Envelope feeder with selective suction cup assist
AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.
InventorsXavier Padros, Boris Rozenfeld, Brad A. Swinford
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The novel solution provides a method for feeding of individual envelopes from a stack of envelopes in a hopper for an inserter machine. At the downstream end of the hopper, a friction feeder serially feeds individual envelopes from the stack. A suction cup is selectively actuated to engage with the envelope to pull a leading portion of the envelope away from the stack to assist the friction feeder in feeding envelopes. Selective actuation is based on monitoring downstream movement of fed envelopes. The suction cup is engaged when the envelopes travel a shorter distance than would be expected based on the movement of the feeder.
Claims12
A method for feeding of individual envelopes from a stack, the method comprising:
- stacking envelopes in a hopper, the hopper having an upstream end and a downstream end;
- at the downstream end of the hopper, serially feeding individual envelopes from the stack using a friction feeder;
- selectively actuating a suction cup to engage with the envelope to pull a leading portion of the envelope away from the stack to assist the friction feeder in feeding envelopes.
An apparatus for feeding of individual envelopes from a stack, the apparatus comprising:
- a hopper for holding a stack of envelopes, the hopper having an upstream end and a downstream end;
- a friction feeder at the downstream end of the hopper, serially feeding individual envelopes from the stack;
- a suction cup mechanism that is selectively actuatatable to engage with the envelope to pull a leading portion of the envelope away from the stack to assist the friction feeder in feeding envelopes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.