Method and apparatus for delivering and stacking envelopes in an

Abstract

Finished envelopes are conveyed in a feed line of an envelope forming machine aligned in spaced apart relation to a spiral delivery mechanism that transfers the envelopes on edge to the surface of a delivery table. A conveyor on the delivery table sequentially advances the envelopes in a stacked relation from a receiving end portion to a discharge end portion where a predetermined quantity of stacked envelopes are periodically removed from the table as envelopes are added to the stack at the receiving end portion of the table. The envelopes are maintained in a compact stack by a stop member which is normally biased toward the receiving end portion of the table by an actuator mechanism. The stop member exerts pressure on the stack as it advances upon the addition of envelopes from the receiving end portion to the discharge end portion. The stop member maintains the envelopes vertically aligned in a compact arrangement as additional envelopes are added to the stack and the stack advances toward the discharge end. After a predetermined quantity of envelopes are stacked on the table, the operator removes the stack. The stop member then automatically advances under the force of the actuator toward the receiving end into abutment with the last envelope in the stack to maintain the stack compact and prevent the stacked envelopes from becoming misaligned on the delivery table.