Abstract: A high speed sheet feeder machine includes at least one pusher that follows a loop-shaped path of travel as the machine operates. The pusher pushes an insert into an envelope during a forward and downward part of its path of travel and then retreats rearwardly and upwardly along the loop-shaped path of travel before repeating an insertion. In this way, the pusher makes no abrupt changes in its path of travel. Very high rates of insertion are made possible by providing multiple pushers at longitudinally spaced apart intervals along the loop-shaped path of travel. A stop plate is integrally formed with each pusher assembly and a fixed position barrier is mounted on the machine adjacent the rearward end of the loop-shaped path of travel to prevent over-rotation of each pusher member at very high speeds.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 9A high speed sheet feeder machine includes a pair of parallel, longitudinally extending, transversely spaced apart upstanding sidewalls. A first continuous chain rotates in a loop-shaped path of travel in closely spaced relation to a first sidewall of the pair and a second continuous chain rotates in a similar path of travel in closely spaced relation to a second sidewall of the pair. A rod that is transversely disposed extends between the sidewalls and a first bracket secured to a first end of the rod interconnects it to the first chain and a second bracket secured to a second end of the rod interconnects it to the second chain. At least one pusher is rotatably secured at its trailing end to the rod so that the pusher follows the loop-shaped path of travel as the machine operates. A first rod-mounted roller is rotatably mounted to a first end of the rod and a second rod-mounted roller is rotatably mounted to a second end of the rod.

Abstract: A high-speed sheet feeder includes a separator wheel having a diameter of about three inches. A curved metal shroud having a low friction surface is disposed in close proximity to the wheel. The shroud has first and second straight parts that are disposed about ninety degrees relative to one another, and a curved part that interconnects the straight parts. The curvature substantially conforms to the curvature of the separator wheel. The second straight part of the shroud is parallel to a conveyor belt and has a slot formed in it so that the separator wheel engages sheets below the second straight part. The large diameter of the separator wheel, which is about double the diameter of prior art separator wheels, and the unique shape and extent of the shroud combine to enable a sheet feeder to handle sheets of widely varying thickness.

Abstract: Envelopes in a vertical orientation are delivered in sequence to an envelope bundling table from a sheet insertion table where sheets are inserted into envelopes. A stationary vertical wall forms a part of the envelope bundling table and the respective short ends of envelopes of a preselected bundle of envelopes successively abut it when discharged onto that table. A movably mounted vertical wall has a first deployed configuration where it is disposed parallel to the first vertical wall, between the sheet insertion table and the stationary vertical wall. When so deployed, the envelopes of a preselected bundle successively abut it and therefore do not reach the first vertical wall. Those envelopes are therefore laterally offset from envelopes of a different bundle that abut the first vertical wall. The movable vertical wall has a retracted position so that envelopes delivered to the envelope bundling table abut the first vertical wall when the second vertical wall is retracted.

Abstract: A high speed machine that inserts about twelve thousand sheets or stacks of sheets of paper per hour into the same number of envelopes. A first table delivers an elongate horizontal queue of thousands of envelopes to an envelope hopper. A second table, parallel to the first table, includes a plurality of independently-controllable sheet feeders and delivers individual groups of stacked sheets to an envelope insertion station that is transversely spaced apart from the envelope hopper. A third table is disposed transversely to the first two tables and includes the envelope insertion station. Clamps carried by an elongate sprocket chain mounted in the third table sequentially remove envelopes from the bottom of the envelope hopper and pull them past an envelope flap-opening structure to the envelope insertion station where the envelopes are opened by a puff of air.