Envelope feeder
First Claim
1. An envelope feeder comprising:
- a first member-presenting a first surface;
a second member having a second surface opposing said first surface;
said first member being movable with respect to said second member in response to each of a plurality of envelopes moving between said first and second surfaces;
a detector for sensing the presence of each of said plurality of envelopes as they each move between said first and second members; and
means, responsive to said detector, for automatically controlling the spacing of said first member from said second member to set the gap between said first and second surfaces to match the thickness of each of said plurality of envelopes, whereby said envelopes move singularly between said first and second members, wherein each of said envelopes has a forward edge and a trailing edge opposite the forward edge, and said detector senses the presence of each of said plurality of envelopes by detecting said forward and trailing edges of each of said envelopes.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved envelope feeder is provided for single feeding of envelopes which may be of different sizes and thicknesses from a stack of such envelopes. The envelope feeder includes a separation roller having a plurality of disks, and retard members having surfaces which oppose the disks of the separation roller. The roller is movable with respect to the retard members in response to each of the envelopes moving between the surface of the separation roller disks and the retard members. A detector is provided for sensing the presence of each of the envelopes as they each move between the separation roller disks and the retard members. Responsive to this detector, a controller in the feeder automatically controls the spacing of the separation roller disks from the retard members to set the gap between their surfaces to match the thickness of each of the envelopes, whereby the envelopes move singularly between the separation roller disks and the retard members. To advance each of the envelopes from the stack into the gap, a feed roller is provided below a support plate for the stack. This feed roller pivots, responsive to the controller, towards and away from the bottom of the stack through an opening in the support plate to selectably advance each envelope into the gap. A bar may also be provided for applying pressure against the top of the stack towards the support plate. The envelope feeder may be in combination with a mail handling system to provide controlled feeding of single envelopes in such as system.
51 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An envelope feeder comprising:
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a first member-presenting a first surface; a second member having a second surface opposing said first surface; said first member being movable with respect to said second member in response to each of a plurality of envelopes moving between said first and second surfaces; a detector for sensing the presence of each of said plurality of envelopes as they each move between said first and second members; and means, responsive to said detector, for automatically controlling the spacing of said first member from said second member to set the gap between said first and second surfaces to match the thickness of each of said plurality of envelopes, whereby said envelopes move singularly between said first and second members, wherein each of said envelopes has a forward edge and a trailing edge opposite the forward edge, and said detector senses the presence of each of said plurality of envelopes by detecting said forward and trailing edges of each of said envelopes. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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2. An envelope feeder comprising:
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a first member presenting a first surface; a second member having a second surface opposing said first surface; said first member being movable with respect to said second member in response to each of a plurality of envelopes moving between said first and second surfaces; a detector for sensing the presence of each of said plurality of envelopes as they each move between said first and second members; means, responsive to said detector, for automatically controlling the spacing of said first member from said second member to set the gap between said first and second surfaces to match the thickness of each of said plurality of envelopes, whereby said envelopes move singularly between said first and second members; and means, responsive to said controlling means, for selectably advancing each of said envelopes into said gap between said first and second members. - View Dependent Claims (3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An envelope feeder comprising:
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a first member presenting a first surface; a second member having a second surface opposing said first surface; said first member being movable with respect to said second member in response to each of a plurality of envelopes moving between said first and second surfaces; a detector for sensing the presence of each of said plurality of envelopes as they each move between said first and second members; and means, responsive to said detector, for automatically controlling the spacing of said first member from said second member to set the gap between said first and second surfaces to match the thickness of each of said plurality of envelopes, whereby said envelopes move singularly between said first and second members, wherein said plurality of envelopes are in a stack, and said envelope feeder further comprises a support for said stack in which said support presents a surface to said stack such that the lower flat sides of the envelopes in said stack face said surface to position said envelopes for singular feeding between said first and second members, a bar moveable with respect to said stack, and means coupled to said bar for applying pressure with said bar against said stack toward said surface of said support. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method for feeding envelopes comprising the steps of:
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providing a first member and a second member in which the surfaces of said first and second members oppose each other; moving said first member with respect to said second member when one of a plurality of envelopes moves between the surfaces of said first and second members; sensing the presence of said one envelope between said surfaces of said first and second members; and controlling the spacing of said first member from said second member to set the gap between the surfaces of said first and second members to match the thickness of said sensed one envelope. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An envelope feeder for feeding envelopes from a stack of a plurality of said envelopes comprising:
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a first member presenting a first surface; a second member having a second surface opposing said first surface to define a gap between said first and second surfaces; said first member being movable with respect to said second member in response to each of a plurality of envelopes moving between said first and second surfaces; at least one detector for sensing the presence of each of said plurality of envelopes as they each move between said first and second members; support members presenting a support surface for said stack of envelopes to feed said envelopes singularly between said first and second members; and a motor driven roller having one or more rotatable surfaces moveable into engaging relationship with said stack through at least one opening in said support surface to selectably advance each of said envelopes through said gap in accordance with said detector, wherein said gap is adjustable by movement of said first member as each of said envelopes advances through said gap. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. An envelope feeder comprising:
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a housing having a surface for supporting a stack of envelopes a feed roller in said housing and having an axis of rotation generally perpendicular to a feed direction along said surface; an opening in said surface for passage of an envelope driving portion of said roller; a shaft in said housing having an axis of rotation generally parallel to said axis of rotation of said feed roller; and a member extending radially from said axis of rotation of said shaft to said feed roller for pivotal movement upon rotation of said shaft moving said feed roller via said opening into and out of driving relationship with successive envelopes in said stack which rest on said surface and thereby applying with said feed roller pulses of driving force in said feed direction to successive envelopes in said stacks. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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Specification