Pitney Bowes Inc.

Frank T Roetter

Robert Irvine

George N Branecky

Frank A Oeschger, Jr

Harold Silverman

Robert E Mersereau

Frank A Oeschger

Willis R Stearns

Leslie K Asher

Charles E Gibson

A bursting machine is provided for separating discrete sheets from a continuous strip of sheets having uniformly spaced perforation lines across the width of the strip. A gauging device with numerical increments in the form of a linear scale is manually compared to the length of the discrete sheets to provide a predetermined number corresponding to a pulse count for entering into a control device through a manually settable device. The control device in turn is operatively connected to an electronic pulse counter. When the leading edge of the strip advances a predetermined increment after passing through a sensing device located downstream in the path of travel with respect to a first pair of feed rollers, a pulse generator attached to the driven first feed roller is actuated to generate pulses for counting to reach the preset number in the pulse counter. When the preset number is reached, a second pair of feed rollers is stopped through disablement of an electromagnetic clutch and enablement of a brake while the leading sheet is continued to be conveyed downstream by the first pair of feed rollers to effect a burst.

Bursting machine

An envelope feeding apparatus, including a hopper having a support deck and a pair of vertical sides extending upwardly from the support deck, the support deck being oriented at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, a separator roller and a separator stone situated at the lower end of the hopper for feeding envelopes seriatim from the hopper, a center ramp located upstream of the separator roller and the separator stone, the center ramp extending only a small portion of the distance between the vertical sides of the hopper, a center feed roller located above the downstream portion of the center ramp and proximate the separator stone, whereby the lower corners of the envelopes are raised off the support deck when the envelopes are translated along the center ramp and under the feed roller, thereby allowing the envelopes to approach the separator roller and the separator stone unskewed.

Envelope feeding apparatus

A document feeding device having a hopper oriented at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane, the hopper having an upstream aperture and a downstream aperture and able to support a pack of documents to be fed therefrom, a device situated at the lower end of the hopper for feeding documents seriatim from the hopper, a first pulley whose outer surface extends slightly through the downstream aperture and a second pulley whose outer surface extends slightly through the upstream aperture, and a double sided timing belt mounted on the first and second pulleys and riding on the upper surface of the hopper. The document feeding device also includes a switch in contact with the lead document of the pack of documents, the switch having contacts which close when the angle of repose of the pack of documents relative to the hopper is sufficiently decreased, and a solenoid operatively connected to one of the pulleys and to the switch, wherein when the contacts are closed, the solenoid is energized to index the one pulley, whereby the timing belt is indexed forward, thereby moving the pack of documents forward and maintaining the pack of documents at an optimum pack pressure and angle of repose for seriatim feeding.

Document feeding device

For use in combination with a machine for feeding a web of paper in a downstream path of travel, there is provided apparatus for folding an unfolded web of paper along its longitudinally-extending weakened fold line. The apparatus comprises: a frame; web drag structure including a drag member which longitudinally extends across the path of travel of the unfolded web for frictional engagement by the web; a lower roller which is rotatably attached to the frame below the level of the drag member so as to extend transverse to the drag member and at an angle of approximately 95.degree. with respect to a vertical plane passing through the drag member, such that an unfolded web may extend downwardly in its path of travel from the drag member, into engagement with the lower roller and be gradually folded between them; and an output roller which is rotatably attached to the frame below the level of the drag member so as to extend transverse to the drag member and such that the folded web may extend from beneath the lower roller and into engagement with the output roller and the from beneath the output roller to the machine. In addition, the apparatus comprises web guiding structure including a pair of drag elements connected to the frame as to extend into engagement with the web between the drag member and lower roller, the drag elements being constructed and arranged for engaging the partially folded web on opposite sides of the fold line for pre-creasing the web along the fold line.

Web folding apparatus

For use in combination with a machine for feeding a web of paper in a downstream path of travel, there is provided apparatus for folding an unfolded web of paper along its longitudinally-extending weakened fold line. The apparatus comprises a frame; a drag member attached to the frame so as to extend in frictional engagement with the unfolded web; a pair of parallel spaced rollers which are attached to the frame below the level of the drag member so as to extend at right angles to the drag member, such that an unfolded web may extend downwardly in its path of travel from said drag member to said upper roller and be folded between them and such that the folded web may threadably extend between the upper and lower rollers; and an output roller attached to the frame so as to extend parallel to said upper and lower rollers, such that the folded web may extend in its path of travel from beneath the lower roller to the output roller and then from beneath the output roller to the machine. In addition, there is provided an upright guide plate, which extends between the lower roller and output roller and at right angles to the same, and articulable structure which carries a wheel for disposition in rolling engagement with the fold line of a web between the drag member and said upper roller. The wheel is thus selectively positionable with respect to a web for urging the fold edge of a folded web into engagement with the guide plate as the machine feeds a web in its downstream path of travel.

Apparatus for inserting a stack of items into an envelope. A plurality of bank checks are serially fed, counted, and stacked at a receiving and stacking station while simultaneously an envelope is fed to an insertion station. A counter visually displays the number of the counted checks and after a predetermined number have been fed, counted, and stacked, a bank statement is fed and folded and simultaneously an enclosure is fed to the stack of checks at the stacking station by pairs of endless transport belts. A document depressor exerts force downwardly upon the folded statement, enclosure, and plurality of checks, pressing those items into a compressed stack whereupon a ram carrying an adjustable finger moves forward between the document depressor and compressed stack of items. The finger carried by the ram abuts against the long edge of the stack to insert the stack into the envelope at the insertion station.

Growing community of inventors

Westport, CT, United States of America

Frank T Roetter