Pitney Bowes Inc.

Thomas M Helit

Walter Wolog

William H Brewster, Jr

Gerald C Freeman

Paul R Sette

Richard F Stengl

Kenneth W Lowell

Robert J Edwards

Karen P Synnett

In a mailing machine which transports along a feed path a mailpiece having a moistened flap and a main body portion, a sealing and deskewing device comprising structure for transporting the mailpiece through the mailing machine; a first roller mounted for rotation and having a first roller surface; and a second roller mounted for rotation and having a conical segment and at least one other segment, wherein at times when the mailpiece is transported between the first and second rollers in a skewed orientation relative to the feed path the conical segment operatively cooperates with the transporting means to deskew the mailpiece relative to the feed path and concurrently the first roller surface operatively cooperates with the at least one other segment to apply pressure to the moistened flap to seal the moistened flap to the main body portion.

Sealing and deskewing device for a mailing machine

Apparatus for feeding respective sheets from a stack thereof comprising structure for supporting a plurality of sheets in an upright stack thereof, the supporting structure including an upright wall, the supporting structure including a deck extending beneath the wall and defining a path of travel for respective sheets fed from the stack, the deck extending transverse to the path of travel; structure for successively feeding respective sheets downstream in the path of travel, the feeding structure including opposed outfeed rollers downstream of the upright wall, the feeding structure including an elongate first roller longitudinally extending transverse to the path of travel upstream of the upright wall, the feeding structure including an elongate second roller longitudinally extending transverse to the path of travel upstream of the fist roller, the feeding structure including structure for driving the outfeed and first and second rollers; structure for controlling the driving structure, and the controlling structure including structure for causing the driving structure to continuously drive at least one of the outfeed rollers and to selectively drive the first and second rollers.

Apparatus for separating and feeding sheets from a stack thereof

In apparatus for feeding respective sheets including framework and a deck mounted thereon for supporting a plurality of sheets in an upright stack thereof, wherein the deck defines a path of travel for respective lowermost sheets to be fed from the stack, and the stack has an upstream end and a downstream end, an improvement for facilitating feeding lowermost sheets from the stack, the improvement comprising a platform connected to the framework, the platform including a base wall portion having a longitudinal length extending upstream from the upstream end of the deck; a stack supporting member, the member including an upright upper wall portion having a lower end, the member including a lower wall portion extending upstream from the upper wall portion's lower end and forming therewith an elongate downstream marginal edge having a wedge-shaped transverse cross-section; and structure for adjustably mounting the stack supporting member on the platform, the mounting structure including first structure for moving the stack supporting member transversely of the longitudinal length of the platform, and second structure for moving the stack supporting member along the longitudinal length of the platform and thus toward and away from the stack for selectively positioning the stack supporting member's downstream marginal edge beneath the stack.

Sheet feeding apparatus including means for facilitating feeding

An improvement for an apparatus conveying sheets of paper seriatim along a deck between a plurality of roller pairs, including lower driven rollers and corresponding upper biased idler rollers. The improvement comprises a roller and guide plate assembly pivotably mounted on the deck. The roller and guide plate assembly includes a guide plate operatively coupled to rigid support shafts and upper roller assemblies of the roller pairs, and means for supporting the guide plate a fixed distance above the deck. The guide plate is mounted to at least two shaft support blocks, the rigid support shafts for the upper roller assemblies being mounted to the support blocks above the guide plate, the guide plate including slots through which the biased upper rollers of the upper roller assemblies extend therethrough to cooperate with the corresponding lower driven rollers to convey sheets across the deck. One of the shaft support blocks is pivotably mounted to the deck whereby the roller and guide plate assembly is pivotable between a raised position and a lowered operating position. There is a locking mechanism, including a support bracket and means for locking the roller and guide plate assembly to the support bracket in the lowered operating position, the roller and guide plate assembly being supported by a lower leg of the support bracket when the roller and guide plate assembly is in a lowered operating position.

Roller/guide plate assembly for ninety degree document transfer unit

An apparatus for conveying sheets of paper along a paper path comprises an outer frame having an inlet end for connection to an upstream conveying device and an outlet end for connection to a downstream conveying device. The outer frame has a hollow interior and an opening in each of the inlet and outlet ends for conveying sheets through. There is a drawer frame slidably mounted to the outer frame. The drawer frame is slidable through an open side of the outer frame between a closed position within the outer frame to an open position outside the outer frame. There is structure mounted in the drawer frame for conveying along a paper path sheets of paper received from the upstream conveying device to the downstream conveying device. The conveying structure includes structure for driving the conveying structure. The drawer frame also has an opening at at each end for conveying sheets through, wherein the conveying structure is operational when the drawer frame is in the closed position and the paper path within the drawer frame is accessible when the drawer frame is in the open position. The conveying structure also includes at least one staging area for stopping the advancement of sheets being conveyed along the paper path.

Growing community of inventors

Bethel, CT, United States of America

Thomas M Helit