System and method for high-speed insertion of envelopes

• US 7,775,015 B1
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: H. W. Crowley
• Original Assignee: H. W. Crowley
• Inventors: Crowley, H. W.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARMON, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US12/204,773
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 53/52, 53/55, 534/94, 53498-500, 53/77, 532/843
• US Class Current: 53/55
• CPC Class Codes: B43M 3/04 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B43M 3/045 for envelopes with only one flap
• CPC Class Codes: B43M 7/004 including non-mechanical means
• 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 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/441 movable for facilitating access to area inside the housing, e.g. pivoting or sliding
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2403/512 involving radial plate cam
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2403/514 involving eccentric
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/232 Blade, plate, finger
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/242 Timing belts
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/51 oscillating in arcuate paths
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/52 reciprocating
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/5812 pivoting the movable gripping part towards the other part
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/414 of mode of operation
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/524 Multiple articles, e.g. double feed
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2551/14 Switches; Selectors
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2601/321 Access
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2601/324 Removability or inter-changeability of machine parts, e.g. for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1916 Envelopes and articles of mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/66 : Envelope filling machines
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/38 : the paths not enclosing an area
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/44 : Simultaneously, alternately, or selectively separating articles from two or more piles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/043 : the piles being disposed in juxtaposed carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/055 : by collecting in juxtaposed carriers

Abstract

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a system and method for inserting contents into envelopes that generally reduces the number of operative device components, locates all components in a readily and accessible location, reduces the number of adjustments needed to change envelope size and contents size, provides an efficient and aesthetically pleasing design, allows for a highly flexible arrangement of backup hoppers to primary hoppers for feeding envelope contents and otherwise affords a substantial number of improvements over currently available envelope inserters. The illustrative embodiment includes a feed table with a low-slung swing arm for handling contents, a pivoting feed table that exposes the operative components on the underside, a novel raceway belt with projecting lugs for transporting contents to the insertion area, a primary and secondary contents hopper backup system, a mechanism for easily adjusting for different-sized envelopes, and a variety of other novel features.

Claims

1. A system for feeding contents stored in a plurality of hoppers arranged along a raceway to envelopes fed to an envelope stuffing station from an envelope hopper comprising:

a controller that allows each of the hoppers to be selectively enabled to and disabled from feeding contents pieces to the raceway and that senses a fault or miss in feeding contents to the raceway; and

a control panel that includes (a) a plurality of on-off switches for respectively enabling and disabling feed of contents pieces from each of the hoppers, (b) a plurality of backup switches arranged on the control panel with respect to the on-off switches, wherein activating one of the plurality of backup switches directs the controller to switch from a respective primary hopper associated with the activated one of the backup switches to a respective secondary backup hopper associated with the activated one of the backup switches when the controller senses a miss or fault in feeding of the contents pieces from the primary hopper.