Pitney Bowes Inc.

Link Research and Development Inc.

Link Group International

David R Auerbach

William J Wright

Kenneth W Lowell

John W Sussmeier

Richard F Stengl

Thomas L Simmel

Joseph W Guiles

Carlos De Figueiredo

Leon A Pintsov

Karel J Janatka

George N Branecky

Michael A Sapack

Nicholas R Antonelli

Robert S McDarren

Luciano P Dos Santos

Al Viglione

Rocco J DiCrescenzo

Thomas L Simmell

A method and apparatus for adjusting the position of an envelope stopper in an envelope inserting area of a mail insertion machine. By placing an envelope of a desirable size at a desired location in the envelope inserting area and using one or more fingers to sense the edge of the envelope. When the fingers are moved from the upstream end towards the downstream end, they are supported the envelope before they are moved past the edge of the envelope. As the fingers are moved past the edge of the envelope towards the downstream end, they are allowed to drop into a gap thereby changing the position of the fingers. A photosensing device is coupled to the fingers to sense the change of the position of the fingers.

Method and apparatus for adjusting the position of an envelope stopper in an envelope insertion machine

A method and system for moistening and sealing an envelope in a high speed mail processing machine including steps and components for heating a liquid to moisten the glue on the envelope flaps to more quickly soften the glue and provide an improved seal.

Envelope moistener with temperature adjusting apparatus

An apparatus and method for changing the orientation, height and direction of envelopes conveyed in an inserter system. The invention reorienting horizontally transported envelopes to a vertical position. The envelopes then being transported around a turning arrangement comprised of a length of driven belt urged against a large diameter idler wheel. A turning guide serves to aid the envelopes through the turning arrangement. A ramp module comprised of nips having toroidal outer circumferences elevate the vertical envelopes. The envelopes finally are turned 180 degrees to be sorted into sorting bins. The overall arrangement of the invention results in an output sub-system of an inserter system with a shortened footprint and ergonomically desirable layout. Also, features of the invention provide that envelopes avoid damage and jamming and that recently closed envelope flaps do not inadvertently open.

Envelope transport turn module and ramp for an output portion of an inserter system

A buckle chute having a deflector disposed in front thereof to allow a sheet of document to enter the buckle chute channel or to deflect the sheet away from the channel. The deflector is pivotally linked to two actuator arms on the left and right sides of the buckle chute. Each actuator arm is pivotally linked to a bell crank, which is also pivotally linked to a linking member. The linking members are further connected to a lever such that they can be moved in opposite directions from left to right or from right to left so as to cause the bell cranks to rotate in opposite directions. As such, the actuator arms are simultaneously moved toward or away from the front side to control the deflector position.

Buckle chute folding machine with a deflector control mechanism

A buckle chute having a stop to cause a sheet of document entering the buckle chute to buckle for making a folded edge. The ends of stop are threadably engaged with two lead screws, which are mechanically linked together by a chain, so that the lead screws can be simultaneously turned in order to adjust the position of both ends of the stop. Each end of the stops has a split nut with grooves for engaging with the threads of the lead screws. The split nut can be disengaged from the threads so that the position of one or both ends of the stop can be adjusted.

Adjustable buckle chute folding machine

An apparatus for changing the redirecting the path of a flat article transported in an article processing system. A transport including a ramp that can raise the elevation of vertically oriented envelopes from a first level to a second level, and maintaining the alignment and orientation of transported envelopes square with the direction of travel. The transport comprised of nips which act to drive and orient the envelopes in the direction of travel. Sets of these nips comprising a driven roller and an idler roller. The idler roller has a toroidally shaped outer surface biased against the driven roller. The nips operate to allow the transported articles to pivot and maintain alignment in the travel direction as they are driven forward. In an alternative embodiment, the invention can be used to transport horizontal envelopes and alter the path of horizontal envelopes while maintaining the orientation of the envelopes in the direction of travel.

Flat article transport and aligner system

A method and apparatus for staging envelopes in a mail insertion machine. In the mail insertion machine, envelopes are moved into an envelope inserting area one at a time with the flap of the envelopes trailing the envelope bottom edge and flipped away so as to allow enclosure material to be inserted into the envelope. While one envelope is paused in the envelope inserting area for receiving enclosure material, the next envelope is moved towards the envelope inserting area such that the flap of the paused envelope in the envelope inserting area is partially overlapped with the next envelope in a shingling fashion. In order to properly separate these envelopes, a sensing device is used to sense the arrival of the bottom edge of the next envelope in order to control the further movement of the next envelope.

Method and apparatus for staging envelopes

By employing a product dispensing head assembly securely mounted to a storage container, within which desired flowable material is retained, with the head assembly being movable into a plurality of alternate positions, the controlled, measured, dispensing and delivery of any desired flowable product is attained. In the preferred embodiment, the product dispensing head assembly incorporates automatic locking means which are automatically engaged when the product dispensing head assembly is in the closed position. Furthermore, a special dispensing coupling is preferably employed to effectively disengage the locking means, thereby providing assurance that no individual can obtain unauthorized access to the flowable material stored within the closed and sealed container. In addition, the product dispensing head assembly is constructed with measuring means integrally formed therewith which is movable between a plurality of alternate positions, thereby dispensing precisely desired, measured quantities of the flowable material.

Product dispensing system

A rotatable insertion horn for opening an envelope prior to insertion of documents into the envelope. The insertion horn includes a planar bottom plate having an upstream end, a downstream end and first and second side portions. A side wall is provided that extends upward from the first side portion of the planar bottom plate. The side wall has a downstream end adjacent to the downstream end of the planar bottom plate and an upstream end adjacent to the upstream end of the planar bottom plate wherein a portion of the planar bottom plate extends downstream from the downstream end of the side wall. A top planar plate is provided that extends from the top of the side wall and towards the second side of the bottom plate wherein the top plate is superposed and substantially parallel to the bottom plate.

Rotating envelope insertion horn

A backstop member for use in an insertion station operative to insert an enclosure collation into an open end of an envelope. The insertion station having a deck with a transport mechanism for conveying an envelope, an opening mechanism for opening an envelope and a backstop member mounted below the deck for stopping the envelope in the insertion station preparatory to insertion of the enclosure collation. The backstop member includes an elongate stopping portion having a substantially planar surface configured to abut against and prevent travel of an envelope in the insertion station being driven by the transport mechanism when the elongate stopping portion is caused to extend above the deck. The backstop member also provides a cam portion having an ellipsoid configuration dimensioned to cause a portion of the envelope being driven by the deck transport mechanism to travel over the ellipsoid configuration and away from the deck in the insertion station when the cam portion is caused to extend above the deck.

Vacuum deck stopping mechanism

An insertion station for inserting enclosure collations into an envelope, the insertion station including a deck and at least two transport belts having a top surface disposed atop the top surface of the deck for conveying an envelope along a direction of travel. A plurality of vacuum ports are arranged between the at least two transport belts wherein vacuum is continuously present at each vacuum port. An elongate rib member is provided upstanding from the deck and extending between the at least two transport belts and adjacent the plurality of vacuum ports, the rib member being configured to support a portion of the envelope that is disposed between the at least two transport belts.

Vacuum envelope drive

A separating and feeding machine is disclosed for removing a succession of bound booklets or the like from a supply hopper adapted to hold a stack of the booklets for feeding them to a subsequent apparatus for further processing. The separating and feeding machine includes a reciprocating vacuum feed plate disposed in the bottom of the hopper for advancing the bottom booklet through a discharge opening to a take away feed mechanism, and includes first and second stage separating mechanism which initially maintains at least the bottom two booklets in the hopper in shingled relationship to expose a marginal portion thereof adjacent the bound edge so that a pressing member can maintain a normal force on the exposed marginal portion of the bottom booklet to prevent it from wrinkling and becoming jammed in the discharge opening while the vacuum feed plate is moving it toward the discharge opening. The second stage separating separater further ensures that only one booklet at a time can pass through the discharge opening.

Separating and feeding machine for bound booklets

An inserter comprising feeding a sheet in a path of travel, a first module for suspending feeding of the sheet, a folder module located downstream from the first module, a second module located downstream from the folder module, a conveyor module located downstream from the folder module and upstream from the second module and a microcontroller. The second module for detecting a jam. The conveyor module for conveying the sheet and for sensing the presence of the sheet. The microcontroller in operative communication with the first module, the folder module, the conveyor module and the second module. The microcontroller for: (a) signaling the conveyor module to stop conveying the sheet when the second module detects the jam; (b) signaling the first module to continue feeding the sheet in the path of travel when the conveyor module senses the trailing edge of the sheet; (c) commencing a count of a fold time interval when the first module continues to feed the sheet in the path of travel; (d) determining if the fold time interval count is less than a threshold time interval; and (e) signaling the conveyor module to terminate operation if the fold time interval count is not less than the threshold time interval.

Inserter including a pivoting conveyor module with staging capability

A method of collating unfolded sheets of paper into a collation and combining the collation with a folded sheet of paper. The method comprises: feeding a plurality of unfolded sheets of paper seriatim along a feed path from an upstream position to a downstream position; conveying the unfolded sheets seriatim around a drum to cause the unfolded sheets to be conveyed to an upstream position; stopping the unfolded sheets seriatim in a pocket having a back panel and a top panel, the back panel stopping the unfolded sheets from being conveyed further upstream and forming a collation of the unfolded sheets; feeding a folded document having a leading folded edge from an upstream to a downstream position across the top panel on top of the collation of unfolded sheets, thereby forming a single stack of documents; and conveying the single stack of documents to a downstream location.

Growing community of inventors

West Redding, CT, United States of America

David R Auerbach