The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 15, 1994
Filed:
Jul. 22, 1993
Tab Products Company, Turlock, CA (US);
Abstract
A sequence stacker edge stacks envelopes or the like. Belts carry shingled envelopes in a downstream direction to an angled stop. The belts are carefully spaced vertically above a deck. As a stack of envelopes forms against the stop, the weight of the stack deflects the belts until the top surfaces of the belts become aligned with a stationary surface. At that point, the weight of the stack is transferred from the belts to the stationary surface. Consequently, the downstream driving force of the belts on the envelopes' bottom edges is greatly reduced. The result is that the sequence stacker can stack many more envelopes without backward tipping of the envelopes than prior stacking machines. In an alternate design, certain portions of a stack remain urged downstream at all times by the belts. For that purpose, short spacers are placed at intervals under the belts. The short spacers prevent full deflection of the belts' top surfaces into alignment with the stationary surface, so that the weight of the portions of the stack over the short spacers is not transferred to the stationary surface. The belts therefore continuously exert a downstream driving force on the portions of the stack located over the short spacers.