Automated envelope opener
AssigneeOmation Corporation
InventorsGeorge H. Bingham, Edward A. Krupotich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automated envelope opener receives a stack of unopened envelopes of varying sizes, types and shapes, and feeds these envelopes individually to a cutting station. An edge of each envelope is automatically aligned with a reference surface, whereby each such aligned envelope edge can be cut at the cutting station by a rotating multi-toothed cutter and stationary anvil which are also aligned with the reference surface. In a preferred embodiment, means are additionally provided for shingling and stacking the envelopes after they have been cut open.
Claims10
An envelope opening machine comprising conveyor means for transporting an envelope along a linear path to a cutting station, bias means for constraining an edge of said envelope to assume an orientation parallel to a reference plane at said cutting station, cutting means disposed adjacent said path, said cutting means comprising a plurality of blades which are parallel to said reference plane at said cutting station, said blades being rotatable in a plane perpendicular to said reference plane and being disposed inside a housing to contact said envelope edge at said cutting station, said housing being apertured so that the rotation of said blades causes air to be drawn into said housing thereby causing an air draft for automatically blowing envelope edge cuttings away from said cutting station, and means for rotating said blades.
An envelope opening machine comprising means for receiving a plurality of envelopes to be opened, means for feeding said envelopes one at a time from said receiving means to a conveyor means for transporting each envelope along a linear path to a cutting station, bias means for constraining an edge of said envelope to assume an orientation parallel to a reference plane at said cutting station, cutting means disposed adjacent said path, said cutting means comprising a blade which is parallel to said reference plane at said cutting station, said blade being disposed to contact said envelope edge at said cutting station, shingling conveyor means disposed below said transport conveyor means to said cutting station, said shingling conveyor means being arranged to receive envelopes that have been opened at said cutting station, and switch means responsive to the exit of each opened envelope from said cutting station for causing said shingling conveyor means to move only when envelopes are being opened.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.