Enveloping device
First Claim
1. An enveloping device comprising:
- envelope support means for supporting an upwardly extending stack of envelopes, each envelope having a first and second panel defining an open end, with a flap connected to said second panel on the open end and folded onto the bottom side of the envelope so that the bottom envelope in said stack can be individually stripped therefrom;
at least one flap opening element supported for rotation below and contiguous to said stack of envelopes and engageable with the flap on said bottom envelope for displacing said flap on said bottom envelope a predetermined amount outwardly from said bottom envelope into substantially the plane of said second panel when said at least one flap opening element is rotated;
a packing trap disposed in spaced relation to said support means and having a front end, a rear end, and a shape for opening said open end of said envelope when said envelope is at least partially received thereon from said front end;
a plurality of first rotatable conveyor elements comprising means rotatably mounted on an axis with said flap opening element and proximate said stack of envelopes for receiving said flap on said bottom envelope when displaced said predetermined amount and stripping said bottom envelope from said stack and conveying said stripped envelope in an initial path toward and at least partially onto said packing trap from the front end of said packing trap while maintaining said second panel in the same orientation relative to said first panel and said stack so that said open end of said envelope is opened sufficiently to receive contents therein;
means for pivotally mounting said packing trap for pivotal movement between an envelope receiving position wherein said front end of said packing trap receives thereon said stripped envelope at the open end thereof when said stripped envelope is travelling in said initial path and an envelope discharging position wherein said front end of said packing trap is displaced from said envelope receiving position in said initial path for discharging said stripped envelope from said front end of said packing trap;
contents supporting means adjacent said rear end of said packing trap for supporting contents to be inserted in said opened envelope when positioned on said packing trap;
a contents feeding conveyor engageable with said contents for conveying said contents onto said packing trap and into said envelope thereon through the open end thereof and for displacing said envelope and contents therein from said packing trap at the front end thereof when said packing trap is in said discharging position;
a hold down roller movably mounted adjacent said front end of said packing trap for movement between an envelope engaging position where said packing trap is in said envelope receiving position for guiding said envelope onto said front end of said packing trap, and a retracted position where said hold down roller is disengaged from said stripped envelope when said packing trap is in said discharging position; and
means for operating said packing trap and hold down roller.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device for feeding and stuffing envelopes opens the flap (2) of the bottom envelope (3) of a stack (1) with a rotating opener claw (5, 6, 7 ). As soon as the flap is sufficiently open, it is seized by two rotating transport elements (8, 9) and pressed against two conveyor rollers (10, 11). The opener claws (5, 6, 7) and the conveyor elements (8, 9) are disposed on the same shaft (4), but are supported and driven independently of each other. The opener claws are only operated from a coupling (12) when a packing operation is to be carried out. The conveyor elements (8, 9) and the conveyor rollers (10, 11) run continuously. Two pairs of conveyor rollers (17, 18, 19, 20) convey the envelope towards a packing trap (13). As soon as the flap (2) of the envelope (3) is positioned below a hold down roller (21), the latter begins to descend. Simultaneously, the packing trap (13) begins to pivot towards the envelope and the envelope (3) is drawn onto the packing trap (13). The prepared contents (38) of the envelope are conveyed by transport fingers (34) into the packing trap (13) from the opposite side. Transport fingers (34) push the envelope (3) and contents (38) from the packing trap between conveyor belts (43, 44) and out of the enveloping unit.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An enveloping device comprising:
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envelope support means for supporting an upwardly extending stack of envelopes, each envelope having a first and second panel defining an open end, with a flap connected to said second panel on the open end and folded onto the bottom side of the envelope so that the bottom envelope in said stack can be individually stripped therefrom; at least one flap opening element supported for rotation below and contiguous to said stack of envelopes and engageable with the flap on said bottom envelope for displacing said flap on said bottom envelope a predetermined amount outwardly from said bottom envelope into substantially the plane of said second panel when said at least one flap opening element is rotated; a packing trap disposed in spaced relation to said support means and having a front end, a rear end, and a shape for opening said open end of said envelope when said envelope is at least partially received thereon from said front end; a plurality of first rotatable conveyor elements comprising means rotatably mounted on an axis with said flap opening element and proximate said stack of envelopes for receiving said flap on said bottom envelope when displaced said predetermined amount and stripping said bottom envelope from said stack and conveying said stripped envelope in an initial path toward and at least partially onto said packing trap from the front end of said packing trap while maintaining said second panel in the same orientation relative to said first panel and said stack so that said open end of said envelope is opened sufficiently to receive contents therein; means for pivotally mounting said packing trap for pivotal movement between an envelope receiving position wherein said front end of said packing trap receives thereon said stripped envelope at the open end thereof when said stripped envelope is travelling in said initial path and an envelope discharging position wherein said front end of said packing trap is displaced from said envelope receiving position in said initial path for discharging said stripped envelope from said front end of said packing trap; contents supporting means adjacent said rear end of said packing trap for supporting contents to be inserted in said opened envelope when positioned on said packing trap; a contents feeding conveyor engageable with said contents for conveying said contents onto said packing trap and into said envelope thereon through the open end thereof and for displacing said envelope and contents therein from said packing trap at the front end thereof when said packing trap is in said discharging position; a hold down roller movably mounted adjacent said front end of said packing trap for movement between an envelope engaging position where said packing trap is in said envelope receiving position for guiding said envelope onto said front end of said packing trap, and a retracted position where said hold down roller is disengaged from said stripped envelope when said packing trap is in said discharging position; and means for operating said packing trap and hold down roller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A process for feeding and stuffing envelopes comprising:
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supporting an upwardly extending stack of envelopes having first and second panels defining an open end, with a flap connected to said second panel on the open end of said envelopes folded under the bottoms of respective envelopes; rotating a flap opening element around an axis and opening the flap on the bottom envelope of said stack by said flap opening element from the folded position underneath the bottom of said bottom envelope to a position extending outwardly from said open end of said envelope and in substantially the plane of said second panel; engaging said outwardly extending flap by first rotating conveyor elements comprising means rotatable around said axis, and rotating said rotatable means around said axis for stripping said bottom envelope from said stack of envelopes and feeding said stripped envelope toward a pivotally mounted packing trap having a front end for receiving said stripped envelope; pivoting said packing trap to an envelope receiving position for receiving at the front end thereof the open end of said envelope; urging said stripped envelope against said front end of said packing trap in the receiving position thereof to guide said open end of said envelope onto said front end of said packing trap; feeding said stripped envelope onto said packing trap while maintaining said second panel in the same orientation relative to said first panel and said stack and simultaneously opening at least the open end of said envelope by said packing trap in the receiving position; pivoting said packing trap to a discharging position wherein said front of said packing trap is displaced from said receiving position; supporting contents to be inserted in said envelope proximate the other end of said packing trap opposite said front end thereof; inserting said contents through said open end of said envelope when said packing trap is in said discharging position; pushing said envelope with said contents therein off of said packing trap from the front end thereof; and conveying said discharged envelope and contents therein away from said packing trap.
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Specification