US1756418A - Envelope-dispensing machine - Google Patents

Description

April 29, 1930. H. B. WOODS ENVELOPE DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

April 29, 1930. H. B. WOODS ENVELOPE DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WM] x Patented Apr. 29, 1930 s'rA Tas HAROLD 1B. WOODS, OF HUDSON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MES NE ASSIGN- MENIS, TO CONSOLIDATED AUTOMATIC MERCHANDISING CORPORATION, A CORPO- RATION OF DELAWARE ENVELOPE-DISPENSING MACHINE Application filed January 8, 1927. Serial No. 159,967.

This invention relates to means and methods of CllSPGIlSlllg envelopes singly, where the dispensing means is released by com controlled means, which normally prevents operation of the dispensing means.

It is considered that the most practical method of dispensing envelopes is to deliver them successively from the bottom of a stack thereof, and certain machines, which have been designed to operate in this manner, have the envelopes stacked therein, flap down, and have means to engage the envelope at the bottom of the fold between its flap and its body and push it' from beneath the stack. While this arrangement may operate satisfactorily under certain conditions, if the air becomes moist, the gummed portion of the flap is liable to adhere to thebody part, so that, when the separating device is operatedto pass inside the flap, it will be prevented from so doing.

Also, much difliculty has been encountered in producing an envelope dispensing machine which cannot be pilfered thru the envelope delivery opening.

The objects of my invention areto provide a method of dispensing envelopes singly from a stack, and a machine which will efiectively operate in accordance with suchv method, whereby the delivery of an envelope without mutilation thereof will be insured, regardless ofthe fact that the envelope flap may have become partly or wholly adhered to the envelope body throughout itsgummed surface. Also to provide a machine which cannot be pilfered thru the delivery opening, and which is positive in action and simple in construction.

. I accomplish these objects in the manner hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a casing of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof with the rear wall removed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view at line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views at line 55 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale. I

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view illustrating the action of the follower.

Figs. 8, 9 and 13 are detail viewsillustrating the action of the separator fingers, and

Fig. 12 is a perspective View of one of said fingers.

Figs. 10 and 11 are detail views of a coin intercepting device which isemployed.

As shown in the drawing, the outer casing has vertical front, side and rear Walls arranged at right angles to each other, the front wall 1 having a coinslot 2 therein and a coin return cup 3, at its bottom, and a chamber-4; being provided in one end to receive the coin controlled mechanism, not shown. The inner wall 5 of chamber 4 forms one end wall of the envelope magazine, which is provided within the casing, the opposite end wall being,

larly shaped to correspond with the enve lopes to be dispensed and is horizontally arranged at a level to permit a stack ofenvelopes of suitable height to be placed in the machine. V The front wall 1 of the casing has a rectangularly shaped opening in which two plate sections 12 and 13, of corresponding shape, are secured to close the same, the adjacent horizontal edges of said'sec-tions being arranged to provide an envelope delivery slot let therebetween of a length and height just sufficient to permit a single envelope only to pass edgewise therethru The middle portions of said plate sections have semielliptically shaped protuberences on their rear sides, at the middle portions of their adjacent edges, which are recessed from the front and together form a single depression, or recess 15, in the middle portion of the slot 14, the space provided by said recess at each side of the slot being sufficient to permit insertion of the fingers of the operator, so as to grasp the edge portion of an envelope which has been passed into the portion of the slot which extends thru the recess, so as to draw the envelope out thru the slot, as hereinafter explained. V

The upper plate section 13 has horizontal -flange 16 formed integrally therewith, and

which extends rearward from the inner side thereof, with itslower: side at the level of the upper side of the slot 1s, and meets the lower edge of a vertical partition 10, which is fixed within the casing and forms the front side of the magazine. The lower section has a similar flange 17, whichextends rearwardly therefrom in parallel relation to flange 16, with its upper surface at the level of the under side ofslot l4 and of the bottom 11 of the magazine, so. that it practically forms an extension of the latter, said flanges 16 and 17 f the height 'ofsaid passage in case the envelope tobe dispensed is of less thickness than normal; The under surface of the upper guide flange 16 has upwardly inclined. por+ tions 16, which extend from the horizontal middleportion thereof, at each side, to hori zontal end portions 16 the latter extending. "to. depending edge ribs 16, the inner sides of which act asguide faces for the envelopes when dispensed, as shown in 2 and 13.

' The separator device, for removing the bot tom envelope of the stack and delivering it to the operator of the machine,.comprises a flat plate 20, which is slidably mounted in guide waysQl secured to the under side of the bottom 11, and arranged to carry the plate to and from the front side of the machine, a rod 22, having a handle 23 at its outer end, being connected toplate 20 and extending thru the front wall section 12, The bottom 11 is extended the full length of-the envelopes at its rear portion, and is notched, or reduced in length at each end and at its front portion, to receive fingers 24, which are formed in tegrally with the separator plate 20 and extended upwardly therefrom in close proximity tothe notched ends of the bottom, and thenhorizontally towards thefront wall at level slightly above that of the top surface of the bottom, so that the vertical distance between the underside of the fingers and said surface is as great as, or slightly greater than the thickness of the envelope flap, The side edges of said fingers are parallel to. the ad.- iacent end edges of the bottdm and are held in close proximity thereto, the width of said fingers corresponding to the extent to which the bottom is notched. The front edges 24 of said fingers are perpendicular to'their sides and are arranged in alignment and are dulled or rounded, so that they will not cut the envelopes. The adjacent or inner corners of the fingers arerounded and beveled on their undersides to a sharp edge, to formwedging portions 24*, as shown in Fig. 12.

A follower is provided for the envelopes in the stack which consists of a flat, rectangular shaped body 25 preferably of wood, or other relatively light material, shaped to fit the magazine loosely, and having a fiat metal projection 26 on its under side, which is of less than half the length and width of the body 25 and is arranged at the middle of the latter close to its front edge so that, when the fol lower is in position on the stack of envelopes,. I r

which will be arranged, flap down, with their 7.

flaps next the front, nearly all of the weight thereof will be applied to the envelopes directly over the middle of theflaps. 7 The e f? feet of this arrangement is not only to apply sufficient pressure to the stack to cause all the envelopes to be fed into position to be dispensed, but also, by applying excess pressureto the middle portion'at the front edge, to. cause or permit the end portions to be turned up slightly, as indicated in Fig. v7. The thickness of the fingers 24 is approximately equal to that ofthe envelopes, and as they are held slightly above the level of the bottom 11 they support the envelopes so that their end portions are slightly upturned.v The machine above described isv to be em.- ployed in connection with suitable coin-co ntrolled mechanism, not shown, which prevents forward movement of the separator to an extent sufficient to deliver an envelope, unless a coin of the required denomination has been inserted, and, in connection therewith, a coin intercepter is employed which causes the return of the coin after the envelopes have been exhausted, which comprises a lever 27 arranged in one side of the magazine near its bottom, so that, while there are any envelopes in the magazine, it will beheld in an inopera ti-ve posit-ion thereby, as shown in Fig. 10, and when the last envelope has been delivered the lower end of the lever 27 is permitted to swing into a recess 25 in the follower, as shown in Fig. 11, in which position its upper end will intercept any coin which is inserted and cause it to be returned. 7 lVith the above described" construction the operation of delivering the envelopes is as fol lows: Assuming that the locking mechanism of the separator hasbeen released and that the latter is in its extreme retracted position of Figs. 2, .3, 4 and 5,'the purchaser pulls on the handle 23, causing the separator to be moved forward until the ends of fingers 24 are close to the inner side of the front wall 1, hen in said retracted position, the body portion of the bottom envelope rests on the top sides of the fingers, the front edges 24* of which are at a short distance in the rear of the edge of.

the flap of the envelope, which will ordinarily be swung down below the front edges of the fingers, so that, as the fingers are advanced v liquely from the corners to the middle, so

that the beveled corners 24 of the fingers will be passed over the flap in advance of the other portions thereof, as shown in Fig. 8. In case the flap should adhere to the body, or should lie fiat thereagainst, the sharp beveled edge 24 of each finger, the fiat side of which bears against the body, will deflect the flap away from the body, so that, on continued movement the finger will pass over the flap, as shown in Fig. 9.

Ordinarily envelope flaps are not gummed close to their ends, and the fingers 24: are made of approximately the same width as the length of the ungummed portion thereof, so that, even if the gummed portion should adhere before the envelope is dispensed, the fingers will nevertheless pass readily between the fold and body. Their entry there between is moreover made more certain by providing a form of follower which only applies appreciable pressure at the middle portion of the envelopes, as the fingers are there by enabled to pass over the flap more easily. The turning up of the ends of the envelopes also tends to make the flap spring away from the body, so that the fingers may more readily pass beween the flap and the body, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 13.

In consequence the delivery of an envelope on each reciprocation of the separator is insured.

As the return movement of the separator will preferably be causedby a spring, and as the operator is liable to release the handle 23 before the envelope is removed, means are provided for positively preventing the envelope from being moved back with the separator, which consist of a lug or projection 28, which is formed in the bottom, said proj'ection having a vertical shoulder at its front side arranged to engage the rear edge of the envelope when it has been moved to delivering position and prevent it from belng moved backward.

With the above described construction the envelope passage from the front to the magazine is of considerable length and the height thereof is only sufficient to permit the envelope to be carried or drawn therethru, and by providing the recess, or depression 1nto which'the middle portion of the envelope is carried, it is unnecessary for the deliveryv slot in the front wall to be-enlarged beyondwhat is necessary to permit the envelope to be withdrawn, as no allowance has to be made for the passage of the separator fingers therethru to deliver the envelopes. Consequently pilferingof the machine, thru the de-. livery slot, by the insertion of an instrument, is rendered practically impossible.v I claim: w

1. An envelope dispensing machine comprising a support for a stack of envelopes arranged flap down, a separator reciprocally movable beneath the stack and having a fiat horizontally disposed finger projecting forwardly at each end of said support and arranged to be passed between the fiap and.

body of the bottom envelope in the stack at each end thereof as the separator is moved forwardly, said fingers having aligned, end

faces for engagement with the bottom of the I fold between the flap and body and having their under sides beveled to the adjacent ends of said faces to form a relatively sharp corner portion for separating the flap'from the body preliminarily.

2. An envelope dispensing machine comprising a casing having a horizontally dis posed support for a stack of envelopes arranged with the fiaps down, guide ways at each end of said support for the ends of the envelopes, a separator mounted to reciprocate in the direction of said gulde ways and having a pair of fiat fingers extending horizontally above and closely adjacentthe surface of said support at each end thereof with .their opposite side edges in proximity to said 2 guide ways, said fingers having end faces arranged in alignment for engagement with the bottom of the fold between the flap and body. of the envelopes and having the end portions thereof at their adjacent edges beveled from the under side to provide a relatively sharp corner portion for separating the flap from the body preliminarily. I

3. An envelope dispensing machine comprising a casing having a horizontally disposed support for a stack of envelopes arranged with the flaps down, a separatoroforwardly movable beneath the stack having fingers arranged .to' project horizontally forward in position to pass between the flap and body of the bottom envelope and to engage the bottom of the fold therebetween, and a follower resting loosely on the top of the stack and exerting a constant pressure there on, said follower comprising a device having a central under-face in a plane below its sides, the weight of said device being chiefly concentrated upon said central under-face which 4. An envelope dispensing machine comprising a casing having an upright front wall, s'aid Wall having a fingerreceiving del pression therein and an'envelope' delivering slot extending thr-n the middle of the bot tom of said depression and terminating-in the wall portion at each side thereof, a magazine for holding a stack of envelopes flap down with the flap edge next the front, said magazine having its bottom disposed at a sub- O-stantial distance in the rear of said Wall and in substantial alignment with the bottom of the delivery slot. thereinto provide with said bottom a flat support for the lowermost envelope, and a separator having fingers arranged to engage the lowermost envelope on said bottom in the end portions of the fold sion therein and'a horizontally disposed onvelope delivering slot extending thru the bottom thereof, a magazine Within the casing v having a bottom for s qaporting a stack of envelopes, said bottom having'an extension which extends to the lower edge of said slot, an upright partition forming the front side of the magazine disposed at a distance in the rear of said front Wall, a guide plateextending' from the lower end of said'partition to the upper side of said slot forming with said bottomextension an envelope passagelead ing to said slotand means; for positively moving an envelope from said magazine' bottom thru said passage to a position in which its front edge portion extends into said depression;

"6-. An envelopedispensing machine comprising a support for a stack of envelopes, a separator reciprocally movable at one end of the stack and having a pair of fiat fingers projecting forward one from each end of said support and arranged to be passed between the flap and the body of the outermost envelope' of the stack as the separator is reciprocated, said fingers having aligned end faces for e-ngagementof the bottom of the fold between the flap. and body, and having their sides beveled to form relatively sharp corner portions for'separating the flap from the body preliminarily.

7; An envelope dispensing machine comprising a casing having a support for a stack of envelopes, guideways at each end of said support for the ends of thevenvelopes, a separator mounted to reciprocate in the direction of said guideways and-having a pair of fiat fingers extending closely adjacent to the surface of saidsupport at each e'ndthereof with their opposite side edges in proximity to said guideways, said fingers having end faces arranged in alignment for engagement With the bottom of the fold between the flap and body of the envelopes and having the end portions thereof at their adjacent edges beveled to provide relatively sharp corner portions for separating the 'flaps from the eoY

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