Package making – With contents treating – Reshaping
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-01
2001-05-08
Kim, Eugene (Department: 3721)
Package making
With contents treating
Reshaping
C053S569000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226959
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of processing mail. More particularly, it relates to a folding/inserting machine intended for folding and placing articles for mailing, such as documents of formats A4 or A5, reply envelopes or advertizing inserts, into envelopes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Machines for folding and inserting documents are industrial machines well known in the art.
European Patent Application No. 0 700 794 to PITNEY BOWES describes such a machine, which conventionally comprises document feeders, an empty envelope feeder and an advertizing insert feeder. As specified in column 1, lines 13 to 17 of this Application, the folding/inserting machine market is a highly competitive one in which any innovation, however small, is capable of influencing the behaviour of the purchasers. However, it will be noted that this machine is fairly voluminous and, by its design, with substantially horizontal tubs, it allows only a low capacity of loading of articles to be mailed. Applicants have therefore developed machines allowing much higher loading capacities. Two embodiments of such machines are given in European Patent EP 352 292 and French Patent Application FR 2 757 841. In addition, Applicants disclosed in their French Patent Application FR 97 13053 a novel architecture for the conveying paths of these machines, which are more reliable (particularly by limiting the sources of jamming) and present better performances.
However, it has appeared that, under certain particular conditions of use, this latter type of machine, like the earlier ones (cf. for example EP 0 700 794) might still present limitations. For example, it is, in practice, virtually impossible to insert both a reply envelope and an insert into the same empty envelope. In effect, the placing of such an article for mailing combining these two types of documents in an envelope supposes the use of a document feed tub by way of insert feeder (if the reserved path is for example used for a supply of reply envelopes), which presents at least three major drawbacks. Firstly, this modus operandi considerably reduces the functionalities of the machine by limiting the possibilities of combined feed of documents by the prevention of any simultaneous automatic operational mode. The document feed tubs, by their physical structures (in particular the dimensions of the margin stops and the drive means), cannot receive documents of too small a format, i.e. in practice a format smaller than format A5. Finally, the insertion of the insert is in that case no longer effected directly without fold in the insertion module, but after folds are made through the folding module, which raises a serious problem when this insert is made of cardboard.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a folding and/or inserting machine which allows such a combined insertion of reply envelopes and of inserts in the same empty envelope without presenting the drawbacks set forth hereinabove. A further object of the invention is to propose a machine which presents an increased capacity of loading.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These objects are attained by a folding and/or inserting machine of the type comprising a first path coupled upstream to a document entry and downstream to a first entry of a folding module, a second path coupled upstream to an empty envelope entry and downstream to a first entry of an insertion module itself coupled downstream of an exit of the folding module, a third path coupled upstream to an exit of the insertion module and downstream to a filled and closed envelope exit, and a fourth path coupled upstream to a first advertzing insert or reply envelope entry and downstream to a second entry of the insertion module, characterized in that it further comprises a fifth path coupled upstream to a second advertizing insert or reply envelope entry and downstream to the second entry of the insertion module, the routing of the advertizing inserts or the reply envelopes along the fourth and fifth paths between the advertizing insert or reply envelope entries and the second entry of the insertion module being effected through the folding module without passage through the folding pockets.
With this particular configuration integrating an additional path, the initial structure of the machine is preserved, but its possibilities of operation are further improved.
The second advertzing insert or reply envelope entry is preferably arranged beneath the first advertizing insert or reply envelope entry at the rear of the machine. The general space requirement of the machine is thus only slightly modified.
The first and second advertizing insert or reply envelope paths advantageously form a conveying path having a general Y configuration with a common terminal part which follows a substantially rectilinear path aligned with the second entry of the insertion module. This conveying path is formed by two half-conduits including a lower half-conduit articulated about a pin to allow access inside the conveying path after it has tipped downwardly.
According to a preferred embodiment, the lower half-conduit is provided with simple pressure rollers which cooperate with drive rollers fast with an upper half-conduit of the path conveying the advertizing inserts or reply envelopes and actuated from the control motor of the machine.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4668212 (1987-05-01), Kotani
patent: 4924652 (1990-05-01), Krasuski et al.
patent: 5333437 (1994-08-01), Conti
patent: 5507129 (1996-04-01), Joson et al.
patent: 6016638 (2000-01-01), Bernard et al.
patent: 6094894 (2000-08-01), Yates
patent: 185811 (1986-07-01), None
patent: 0 352 692 A1 (1990-01-01), None
patent: 2 757 841 A1 (1998-07-01), None
Bezelga Christophe
Krasuski Marek
Kim Eugene
Neopost Industrie
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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