US3124500A

US3124500A - Dj benedetto

Info

Publication number: US3124500A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-10
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-10

Description

March 10, 1964 P. DI BENEDETTO MAILING MACHINE Filed Dec. 7, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheetl Ill' l l.

F'IG.3

msquhzz 0/ s'elvarrro INVENTOR.

BY ;fi

ATTORNEY March 10, 1964 P. DI BENEDETTO 3,124,500

MAILING MACHINE Filed Dec. 7, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 s2 32 26 28 T- l8 I4 INVENTOR. PAsquALs 0/ alsNspa-r a ATTORNEY United States Patent MAILING h'lACl-HNE Pasquale Di Benedetto, 214 Kensett Road, Manhasset, N.Y.

Filed Dec. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 857,863 2 Claims. (Cl. 156-531) This invention relates to material handling apparatus and, more particularly, to a machine for preparing en velopes for mailing.

In the absence of postage meters, letter mail is usually hand stamped by manually moistening individual stamps and placing them upon the envelope to be mailed. The flaps of such envelopes are also usually individually moistened and sealed, all of which consumes a considerable amount of time. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an efficient mailing machine which may be used for sealing the flaps of envelopes and applying postage stamps thereto which is extremely simple in construction, efiicient in operation, and which will avoid the time consuming and unpleasant hand mailing operations described.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a manually operated mailing machine which will dispense and apply individual coil stamps from a roll to the front of an envelope inserted into a stamping position Within the machine.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a single mailing machine which will selectively apply stamps and moisten gummed flaps at a rapid and efficient rate, and in a neat and attractive manner.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide mailing apparatus of the type described which is of extremely simple construction, easy to use, and which can be manufactured in large quantities at a relatively low cost as compared to more costly postage stamp metering devices.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a mailing machine made in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front plan view, with parts broken away, of the device shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged longitudinal cross sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 44- of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of certain operating parts of the present invention, with parts broken away;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse cross sectional View taken along line 7--7 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a web of postage stamps which may be used with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, a mailing machine Ml made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a substantially rigid base 12 having a housing upstanding therefrom. The housing includes a pair of spaced apart parallel side walls 14 and a connecting top wall 15. A friction fitting 16 secured within an opening 17 in one of the side walls 14 slidably secures a transverse shaft 18 in position within the housing 14, with a handle or head 19 integral with one end, and the opposite end of the shaft 18 extending through a similar opening 17 in the other side wall 14. This shaft 18 rotatably supports a spool 20 upon which a roll 22 of stamps may be mounted.

The web 23 of the roll of stamps 22 is guided longitudinally through the main housing by means of a guide plate 25 which is maintained in spaced apart parallel relationship with the inner surface of the top wall 15 by means of a pair of laterally spaced apart spacers 26. These spacers 26, guide plate 25 and top wall 15 of the housing define a longitudinal channel 27 through which the web 23 of stamps is directed. The end of the guide plate 25 adjacent to the roll of stamps 22 is turned downwardly to define a guide edge 28 which will prevent tearing of the stamps as the web is fed through the housing. The stamps are visible through an observation opening 29 in the top wall 15 of the housing.

The guide plate 25 is provided with an opening 30 into which a friction roller 31 at least partly projects. The friction roller 31 is secured upon a transverse shaft 32 that is rotatably carried by the side walls 14 of the housing and manually rotated by means of a handle 33. The surface of the friction roller 31 projecting into the channel 27 drivingly engages the web 23 of stamps so as to move it longitudinally through the channel toward a vertical column 35, for purposes hereinafter described.

It will be noted that the rigid column 35 defines a transverse slot 36 which is in alignment with the channel 27 through the main housing, and through which the web 23 of stamps is received. The vertical column 35 also defines a vertical groove 37 within which a rigid post 40 is slidably supported for reciprocating movement in a direction normal to the path of movement of the web stamps 23. One lower end of the post 40 includes a rigid presser foot 41 which is substantially parallel to the plane of the web of stamps, whereas the opposite end of the post 4i? includes a handle 42 for effecting actuation of the post. A compression coil spring 44 seated at one end upon a lug 45 of the column 35 that projects into the groove 37, acts at its opposite end upon the handle 42 of the post so as to yieldably urge the presser foot 41 in a direction upwardly and away from the path of movement of the web of stamps through the slot 36 of the colurrm.

A shear plate 46 having a cutting edge 47 is secured upon the heel of the presser foot 41, such as by a spot weld 48. This shear plate 46 cooperates with the lowermost edge defining the slot 36 of the column 35 so as to sever the web of stamps 23 passing through the slot 36 in response to downward movement of the post at. It will be noted that the shear plate as is arched slightly toward surface contact with the column 35 and away from the post 49 in order to provide for the clean cutting action. The presser foot 41 also supports a resilient band 49 that serves as a pressure pad when moved toward a substantially fiat table 50 that is disposed at a level slightly beneath the plane of the web of stamps 23 passing through the slot as. It will thus be recognized that after the handle 33 of the feed mechanism is rotated so as to move a stamp into the space between the presser foot and platform 50, a downward movement upon the handle 42 and post 46 causes the shear plate 46 to sever a stamp from the web so that presser foot 41 may drive it downwardly toward the platform 50. The observation window 29 is spaced from the cutting edge 47 of the shear plate 46 a distance corresponding to the length of a full number of such stamps, so that by centering a stamp within the window 29, the next stamp to be severed from the web will be automatically severed in its entirety from the web.

A housing 52 enclosing the column 35, also serves as a housing for reservoir 53 which has an interior compartment 54 for storing liquid for moistening envelopes for mailing. A cellulose wick 56 is disposed within the reservoir 53, with one end 57 thereof projecting downwardly and outwardly through an opening 55 in the lowermost end of the reservoir 53. Since moisture expands the cellulose wick 56, it completely fills such opening 55, thus preventing outward flow of liquid except the distribution of such liquid through the wick. A filler plug 59 carried by the cover 58 of the housing 52 and reservoir 53 may be readily removed for filling the interior 54 of the reservoir with liquid. It will be noted that the free end 57 of the wick extends toward the table 50 so as to automatically engage and moisten the facing surface of an envelope which is inserted into the space between the presser foot and table.

A Weight 61 may be secured within the housing 14 to provide additional stability for the machine, and a scratch-proof tubular beaded member 62 may be secured to the base 12 in order to maintain the machine in a selected position during use.

It will now be recognized that by inserting the corner of an envelope 64 into the space between the presser foot 41 and the table 59, in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine, the lower end 57 of the wick will moisten the facing side of the envelope which is thus positioned directly beneath the web of stamps passing through the slot 36 in the column 35. As a result, a downward movement upon the handle 42 causes the shear plate 46 to sever the stamp from the end of the web so that the pressure pad 49 will drive it into sealing engagement upon the moistened surface of the envelope. A release of pressure upon the handle 42 allows the return spring 44 to return the parts to the initial position, following which the envelope may be removed completely stamped. The flap of the envelope may also be moistened and sealed simply by moving the flap, gumrned side facing upwardly, past the lower end 57 of the wick, so the wick may moisten the gurnmed flap as it passes through the space between the presser foot 41 and the table 50. It is then only necessary to rotate the flap to the closed position and sealing it in a conventional manner.

In its simplest form, however, as illustrated in the drawing and herein described, this mailing machine is extremely eflicient in use, foolproof in operation, and may be manufactured at a relatively low cost compared to conventional postage meter equipment. This simplified apparatus also provides for the sealing of the envelope flaps in addition to the application of postage stamps to the face of the envelope, a feature which is absent from conventional postage stamp meter equipment.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed 4 as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A mailing machine comprising, in combination, a main housing including a horizontal top wall and having a platform at one end below, adjacent to and parallel with said horizontal top wall, a postage stamp strip dispenser carrier by said main housing and comprising a strip stamp roller frictionally mounted thereby and a manually operated advancing roller spaced therefrom, a horizontal chute formed with the underside of the housing top wall and a lower spaced parallel wall, the latter being penetrated by said advancing roller for advancing the stamp strip therethrough, an auxiliary housing carried by the main housing and disposed above said platform and having a spring actuated plunger having a presser foot disposed above and adjacent the position of a strip portion advanceable beyond said chute, said plunger carrying a shearing blade for shearing said portion whereby on depression of the plunger the strip portion is cut and forced against the platform, said auxiliary housing also carrying a moistener extending to the platform whereby when an envelope is introduced on the platform therebeneath same is moistened for stamp afiixation when the plunger is depressed.

2. A mailing machine comprising a main housing having a stamp roll, advancing means within said housing for said roll including a friction roller and a horizontal chute formed of a housing wall and a parallel lower wall, said roller penetrating the lower and abutting the said'housing wall for horizontal projection of a single stamp, a platform at one end of said housing below and adjacent the position of said horizontal projection, an auxiliary housing connected to said main housing opposite and above said platform, said housing carrying a spring actuated plunger and a presser foot normally above and adjacent the position of said horizontal projection, and carrying a shearing blade and a moistener, the latter extending to said platform, whereby when an envelope is introduced on the platform beneath the moistener for moistening and under the auxiliary housing and upon depression of the plunger, the projecting stamp strip portion is sheared and affixed to the moistened envelope.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 418,078 Singleton Dec. 24, 1889 1,073,515 Peters Sept. 16, 1913 1,835,817 Skolnik Dec. 8, 1931 2,591,519 Decker Apr. 1, 1952

Claims

1. A MAILING MACHINE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A MAIN HOUSING INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL TOP WALL AND HAVING A PLATFORM AT ONE END BELOW, ADJACENT TO AND PARALLEL WITH SAID HORIZONTAL TOP WALL, A POSTAGE STAMP STRIP DISPENSER CARRIER BY SAID MAIN HOUSING AND COMPRISING A STRIP STAMP ROLLER FRICTIONALLY MOUNTED THEREBY AND A MANUALLY OPERATED ADVANCING ROLLER SPACED THEREFROM, A HORIZONTAL CHUTE FORMED WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HOUSING TOP WALL AND A LOWER SPACED PARALLEL WALL, THE LATTER BEING PENETRATED BY SAID ADVANCING ROLLER FOR ADVANCING THE STAMP STRIP THERETHROUGH, AN AUCILIARY HOUSING CARRIED BY THE MAIN HOUSING AND DISPOSED ABOVE SAID PLATFORM AND HAVING A SPRING ACTUATED PLUNGER HAVING A PRESSER FOOT DISPOSED ABOVE AND ADJACENT THE POSITION OF A STRIP PORTION ADVANCEABLE BEYOND SAID CHUTE, SAID PLUNGER CARRYING A SHEARING BLADE FOR SHEARING SAID PORTION WHEREBY ON DEPRESSION OF THE PLUNGER THE STRIP PORTION IS CUT AND FORCED AGAINST THE PLATFORM, SAID AUXILIARY HOUSING ALSO CARRYING A MOISTENER EXTENDING TO THE PLATFORM WHEREBY WHEN AN ENVELOPE IS INTRODUCED ON THE PLATFORM THEREBENEATH SAME IS MOISTENED FOR STAMP AFFIXATION WHEN THE PLUNGER IS DEPRESSED.