GB696425A - A machine for filling envelopes - Google Patents

Abstract

696,425. Inserting sheets into envelopes. CRAIG KEMP, Ltd. July 24, 1951 [July 26, 1950], No. 18704/50. Class 94(i) [Also in Group II] A machine for inserting enclosures in envelopes comprises an envelope hopper adapted to hold a stack of envelopes with their flaps open, an enclosure hopper adapted to hold a stack of enclosures, a hand adapted to enter the bottom envelope in its hopper and hold it open for insertion of an enclosure, a pusher plate adapted to slide an enclosure from the bottom of the enclosure hopper over the hand into the envelope, and means for ejecting successively each filled envelope. A hopper 17 having adjustable side guides 18 and front guide 20 and containing a stack of envelopes with their flaps extended and uppermost is disposed in front of a similar hopper 28 containing a stack of enclosures to be inserted in the envelopes. An adjustable vertical plate 41 forms the front of the hopper 28 and extends down to leave a gap 44 between its lower edge and a supporting bar 38 through which one enclosure at a time may be pushed. A bridge 46 supports the flaps of the envelopes in the stack and a needle on a member 106 thereon projects upwardly through the lower flaps to ensure that only one envelope at a time is removed from the stack; alternatively the envelopes may be arched and have their edges supported by collars on the rear pair of guides 18. In operation an air jet from a nozzle 99, delivered by a pump 102 operated by an arm 104 rocked by an eccentric roller 105 opens the lowermost envelope to allow a slidable hand member 48, upwardly turned at the tip and side edges 52, to enter the envelope and hold it open while a step 53 on a slidable member 49 pushes the lowermost enclosure from the stack into the envelope and then pushes the filled envelope to adjustable discharge rollers 81, 82. The member 49, which slides above the member 48, is moved by link means 57, 61 rocked by a link 65 secured to an eccentric pin 66. The member 48 is connected to the member 49 by a spring 75 and moves forward with the member 49 until a stop 77 on the member 48 engages a stop 79 to allow the member 49 to continue to move forward alone. The discharge rollers 81, 82 feed the filled envelope down a shoot 83, the envelope being arrested by a row of check pins 112 to cause the enclosure to slide fully into the envelope. The pins 112 are mounted on a spring-urged pivoted plate 113 and pulled away by a cord 114 tightened by forward movement of the link 65. If envelopes with a top tuckin flap are used they may be stacked with the tuck-in flaps already closed and the enclosures may then be inserted through the bottom flaps which are afterwards gummed and sealed by an attachment at the end of the shoot 83.