Method and apparatus for inserting insert material into an envelope
First Claim
1. A method of successively inserting insert material into envelopes each having a rear panel and a front panel with a flap portion at one end of the envelope, comprising steps of:
- conveying said insert material along a straight path successively to an envelope inserting position where the insert material is inserted into the envelope;
opening the throat of the envelope at said envelope inserting position by means of throat opening means;
providing immediately above said envelope inserting position an envelope storage station where a plurality of envelopes are stored in a stack one above another with the front panel of each of the envelopes facing upward;
feeding the envelopes in said storage station successively to said envelope inserting position for insertion thereinto of said insert material; and
conveying the envelope having the insert material inserted therein out of said envelope inserting position in the same direction as said straight path.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and an apparatus of inserting insert or enclosure material into successive envelopes are disclosed. According to the envelope inserting method, the insert material is conveyed along a straight path successively to an envelope inserting position where the insert material is inserted into the envelope and the stuffed envelope is then conveyed out of the inserting position in the same direction as the above straight path. The method includes providing immediately above the envelope inserting position an envelope storage station where a plurality of envelopes are stored in a stack one above another with the front panel of each of the envelopes facing upward so that the envelopes in the storage station are fed successively to the envelope inserting position for insertion thereinto of insert material. Feeding of the envelopes is performed by mans of a vertically disposed rotatable screw-like spiral member located at the downstream side of the envelope storage station as seen in the direction in which the insert material is conveyed. The spiral member has formed in the periphery thereof a spiral groove for receiving therein the bottom edges of the respective envelopes, thereby holding such envelops at the bottom edges thereof such that the bottom edges are separated one from another. The spiral member is rotatable in such a direction that causes the bottom edges of the envelopes to move downwards with the rotation of the spiral member and then to be released successively from the holding by the spiral member.
20 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of successively inserting insert material into envelopes each having a rear panel and a front panel with a flap portion at one end of the envelope, comprising steps of:
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conveying said insert material along a straight path successively to an envelope inserting position where the insert material is inserted into the envelope;
opening the throat of the envelope at said envelope inserting position by means of throat opening means;
providing immediately above said envelope inserting position an envelope storage station where a plurality of envelopes are stored in a stack one above another with the front panel of each of the envelopes facing upward;
feeding the envelopes in said storage station successively to said envelope inserting position for insertion thereinto of said insert material; and
conveying the envelope having the insert material inserted therein out of said envelope inserting position in the same direction as said straight path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20)
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11. An apparatus for successively inserting insert material into envelopes each having a rear panel and a front panel with a flap portion at one end of the envelope, comprising:
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conveyer means for conveying the insert material along a straight path toward an envelope inserting position of the apparatus where said insert material is inserted by said conveyer means into the envelope through an opened throat thereof and then conveying the envelope having inserted therein the insert material out of said envelope inserting position along said straight path;
an envelope storage station provided immediately above said envelope inserting position for storing a plurality of envelopes in a stack one above another with the front panel of each of said envelopes facing upwards; and
throat opening means disposed adjacent to the upstream side of said envelope storage station, as viewed in the direction in which the insert material is conveyed, and operable to be brought into contact with the throat portion of envelope for opening the throat of that envelope;
said envelope storage station including a flap guide member disposed on the upstream side of said envelope storage station for guiding the flap portions of the envelopes and envelope feed means disposed on the downstream side of said envelope storage station for feeding the envelopes successively to said envelope inserting position. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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21. An apparatus for successively inserting insert material into envelopes each having a rear panel and a front panel with a flap portion at one end of the envelope, comprising:
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conveyer means for conveying the insert material along a straight path toward an envelope inserting position of the apparatus where said insert material is inserted by said conveyer means into an envelope through an opened throat thereof and then conveying the envelope having already inserted therein the insert material out of said envelope inserting position in the same direction as said straight path;
an envelope storage station provided immediately above said envelope inserting position for storing a plurality of envelopes one above another in a stack with the front panel of each of said envelopes facing upwards; and
throat opening means disposed adjacent to the upstream side of said envelope storage station, as viewed in the direction in which the insert material is conveyed, for opening the throat of an envelope;
said envelope storage station including envelope feed means disposed on the upstream and downstream sides of said envelope storage station, respectively, for feeding the envelopes successively to said envelope inserting position, each of said envelope feed means including a vertically disposed rotatable spiral member having formed in the periphery thereof a spiral groove, the spiral groove of one spiral member on the upstream side of said envelope inserting position being adapted to receive therein the flap edges the respective envelopes and the spiral groove of the other spiral member on the downstream side being adapted to receive therein the bottom edges the respective envelopes thereby to hold such envelops in such a way that the flap edges and the bottom edges of the envelopes are separated one from another, and said spiral members being rotatable in such a direction that causes the envelopes to move downwards and then released from the holding by said spiral members with the rotation of said spiral members;
said conveyer means including a pushing member which is adapted to be brought into engagement with the trailing end of the insert material to push said insert material forward into an envelope at the envelope inserting position and then into engagement with the throat portion of the rear panel of the envelope thereby to push the envelope out of said envelope inserting position in the same direction as said straight path.
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Specification