GB1378647A - Interconnection of flat articles such as envelopes - Google Patents

Abstract

1378647 Bundling envelopes; feeding sheets PAK-WELL CORP 6 Dec 1971 [21 Dec 1970] 56497/71 Headings B8C and B8R [Also in Divisions B6 and B2] A continuous assembly of envelopes 12 having removable side margins is formed by conveying the envelopes past applicator wheels 22 which apply adhesive to the side margins, and securing the envelopes together in overlapping relationship or to lateral reinforcing strips or to a carrier web. Feeding envelopes.-Envelopes 12 are picked up from a supply station 10 by a pair of suction wheels 14. The foremost envelope at the supply station is maintained in a position substantially tangential to the suction wheels 14 by means of a sensor switch 40 which controls the drive of a plurality of belts 38 upon which edges of the envelopes rest. The suction wheels 14 and a pair of belts 16 transfer the envelopes 12 serially on to a pair of inclined conveyer chains 18 which carry the envelopes past the adhesive applicator wheels 22. Adhesive application.-The applicator wheels 22 rotate in a reservoir of adhesive and doctor blades remove adhesive from all but the surface of a segment (48, Fig. 3), of each wheel 22, which surface includes a plurality of spaced apertures. The lengths of the dotted strips of adhesive applied to the envelopes may be adjusted by disengaging a clutch between a drive from the conveyer chains 18 to the wheels 22 so altering the phase relationship between the rotation of the wheels 22 and the linear movement of the conveyer chains 18. Associated with each applicator wheel 22 is a resilient movable member (44, Fig. 3) capable of selectively deforming a side margin of each envelope so that it contacts the applicator wheel 22. Interconnecting envelopes.-The envelopes, upon discharge from the conveyer chains 18, are engaged by drive rollers 24 and drawn towards the nip of pressure rollers 26. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the peripheral speed of the pressure rollers 26 which is slower than that of the drive rollers 24, is adjusted so that the envelopes are overlapped and hence secured together in this relationship. In alternative embodiments (Fig. 1A), the envelopes are secured in overlapping relationship to one another and to lateral reinforcing strips (56) or they are secured in spaced relationship on a carrier web 60. Perforating and trimming.-Pairs of matched punch wheels 28, 28a perforate the margins of the interconnected envelopes and pairs of rotary knives 32, 32a trim the edges of the envelopes. The various components of the machine are adjustable to accommodate envelopes of different sizes.