Letter-type Envelope Patents (Class 53/569)
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Patent number: 7401448Abstract: An apparatus for inserting documents (2) having at least one guide strip (13, 14) which is reciprocable between a retracted position and a projecting position in which it reaches further into the stuffing position than in the retracted position for guiding into an envelope (11) in the stuffing position at least one document (2) coming from the document transport path (1).Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2005Date of Patent: July 22, 2008Assignee: Neopost Technologies, French Limited CompanyInventors: Herman Sytema, Fransiscus Hermannus Feijen
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Patent number: 7398635Abstract: In a mail inserter having an envelope movement mechanism to move an envelope into an insertion station and a feeder to move a pack of insert material into an insertion position so that the insert material can be inserted into the envelope, a linear array of optical sensing elements is used to determine the position of one edge of the insert material and another linear array of optical sensing elements is used to determine the position of one edge of the receiving envelope in order to make sure that there is sufficient end clearance between the insert material and the receiving envelope. A stepper motor is used to adjust the envelope position, if the end clearance is outside a predetermined range.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2006Date of Patent: July 15, 2008Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventors: James A. Fairweather, George J. Doutney, Robert J. Allen, Thomas M. Lyga, Daniel P. Goslicki, Jr.
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Patent number: 7395639Abstract: A drive apparatus for a mail-processing system is specified, which apparatus has an enclosure-collating path, which is intermittently driven at least in one end section, an adjoining inserting station for sets of enclosures and an envelope-filling table, which extends parallel to the enclosure-collating path and in front of the inserting station and over which envelopes pulled from a stack of envelopes are pulled by means of an envelope-gripper chain in front of the inserting station and held open there and, once filled with the sets of enclosures, are conveyed away by the gripper chain.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2005Date of Patent: July 8, 2008Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventors: Axel Brauneis, Eddy Edel
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Patent number: 7395644Abstract: In an inserting apparatus and method such as the continuous motion type, a motion controller electrically communicates with an encoder, a first motor driving an insert conveyor assembly, a second motor driving an envelope conveyor assembly, and an actuator operatively interfaced with a peripheral device. The motion controller controls insert conveyor assembly speed, envelope conveyor assembly speed, and the rotational position at which the actuator should be activated, based on the encoder signal. Once during every master cycle, the motion controller calculates the actuator activation position, and causes the first actuator to be activated at the calculated first actuator activation position.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2003Date of Patent: July 8, 2008Assignee: Bowe Bell + Howell CompanyInventors: James R. Rivenbark, Keith A. Harshman, Frank J. Shinn, Bradford D. Henry, Kathleen E McCay, legal representative, Steve W. McCay
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Patent number: 7389624Abstract: A high-speed envelope transport and packing system includes a conveyor for conveying an open envelope having a flap, a packing station for inserting an object into a conveyed open envelope, and a bending member disposed upstream of the packing station. The bending member is configured to impart a bend in a conveyed open envelope by displacing a center portion of the envelope relative to widthwise distal end portions of the envelope and to maintain a bend in the envelope until the open envelope is gripped by a gripping device in such a manner as to provide access to an interior of the open envelope or until an object is at least partially inserted into an interior of the open envelope.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2004Date of Patent: June 24, 2008Assignee: Bowe Bell + Howell CompanyInventors: Bradford D. Henry, Frank Shinn
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Patent number: 7260921Abstract: An enclosure is formed from a single sheet of paper, which is of a standard size. The sheet of paper is folded along the short edges and then folded along a mid-section. Content material may be placed on the sheet of paper or printed information can be printed on desired surfaces of the paper. The paper may also be folded so that a fold-over flap is formed. The edges are attached through a sealing mechanism such as knurling, gluing, embossing or crimping, tabbing, stapling.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2002Date of Patent: August 28, 2007Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventor: Denis J. Stemmle
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Patent number: 7188459Abstract: A simplification of the drive for an inserting station for envelope-filling machines is achieved by a carrier on which inserting fingers for inserting material for envelopes into opened envelopes held ready next to a base plate are articulated having the form of a carriage which is horizontally displaceable, transversely in relation to the conveying direction of an enclosure-collating path charging the base plate with enclosures or sets of enclosures, on pushing-guiding paths freely spanning the base plate, the carriage being coupled by means of a link connected to it in an articulated manner to a rocking lever, which is fastened on a rocking shaft which is mounted on the machine frame at a specific distance above the base plate and the carriage, is parallel to the conveying direction of the enclosure-collating path and forms in particular part of a rocking drive shaft, on which the gripping arms of the enclosure and discharge stations lined up along the enclosure-collating path are fastened.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2005Date of Patent: March 13, 2007Assignee: Pitney Bowes Deutschland GmbHInventors: Axel Brauneis, Dieter Sonnack, Eddy Edel
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Patent number: 7181895Abstract: In a mailing machine where an envelope feeder is used to feed envelopes one at a time into a mail inserter and an insert feeder is used to move insert material into the envelope in the mail inserter for mail insertion, a suction cup assembly having two suction cups is used to keep the throat of the envelope in the mail inserter open. Each suction cup is movably mounted on an air actuated holder so as to allow the suction cup to move up and down to open the envelope throat. The suction cup assembly is movably mounted on a mounting stand in the mail feeder at a pivot so that the suction assembly can be rotated at the pivot so as to deflect the suction cups further away from the insert feeder if a jam involving the insert material or the envelope occurs.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2005Date of Patent: February 27, 2007Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventors: Boris Rozenfeld, William Salancy
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Patent number: 7155878Abstract: An envelope insertion station having a plurality of actuating arms affixed to a rotatable shaft and a plurality of fingers pivotably mounted on the actuating arms for opening the throat of an envelope placed at an insertion area. The actuating arms are movable from a first position to a second position and then to a third position. When the actuating arms are in the first position, the fingers are freely pivotable so as to allow the envelope to be moved into the insertion area. When the actuating arms are in the second position, the fingers are caused to move along a defined path into the throat of the envelope placed at the insertion area. When the actuating arms are in the third position, the fingers are freely pivotable so as to allow enclosure material to move into the envelope through the throat.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2004Date of Patent: January 2, 2007Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventors: Denis J. Stemmle, Pascal Ferracani, Jean-Louis Potey, Patrick Archain, Dominique Bernard
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Patent number: 7100348Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous strip of detachable consecutive interconnected products manufactured by folding, such as envelopes and the like, and to a process for manufacturing the said strip, two of those consecutive products being interconnected through a joint (22) which is not part of the products themselves and links up detachably, through successive lines of demarcation, with each of those two consecutive products in such a way that, on removing this joint (22), the said two consecutive products are entirely separated.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2003Date of Patent: September 5, 2006Assignees: Megaspirea N.V., Hersch ReichInventor: Luc Mertens
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Patent number: 7051496Abstract: A high-speed envelope transport and insertion machine includes a slip-drive system having a plurality of belts configured to move envelopes along an envelope path at a first speed, an envelope transmission device disposed to input envelopes into the slip-drive system, an envelope stuffing device comprising a registration member and a drive member having a plurality of spaced-apart gripping members disposed to move continously between the slip-drive system and the envelope stuffing device at a second speed less than the first speed. The path of the gripping members and the envelopes crosses within the slip-drive system to permit the gripping member to engage and grip the envelope. The gripping member is configured to release the envelope upon registration of the envelope against the registration member of the envelope stuffing device.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2004Date of Patent: May 30, 2006Assignee: Bowe Bell + Howell CompanyInventor: Robin L. Heilman
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Patent number: 7047711Abstract: Device (11) for the automatic inserting of printed products or sheets (12) in individual envelopes (13), where the individual printed products or sheets (12) are fed by one or more feeders and the envelopes (13) are arranged piled up in a storage container (16) equipped with at least one gripping element (17, 18, 19) for feeding an individual envelope (13) between a first upper conveyor belt (20) and a first lower conveyor belt (21) facing each other to define a feeding group of the envelope (13) towards an inserting of products into envelopes zone, also foreseeing a second upper conveyor belt (15) and a second lower conveyor belt (14) facing each other to advance the printed products or sheets (12) one after the other, a nozzle (22) being associated with the first conveyor belts (20, 21) for opening and flipping back a tab (24) of the envelope (13) taken out from the storage container (16), the second conveyor belt (14) foreseeing an end (37) that can move forwards and backwards with respect to a sucked convType: GrantFiled: September 13, 2004Date of Patent: May 23, 2006Assignee: Sitma S.p.A.Inventors: Aris Ballestrazzi, Lamberto Tassi
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Patent number: 6996959Abstract: An envelope-filling station for mail-processing systems. The station includes an enclosure feeder for transporting enclosures to an inserting arrangement pushing enclosures into envelopes in the same direction as the enclosure feeder. An envelope supply is positioned parallel to the enclosure feeding device. Envelopes are diagonally transported from the envelope supply to the inserting arrangement by an intermediate transport. A movable stop, in an active state, holds an envelope received in position for insertion of enclosures. When the movable stop is changed to an inactive state the filled envelope can be conveyed away from the envelope-filing station. The movable stop has a further intermediate stop position in which the stop is moved back, by a comparatively small distance in relation to the push-in movement, such that, under the driving frictional action of the intermediate envelope-conveying device, the filled envelope comes free of the push-in arrangement in the push-in direction.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2004Date of Patent: February 14, 2006Assignee: Pitney Bowes Deutschland GmbHInventor: Martin Sting
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Patent number: 6993890Abstract: A novel method and apparatus of detecting unique items as they are inserted into a product packaging system that is easily adaptable to current product packaging and prize insertion systems. A number of different types of sensors may be used in conjunction with the insertion device to detect the unique prize before it is inserted into a product packaging system. The sensor used will vary depending on the particular application. Sensors that may be used include a capacitive proximity sensor, a thickness sensor, a reflectivity sensor, a transmissivity sensor, a stiffness sensor, a color sensor, or even an odor or chemical sensor. Ideally, the type sensor used will detect a feature of the unique item that is easily distinguishable from other items being inserted. Once the sensor detects the prize and generates a signal, this signal can be used to perform a variety of useful functions.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2004Date of Patent: February 7, 2006Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.Inventor: Frank Mathew Brenkus
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Patent number: 6990789Abstract: An adjustable stripper/moistener system for a mailing system is provided. The stripper blade and moistening assembly are adjustable in a direction transverse to the movement of a mail piece being passed through the mailing machine. By allowing the stripper blade to move with respect to the feed deck, the position of the stripper blade can be optimally set to reliably strip different size and shape flaps from different types of envelopes. Additionally, by allowing the moistening assembly to move in conjunction with the stripper blade, there is better control of the amount and location of deposition of the moistening fluid on the envelope flap, thereby preventing possible damage to the envelope or its contents. The position of the stripper blade and moistening assembly may be manually adjustable by an operator, or automatically adjusted based on an input or sensed profile of the envelope flap.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2002Date of Patent: January 31, 2006Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventor: Victor C. Riccardi
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Patent number: 6959526Abstract: Disclosed is an inserter station for mail processing systems, consisting of a feeder device (2) for transporting inserts, an envelope separation device for separating envelopes from a stack of envelopes, also comprising a mail transport device (6) which is located parallel to the transport track of the feeder device extending close thereto in order to take up the individual envelopes, further comprising orienting means (30,32) for positioning an envelope to be filled in a precise position in front of an insertion device (35).Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2003Date of Patent: November 1, 2005Assignee: Pitney Bowes Deutschland GmbHInventor: Martin Sting
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Patent number: 6957521Abstract: In an envelope-filling station for mail processing systems having an envelope-feeding arrangement for single, open envelopes, an intermediate envelope-conveying arrangement extending at an angle thereto in the direction of an angle stop arrangement provided for the purpose of aligning the envelope, and an envelope-advancing arrangement from which the envelopes are accepted from the angle stop arrangement, a simplification of the design, and effort needed to control the component parts is achieved when the angle stop arrangement, with the exception of a stopping straightedge that is to be provided to achieve extremely precise alignment of an envelope that is supplied at an angle, contains as a further part of the angle stop arrangement a conveying nip between the upper strand of an intermittently driven conveying belt of the envelope-advancing arrangement and a pressure-exerting roller that is pre-tensioned near the beginning of the upper strand of this conveying belt.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2004Date of Patent: October 25, 2005Assignee: Pitney Bowes Deutschland GmbHInventors: Christian Botschek, Martin Sting
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Patent number: 6902518Abstract: A card package production system (100) for producing card packages (115) composed of cards (128) attached to carriers (113) has an adhesive label attachment station (358, FIG. 34) with a heating platen (361) having a width for heating at least two labels (148) simultaneously that are passed over the platen (361) and a labeler downstream from the heating platen (361) with a pressing member (372) for pressing the heated adhesive label (128) against a card (128) at an attachment position. The heating platen (361) heats only an intermediate section of the adhesive to activate the adhesive and leaves end portions of the label relatively unheated and unactivated to facilitate subsequent removal of the label (148) from the card (128).Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2001Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Assignee: Dynetics Engineering Corporation, Inc.Inventor: Robert J. Bretl
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Patent number: 6903359Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention comprises a method and apparatus of detecting edges. Light directed from any angle at a smooth surface will not cast a shadow regardless of the printing on the surface. Light cast at an appropriate angle on a stepped surface casts a shadow. The apparatus and method of the present invention cast light from several directions/sources while focusing on one location. If the same level of gray is detected from all sources, there is no shadow and hence the location is not an edge. If the result of one or more of the light sources is a darker image than the others, there is indication of an edge by the presence of a shadow. The use of edge detection in an insertion machine can help to decrease the amount of user adjustment needed to operate the machine using various sizes of envelopes.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2002Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventors: John P. Miller, Guoliang Shi
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Patent number: 6877743Abstract: This invention relates to a document accumulation device comprising an accumulation receptacle provided with a mobile accumulation guide for receiving a bundle of documents to be folded and drive means constituted by a motor roller driven in rotation by motor means and associated with a free counter-roller adapted to pivot about a pivot pin, in order, on the one hand, to drive and align these documents one after the other against the accumulation guide and, on the other hand, thereafter to eject in one go the bundle of documents thus formed by accumulation in said receptacle, this device further comprising displacement means, constituted by an electro-magnet of which the core having two positions of displacement is connected to a piece supporting said free counter-roller, in order to position these drive means, on the one hand, in a first position in which they are subjected to a rathermore weak drive effort to ensure drive and alignment of the documents and, on the other hand, in a second position in which tType: GrantFiled: January 29, 2003Date of Patent: April 12, 2005Assignee: Neopost IndustrieInventors: René Van Den Berg, Herve Duval
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Patent number: 6865866Abstract: A mail inserter for inserting a mail into an envelope having a flap and a throat, including: an envelope entry; an envelope carrier, provided downstream of the envelope entry; an envelope retainer, provided at the downstream of the envelope carrier; a mail entry, for advancing the mail into the mail inserter; a mail carrier, provided downstream of the mail entry; a sealer, provided downstream of the envelope retainer; wherein the envelope entry, envelope carrier, envelope retainer and sealer jointly form an envelope path, and the mail entry and, the mail carrier jointly form a mail path that merges into the envelope path after the mail carrier.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2003Date of Patent: March 15, 2005Inventor: Elton Hsieh
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Patent number: 6865864Abstract: An inline formed package having an envelope and insert material, is formed from a single repeat of a printed web both of which are crossfolded simultaneously, approximately along the half repeat line, and the area of the insert material is greater than half the area of the repeat.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2002Date of Patent: March 15, 2005Inventor: Robert E. Katz
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Publication number: 20040255561Abstract: A high-speed envelope transport and insertion machine includes a slip-drive system having a plurality of belts configured to move envelopes along an envelope path at a first speed, an envelope transmission device disposed to input envelopes into the slip-drive system, an envelope stuffing device comprising a registration member and a drive member having a plurality of spaced-apart gripping members disposed to move continously between the slip-drive system and the envelope stuffing device at a second speed less than the first speed. The path of the gripping members and the envelopes crosses within the slip-drive system to permit the gripping member to engage and grip the envelope. The gripping member is configured to release the envelope upon registration of the envelope against the registration member of the envelope stuffing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2004Publication date: December 23, 2004Inventor: Robin L. Heilman
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Publication number: 20040250517Abstract: A mail inserter for inserting a mail into an envelope having a flap and a throat, including: an envelope entry; an envelope carrier, provided downstream of the envelope entry; an envelope retainer, provided at the downstream of the envelope carrier; a mail entry, for advancing the mail into the mail inserter; a mail carrier, provided downstream of the mail entry; a sealer, provided downstream of the envelope retainer; wherein the envelope entry, envelope carrier, envelope retainer and sealer jointly form an envelope path, and the mail entry and the mail carrier jointly form a mail path that merges into the envelope path after the mail carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2003Publication date: December 16, 2004Inventor: Elton Hsieh
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Patent number: 6813870Abstract: A method and an apparatus of inserting insert or enclosure material into successive envelopes are disclosed. According to the envelope inserting method, the insert material is conveyed along a straight path successively to an envelope inserting position where the insert material is inserted into the envelope and the stuffed envelope is then conveyed out of the inserting position in the same direction as the above straight path. The method includes providing immediately above the envelope inserting position an envelope storage station where a plurality of envelopes are stored in a stack one above another with the front panel of each of the envelopes facing upward so that the envelopes in the storage station are fed successively to the envelope inserting position for insertion thereinto of insert material.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2002Date of Patent: November 9, 2004Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Some GikenInventor: Yasuhiko Iwamoto
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Patent number: 6810646Abstract: In a processing station for a mail processing machine, a housing is formed by parallel housing side parts, standing opposite each other at a distance corresponding to the width of the conveying track of the mail processing machine, a housing part connecting these across the conveying track and a supporting partition fixed to the connecting housing part, situated in a vertical median plane relative, to the distance between the housing side parts and parallel to the housing side parts, and restricted to a prismatic or cylindrical space above a level at a distance from the surface of the conveying track. The supporting partition serves to support bearings for axles and shafts of an actuating apparatus arranged in the processing station in question, in such a manner that the space immediately above the conveying track surface is kept free of drive members and control members for the actuating apparatus in order to enable large-format inserts or sets of inserts to be passed through the processing station.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2000Date of Patent: November 2, 2004Assignee: Pitney Bowes Deutschland GmbHInventors: Martin Sting, Christian Botschek
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Patent number: 6804932Abstract: The present invention includes apparatus and methods for sealing an envelope. A sealing nip is formed by an upper roller and a lower roller. The upper roller is mounted on an upper shaft and the lower roller is mounted on a lower shaft. A mechanism associated with the lower shaft adjusts the orientation of the lower shaft to match the orientation of the upper shaft.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2003Date of Patent: October 19, 2004Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventors: Steven H. Joyce, Donald Surprise
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Patent number: 6789377Abstract: An envelope filling station at which enclosures are pushed into envelopes. Envelopes are provide to the filling station via an envelope conveyor transverse to the push-in direction. A roller bar positioned above the conveyor is lowered while transporting envelopes and raised while documents are pushed into the stopped envelopes, A stop means, stops the envelopes on the conveyor at an appropriated filling location. Upstream of the conveyor an auxiliary conveying arrangement provides envelopes to the conveyor from a direction perpendicular to the conveyor.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2001Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Pitney Bowes Technologies GmbHInventors: Martin Sting, Christian Botschek
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Publication number: 20040172923Abstract: The invention relates to a method of inserting items of mail (22) into envelopes (24), the method including an insertion cycle comprising the steps of: circulating, in succession, a series of insertion stations (12) past at least one envelope feeder (16), past at least one mail feeder (18) and past a delivery point (20); feeding an item of mail (22) and an associated envelope (24) on to each station (12) as the station (12) passes the respective feeders (16,18); inserting each item of mail (22) into the associated envelope (24) while the associated station (12) moves towards the delivery point (20); and delivering each envelope (24) with its inserted item of mail (22) from the associated station (12) to the delivery point (20). Each station (12) is then recirculated past the feeders (16,18) and past the delivery point (20), to repeat the cycle. The invention extends to an apparatus (10) for performing this method.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2004Publication date: September 9, 2004Inventor: Rodney Ian Rawlinson
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Patent number: 6766629Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically operating a swing-arm-style mail insertion machine to insert products, such as CDs, computer diskettes, credit cards, matchbooks, pens and pencils, keys, etc., into envelopes at high speeds is provided by fixedly attaching, to a swing arm shaft of the swing-arm insertion machine for angular movement therewith, an actuator arm apparatus having an element configured for gripping a product from the front of a raceway of the swing-arm machine when the swing arm shaft is in a front angular position, and for placing the product into the raceway as the swing arm shaft pivots from the front angular position to a rear angular position, and feeding a product from the front of the raceway into the raceway with the actuator arm means.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2002Date of Patent: July 27, 2004Assignee: AR International, Inc.Inventors: Richard L. Smith, Jr., Ronald W. Niebauer, Jr.
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Patent number: 6763649Abstract: In an apparatus for handling sheet-like articles, in particular an envelope-filling station, an overload-prevention means is incorporated in the connection between a drive mechanism and an actuating arrangement for push-in fingers, which are guided over a base plate, in that the drive mechanism has a crankshaft, a crank and a connecting rod, which is routed from said crank to an auxiliary drive lever, in that the auxiliary drive lever is mounted on the same shaft as a drive lever of the actuating arrangement, coaxially with respect to said drive lever and such that it can be pivoted relative to the same, and in that spring means clamp the auxiliary drive lever and the drive lever together on a pivot stop, which is provided between said levers, such that the levers cannot separate during the operating stroke.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2000Date of Patent: July 20, 2004Assignee: Pitney Bowes Deutschland GmbHInventors: Martin Sting, Christian Botschek
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Patent number: 6763648Abstract: A drive and actuating system for an envelope-filling station in which enclosures or sets of enclosures are fed, by a driven conveyor, to a push-in station in which a push-in arrangement, which has a pivot drive, receives the enclosures or sets of enclosures and pushes them into envelopes, which are held ready in an open state. The envelopes are then delivered into a position opposite the push-in station, from oriented transversely to the push-in direction, by an envelope-conveying arrangement. Further, a multiplicity of functions of the individual parts of the envelope-filling station can be forcibly synchronized in an adjustable manner and a comparatively straightforward and clear construction of the overall drive and actuating system is produced.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2001Date of Patent: July 20, 2004Assignee: Pitney Bowes Deutschland GmbHInventors: Martin Sting, Christian Botschek
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Patent number: 6758027Abstract: An envelope-filling bench for adding onto a push-in station of mail-processing machine, the bench containing an envelope-conveyor for transporting envelopes in front of the push-in station and for transporting them away once the envelopes have been filled with enclosures or sets of enclosures. The envelope-filling bench formed essentially from two vertical transverse partition walls, which are spaced apart parallel to one another, a sheet-metal C-profile support, which runs horizontally the direction perpendicular to the transverse partition walls, and a sheet-metal L-profile support, which is welded into said sheet-metal profile support. It being the case that openings and cutouts in the walls of box chamber enclosed by the sheet-metal supports are produced by punching sheet-metal blanks prior to the production of the sheet-metal supports by angling operations.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2001Date of Patent: July 6, 2004Assignee: Pitney Bowes Deutschland GmbHInventors: Martin Sting, Christian Botschek
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Publication number: 20040123571Abstract: A vacuum release assist system for a document insertion station is described. The vacuum suction cup system is used for opening an envelope. The vacuum release assist system ensures that the suction cup is timely released during the removal of the envelope from the insertion station. In one configuration, a solenoid actuator is used to push away the envelope from the suction cup. In another configuration, a blow-off valve is used to introduce positive air pressure to timely release the suction cup.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2002Publication date: July 1, 2004Applicant: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventor: Boris Rozenfeld
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Patent number: 6751930Abstract: Improvements in high-speed machines for inserting sheets into envelopes include a first apparatus for pre-opening envelopes after they are pulled from a hopper and before a blade-like envelope flap opener fully opens them. The first apparatus includes a roller and a roller housing having a top part that defines a small space between them through which a flap-including longitudinal edge of an envelope passes. The edge is constrained to form a curvature as it passes through the small space, causing the flap to open at least to some extent. A second improvement in pre-openers includes a cut out formed in an envelope support plate and a rigid deflector positioned in the path of the envelopes as they leave the hopper. The envelope flaps are partly opened as they are deflected below the plane of the support plate. A third improvement includes a plurality of vacuum dishes formed in an envelope-supporting plate.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2002Date of Patent: June 22, 2004Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventor: Todd C. Werner
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Patent number: 6751935Abstract: A novel method and apparatus of detecting unique items as they are inserted into a product packaging system that is easily adaptable to current product packaging and prize insertion systems. A number of different types of sensors may be used in conjunction with the insertion device to detect the unique prize before it is inserted into a product packaging system. The sensor used will vary depending on the particular application. Sensors that may be used include a capacitive proximity sensor, a thickness sensor, a reflectivity sensor, a transmissivity sensor, a stiffness sensor, a color sensor, or even an odor or chemical sensor. Ideally, the type sensor used will detect a feature of the unique item that is easily distinguishable from other items being inserted. Once the sensor detects the prize and generates a signal, this signal can be used to perform a variety of useful functions.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2001Date of Patent: June 22, 2004Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.Inventor: Frank Mathew Brenkus
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Patent number: 6718740Abstract: In an inserting apparatus and method such as the continuous motion type, a motion controller electrically communicates with an encoder, a first motor driving an insert conveyor assembly, a second motor driving an envelope conveyor assembly, and an actuator operatively interfaced with a peripheral device. The motion controller controls insert conveyor assembly speed, envelope conveyor assembly speed, and the rotational position at which the actuator should be activated, based on the encoder signal. Once during every master cycle, the motion controller calculates the actuator activation position, and causes the first actuator to be activated at the calculated first actuator activation position.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2001Date of Patent: April 13, 2004Assignee: Bell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies CompanyInventors: James R. Rivenbark, Keith A. Harshman, Frank J. Shinn, Bradford D. Henry, Steve W. McCay
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Patent number: 6718731Abstract: Improvements in high-speed machines for inserting sheets into envelopes include a first apparatus for pre-opening envelopes after they are pulled from a hopper and before a blade-like envelope flap opener fully opens them. The first apparatus includes a roller and a roller housing having a top part that defines a small space between them through which a flap-including longitudinal edge of an envelope passes. The edge is constrained to form a curvature as it passes through the small space, causing the flap to open at least to some extent. A second improvement in pre-openers includes a cut out formed in an envelope support plate and a rigid deflector positioned in the path of the envelopes as they leave the hopper. The envelope flaps are partly opened as they are deflected below the plane of the support plate. A third improvement includes a plurality of vacuum dishes formed in an envelope-supporting plate.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2002Date of Patent: April 13, 2004Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventor: Todd C. Werner
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Patent number: 6715268Abstract: A card package production system (100) for producing card packages (115) composed of printed paper carriers (113) with matching cards (128) attached to the carriers (113) selectively outputs the card packages through a card package multi-directional distribution module (136) having a carrier transport with a primary carrier transport path extending between a package inlet (262) and a primary package outlet (144) for transporting the card packages along the primary carrier transport path. A movable stacker gate assembly (214, FIG. 7) mounted for movement between a stacking position (FIG. 26). In the stacker position, the card packages are inserted laterally through a laterally facing inlet (145) of a stacker (146) in two stages with successive pairs of card packages (115, 115′) being kept in an interleaved state.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2001Date of Patent: April 6, 2004Assignee: Dynetics Engineering Corporation, Inc.Inventors: Jeffery L. Hill, Gregory S. Hill, Fred J. Kassabian
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Patent number: 6701693Abstract: This invention relates to a supply module in a mail processing machine including a conveyor for conveying the mailpieces and a moistening device ensuring wetting of a flap of an envelope after the latter has been slightly moved apart from the body of the envelope, as well as a device for creating on said flap of the envelope a second line of fold above the natural crease line of the envelope existing at the level of the join of the body of the envelope with the flap.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2001Date of Patent: March 9, 2004Assignee: Neopost IndustrieInventors: Serge Benard, Olivier Galtier, Stéphane Le Gallo
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Publication number: 20040010999Abstract: An arrangement for effective handling of sheet material, such as banknotes, or transferred messages printed on sheet material, wherein the arrangement comprises sheet bundling means (33), a store (25, 27) of so-called enveloping material (26, 28), means (30, 32,-34) for enveloping bundles of sheet material with material (26, 28) taken from the store (25, 29) of enveloping material, wherein said store includes two mutually co-acting rolls (25′, 27′) of enveloping material; and processors for co-ordinating and controlling the co-action between the various units in accordance with a predetermined pattern. The store of enveloping material (25, 27) has pulse generating elements (2521, 2531, 2522, 2532). Pulse reading elements (29) for reading the pulses generated in response to roll movement and sending these pulses to the processor are provided on a fixed body (20) of the arrangement and in close connection with the pulse generating elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2002Publication date: January 22, 2004Inventors: Claes Bjrkman, Lars Bredal-Hansen, Jan Mistander
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Patent number: 6666000Abstract: Improvements in high-speed machines for inserting sheets into envelopes include a first apparatus for pre-opening envelopes after they are pulled from a hopper and before a blade-like envelope flap opener fully opens them. The first apparatus includes a roller and a roller housing having a top part that defines a small space between them through which a flap-including longitudinal edge of an envelope passes. The edge is constrained to form a curvature as it passes through the small space, causing the flap to open at least to some extent. A second improvement in pre-openers includes a cut out formed in an envelope support plate and a rigid deflector positioned in the path of the envelopes as they leave the hopper. The envelope flaps are partly opened as they are deflected below the plane of the support plate. A third improvement includes a plurality of vacuum dishes formed in an envelope-supporting plate.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2002Date of Patent: December 23, 2003Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventor: Todd C. Werner
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Patent number: 6648319Abstract: Sheet collation apparatus is disclosed in which an initial sheet (A1) from a sheet feeder (4) is advanced to a collation station (10), reversed into an accumulation station (8) and then returned to the collation station where it is collated with the next sheet (A2) from the sheet feeder. This process may be repeated any number of times to form a collation of sheets of any required number.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2001Date of Patent: November 18, 2003Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventor: Carl R. Chapman
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Patent number: 6640521Abstract: An unflapped envelope (60) is fed, with its crease line trailing, along a path (42) from an envelope feeder and between the rollers of a reversibly driveable roller pair (43), for onward transfer to, for example, an insertion station. When the crease line reaches a predetermined point in front of the roller pair (43), the drive is reversed and the envelope with the crease line leading directed along a flapper path, including a deflecting surface 46; to a flapping chamber or zone (47), at least until the flap (61) is engageable by a flapper blade (44;44a). The drive is then reversed again and the envelope driven back along the flapper path, a flap opening surface (49) of a flapper blade (44) or a pair of flapper blade elements (44a), causing the flap (61) to be stripped from the body of the envelope (60) as it exits the flapping zone, and proceeds to the insertion station.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2001Date of Patent: November 4, 2003Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.Inventors: Barry W. Simkins, Peter Watson
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Publication number: 20030182899Abstract: A drive and actuating system for an envelope-filling station in which enclosures or sets of enclosures are fed, by a driven conveyor, to a push-in station in which a push-in arrangement, which has a pivot drive, receives the enclosures or sets of enclosures and pushes them into envelopes, which are held ready in an open state. The envelopes are then delivered into a position opposite the push-in station, from oriented transversely to the push-in direction, by an envelope-conveying arrangement. Further, a multiplicity of functions of the individual parts of the envelope-filling station can be forcibly synchronized in an adjustable manner and a comparatively straightforward and clear construction of the overall drive and actuating system is produced.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2001Publication date: October 2, 2003Inventors: Martin Sting, Christian Botschek
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Publication number: 20030182905Abstract: The invention proposes an envelope-filling bench for adding onto a push-in station of a mail-processing machine, the bench containing envelope-conveying means for transporting envelopes in front of the push-in station and for transporting them away once the envelopes have been filled with enclosures or sets of enclosures. The envelope-filling bench is formed essentially from two vertical transverse partition walls, which are spaced apart parallel to one another, a sheet-metal C-profile support, which runs horizontally in the direction perpendicular to the transverse partition walls, and a sheet-metal L-profile support, which is welded into said sheet-metal C-profile support, it being the case that openings and cutouts in the walls of a box chamber enclosed by the sheet-metal supports are produced by punching sheet-metal blanks prior to the production of the sheet-metal supports by angling operations.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2001Publication date: October 2, 2003Inventors: Martin Sting, Christian Botschek
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Patent number: 6612098Abstract: An apparatus for high speed packing of envelopes is disclosed. The apparatus includes an envelope flap opening assembly which facilitates the opening of each envelope by a finger of an opening element as the envelope passes through packing apparatus. Each envelope may then be conveyed into a first staging assembly where the envelope is stopped, allowing a freely rotating conveyor to force the envelope into contact with an ejection conveyor to direct the envelope from the first staging assembly. The envelope is then transported to the packing assembly by an intermediate conveyor having a plurality of distinctly and selectively driven conveyors to allow staging of the envelopes along the intermediate conveyor. A quick and efficient envelope packing assembly then packs the envelopes and ejects the envelope to an exiting conveyor which seals each packed envelope.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2000Date of Patent: September 2, 2003Assignee: Bell & Howell Mail Messaging Technologies CompanyInventors: Kevin Button, James Biggers, Douglas McLean, John Corradini
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Publication number: 20030150194Abstract: A machine for inserting sheets into envelopes, the machine includes sheets feeder means for delivering the sheets on an underlying sliding surface; lugging means disposed along said sliding surface and operated by a related endless conveying line to engage trailing edges of said sheets to move said sheets toward a sheet inserting station disposed along the sliding surface downstream of said conveying line, an envelope feeder enclosing a stack of envelopes, said envelopes feeder being situated beside said sliding surface and capable, of removing continuously single envelopes from the bottom of said stack and feeding each single envelope to the inlet of an additional conveying line, placing said single envelope arranged in such a way that the back wall of the envelope, to which the closing flap of the envelope is hinged, faces downwards, so that the opening for inserting the sheets faces upwards and backwards, with respect to the inlet of said additional conveying line, said additional conveying line extendingType: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2003Publication date: August 14, 2003Applicant: C.M.C. S.p.A.Inventor: Giuseppe Ponti
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Patent number: 6588181Abstract: A mail wrapping system apparatus for preparing for mailing postal items includes receiving trays for respectively receiving postal items from companies and an extraction device for extracting from the postal items a multiplicity of same address groups of the postal items, each of the same address groups consisting of ones of the postal items having coinciding ones of destination addresses. A wrapping unit respectively individually assembles each of the same address groups into a bundle and successively wraps each of the same address groups assembled using a wrapping component with a corresponding one of the destination addresses respectively displayed on each of the wrapped same address groups to provide for mailing the wrapped same address groups. A weight sorter then sorts the wrapped same address groups into weight divisions set forth by a fee schedule of a specified delivery agency and the wrapped same address groups are sent with appropriate postage.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2001Date of Patent: July 8, 2003Assignee: NTT Comware Billing Solutions CorporationInventor: Akihiro Taniguchi
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Publication number: 20030121236Abstract: A novel apparatus and method of automatically stuffing folder pockets includes providing a folder with one or more pockets; providing one or more inserts which can be of differing sizes; the accumulation of the one or more inserts in a stack for insertion into the one or more pockets of the folder; opening the one or more pockets of the folder; and the insertion of the accumulated stack of the one or more inserts into the one or more folder pockets. Predetermined inserts can be selectively processed and stuffed into selected folder pockets. An embodiment also can fold the folder, producing a final product of a stuffed folder ready for distribution.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2002Publication date: July 3, 2003Applicant: Bell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies CompanyInventors: Neal J. Middelberg, Gerard A. DeRome, Barry D. Hageter