Machine and method for packaging travelers checks

• US 4,299,073 A
• Filed: 11/09/1979
• Issued: 11/10/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Express Company
• Original Assignee: American Express Company
• Inventors: Golicz, Roman M., Gunther, William H. Jr., Hough, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sipos, John
• Application Number:
  US06/093,001
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 53/460, 53/206, 53/209, 53/520, 53/493, 271/9, 414/54, 235/431, 198/421
• US Class Current: 53/493
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/14 Packaging paper or like sheets, envelopes, or newspapers, in flat, folded, or rolled form

Abstract

A machine and method for packaging travelers checks in which the checks are automatically packaged in predetermined denominations and in predetermined amounts.

Claims

1. A mechansim for packaging travelers checks having serial numbers thereon in an envelope, each envelope blank has a central panel, an end panel and a kite flap, said end panel being narrower than the forms and checks, and said forms and checks being deposited on said end panel with a portion thereof containing the serial number of the forms and checks extending beyond said end panel, comprising conveyor means, means for moving said conveyor means, means for depositing an envelope blank on said conveyor means, means for depositing a purchase agreement form having a serial number on said envelope blank, means for depositing travelers checks having serial numbers thereon on said envelope blank, first detecting means for reading said serial numbers on said form and for reading the serial numbers on said checks, means connected to said first detecting means for determining whether the serial numbers on said checks and said forms are in a predetermined sequence, and means connected to said first detecting means for determining whether the serial number on the form to be associated with a particular envelope blank corresponds to the lowest serial number on the checks to be associated with said particular envelope blank, second detecting means are provided for determining whether the envelope blank has been fed, third detecting means are provided to detect whether a form and a check has been fed and means are provided whereby detection by any of said detecting means or determining means of a malfunction will result in stopping the operation to permit the malfunction to be corrected, a storage tray is provided to hold the envelope blanks and wherein means are provided to feed envelope blanks from the tray to a first holding means, means for removing the envelope blanks from the said first holding means and depositing them on the conveyor means, said forms and checks being stored in storage trays and vacuum means being provided to remove each from its respective tray and deposit them on second and third holding means, respectively, said vacuum means including vacuum belts to transport the forms and the checks from the storage trays to said second and third holding means and said first detecting means underlying said vacuum belts to read the serial numbers on the forms and the checks, means to remove the forms and the checks from the said second and third holding means and depositing them on said conveyor means, said removing means comprising upstanding pin means on said conveyor means to remove the envelope blanks, the forms and checks from their respective first, second and third holding means and deposit them on the conveyor means, said pin means comprising first pins for removing the envelope blanks and second pins for removing the checks and forms, said first and second pins being of different heights, said first pins being shorter than and forward of said second pins, said first pins being adapted to remove the envelope blank from said first holding means and depositing it on the conveyor means, said second pin being adapted to remove the forms and checks from said second and third holding means and deposit them on said end panel of said blank so that said forms and checks extend beyond said end panel, means for folding the envelope blank around said form and said travelers checks and means for for sealing the edges of the blank.

2. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein said forms and said checks are held in place in the second and third holding means by hold-down ball means.

3. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the kite flap of the blank has a window therein which will coincide with the serial number on the extending portion of the forms and checks when the blank is folded around the forms and checks so that the said serial number is visible through the window.