Vacuum-controlled, sheet-material separator and feeder system

An automatic, vacuum-controlled, envelope separating and feeding system for separating a range of inter-mixed thicknesses and sizes of envelopes, and feeding the separated envelopes in seriatim to an envelope-handling device, said envelope separating and feeding system comprising:

• means defining an envelope feed path;
• stacking means disposed at the beginning of said feed path for stacking a quantity of inter-mixed thicknesses and sizes of envelopes;
• a vacuum-controlled feeding means disposed adjacent said stacking means for feeding a portion of said quantity of envelopes towards a separating means;
• a first and second vacuum-controlled separating means disposed along said feed path downstream of said stacking means, the second separating means being disposed downstream from the first separating means by a length less than that of a minimum size envelope length, said first and second separating means each comprising a forward envelope thrusting element and an adjacent envelope retarding element for separating multiple envelopes disposed therebetween, said first and second separating means further comprising independent clutching means for engaging and disengaging each of said forward envelope thrusting elements, respectively, and an over-running clutch for each of said forward envelope thrusting elements for allowing an envelope to be pulled forward when its respective forward envelope thrusting element is disengaged.

An automatic, vacuum-controlled, envelope separating and feeding system separating a range of inter-mixed thicknesses of envelopes, and feeding the separated envelopes in seriatim to an envelope-handling device, said envelope separating and feeding system comprising:

• means defining an envelope feed path;
• stacking means disposed at the beginning of said feed path for stacking a quantity of inter-mixed thicknesses of envelopes;
• a vacuum-controlled feeding means disposed adjacent said stacking means for feeding a portion of said quantity of envelopes towards a first vacuum-controlled separating means;
• a first vacuum-controlled separating means disposed along said feed path downstream from said stacking means for generally separating thicker envelopes in said range of inter-mixed thicknesses, and feeding the separated envelopes towards a second vacuum-controlled separating means, said first separating means comprising a first forward envelope thrusting element and a first adjacent envelope retarding element for separating multiple envelopes disposed therebetween, a first independent clutching means for engaging and disengaging said first forward envelope thrusting element, said first forward envelope thrusting element including an over-running clutch for allowing envelopes to be pulled forward by a subsequent forward envelope thrusting element when said first forward envelope thrusting element is disengaged;
• and
• a second vacuum-controlled separating means disposed along said feed path downstream from said first vacuum-controlled separating means for generally separating thinner envelopes in said range of inter-mixed thicknesses, and feeding the separated envelopes towards an envelope-handling device, said second separating means disposed along said feed path downstream from said first separating means a distance less than a minimum length for an envelope in said range of envelopes, said second separating means comprising a second forward envelope thrusting element and a second adjacent envelope retarding element for separating multiple envelopes disposed therebetween, a second clutching means for engaging and disengaging said second forward envelope thrusting element, said second forward envelope thrusting element including an over-running clutch for allowing envelopes to be pulled forward by a subsequent forward envelope thrusting element when said second forward envelope thrusting element is disengaged, said second vacuum-controlled separating means working cooperatively with said first vacuum-controlled separating means, such that said envelopes are fed to said envelope-handling device one envelope at a time in seriatim.

An automatic, vacuum-controlled, sheet-material separating and feeding system for separating a range of inter-mixed sheet materials, and feeding said sheet materials in seriatim to a material-handling device, said sheet-material separating and feeding system comprising:

• means defining a sheet-material feed path;
• stacking means disposed at the beginning of said feed path for stacking a quantity of inter-mixed sheet material;
• a vacuum-controlled feeding means disposed adjacent said stacking means for feeding a portion of said quantity of sheet-material towards a separating means;
• a first vacuum-controlled separating means disposed along said feed path downstream from said stacking means for separating sheet-material received from said vacuum-controlled feeding means, said first separating means comprising a first forward material thrusting element and a first adjacent material retarding element for separating multiple sheet-like materials disposed therebetween, a first independent clutching means for engaging and disengaging said first forward material thrusting element, said first forward material thrusting element including an over-running clutch for allowing sheet-like material to be pulled forward by a subsequent forward material thrusting element when said first forward material thrusting element is disengaged;
• a second vacuum-controlled separating means disposed along said feed path downstream of said first vacuum-controlled separating means for separating sheet-material received from said first vacuum-controlled separating means, said second separating means disposed along said feed path downstream from said first separating means a distance less than a minimum length for said sheet-like material in said range of sheet-like materials, so that at one time during the separation of said sheet-like material, said sheet-like material will be in a bite of both separating means, said second separating means comprising a second forward material thrusting element and a second adjacent material retarding element for separating multiple sheet-like materials disposed therebetween, a second clutching means for engaging and disengaging said second forward material thrusting element, said second forward material thrusting element including an over-running clutch for allowing sheet-like material to be pulled forward by a subsequent forward material thrusting element when said second forward material thrusting element is disengaged;
• and
• traffic control means cooperatively interconnecting said vacuum-controlled feeding means, said first vacuum-controlled separating means, and said second vacuum-controlled separating means, whereby an enhanced separating and feeding effect is achieved between the vacuum-controlled feeding means, the first vacuum-controlled separating means, and the second vacuum-controlled separating means.