Patent · US Expired

Envelope stuffing machine

US5457941A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
18References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 22, 1994
Grant dateOct 17, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 22, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB43M3/045
  • WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

An on-the-fly envelope stuffing apparatus has an envelope feeder comprising a pair of parallel feed belts for underlying the back panel of the envelope and a laterally aligned medial feed belt for overlying the front panel of the envelope. The medial feed belt descends below the level of the parallel feed belts in the downstream direction. An envelope fed lengthwise through the belts is bent so that the envelope flap is partially opened. This allows interposition of a flap guide to fully open the envelope. The envelope feeder dispenses the envelopes serially to an envelope conveyor. An endless tray conveyor parallels the envelope conveyor. Each tray supports an insert stack against which arms on the tray rest. As the trays move downstream in synchronism with envelopes on the envelope conveyor, each tray is cammed toward an envelope so that the arms enter the opening of the envelope. A pusher on the tray then pushes the inserts toward the envelope which also cams the arms so that they move toward the side edges of the envelope and are raised to open the envelope to facilitate insertion of the inserts.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.