US930400A

US930400A - Envelop sealing and stamping machine.

Info

Publication number: US930400A
Application number: US43218508A
Authority: US
Inventors: John A Miller
Original assignee: JOHN A MILLER CO
Current assignee: JOHN A MILLER CO
Priority date: 1908-05-11
Filing date: 1908-05-11
Publication date: 1909-08-10
Anticipated expiration: 1926-08-10

Description

J. A. MILLER.

ENvBLoP SBALING AND STAMPING m0111113.l

APPLIGATIOH FILED HAY 11, 1908. 930,400. Patented Aug. 10, 1909. 4SHEETS-SHBET 1.

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J. A. MILLER. BNVELOP SEALING AND STAMPING MACHINE.

APPLIGATIN FILED MA i 930,400. Y n ma Patented Aug. I0, 1909.

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J. A. MILLER. ENVELOP- SEALING AND STAMPING MAcHxNE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 11, 1908. 930,400. Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

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J. A. MILLER., BNVELOP SEALING AND STAMPING MAOHINE.

Iazenteo'l Aug. 10, 1909.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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UNIE@ SATS ATNT OFFICER.

JOI-IN A. MILLER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO .IOI-IN A. MILLER CO., OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A CORPORA- TION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ENVELOP SEALING AND STAMPING MACHINE.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Jol-IN A. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore City and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop Sealing and Stamping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines for sealing and stamping envelops.

The invention has for its object the production of a simple and inexpensive machine by means of which the flampfdeniielops and the like may be readily ninistened and subsequently sealed while said flap is in its normally folded position.

A further M1object is to provide improved means for feeding stamps and applying them to the successive envelops during the sealing operation.

A further obj ect is to so arrange the sealing and stamping units, with relation to the moistening unit, that the former cannot operate until the latter has completed its functions.

A further object is to provide a moistening unit of simple construction and provided with means to insure a positive and accurate engagement with the iiap of the envelop.

A further object is to provide means for discharging moisture from the moistening unit upon the adhesive of the envelop The invention will be hereinafter fffily set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the moistening unit. Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the stamp severing device. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating the back of the lat-ter. Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating the mechanism for disengaging the moistening unit after the same has completed its functions. Figs. 8 and 9 are plan and sectional views respectively of the machine showing the same fitted with a coincontrolled lock.

Like references designate corresponding parts in the several gures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 11, 1908.

Patented Aug'. 10, 1909.

Serial No. 432,185.

base, the top of which is provided with an opening 11 in which is pivotally mounted a leaf 12, the latter being provided with an under groove 13. The moistening unit comprises a carrier 14 mounted to slide in an inclined guideway 15 and provided with a wedge shaped casing 1G filled with a suitable absorbent material 17, the bottom surface of which is exposed forming a flap moistening pad. Said carrier 14 is connected by means of a link 18 to a crank arm 19 secured to a shaft 2O mounted to oscillate in suitable bearings in base 10. The leaf 12 is normally supported in a horizontal position by crank arm 19, the free end of which is retained normally in engagement with the under side of said leaf by means of spring 21. Said spring also serves to hold the carrier 14 in a normally retracted position, a dash pot 22 being arranged to break the shock of the return of the carrier under the influence of said spring. Keyed to shaft 20 is what is termed a squeegee or squeezing member comprising a holder 23 provided with a socket in which is mounted a spring pressed rod 24 having a head or enlargement 25.

To one end of shaft 20 is secured a second crank arm 2G to the outer end of which is pivotally connected a link or pitman 27. The free end of said link is provided with an open slot or notch 2S normally engaging a pin 29 mounted in the lower end of an operating lever 30. Said lever is secured to a shaft 31 mounted in suitable bearings 32.

On one side of base 10 is pivotally mounted an arm 33 carrying a stamp moistening pad 34 which overhangs the top of said base in position to moisten that portion of the envelop that receives the stamp. Said pad is operated by means of a pitman 35 connecting arm 33 with a crank arm 3G carried by shaft 20. The pad 34 may receive moisture from a suitable water cup 37, and the pad 17 may be so arranged as to receive moisture from a water receptacle 3S secured to base 10 and feeding into one side edge of said padthrough an orifice 38a. A suitable envelop guiding stop 39 is arranged adjacent leaf 12 and an angular or V-shaped presser 40 serves to complete the sealing operation.

Stamps may be fed from the reel R through a guide 41 by means of feed rolls 42 vmounted in suitable relation, the upper roll being provided with a ratchet wheel 43 adapted to be engaged by a pawl 44. Said pawl is pivotally connected to a crank arm 45 carried by shaft 46, means being provided for an adjustment of the connection between said crank and pawl. The shaft 4G is rocked by means of a link 47 connected at one end to a crank arm 4S carried by said shaft, the other end of said link being connected to a second crank arm 4Sat carried by shaft 31. The stamp guide 41 is preferably formed in the `lower end of a vertical cutter guide 50 in which is arranged a reciprocatory carrier block 51. The rear face of said block is recessed to receive a spring pressed cutting blade 52 arranged to have a shearing action in connection with the guide 41, but so constructed as not to cut into the envelop. The presser pad 40 is secured to the front face of block 51. The said carrier block 51 is reciprocated by means of a link 53 connecting the same with a crank arm 54 secured to shaft 31. Adjacent operating lever 30 is a trip lever 55 having an angular portion 5G provided with a link 57 arranged to engage a hook-like nose or protuberance 5S upon the end of pitman 27. Said trip lever is normally held in the position shown by spring 59.

In practice, an envelop is placed flap down upon the top face of the base 10 and with the fiap edge in engagement with the stop 39. The lever 30 is then moved in the direct-ion indicated by the arrow, F ig. 1, whereupon crank arm 19 will be moved out of engagement with leaf 12 and the latter will drop. At the same time, carrier 14 will be moved forward so that the wedge shaped casing 1G enters between the flap and the body of the envelop, as illustrated in Fig. 4. At about this time, the head 25 of the squeegee member engages the groove 13 of leaf 12, forcing the latter upward and exerting a squeezing action upon pad 17 and thereby expelling moisture therefrom and depositing the same upon the adhesive portion of the envelop flap. Simultaneously with the foregoing operation the stamp moistener 34 has been brought in forcible contact with the envelop, thereby depositing suflicient moisture to effect the adhesion of the stamp when the same is applied, as will later appear. By the time the foregoing operations have taken place, the block 51 has been 4lowered in proximity to the envelop. The next step in the operation consists in pulling trip lever 55 against the action of spring 59, thereby raising link 27 out of engagement with pin 29, whereupon the several elements of the moistening unit will be returned to their normal positions by spring 21. A further operation of lever 30 will now cause the pawl 44 to engage ratchet 43 and eect the feeding forward of the stamp strip (not shown), and just as the feeding movement is completed,

the stamp is severed by knife 52 and the sealing completed by presser 40 and the stamp aflixed by the press pad 51a in the block 51. The link 27 is supported by a suitable pin in such position as to readily permit said link to rengage pin 29 upon return movement of lever 30. Thus it will be seen that the envelop is elfectually sealed and this without the necessity of first straightening out the flap and subsequently holding the same after the moistening step, which is now the practice followed in sealing machines now in general use. It is obvious that if desired, the stamping unit may be dispensed with without departing from the spirit of the invention.

If desired, the improved sealing machine may be provided with a coin-controlled mechanism. rl`he latter may be of any preferred structure, the forni shown consisting of a locking lever 60 having one end in engagement with an arm 61 carried by shaft 20, the other end of said lever being provided with a coin receptacle G2. rIhe weight of the coin in said receptacle causes the disengagement of the locking lever in an obvious manner. The coin is discharged by suitable means well known in the art.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a base having a drgpping envelop support, a flap moistener arranged to 'e'i'iter behind the envelop flap over said support, a stamp position moistener operating in time with the flap moistener and also working over said support, and sealing means also arranged to operate above said support.

2. In a machine of the class described, a base having a dropping leaf, a reciprocal pad moistener arranged to be carried above said leaf when depressed, a movable stamp position moistener arranged to work over said leaf, a single operating mechanism for said two moisteners, and sealing means operating above the lever.

3. In a machine of the class described, a base having an envelop support, a flap moistener having a movement over said support and behind the folded flap of the envelop, a stamp position moistener movable toward and from said support, stamp feeding means, sealing means, mechanism for operating the two moisteners in time, and means for setting the stamp feeding and sealing means into operation, and simultaneously throwing out of action the said moisteners.

4. In a machine of the class described, a base having an envelop support, a shiftable flap moistener operating over said support, a stamp position moistener also operating over said support, a shaft having operative connections with said moisteners for working them in time, sealing means working above the support, stamp feeding means, and

an operating device having operative connections, and also having an automatically releasable operative connection with said shaft.

5. An envelop sealing machine comprising an operating lever, a moistening unit, means for detachably engaging said unit With said lever, a stamp feeding unit also operatively connected with said lever, and a trip lever provided With means for disengaging said moistening unit.

G. An envelop sealing machine comprising an operating lever, a moistening unit, a link for operating said unit and detachably engaging said lever, a stamp feeding unit operatively connected With said lever, 'and means for disengagingy said link from said lever. i

7 An envelop sealing machine comprising an operating lever, a moistening unit, a link for operating said unit and detachably engaging said lever, a stamp feeding unit operatively connected with said lever, and a trip lever for disengaging said link from said lever.

8. An envelop sealing machine comprising an operating lever, a moistening unit, a link for operating said unit and detachably engaging said lever, a stamp feeding unit operatively connected with said lever, a trip lever having an angular portion, and a link carried by said angular portion adapted to engage the free end of the first mentioned link to disengage the same from the operating lever.

9. An envelop sealing machine comprising an operating lever, a moistening unit det-achably connected with said lever, a stamp feeding unit, a paWl controlled by said lever for operating the stamp feeding unit, and means for detaching said moistening unit before said paWl becomes operative.

10. An envelop sealing machine comprising an operating lever, a moistening unit detachably connected With said lever, a stamp feeding unit, a pawl controlled by said lever for operating the stamp feeding unit, and a trip lever provided With means for detaching said mostening unit.

1l. An envelop sealing machine comprising an operating lever, a moistening unit detachably connected with said lever, a stamp feeding unit, a pavvl controlled by said lever for operating the stamp feeding unit, a carrier, a stamp severing knife mounted therein, a presser member secured to said carrier, and means for detaching said moistening unit.

12. An envelop sealing machine comprising an operating lever, a moistening unit detachably connected With said lever, a stamp feeding unit, a pawl controlled by said lever for operating the stamp feeding unit, a vertical guide, a carrier mounted to reciprocate thereinand connected With said lever, a stamp cutter mounted in said carrier, and means for detaching said moistenino unit.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

JOHN A. MILLER.

Witnesses:

D. P. WoLI-IAUP'rER, R. C. BRADDooK.