Abstract: An arm assembly for gripping a sheet of material including jaws and a sensor assembly for detecting a change in the thickness of the material gripped between the jaws. A sensor is mounted to the side of the arm and a lever is operatively associated with the jaws for pivotal movement towards and away from the sensor in response to a change in the thickness of the material gripped between the jaws. In one embodiment, a magnet is mounted to the tip of the lever and the sensor is a Hall-effect sensor which is responsive to a change in the distance between the sensor and the magnet.

Abstract: A stand-alone method and system is provided for processing the contents of a plurality of envelopes, and includes at least an opening device, an image acquisition device and a control device. The opening device opens the envelopes on at least one side forming opened envelopes, thereby exposing the contents thereof for extraction. The image acquisition device is in operable communication with the opening device and is used to acquire an image of the contents and store that image in digital form in a file. Finally, the control device is operably connected to at least the opening device and image acquisition device, whereby when the image of the contents are acquired from one envelope, a next envelope is opened and a new file is created.

Abstract: An automatic inserting apparatus is provided whereby a primary document and selectively collated secondary documents are assembled and inserted into a mailing envelope. Preferably, the mailing envelope is concurrently imprinted with the name and address of the recipient as shown on the primary document. Each primary document bears a preselected name and mailing address and optionally also a secondary document selecting code. In operation, each primary document is read by an intelligent optical character recognition system, and the information so obtained is used to (a) select all secondary documents designated by the primary document code, after which the primary and secondary documents are combined and folded, and preferably (b) concurrently imprint a mailing envelope using the so-read address.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high-speed method and apparatus for processing a plurality of documents that have been preprinted and cut from single sheets of paper. Sheets including a plurality of preprinted documents are registered to straighten each sheet, read by a fiber optic scanner to identify each document for a microprocessor, cut into individual documents, collected as individual documents and held until needed as directed by the microprocessor and transferred from the collector to an inserting track for further processing including insertion into an envelope.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for rapidly opening envelope flaps to facilitate the rapid insertion of letters and other inserts. The apparatus comprises means for conveying an envelope having a closed flap, suction means including a suction member mounted on a rotatable shaft in communication with a vacuum source that is sufficient to allow the suction member to engage the surface of the closed envelope flap and rotate the flap away from the plane of the envelope without impeding advancement of the envelope along the conveyor means, and a stationary plow member positioned adjacent and downstream of the suction member to fully open the envelope flap.