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US 12,617,226 B1Granted
Robotic envelope separator
AssigneeCenveo Worldwide Limited
InventorsDavid Murphy, Juan Lugo, Tom McCullough, Eric Beaulieu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An envelope separator is provided with a robotic arm and a support table where the robotic arm can fit fingers between envelopes to collect groups of envelopes from an envelope feeder and then separate those groups and allow for easy packaging of the envelopes into boxes. Preferably, the robotic arm accomplishes the packaging process as well by placing the groups of envelopes into boxes and continuing to gather and place successive groups of envelopes in successive boxes.
Claims18
An envelope separator comprising:
- an envelope feeder including a plurality of curved channels each with a base and an end and the envelope feeder defining a cylindrical feed area between the base and the end of the channels;
- a support adjacent the envelope feeder which is arranged to support envelopes received from said envelope feeder moving in a feed direction;
- a first support moveable with respect to said support and at least two fingers comprising a first and a second finger connected to said first support and extending from either side of the first support, at least one of the at least two fingers configured to be moved into the cylindrical feed area and the first and second fingers further configured to be positioned such that a plurality of the envelopes are pressed between said first and second fingers with the first finger pressing against a first face of a first one of the plurality of envelopes and the second finger pressing against a second face of a second one of the plurality of envelopes;
- at least one of the first and second fingers is a moveable finger moveable with respect to the first support.
1 more element
An envelope separator comprising:
- an envelope feeder;
- a support adjacent the envelope feeder which is arranged to support envelopes received from said envelope feeder moving in a feed direction;
- a first support moveable with respect to said support and at least two fingers comprising a first and a second finger connected to said first support and extending from either side of the first support, the first and second fingers configured to be positioned such that a plurality of the envelopes are between said first and second fingers;
- at least one of the first and second fingers is a moveable finger moveable with respect to the first support;
- the support comprises a moveable support and a surface, the moveable support configured to move relative to the surface away from the envelope feeder as envelopes are positioned on the surface such that the moveable support holds envelopes upright on the surface, and the moveable support is biased towards the envelope feeder with a spring.
2 more elements
An envelope separator comprising:
- an envelope feeder;
- a support adjacent the envelope feeder which is arranged to support envelopes received from said envelope feeder moving in a feed direction;
- a first support moveable with respect to said support and at least two fingers comprising a first and a second finger connected to said first support and extending from either side of the first support, the first and second fingers configured to be moved from below the support to be positioned such that a plurality of the envelopes are pressed between said first and second fingers;
- at least one of the first and second fingers is a moveable finger moveable with respect to the first support;
- at least one support finger mounted to the support and configured to press against envelopes received from the envelope feeder to maintain an upright orientation of the envelopes, the at least one support finger configured to move in the feed direction.
2 more elements
An envelope separator configured to collect envelopes from an envelope feeder comprising:
- a support adjacent the envelope feeder and including a surface and a moveable support, the surface configured to support envelopes received from the envelope feeder moving in a feed direction and the moveable support configured to hold the envelopes upright and to move away from the envelope feeder as envelopes are fed onto the surface;
- a first support moveable with respect to said support and at least two fingers comprising a first and a second finger connected to said first support and extending from either side of the first support, the first support configured to align with the first finger between two envelopes with a group of envelopes between the first and second fingers, at least a portion of the first and second fingers are inclined with respect to the first support;
- at least one of the first and second fingers is a moveable finger moveable with respect to the first support;
- wherein the moveable finger is positioned closer to the envelope feeder than the first finger, the support comprising two spaced sections each having an inclined section and the moveable finger is moveable from a position aligned with the inclined sections to a position extending across the feed direction to separate a plurality of envelopes from other envelopes being fed out of the envelope feeder.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.