Feed mechanism for individual flat articles

• US 4,573,673 A
• Filed: 10/02/1984
• Issued: 03/04/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frama AG (Quadient SA)
• Original Assignee: Frama AG (Quadient SA)
• Inventors: Haug, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/656,961
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 271/10-17, 271/23, 271/109, 271/110, 271/111, 271/258, 271/259, 271/265, 271/266, 271/270
• US Class Current: 271/111
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/02 Forming articles into a stream; Arranging articles in a stream, e.g. spacing, orientating transport of sheets B65H
• CPC Class Codes: B43M 5/04 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/514 Particular portion of element
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/20 Acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/512 Starting; Stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1916 Envelopes and articles of mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/68 Reducing the speed of articles as they advance
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/063 separating from the bottom of pile B65H3/0615, B65H3/0623 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/18 Modifying or stopping actuation of separators

Abstract

An article feed mechanism for use in association with a franking device which operates on mail, comprises a feeding mechanism which includes an article feed path which is oriented so that it may be connected over a feed path of the franking device and which includes two separately driven conveyor sections. The first conveyor is driven by a drive motor and comprises a plurality of drive rollers which operate on the articles which are arranged in a stack at a stacking area and delivers them one at a time to the second conveyor mechanism which includes a pressure drive roller acting to drive the lowermost one of the articles under a sliding apron and then for advancing it into association with a driven roller cooperating with another overhead roller. A first sensor is located between the pressure roller and the cooperating over and under rollers and it acts when an article is advanced to disconnect the drive motor for the first conveyor. After the article leaves the sensor the sensor acts on a second motor to slow down a second driving conveyor. A second sensor is located downstream of the first sensor and it acts when an article approaches it to rapidly decelerate the second drive motor for the second conveyor.

Claims

1. An article feed mechanism for use in association with another device for operating on a flat article as it is fed along an operating path, particularly a franking machine which operates on mail, comprising:

means defining an article feed path adapted to be associated with the operating path of the device;

a stacking area plate in said article feed path adapted to receive flat articles of different size stacked one on top of another;

a lateral wall adjacent said stacking area plate;

a baffle plate having a lower edge spaced from said stacking area plate by a distance to allow at least one article to pass said baffle plate on said article feed path;

first conveyor means disposed along a portion of said article feed path upstream of said baffle plate for feeding articles along said portion of said article feed path, a lowermost flat article being pressed against said first conveyor means by the weight of the articles received on said stacking area plate;

first drive means connected to said first conveyor means to drive said first conveyor means;

second conveyor means disposed along a portion of said feed path downstream of said first conveyor means for feeding an article;

second drive means connected to said second conveyor means to drive said second conveyor means at selected speeds;

a flexible hold-back apron having a part resting on a portion of said second conveyor means;

first sensor means connected to said first drive means and being located along said feed path adjacent said second conveyor means and acting to stop said first drive means when an article is fed along said feed path to said first sensor means;

second sensor means connected to said second drive means and adapted to be connected to the device and acting to stop the second drive means and start the device, said first and second sensor means being located in said article feed path direction downstream of said hold-back apron;

said first sensor means being connected to said first drive means and said second drive means, said first sensor means producing a signal for reducing the conveying speed of said second conveyor means by acting on said second drive means when a trailing edge of the article passes said first sensor means; and

connection means connected to said first and second drive means and connected to the device so that a signal connection is provided between the device and the feed mechanism for restarting said first and second drive means of said first and second conveyor means.

2. An article feed mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said means defining an article feed path extends outwardly from said feed mechanism and is engageable over the operating device, said operating device comprising a franking machine and coupling means defined between said franking machine and said feeding mechanism and including an electrical plug unit for coupling these parts together mechanically and electrically.

3. An article feed mechanism according to claim 1, wherein each of said first and second conveyor means includes a plurality of conveying members successively arranged in a conveying direction along said feed path and which come into contact with the article, a downstreammost one of said conveying members of said first conveyor means being spaced from an upstreammost one of said conveying members of said second conveyor means by less than a length of the article along said article feed path.

4. An article feed mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said second conveying means comprises a plurality of rotatable members arranged along said feed path in succession for producing a conveying speed which increases in the conveying direction.

5. An article feed mechanism according to claim 1, sherein said second conveyor means includes a first driving feed roller connected to said second drive means, a second driving feed roller spaced further along the feed pathfrom said first driving feed roller and connected to said first driving feed roller for rotation therewith, said second driving feed roller being located adjacent the end of said feed mechanism which is directly adjacent the operating device so that it is still in contact with the article which is fed along said feed path when said first and second drive means are disconnected.

6. An article feed mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said franking machine includes an outer housing, means defining a table plate feed space along which the articles are fed which is adapted to be moved into position underlying said means defining an article feed path of said feeding machine, a small housing defined under said feed plate of said franking machine including a latching mechanism latchably engageable to a part on said feeding device.

7. An article feed mechanism according to claim 6, wherein said small housing on said franking machine includes a latching wall pivotally mounted on said housing and defining the lower end thereof and being pivotable to a closed position in which it latches against a part of said feed mechanism.