Envelope stuffing device

• US 5,414,977 A
• Filed: 07/12/1993
• Issued: 05/16/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Cohen, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Linda B.
• Application Number:
  US08/097,091
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 53/262, 53/284.3, 53/381.5, 53/381.6, 53/381.7, 53/460, 53/569
• US Class Current: 53/460
• CPC Class Codes: B43M 3/045 for envelopes with only one flap

Abstract

An envelope stuffing device in which no moving parts are required for opening the mouth of an envelope for the insertion of inserts therein. The stuffing device has a plurality of leaf springs, two of which are adjacent the ends of an envelope and are located directly above openings within a floor of the device. Other leaf springs are located intermediate the ends of an envelope, so that when the flap of the envelope is in registration with the leaf springs, the outer leaf springs push down on the end of the envelope and the intermediate leaf springs hold the flap on the floor, thereby causing the mouth of the envelope to open. The device includes a conveying mechanism for placing inserts into to envelope when the mouth of the envelope is open.

Claims

1. An envelope stuffing device, comprising:

a house having a longitudinally extending floor, said floor having a pair of laterally spaced openings therein;

means for conveying an envelope with a trailing open flap over said laterally spaced openings of said floor;

means for conveying an insert above said floor;

a pair of springs that engage the flap of an envelope;

means for fixedly supporting said pair of springs above to said floor with one of said springs received within each of said laterally spaced floor openings for forcing the flap to deflect downward into the openings to open the envelope; and

means for conveying an insert toward an envelope located on said floor and into said envelope when said pair of springs are engaged with the flap of an envelope.

2. The envelope stuffing device of claim 1 wherein each of said openings is located adjacent a longitudinal side of said floor.

3. The stuffing envelope of claim 1 further including means supported by said housing intermediate said pair of springs for holding the central portion of an envelope against said floor.

4. The envelope stuffing device of claim 3 further including means supported by said housing for curving an insert prior to the insert engaging an envelope.

5. The envelope stuffing device of claim 3 further including means for rendering an envelope static while an insert is being placed therein.

6. The envelope stuffing device of claim 3 further including means for guiding an envelope longitudinally across said floor.

7. The envelope stuffing device of claim 6 wherein said guide means supports means for causing an insert to form a curve prior to being fed into an envelope.

8. The envelope stuffing device of claim 3 wherein said envelope conveying means conveys an envelope with its flap trailing.

9. An envelope stuffing device for stuffing inserts into envelopes, comprising:

a longitudinally extending housing having a pair of side walls and a horizontal floor supported between said pair of walls defining an upstream end and a downstream end, said floor having a pair of longitudinally extending, laterally spaced openings therein;

a first shaft rotatably supported by said side walls at an upstream location relative to said spaced openings and having a pair of first drive rollers thereon;

means for rotating said first shaft;

a second shaft rotatably supported by said side walls and having a first pair of idler rollers in engagement with said pair of first drive rollers, said first drive rollers and said first idler rollers being operative to drive an insert;

a third shaft rotatably supported by said side walls and having a second pair of drive rollers mounted thereon and in engagement with said floor, said second pair of drive rollers being operative to convey an envelope over said floor;

means for rotating said third shaft;

a fourth shaft rotatably supported by said side walls and having a third pair of drive rollers mounted thereon;

means for rotating said fourth shaft;

a fifth shaft rotatably supported by said side walls and having a second pair of idler rollers in engagement with said third pair of drive rollers mounted on said fourth shaft;

a sixth shaft rotatably supported by said side walls and having a fourth pair of spaced apart drive rollers in engagement with said floor;

means for rotating said sixth shaft;

a seventh shaft supported by said side walls above said floor, and having a pair of collars mounted thereon, said first through seventh shafts being located upstream from said openings;

a leaf spring mounted on each collar with one end of each spring receivable within one of said openings, so as to contact an envelope conveyed over said floor by deforming the flap of the envelope into the openings to cause the envelope to open;

guide means extending from said forth shaft toward said longitudinally extending spaced openings;

whereby upon said springs opening the mouth of an envelope, said guide means guides an insert driven by said first and third driver rollers into the envelope;

an eighth shaft supported by said side walls downstream from said fifth shaft and having a fifth pair of laterally spaced drive rollers mounted thereon which are received within said openings; and

means for rotating said eighth shaft to convey an envelope across said floor.

10. The envelope stuffing device of claim 9 further including at least one leaf spring supported by said fourth shaft intermediate said pair of leaf springs, said at least one leaf spring being in engagement with said floor to convey an insert toward the floor and secure a portion of an envelope against said floor when positioned between said at least one leaf spring and said floor.

11. The envelope stuffing device of claim 10 further including a pair of laterally extending beams supported by said housing above said floor and in lateral alignment with said at least one leaf spring whereby said at least one leaf spring directs a insert driven by said rollers on said fourth and fifth shafts between said beams and said floor to cause the insert to form a curve.

12. The envelope stuffing device of claim 10 further including a second pair of laterally space openings in said floor longitudinally spaced from said first pair of openings, a ninth shaft supported by the housing and having a pair of rollers received within said second pair of openings, said second pair of rollers of said ninth shaft being in engagement with the rollers of said eighth shaft, and means for rotatably driving said ninth shaft.

13. The envelope stuffing machine of claim 12, further including a tenth shaft rotatably supported by said housing and having a pair of projects in lateral alignment with said second pair of openings and means acting of said shaft for urging said pair of projections into said second pair of openings.

14. A method of stuffing inserts into an envelope that has four sides, the steps comprising:

conveying an envelope with a trailing flap over a longitudinal floor having laterally spaced openings;

conveying an insert above the floor;

applying pressure at the location of the openings upon the envelope adjacent to the envelope sides that are located laterally relative to the longitudinal floor forcing the flap of the envelope to deflect into the openings causing the throat of the envelope to open; and

directing an insert into the envelope as the pressure is applied to the laterally located sides of the envelope.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the envelope is conveyed across a longitudinally extending floor having openings located adjacent a longitudinal side of the floor, the pressure applied to the envelope is created by engaging the envelope springs.

16. The method of claim 14 further including the step of keeping the envelope static as an insert is being inserted therein.