Sheet feeding or delivering – Special articles – Envelope
Patent
1998-08-07
2000-03-14
Bollinger, David H.
Sheet feeding or delivering
Special articles
Envelope
271 35, 271902, B65H 500
Patent
active
060361859
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for unstacking and opening envelopes from a stack of envelopes.
The present invention is particularly aimed at such unstacking and opening devices for offices.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
U.S. Pat. No. 2,267,574 describes a device for unstacking comprising a frame, means for stacking a pile of envelopes, flap down, means for extracting an envelope from the bottom of the pile and means for feeding the extracted envelope downstream from the extracting means.
In this patent, as well as in subsequent systems (see for example EP-A-0 336 674, U.S. Pat. No. 2,915,863, EP-A-0 504 114, WO-A-95/16578), the flap of the extracted envelope is opened with a movable instrument, such as a claw, which introduces certain complications with respect to its kinematics and is an inefficient use of space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to improve on the known unstacking devices by increasing the compactness and by simplifying the mechanical actuators therein.
In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved with a device, for unstacking and opening envelopes from a pile of envelopes with the flap down, comprising: first drive means; downstream from said first drive means; upstream from said fixed wedge-shaped deflector; respect to said deflector; responsive to a signal from said detection means in order to control: at the front and on the side of the deflector relative to the path until the flap has been deflected and travelled beyond said deflector; envelope position themselves over the deflector as they move backwards, whereby the flap is folded out during backward movement until it is coplanar with the body of the envelope; and direction of the device.
By wedge-shaped deflector, it is understood that its corner shape, preferably rounded out, allows the deflector to deviate the flap during backward movement and permit its folding out.
Advantageously, the extraction means are in the form of an endless belt at the bottom of the stacking means and cooperate with an extraction space at the bottom of a wall of the stacking means. The extraction means can cooperate with envelope separating means located downstream, for example rollers placed on either side of the path of the envelope and rotating in the same direction.
Advantageously, the first and second drive means are in the form of contra-rotating rollers in mutual support.
The first and second drive means are preferably overlapping and driven by a two-way motor.
It may be particularly advantageous to aid in the folding out of the flap to provide a movable flap located downstream from the deflector.
This movable flap will also preferably participate in the subsequent processing of the envelope, particularly by placing it on the insertion fingers of the insertion machine itself, the insertion machine being placed downstream from the path of the envelope. This movable flap and these insertion fingers are described in application no. WO-A-95/16578, to which reference may be made.
The unstacking device according to the invention further advantageously includes a pressing device for the stack of envelopes, the actuation of which may be monitored by detection means to actuate the unstacking device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention and its advantages will be more easily understood after reading the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, made with reference to the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front view of an unstacking device according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the unstacking device of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are internal cross-sectional views of the device of FIG. 1. showing each step of the device of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
The unstacking device includes a frame or principal structure comprising plates 1, 1' and a plurality of supports 2.
Inside this structure, the envelopes are stacked in an area including a vertical hol
REFERENCES:
patent: 2267574 (1941-12-01), Post
patent: 2766569 (1956-10-01), Strother et al.
patent: 2915863 (1959-12-01), Kummer
patent: 5410860 (1995-05-01), Coudray et al.
patent: 5450187 (1995-09-01), Pei et al.
patent: 5971385 (1999-10-01), Belec
Baumann Herve
Coudray Gerard
Bollinger David H.
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