US1632648A - Envelope-sealing device - Google Patents

Description

1927. June 14, GRAY ENVELOPE SEALING DEVICE Filed July 6, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 14 27- E. E. GRAY ENVELOPE SEALING DEVICE Filed July 26. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 14, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

. ILHEB E. GRAY, OI LYN N, MASSOHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

THE ELLIOT! ADDRESSING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SET'IS.

ENVELOPE-SEALING DEVICE.

Application filed July 26, 1988. Serial No. 654,012.

This invention relates to envelope sealing machines of the type characterized by having means adapted to receive a plurality of unsealed envelopes and a rotatable drum or other means adapted to engage the envelopes and pass them successively through a flapsealing device.

An object of this invention is to provide a machine of the character described with means to remove the sealed envelopes from the flap-sealing device at a speed greater than the speed of entry of the unsealed envelopes to the flap-sealing device whereby to prevent the jamming of envelopesin the machine and expedite the speed of operation thereof.

A further object is the provision of the above set forth speed increasing means as an attachment to existing envelope-sealing machines.

The flap sealing device of a machine to which this invention relates may include a flap-moistening roll, which roll is adapted to rotate in a bath of water and in contact with the ummed portion of the flap. The roll, usua 1y, is relatively small in diameter and is caused to rotate at relatively rapid speed and. as a consequence, has a tendency to throw oft water. A further object of this invention is to prevent such action.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail illustrating the various parts ofthe apparatus and partially sealed envelope disposed therein.

Fig. 4is a transverse sectional detail of the operating drum and illustrating more particularly the character of the envelopeengaging periphery thereof.

Fig. 5 is a plan detail of one of the resilient bands carried by the drum and adapted frictionally to engage the envelopes.

Fig. 6 is a plan detail of the flap-moistenin device.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the speedinereasing means embodying the invention.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the support 0 the speed-increasing means.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional detail taken through the water reservoir and.

roller of the flap-moistening device.

Fig. 10 is a. detail, in'plan view, of the fla moistening device. I shere shown, the machine embodyin the mventlon may comprise a supporting use 10 upon WhlCh are disposed two spaced standards 11, which standards are adapted to support an operating shaft 12; and said shaft may have a handle 13 secured thereto by wh1ch the demos ma be operated. A

drum 14, which preferab y has a relatively large diameter, is or may be fixedto said shaft 12, and disposed between said standards. A plurality of resilient, as rubber, bands 15 may be disposed in spaced relation about and on the periphery of. said drum. Said bands may be provided with raised portions or projections 16 which are adapted to engage the envelopes frictionally and move them through a flap sealing device hereinafter to be described. The envelopes are adapted to be contained, face down, upon the bottom wall 17 of an envelope rece tacle and said receptacle may be adjustab y supported on supporting rods 18, which rods are or may be secured to the standards 11. Said envelope receptacle is preferably inclined downwardly toward the drum 14 and suitably spaced therefrom.

A cross-member 19 is or may be extended between and secured to said standards 11 said drum. Said springs are adapted to engage the envelope stack in the receptacle and permit single envelopes to be moved beneath the springs by the drum and to a flap-moistening device. Said fiap-moistening device may comprise a reservoir adapted to contain a supply of water and a roller immersed in the water and adapted to be rotated by and in contact with the gummed surface of the envelope flap, whereby to moisten the gummed sur a The flap-moistening device may include a plate23, which is or may be supported by and below said cross-member 19 and in a position above and substantially parallel to the 11. Said plate may e formed with a slot riphery of the drum 23 therein through which the flap-moisten ing roller is adapted to protrude. A water reservoir may be secured to the lower face of said plate below the slot 23 therein s form, is or may be and extend beneath said opening 24 in said plate. Said aperture is adapted to place said water reservoir in communication with an inverted water bottle 25 and maintain constant the water level in the reservoir in a well known manner. A fiapmoistening roller 26, preferably of conical rotatably supported in said water reservoir, and partially immersed in the water therein. and extend through said slot 2i above the upper face of-said plate 23. Said roller 26 is adapted to be rotated at a relatively rapid rate by the gummed face of the envelope-flap, with which it is engaged, and has a tendency to pick up an excessive amount of water and throw it off by centrifugal force.

In accordance with this invention means are provided to prevent-such action and to this end said plate 23 is formed or provided with a raised lip 23". at one edge of said slot 23". which lip is adapted to be contiguous to but not in actual contact with said roller and be co-extensive the length thereof. As thus arranged, said lip serves to scrape off an excessive amount of water from the surface of the roller and leave thereon only a thin film which is adapted to be taken up by the gummed face of the envelope-flap. Preferably also. said plate 23 is formed or provided with a second, or rear, raised lip 20- which is adapted to form a supporting member for the envelope-flap as it passes over the roller. and said second lip may serve as a barrier to catch any water which may be thrown off by said roller.

A member 28 is or may be secured to said plate 23 in a position above and may have members disposed on opposite sides of said roller 26: and said member is adapted to press the flap of an envelope. against said roller whereby as the envelope is moved over the roller. and as the roller rotates the glue on the flap of the envelope will become moistened. As said drum 14 is rotated, it is adapted to engage the bottommost envelopes of the stack of envelopes contained in the receptacle and move them successively beneath the springs 20 and through the flap-moistening device in such a manner that the flap of the envelope is or may be disposed above said plate 23 and the body of the envelope therebeneath, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The moistened flap and unsealed envelope is passed from the flap-moistening device to the flap-sealing means. Said flap-sealing means may include the speed-increasing means hereinafter to be described and a pressure spring 30 which is adapted to press the moistened flap onto the body of the envelope as the envelope passes beneath; and the sealed envelope is adapted to drop into the lower receptacle 31.

In accordance with this invention, means plate beyond an are provided to withdraw the moistened envelopes from the moistening device and pass them through the flap sealing means at a greater speed than they are moved to the flap moistening means by the drum 14, whereby to separate the successive envelopes from each other as they are moved through the machine and thereby prevent the superposition of successive envelopes in and the jamming of the machine. Said speed-increasing mcans may include a frame which is or may be formed or provided with the two upstanding and spaced arms 36. Said frame may have a depending lug 37 which preferably is formed or provided with the recess 38 therein. A resilient supporting member as the spring strip 39 is adapted to be received in said recess and secured to said lug 37 in any suitable manner as by the rivets 40. Said spring member 39 is or may have a reflexed lower end portion 41 which is adapted to be secured to the base 10 of the machine. Said spring member is or may be biased to urge said frame constantly toward the drum 14 for a purpose hereinafter to be described. A. lower roller 45 is or may be disposed between and journallcd in the arms 36 of said frame. Said roller may be formed or provided with an annular pcripheral of in which a resilient rubber or equivalent ring 46 is received frictionally.

A second roller 47 is or may be disposed between the arms 36 of said frame in a position above said first roller 45. The shaft= ends 48 in said roller 47 are preferably received in vertically elongated slots 49 of said arms 36 and are journalled in said slots. Said roller 47 may be provided with an annular peripheral groove 50 in the middle portion thereof and said ring 46 of the roller 45 is adapted to be received in said groove and bear against and be in driving engagement with said roller 47.

Means are or may be provided to urge said roller 47 into constant frictional driving relation with the rin 46 of said roller 45. Said means may include annular grooves 51 formed on the extended ends of the shafts 48 of said roller 47 and similar grooves formed on the extended ends ofthe shaft 52 of the lower roller 45. Helical springs 53 may be extended between and received in the said grooves on opposite sides in said rollers and said springs are or may be arranged to draw and maintain said upper roller 47 into frictional driving engagement with said lower roller 45. Said roller 47 is adapted to be driven by the lower roller 45. The diameter of the reduced or grooved portion 50 of said roller is adapted to be materially less than the diameter of the envelope-engaging face thereof and, consequently, the linear speed of said envelopeengagmg face will be materially greater groove in the middle portion therethan the linear speed of the driving ring 46 of said roller 45. Said resilient supporting member 39, as above stated, is arranged to urge the frame 35, and the rollers, toward the drum 14. whereby to maintain the driving ring 46 of said lower roller 45 in driving contact with said drum. Said lower roller thereby serves to transmit the rotation of said drum to said upper roller and, by reason of the speed-up arrangement, the envelope-engaging face of said upper roller will be driven at a linear speed which is materially greater than the linear speed of the periphery of the drum. Said flap-sealing spring 30 is or may be arranged to press the moistened flap against the body of the envelope on said upper roller, as said envelope is moved beneath said spring, whereby to seal the envelope. Said spring 80, in

addition to pressing the moistened flap against the body of the envelope, also serves to press the envelope against the. roller 47 for driving engagement therewith; and said spring may be disposed to bear against the envelope somewhat to the'rear of the point of contact of the envelope and roller. whereby to bend the envelope about the roller and increase the arc of engagement therewith, whereby to enhance the driving engagement.

The spacing between the flap-moistening and the sealing means is or may be such that the envelope is moved by the drum 14 partiall through the fiap-moistening means before eing engaged by the driving roller 47 of the flap-sealing means. Due to the increased linear speed of said roller 47, the envelopes are removed from the flap-moistening means and are passed throu h the sealing means at a speed which is a apted to be materially greater than their speed of entry to the flap-moistening means and, consequently, the successive envelopes .will be separated from each other by a substantial distance.

By this arrangement, the speed of operation of the machine may be materially increased without liability of the envelopes becoming superimposed upon each other at or between the flap moistening and sealing means and, consequently, the efliciency of the machine is enhanced.

The structure may be otherwise modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. 4

. I claim:

1. An envelope-sealing device having flapmoistening and sealing means, a rotatable to engage and move successive envelopes to said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at a speed reater than the speed of movement of sald envelopes to said means.

2. An envelope-sealing device having a fiap-moistening device, means to feed an envelope to said device at a certain speed, and means to remove said envelope from said device at an increased speed.

3. An envelope-sealing device having flapiuoistening and sealing means, a rotatable drum. arranged to move successive envelopes to said means, ,and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at a speed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means, said driving device having driving engagement with said rotatable drum.

' 4. An envclopc sealing device having flapmoistening and sealing means, a rotatable drum arranged to move successive envelopes to said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at a speed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means, said driving device including a driving roller arranged to engage the envelopes having driving means actuated by said rotatable drum to drive it at a linear speed greater than that of said drum.

5. An envelope-sealing device having flapmoistening and sealing means, a rotatable drum arranged to move successive envelopes .to said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at, a speed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means, said driving device includlng a driving roller arranged to engage the envelopes and a second roller having driving engagement with said driving roller and drum, said rollers arranged to impart a linear speed to said driving roller greater than that of said drum.

6. An envelope-sealing device having flapmoistening and sealing means, a rotatable drum arranged to move successive envelopes to said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at a speed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means, said drivin device including a driving roller arranged to engage the envelopes and a secondroller having drivingengages ment with said driving roller and drum, said rollers arranged to impart a linear speed to said driving roller greater than that of said drum, and resilient means to urge said roller into driving engagement with each other and with said drum.

' 7. An envelope-sealing device having flapmoistening and sealing means, a rotatable drum arranged to move successive envelopes to said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at a speed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means said driving device including a drivineroller having an envelope-engaging and drlving face and a portion of reduced diameter, and a second roller arranged in driving engagement with said reduced portion and also with the periphery of said rotatable drum.

8. An envelope-sealing device having flapmoistcning and sealing means, a rotatable drum arranged to move successive envelopes to said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at a speed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means, said driving device including a driving roller having an envelope-engaging and driving face and a peripheral groove in said driving face, and a second roller received in said groove and arranged in driving engagement with said driving roller and also with the periphery of said rotatable drum.

9. An envelope-sealing device having flapmoistening and sealing means, a rotatable drum arranged to move successive envelopes to said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at a speed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means, said driving device including a driving roller having an envelope-engaging and driving face and a portion of reduced diameter, a second roller arranged in driving engagement with said reduced portion and with the periphery of said rotatable drum, and resilient means to maintain said rollers in yielding driving engagement.

10. An envelope-sealing device having flap-moistening and sealing means, a rotatable drum arranged to move successive envelopes to said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at a speed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means, said driving device including a driving roller having an envelope-engaging and driving face and a portion of reduced diameter, a second roller arranged in driving engagement with said reduced portion and with the periphery of said rotatable drum, means to maintain said rollers in yielding driving engagement, and means to urge said second roller into driving engagement with said drum.

11. An envelope-sealing device having flap-moistening and sealing means, a rotatable drum arranged to move successive envelopes to said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at a speed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means, said driving device including a frame, a driving roller rotatably supported by said frame and having an envelope-engaging and drivin face and a reduced portion, a second roller rotatably supported by said frame and arranged in driving relation with the reduced portion of said driving roller, and means to maintain said second roller in driving engagement ,biased in the face and a re with the periphery of said drum-com rising means to urge said frame toward said drum.

12. An envelope-sealing device having flap-moistening and sealing means, a rotatable drum arranged to move successive envelopes to said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at a speed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means, said driving device including a frame, a driving roller rotatably supported by said frame and having an envelope-engaging and driving face and a reduced portion, a second roller rotatably supported by said frame and arranged in driving relation with the reduced portion of said driving roller, and means to maintain said second roller in driving engagement with the periphery of said drum comprising a resilient supporting member for said frame direction of said drum.

13. A11 envelope-sealing device having flap-moistening and sealing 'means, a rotatable drum arranged to move successive envelopes to, said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means ataspeed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means,,said driving device including a frame, a driving roller rotatably supported loosely by said frame, said roller having an envelope engaging and driving face and a reduced portion, a second roller rotatably supported by said frame and arranged in driving relation with the reduced portion of said driving roller, means to maintain said rollers in driving relation comprising springs associated with said driving roller and arranged to urge it toward said second roller, and means to hold said second roller in driving contact with the periphery of said rotatable drum.

14. An envelope-sealing device having flap-moistening and sealing means, a rotatable drum arranged-to move successive envelopes to said means, and a driving device arranged to engage and move successive envelopes from said means at a speed greater than the speed of movement of said envelopes to said means, said driving device including a frame, a driving roller rotatably supported loosel by said frame, said roller having an enve ope engaging and driving duced portion, a second roller rotatably supported by said frame and arranged m driving relation with the reduced portion of said driving roller, means to maintain said rollers in driving relation comprising springs associated with said driving roller and arranged to urge it toward said second roller, and means to hold said second roller in drivin contact with the periphery of said rotata le drum comprising a resilient supportin member for said frame biased toward sai drum.

can lower rollers rotatably mounted in said frame, said lower roller arranged to drive said upper roller at increased speed and be driven y said drum, said upper roller-disposed in position to receive envelopes from said flap-moistening device, and a flapsealing device disposed above said upper roller.

16. An envelo g device ha a flap-moistening' evice, a rotatable dru rb is posed beneath and arranged to move suocessive envelopes to said device, a frame disosed at one side of said drum, upper and ower rollers rotatably mounted 1n said frame, said lower roller arran to drive said upper roller at increase speed and be driven by said drum, said upper roller disposed in position to receive envelopes from said flap-moistening device, and a flapsealing device comprising a sprin disposed above said upper roller arrange to press the moistened flaps of the envelopes against the bodies thereof on said upper roller.

' In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

. mma E. GRAY.

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