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:
Apr. 03, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 15, 1998
Eliot S. Smithe, Duncansville, PA (US);
John W. Gardiner, Duncansville, PA (US);
F. L. Smithe Machine Company, Inc., Duncansville, PA (US);
Abstract
An envelope blank is conveyed through a folding mechanism that folds one or more flaps of the blank. In folding a side flap the leading edge of the blank adjacent to the score line follows in a helical path a convex face of a plowshare. The plowshare face applies at the leading edge of the blank adjacent to the score line a force which bends the side flap through an angle of 180° to a position where the flap is folded to overlap the blank. The folding of the flap is initiated by the convex face of the plowshare so that the flap folding forces are applied to the score line where the flap has the least resistance to bending. The folding forces are removed from the flap free edge which is supported to follow the movement of the flap leading edge.