Other

Pitney Bowes Inc.

Alfred Milo

Todd C Werner

Yvan E Brabant

A high speed machine that inserts about twelve thousand sheets or stacks of sheets of paper per hour into the same number of envelopes. A first table delivers an elongate horizontal queue of thousands of envelopes to an envelope hopper. A second table, parallel to the first table, includes a plurality of independently-controllable sheet feeders and delivers individual groups of stacked sheets to an envelope insertion station that is transversely spaced apart from the envelope hopper. A third table is disposed transversely to the first two tables and includes the envelope insertion station. Clamps carried by an elongate sprocket chain mounted in the third table sequentially remove envelopes from the bottom of the envelope hopper and pull them past an envelope flap-opening structure to the envelope insertion station where the envelopes are opened by a puff of air. The envelopes are then pulled past a moistening device, an envelope flap-closing device, and a roller that seals the envelopes and ejects them from the third table to a collection station. Pusher members that push the sheets into the envelopes at the envelope insertion station are mounted on a high speed rotary assembly that eliminates the back-and-forth motion of earlier pusher members.

High speed machine for inserting sheets into envelopes

A feeder for sheets of material has belts for driving sheets through the feeder, and a gate above the belts to hold back the stack of sheets to be fed. The gate is elliptical in side elevational view and flat in front and rear elevational views. The major axis of the ellipse is disposed at an acute angle to the feed path, so sheets waiting to be fed engage the large-radius portion of the ellipse and are shingled just before reaching the position to be fed. The wide, flat surface has O-rings of rubber or the like to provide a high coefficient of friction for retarding the stack of sheets to be fed. A sensor detects a sheet that has been fed, and stops the feeder, so the feeder can be used as an on-demand feeder.

Shingle feeder

The feed table of a paper folder is provided with a downward step at the discharge end of the feed table. The downward step provides a discharge area so that the leading edge of a sheet can be pulled forward and down for a positive feed without wrinkling the leading edge through contact with the feed table. A vacuum wheel engages and holds the paper to effect the feed, and the vacuum wheel has an increased number of holes for a stronger grip. The rear ends of paper guides are movable by screws for carefully controlled skewing of the paper with respect to the feed table.

Growing community of inventors

St. Petersburg, FL, United States of America

Alfred Milo