US3380353A - Apparatus for producing lined envelopes - Google Patents

Description

April 30, 1968 E. J. MITTERMAYER 3,330,353

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING LINED ENVELOPES Filed May 11, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet l APPLY LINER jg SE ARATOR o. 23 .2

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APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING LINED ENVELOPES Filed May 11, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 [72 van for 5:513:62; zll'fiiidrnz ayer WM, 54am 9L wam United States Patent 3,380,353 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING LINED ENVELOPES Emerick J. Mittermayer, Norridge, Ill., assignor to American Envelope Company, a corporation of Illinois Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 382,222,

July 13, 1964. This application May 11, 1966, Scr. No. 549,299

7 Claims. (CI. 93-61) ABSTRACT OF THE BISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a unit for depositing envelope liners on envelope blanks moving through a high-speed envelope manufacturing machine.

The unit, which is constructed to be attachable to existing high-speed machines, employs a series of smooth operating rotating segments to move the liners along a predetermined path and deposit them in timed relation on each envelope blank in a predetermined position with respect thereto.

This invention relates to an envelope machine for producing lined envelopes, and particularly it relates to such a machine of the continuous high speed type wherein envelopes having tapered sealing flaps may be provided with liners that are symmetrical to the tapered edges of the flap.

Lined envelopes with the liner edges conformed with tapered edges of the sealing flap have been produced heretofore on rather slow specialized envelope machines wherein pre-cut envelope blanks and liner blanks have been fed to a plunger type envelope forming mechanism.

The operation of such mechanism has been relatively slow and the mechanism is so highly specialized that it cannot be profitably employed in the manufacture of unlined envelopes.

Efforts have been made heretofore to produce lined envelopes on high speed envelope machines, but as heretofore practiced, this liner applying operation produced an envelope where the edges of the liner could not be symmetrically related to the edges of a tapered sealing flap.

In view of the foregoing it is the primary object of the present invention to enable tapered flap envelopes to be produced with symmetrical liners on a high speed envelope machine, and a related object is to accomplish this in such a way that the envelope machine may be used as required for making conventional envelopes as well as lined envelopes of the aforesaid character. Another important object related to the foregoing is to enable such symmetrically lined envelopes to be produced at high speed with liners made of different kinds and weights of material including metal foil or metalized paper stock.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, which, -by way of illustration show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof, and what is now considered to be the best mode in which to apply these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic view of a high speed envelope machine equipped with the liner-applying means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the final stage of application of a liner to an envelope blank;

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FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a part of the blank feeding mechanism that supplies the liners;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view of the blank feeding mechanism, the view being taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmental perspective view of the blank feeding mechanism taken generally from the right in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view showing certain elements of FIG. 4 in different positions;

FIG. 7 is a view of an envelope blank with a tapered scaling flap and having a symmetrical liner in position thereon;

FIG. 8 is a view showing the liner;

FIG. 9 is a view showing the envelope blank and liner structure of FIG. 7 after the end and bottom flaps of the envelope blank have been folded and adhered in their final positions to complete the lined envelope;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating a modified transfer arrangement; and

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating, in perspective, the transfer mechanism of FIG. 10.

For purposes of disclosure the invention has been illustrated herein as incorporated in a high speed envelope machine 20, and this machine may be of any of the conventional types known in this field. The machine that is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1 is a machine made by F. L. Smith Machine Co. of New York, N.Y., and in this machine, which has an elongated frame 21, the envelope blanks are introduced into the machine at the right hand end thereof in a stepped or fanned relationship in which the sealing flaps of the envelopes have glue applied thereto, and these envelope blanks are then carried on a drying conveyor 22 over a relatively long path beneath the bed of the machine, and this drying conveyor carries the envelopes in an overlapping or stepped relation upwardly and about an end cylinder 23 to a separator station 24 where means including withdrawing segments 25 separate and withdraw the leading envelope blank in a right hand direction so that each individual envelope blank is introduced to the input end of conveyor mechanism which includes belts 27 engaging the end flaps of the blank. Such conveyor means serves to advance the envelope blank at high speed into and through mechanisms that are distributed along the upper bed of the machine frame 21. It will be noted that the mechanisms along the upper bed of the machine, including a scoring and creasing unit 28, a folding unit 29 and cooperating elements are provided in a conventional manner beyond and t0 the right of the portion of the envelope machine that is shown in FIG. 1 to complete the folding and securing of the end and bottom flaps, thereby to complete the formation of the envelope.

The liner applying means of the present invention are disposed on the upper bed of the frame 21 between the separator 25 and the scoring and creasing unit 28, and such means includes a liner feeding unit 30 which cooperates with the conveyor and a conventional glue applying unit 31 in locating and securing a liner in position on each envelope blank as it is advanced toward the creasing unit 28. Before describing the specific characteristics of the liner feeding unit 30,, one specific form of envelope 35 and the liner 45 will be described by reference particularly to FIGS. 7 to 9 of the drawings. Thus, in FIG. 7, an envelope blank 35B is shown having end fiaps 37, a bottom flap 38 and a sealing flap 39, extending from the main or front wall portion 40 of the blank. Initially, the blank 35B is plain or uncreased, but in FIG. 7 crease or fold lines 41 and 42 are indicated in the positions in which they will be formed in the course of manufacture of the envelope.

It is noted in particular that the sealing flap 39 has tapered edges 39E which in this instance define a pointed sealing flap 39, but it will be understood that other forms of sealing flaps may be used wherein the tapered edges 39E bear a somewhat different relationship to each other.

The envelope is made under the present invention through the application of the liner 45 to the envelope blank 35B, and this liner 45 has a main body portion that is just slightly smaller than the front face of the envelope blank, and it has a flap portion 46 that has tapered edges 4613, these tapered edges 4613 being arranged so that when the liner is fixed in position on the inner face of the main front wall and the sealing flaps 39, the edges 46E will be parallel to the edges 39E and 46E in spaced relation so as to expose the glue area 39G along the border portions of the sealing flap 39. Here again the relationship of the edges 46E will vary according to the particular shape or relation of the tapered edges of the sealing flap. The main wall of the liner has straight parallel sides 45S and a bottom edge 45B and these sides are proportioned so the main wall of the liner may be positioned on the main wall 40 of the envelope blank 35B with sufficient clearance about the edges of the liner to permit subsequent folding of the flaps 37 and 38 in the completion of the lined envelope 35 of FIG. 9.

The liner separating and applying unit 30 is shown in detail in FIGS. 1 to 6 of the drawings and is made up as a unit that may be mounted in position on the upper bed of the envelope machine between the glue unit 31 and the scoring and creasing unit 28. Thus the unit 30 embodies a pair of rigidly connected side frames 50 along the lefthand edges of which a main drive shaft 51 is mounted for operating the several mechanisms of the unit 30 as will be described. The drive shaft 51 is adjustably connected to and operated in a conventional manner in timed relation to the other mechanisms of the envelope machine, this connection is made by the take-off shaft that is provided in machines of this character for use in operating a window patch-applying mechanism in making window envelopes.

The unit 30 has a hopper 52 mounted near the right hand side of the unit as shown in FIG. 4, and this hopper includes a bottom plate 53 disposed so that it slopes upwardly and to the left as shown in FIG. 4 and having a forward edge 5315 that is disposed over a draw roller 54 that functions in association with the sheet separating means, as will be described, for withdrawing the lowermost liner 45 from a stack thereof that is provided on the bottom wall 53 of the hopper. The liners 45 are stacked in the hopper face down and with the square bottom edge 45B thereof disposed to the left as viewed in FIG. 4, and l the location of the stack in the hopper 52 is such that the liners extend for a considerable distance beyond the edge 53E and into position directly over a pair of segmental withdrawing rolls 55 that are mounted on and rotate with a suction shaft 56 that extends between the side frame 50.

The segmental rollers 55 have a basic diameter and location such that the periphery of the segmental rollers 55 engages the draw roll 54 so that :a pull-out action may be exerted on the lowermost liner as will be described.

Basically, each roller has a cutout portion that provides a leading finger 55L and a trailing finger 5ST that have slots 57L and 57T located inwardly of the two fingers. The ends of the two fingers are spaced apart about 90 about the axis of the shaft 56, and means are provided for pulling the overhang portion of the lowermost liner 4'5 downwardly into the space between the two fingers SSL and 55T so that the edge 45B of such liner will be disposed in position to be engaged in the slots 57T during rotation of the rolls 55 in clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4.

The sheet separating means that are provided for bending the overhanging edge of the lowermost edge of the line downwardly as above described take the form of a sucker arm 60 mounted on a hollow sucker shaft 61 that extends between the side frames 50. At its right hand the sucker arm has a Sucker head 62 with openings 63 in its upper surface, and suction is applied to these openings .63 from the sucker shaft 61 in timed relation to the operation or rotation of the segmental rollers 55, and this of course is in timed relation to the rocking movement of the sucker arm 60. Thus the sucker arm 60 is rocked in a counterclockwise direction into engagement, as shown in full lines in FIG. 4, with the lowermost liner 45 near the left hand end thereof. While the suction continues, the sucker arm 60 moves downwardly to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 4 and in such movement of course the sucker arm 60 and the head 62 thereof move into the space between the two segmental rollers 55. The downward movement of the sucker head 62 bends the lowermost sheet or liner 45 downwardly to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 4, and this occurs at about the time when the trailing fingers 5ST are advancing to the right toward a position over the upper surface of the liner 45 that has been bent downwardly. The movement of the rolls 55 continues so that the edge 45B is embraced Within the slots or hook like recesses S7T, so that in continued clockwise movement of the segment rollers 55, the liner 45 will be bent into a position adjacent to the draw roll 54, and at that time in the cycle, the ends of the trailing fingers 5ST engage the liner on its upper face and the liner is drawn into position between the draw roll 54 and the fingers 5ST. The outer surface of the fingers 5ST are relieved somewhat as at 155, FIG. 4, but when the end of this relieved portion is reached, the liner is gripped by the draw roller 54 and the surfaces of the segmental rolls 55, and the liner 45 is withdrawn by the cooperating action of the rolls 54 and S5.

The rapid shifting of the bent edge of the liner 45 in the foregoing operation is facilitated by providing for the use of pressure air as the liner 45 is released from the sucker head 62 and is bent toward the draw roller 54. Thus as shown particularly in FIGS. 4 to 6, a pair of blower heads 65 are mounted by means of hollow arms 66 on a rocker shaft 67, this rocker shaft 67 being extended between the side plates 50. The rocker shaft 67 operates in timed relation to the sucker arm 60 so that when the sucker arm 60 is adjacent to its lower limit of travel and has bent the lowermost liner 45 to the relationshi shown in FIG. 6, the blower heads 65 are moved from the retracted position of FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 6, and at about this same time an independently rockable retainer arm 68 is also moved into position beneath the liner that is directly above the one that has been just bent downwardly. The retaining arm 68 and the blower heads 65 thus tend to hold and support the stack, and particularly the liner 45 that is now to form the bottom of the stack, and while the retaining arm 68 and the heads 65 are thus in position, air blasts are discharged from each of the blower heads 65 downwardly toward the upper surface of the liner 45 that has been bent downward by the sucker head 62. At the time when the air blast is applied from the blower heads 65, the suction in the sucker head 65 is relieved so that the downwardly directed air may bend the liner 45 past the sucker head and into position to be engaged by the trailing fingers 5ST of the segmental rolls '55. The location of the edges 45B of the stacked rollers is determined by a serrated member 70 supported by an arm 71 from a cross shaft 72 and this shaft 72 may be rocked through a limited range so that the serrated member 70 moves up and down in engagement with the edges 45B of the liners, thus to tend to provide an initial separation of the liners from each other.

It has been pointed out that the lowermost liner 45 is Separated and bent downwardly into position between the draw roll 54 and the surfaces of the fingers 5ST, and the leading or bottom edge of the liner 45 is held in surface contact with the fingers 55T by applying suction to a plurality of openings 75 formed in the outer surfaces of the fingers 5ST as illustrated for example in FIGS. 3 to 5 of the drawings. Thus the pulling action that withdraws liner from the bottom of the stack is provided by the gripping action of the opposed surfaces of the rolls 54 and 55, and the leading edge of the liner 45 is held in contact for a limited period with the surfaces of the fingers 5ST. Near the bottom of the periphery of the rolls 55, the leading edge of the liner 45 is transferred to another advancing or feeding means, and the suction on the openings 75 is released.

Such additional feeding means are provided by a belt 78, FIGS. 2 and 4. The belt 78 is endless in character and runs about a drive pulley 80 and pulleys 81 and 82, and a tightening puily 83 serves to maintain tension. The pulley 82 is located between the two segment rollers 55, and directly opposite a pressure roller 85 that bears against a downwardly facing portion of the belt 78. The belt 78 and the roller 85 are engaged at a point where the leading edge 45B of the advancing liner 45 is moved into the bight between the belt 78 and the roller 85, and it is at this time that the suction on the segment rollers 55 is released so that the advancing leading edge of the liner may be carried forward between the belt 78 and the roller 85. The liner 45 advances along with the belt 78 into the bight between the belt 78 and guide roll 87 over which the belt 78 runs as it passes from the roller 82 to the roller 81. As the liner 45 passes the roller 87, it passes in a downward and left hand direction as viewed in FIG. 4 across a guide plate 89, and from this point the liner 45 advances into tangential contact with a rotating segment 90 that is carried on a suction shaft 91 that extends rotatably between the side plates 50. The segment 90 is so constructed and arranged that the periphery of the segment 90 will contact an envelope blank 35B that is being advanced in a right hand direction along a support plate 95. It is along this support plate that the envelope blanks 35B are advanced by the conveyor means such as the belts 27, and the ultimate objective of the guiding and feeding path for the liners 45 is to advance such liners and then press the same downwardly against the glued envelope blank in the proper registered relationship as the envelope blank moves to the right in FIG. 4. The segment 90 has suitable suction openings 905 formed therein and suction is applied thereto so that when the leading edge of the liner is moved into position opposite the segment 90, suction will be applied and the leading edge of the liner will be held in position on the segment as the segment rotates, and thus the liner will be applied in the proper relationship to the advancing envelope blank 35B.

The drive pulley 80 for the belt 78 is mounted on a shaft 97 which is driven by a gear 98, this gear being meshed with a gear 99 which is mounted on a shaft that is driven by a chain and sprocket means 100 from the drive shaft 51. The same shaft has a gear 101 mounted thereon that meshes with a gear 102 on the shaft 56, thus to drive the shaft 56 in timed relation to the other portions of the mechanism.

Referring now to FIGURES and 11, there is illus trated a modified arrangement for transferring liner blanks from the draw rolls 55 to the rotating segment 90 which places the envelope liner in the proper position on the blank. In accordance with the invention, therefore, there is provided a transfer cylinder 125 disposed between the draw rolls 55 and the segment 90 in a position topick up the liner adhering to the draw rolls and move it to a position where it may be picked up by the rotating segment 90.

In order to accomplish this, the cylinder 125 is positioned on an axis parallel with the axes of the rolls 55 and segment 90, and is of such a diameter that only a very slight clearance is provided between the surfaces of the cylinder and the adjacent members. The cylinder is evacuated in the central space 127 which defines a vacuum chamber, and a plurality of suitably grouped pick-up holes 130 are provided extending radially through the cylinder wall where they define a series of suction ports. The negative pressure in the chamber is sutficient to cause enough pull at the ports 130 to gently, but firmly, remove the liner on the rolls 55. It will be understood, of course, that the cylinder is driven in timed relation with the rolls so that the ports will be in the proper position to pick off the liner as it moves to the area directly adjacent the surface of the cylinder 125.

The transfer cylinder rotates in the direction of the arrow, to a position adjacent the segment 90, where the vacuum imposed at the ports 130 is momentarily relieved in any suitable fashion to permit the segment 90 to remove the liner from the transfer cylinder as herein previously described. In order to protect the exposed area of the transfer cylinder during the course of its travel with the liner member adhered thereto, a suitable protective shroud is provided, and is suitably positioned on an arm 137 which is adjustably connected to a mounting member 139.

In order, in keeping with the invention, to insure the precise timing required of the device of the present invention be maintained at the highest possible speeds, the envelope blank follows a path between moving belts. Referring particularly to FIGURE 10, it will be seen that a belt 140 is provided beneath the envelope blank, and that that belt is toothed on the side engaging the drive pulley, such as may be found in known timing belt arrangements. The belt is driven by a gear 142, and because of the relationship between the belt and gear, a more positive drive arrangement is provided, thereby insuring the proper timing of the arrival of the envelope and its associated liner at the highest possible operative speeds.

With the present mechanism, the rotative connection between the shaft 51 and the drive mechanism of the main envelope machine may be adjusted, thus to provide proper registry of the liners 45 with respect to the envelope blanks 35B, and this assures that the tapered edges of the liner 45 will bear the proper relationship to the tapered edge of the sealing flap of the envelope 35.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention provides a new and improved mech anism for producing lined envelopes where the sealing flap and the corresponding flap of the liner have correspondingly tapered edges, and it will be apparent that this liner mechanism may be associated with a conventional high speed envelope machine so that the machine may be used either for producing conventional envelopes or for producing tapered flap lined envelopes.

Thus while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated herein, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A liner unit adapted for use in conjunction with an envelope machine in which a series of envelope blanks having tapered flaps are delivered in overlapping relation and in which the advancing blanks are withdrawn and fed along the machine bed at high speed towards gluing and folding apparatus, said liner unit being positioned adjacent the bed before the gluing and folding apparatus, and comprising the combination of a hopper for supporting a stack of pre-cut tapered liners having a portion thereof projecting beyond an edge of said hopper, a movable sucker arm for engaging the projecting portion of the lowermost liner in said stack, a rotating shaft having spaced rollers secured thereto, means driving said sucker arm in timed relation with said rotating shaft to move the same to a position between adjacent rollers to thereby bring the engaged portion of the lowermost liner against the surface of said moving rollers, movable control means operable in conjunction with said. arm to selectively direct a blast of air against the portion of the liner engaged with said rollers so as to hold the same against the surface thereof as said arm is withdrawn, said rollers adapted to 7 Withdraw said liner from said hopper, and intermediate transfer means for receiving the Withdrawn liner and moving the same along a controlled path, a rotating segment at the end of said path for receiving said liner and applying the same in a precisely predetermined position on an envelope blank moving along the bed of the machine.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said movable sucker arm and said rollers are each provided with a plurality of ports, and a means for the selective application of a negative pressure to said ports for engaging and holding a portion of the liner against said arm.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said movable control means includes an elongated arm, said arm being reciprocably movable in timed relation with the movement of said sucker arm, to a position between said stack and said rotating shaft, said arm having a nozzle thereon for selectively directing a blast of positive pressure air against the portion of the liner engaged with said rollers on said shaft, and means for applying the blast of air from said elongated arm in conjunction with the release of the negative pressure at said sucker arm.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein a finger is provided, said finger being movable with said blower arm to a position immediately below the projecting portions of said liners in said stack to thereby hold the same while the lowermost liner is being withdrawn therefrom.

S. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said intermediate transfer means includes a rotating transfer cylinder disposed between said rotating shaft and rotating segment, said transfer cylinder being constructed to receive the liner from said rollers and transfer the same to said rotating segment in timed relation with the movement of the envelope along the bed of the machine.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said transfer cylinder is formed with a plurality of spaced ports on the surface thereof, means for selectively generating a negative pressure at said ports to thereby pick up and hold the liner on said rollers to the surface of said transfer cylinder and move the same into contact with said rotating segment.

7. A method of applying a pre-cut liner member to an envelope blank comprising the steps of: advancing a series of serially spaced oriented envelope blanks along a predetermined path, providing a plurality of pre-cut liners in stacked oriented relation, separating a portion of one of said liners from said stack, grasping such separated portion and withdrawing said liner thereby from said stack, transferring said liner to a position immediately adjacent an envelope traveling along said path, and applying said liner in properly oriented position to said envelope blank.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,242,799 5/1941 Moore W 9361 3,093,371 6/1963 Glaser et al. 27l29 BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner.

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