts of the device.

'lhc device handles envelopes, the flaps of which are open, and means for supporting a plurality of the open envelopes is provided. As shown, this means includes a vertical magazine 14, from; the bottom of which envelopes are successively removed, and in which the envelopes are stacked with their flaps uppermost and open. To hold the stack of envelopes in the magazine, the latter is provided at its bottom with lips 15-15 upon 'which the sides of the stack rest. As the envelopes are successively rcmoved from the bottom of t-he magazine, the stack is fed downward by gravity.

The means for successively removing t-he envelopes from the supporting means in order that they may be opened and charged, includes a suction head 16, the interior of which is in communication with one end of a hose 17. The other end of the hose 17 is secured to an elbow 18 supported by the auxiliary frame 13,l and provided Witha gate valve 19. The elbow 18 is also connected with one endof a hose 20, the other end of this hose being connected to a suitable suction producing mechanism well known and not shown. The suctionvis controlled by operation of the valve 19. To this end, the said valve has a universal lioint 21 connected with one end of a connecting rod 22. The other end of this connecting rod is pivoted to a lever 23, fulcrumed at one end Y on a bar 24 extending across the main frame 12. "The free end of the lever 23 carries a cam .bowl 25 rolling on the periphery of a cam 26, the latter being fast on a sha-ft 27 L4 to the lslide 30.

journaled inthe frame 12. The cam bowl 25 is held to its duty by means of a spring 28, one end of which is secured to said lever, and the other to a suitable stud in the frame l2. The cam 26 is shaped to cause the valve 19 to open the suction when the head 16 has been moved up into contact with the low-V ermost envelope in the magazine, and to hold it open until an article hasbeen charged into `the envelope; whereupon the suction is cut off. i y

The suction head 16 lis carried on two pairs of parallel links 29--29 which are pivotedto a slide 30 mounted on a bar 31 supported by' the frame 12 before referred to. To reciprocate the slide 30 on the bar 31, the slide is connected to `one end Vof a link 32, the other end of which is connected to an arm 33. The Yarm 33 is cast integral with al long hub 34 having another arm 35 close to the frame 12, theY hub 34 being mounted' on one end of the bar 24 before referred to. The arm 35 carries a cam bowl 36 which tracks in a suitable groove in a cam 37 ifast on the. shaft 27 Vbefore referred to. This shaftcarries a gear 38 which is in mesh with the driving gear 39 fast on a shaft 40 which is the main power shaft of the machine, By the mechanism just described, the slide 25() is reciprocated in proper timed relation with the other moving parts ofthe device.

The suction head 16, however, has a further movement toward and away from the bottom of the magazine 14. To this end, it is provided with a cam bowl 41 rolling on a right-angular cam 42 supported by the frame 12. Then the head 16 is moved to the left (Fig. 1), the cam bowl 41 rolls along the horizontal part of the cam Y42 until it meets the vertical wall thereof. The connection of the head with the slideiBO is such. however, that further movement of the slide 30 causes the cam bowl to ride up the vertical wall of the right-angular cam 42, and thus elevate the suction head 16 into position to engage the lowermostenvelope of the stack in the magazine.

On the return.movement of the suction head, however, it is not desired that the cam bowl 41 should roll down the vertical wall of the right-angular cam 42 and then along the horizontal parts thereof, foi' the reason that it is desired to canse the suction head 16 to support the envelope withdrawn from the magazine in an intermediate position while an article is being chargeds thereinto. lV ith this end in view, there is provided nieansfor supporting the envelope in alignment with the charging spout while it is being charged. As shown, this means includes a trip mechanism associated with the envelope moving means. This .trip mechanism includes a lever43 fulcrumcd at The lower arm of this lever is normally held in contact with the stud 44 on the slide 3() by means of a spring 45, one end of which is connected to the lever 43 and the other to a pin on the slide 30. The upper end of the lever 43 is Aadapted for engagement with the stud 46 on one of the -links 29. When the suction head 16 moves downward from the bottom of the stack of envelopes, carrying the lowf ermost envelope with it, the cam bowl 41` first rides down the vertical wall of the right-angular cam 42. As the slide 30 moves away from the cam shaft 27, however, the angularity of the links 29-29 is changed and the stud 46 comes into contact with the upper end of the lever 43 which is then in engagement with the stud 44. ThisV engagement holds the suction head 16 in position above the horizontal surface of the cam 42, as shown in Fig. 9, and it is while the suction head and envelope are So held that the article is charged into the envelope. After the article has been vcharged into an envelope supported by the suction-head 16, further movement of the slide 30 causes the lower end of the lever 43 to engage the end otra rod 47 supported by an arm 48 fast to the end bar 31. This trips the lever 43 and permits the suction head to drop to the position shown in Fig. 10.

For the purpose of charging articles into the envelopes there is provided a spout 49 supported by a bracket 50 attached to the side of the magazine 14. This spout lies in the path of an envelope beinv' moved from the bottom of the magazine. tlt will be remembered that the envelopes arestacked iny the magazine with their flaps uppermost and open. As an envelope moves downward, therefore, its ope'n Hap comes in contact with the spout 49 and is arrested thereby while the body of the envelope goes down a little farther, that is, enough to permit further movement of the slide 30 to cause the suction head 16 to slide the open envelope on to the spout. To facilitate this movement, the end of the spout is beveled or cut away at 51. The spout 49 is provided on its under side with a slet 52 to permit the passage therethrough of a device used to push articles into the envelopes. Furthermore, the slot is located adjacent one side of the spout in order to permit the pushing means to clear the suction head 16. Y

The means for pushing articles through the spout into the envelopes includes an endless chain 53 provided with a series of lugs This chain runs over a sprocket fast on the shaft 27, and over an idle sprocket 56 adjnstably mounted in a well known manner inthe auxiliary frame 13 before referred to. 'The chain 53 runs continuously and the lugs 54 pass through a suitable slot in a tray 57, there come in contact with the rear of an article and push it through thespout 49 into the envelope then in open position .on ysaid spout. When the article has been pushed into the envelope the lever 43 is tripped, the suction head 16 drops out of the Way, and the charged `envelope is pushed into a delivery chute 58 from which it is discharged by gravity into a suitable receptacle not shown.

In view of the foregoing, a detailed description of the operation of the device is deemed to be unnecessary andis therefore omitted in the interest of brevity.

What is claimed is:

1.An envelope charging device, comprising means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes, means for successively moving envelopes from said supporting means, a spout in the path of the flaps of the moving envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into the envelopes.

2. An envelope charging device, comprising means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes, means for successively moving envelopes from said supporting means, a spout in the path of the Haps of the moving envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into the envelo es, said supporting means including a vertical magazine from the bottom of which the envelopes are removed.

3. An envelope charging device, comprising means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes, means for successively moving envelopes from said supporting means, a spout in the path of the flaps of the moving envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into the envelopes and for conveying the charged envelopes beyond the range of action of the moving means.

4:. An envelope charging device, comprising means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes, means for successively moving envelopes from said supporting means', a spout in the path of the flaps' of the moving envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into the envelopes, said moving means including a suction head and means for producing an angular movement of the same.

5. An envelope charging device, comprising means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes, means for successively moving envelopes from said supporting means, a spoilt in the path of the flaps of the moving envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into the envelopes, said moving means including a suction head and a right-angular cam surface for producing an angular movement of the same.

6. An envelope charging'device, comprising means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes. means for successively moving envelopes from said supporting means,

a spout in the path of the flaps of the moving envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into the envelopes, said moving means including a suction head carrying a cam bowl working on a rightangular cam surface, and operative connections.

y7. An envelope charging device, comprising means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes, means for successively moving envelopes from said supporting means, a spout in the path of the flaps of themoving envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into the envelopes, said moving means including a suction head carrying a cam bowl Working on a rightangular cam surface and supported by a pair of parallel rods pivoted to a cam-actuated slide. a'-

8. An envelope charging device, comprising means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes, means for successively moving envelopes from said supporting means, a spout in the path of the flaps of the moving envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into the envelopes, said spout being slotted to permit passage of said pushing means therethrough.

1 9. An envelope charging device, comprising means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes, means for successively moving envelopes from said supporting means, a spout in the path of the flaps of the moving envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into the envelopes, said spout' being slotted adjacent one of its sides to permit said pushing means to pass therethrough and clear said moving means.

10. An enevelope charging device, `comprising means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes, means for successively moving envelopes from said supporting means, a spout in the path of the flaps of the moving envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into the envelopes, said pushing means including an endless chain aving pushing lugs Working through said spout.

11. An envelope charging device, comprising means for supporting a plurality .of open envelopes, means for successively moving envelopes from said su porting means, a spout in the ,path of the aps of the moving envelopes, means for pushing artitcles through said spout into the envelopes, and suction controlling means. l

12. An envelope charging device, comprising means for supporting a plurality of open envelopes, means for successively moving envelopes from said supporting means, a spout in the path of the flaps of the moving envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into the envelopes,y

and a delivery chute receiving the charged envelopes from said pushing means.

13. An envelope charging device, comprismg means for supporting a plurallty of open envelopes, means for successively Inoving envelopes from said supporting means, a spout in t 1e path of the flaps of the Inov-` ing envelopes, and means for pushing articles through said spout into t e envelopes, and a trip mechanism associated with the movinrl means and actingto cause it to su port the envelopes in alignment with til) spout while being charged.

In testimony whereo names to this specification.

GEORGE W. GWINN. WILHELM B. BRONANDER.

, we have signed our l l i 1

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