US 4,356,683 AGranted

Method and apparatus for holding and conveying a batch of envelopes to facilitate the opening of the envelopes

AssigneeAES Technology Systems, Inc.

InventorsJames B. Ellis, Raymond E. Sims, Mieczyslaw J. Lisiecki

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Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for opening envelopes by chemically degrading the envelope material at the envelope edges. A chemical degrading agent which functions more effectively when heated is applied to the envelope edges. The envelopes are arranged and aligned in face-to-face relationship to form at least one batch. The batches of envelopes are conveyed around an endless conveying loop oriented in a substantially vertical plane and defining upper and lower horizontal conveying paths. Heating platens are moved against the agent-applied edges of the envelopes to contact the agent-applied edges of the envelopes and to flex the envelopes inwardly of the edges to laterally displace the edges against the platens and transfer heat by conduction to the edges whereby the envelope material is degraded along the edges.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method for conveying and opening envelopes comprising the steps of:

(a) arranging and aligning a plurality of envelopes in face-to-face relationship to form at least one batch of envelopes with the edges of the envelopes in said batch aligned in a substantially common plane along at least one portion of the batch;
(b) applying a degrading agent along at least said aligned edges of said envelopes, said agent being the type that functions more effectively when heated;
and
(c) conveying said batch of envelopes around an endless conveying loop with the loop oriented in a substantially vertical plane and defining upper and lower horizontal paths, said conveying step including the following steps:
(1) moving said batch of envelopes to a heating station having a heating member adapted to contact the aligned edges of the envelopes in the batch to facilitate degradation and deterioration of the envelope edges;
(2) terminating the movement of said batch of envelopes at said heating station for a predetermined period of time while said envelope edges are contacted by said heating member;
(3) moving said batch of envelopes downstream of said heating station to an abrading or brushing station having means for abrading or brushing the deteriorated edges of the envelopes to facilitate separation of the edges;
(4) terminating the movement of said batch of envelopes at said abrading or brushing station for a predetermined period of time;
(5) reciprocating said means for abrading or brushing the edges of the envelopes in contact with said envelope edges at said abrading or brushing station;
(6) moving said batch of envelopes to a discharge station spaced from said abrading or brushing station;
and
(7) terminating the movement of said batch at said discharge station for a predetermined period of time to permit the removal of said batch of envelopes.

9 more elements

A method of opening envelopes wherein each envelope has two generally rectangular panels joined together along a top edge, along a bottom edge, and along a pair of end edges, said method comprising:

(a) arranging and aligning a plurality of envelopes in face-to-face relationship to form at least one batch of envelopes with the top, bottom, and end edges of the envelopes in substantial registry and alignment;
(b) clamping said batch of envelopes between a pair of clamps at a loading and discharge station in an endless conveying loop with the loop oriented in a substantially vertical plane and defining upper and lower horizontal conveying paths, said batch being clamped with the envelope panels being oriented generally perpendicular to the conveying paths;
(c) conveying said clamped batch to a spraying station and terminating movement of the batch;
(d) spraying the end edges and the top edges of the envelopes in the batch with a liquid degrading agent of the type that functions more effectively when heated;
(e) conveying said clamped batch in said upper horizontal conveying path to an end edge heating station and terminating movement of said batch;
(f) contacting the end edges of the envelopes in the batch with heating members at said end edge heating station to facilitate degradation and deterioration of the envelope end edges;
(g) conveying the batch to a first abrading and brushing station downstream of said first heating station and terminating movement of said batch;
(h) abrading or brushing the deteriorated end edges of the envelopes in the batch at said first abrading and brushing station to facilitate separation of the envelope edges;
(i) conveying said batch in an inverted position in said lower horizontal path of said conveying loop to a top edge heating station and terminating movement of said batch wherein the top edges of the envelopes have been inverted relative to the orientation of the envelope top edges in said upper horizontal conveying path;
(j) contacting the inverted top edges of the envelopes in the batch with a heating member at said top edge heating station to facilitate degradation and deterioration of the envelope top edges;
(k) conveying said batch to a secon abrading or brushing station and terminating movement of the batch;
(l) abrading or brushing the deteriorated top edges of the envelopes in the batch at said second abrading or brushing station to facilitate separation of the envelope top edges;
(m) conveying said batch of envelopes to said loading and discharge station and terminating the movement of said batch at said loading and discharge station;
and
(n) releasing said clamping of said batch at said loading and discharge station to permit removal of said batch.

12 more elements

A method of opening envelopes wherein each envelope has two generally rectangular panels joined together along a top edge, along a bottom edge, and along a pair of end edges, said method comprising:

(a) arranging and aligning a plurality of envelopes in face-to-face relationship to form at least one batch of envelopes with the top, bottom, and end edges of the envelopes aligned in substantial registry;
(b) clamping said batch of envelopes between a pair of clamps at a loading and discharge station in an endless conveying loop with the loop oriented in a substantially vertical plane and defining upper and lower horizontal conveying paths, said batch being clamped with the envelope panels being oriented generally perpendicular to the conveying paths;
(c) conveying said clamped batch in said upper horizontal conveying path to a spraying station and terminating the movement of the batch at said spraying station;
(d) at said spraying station, spraying the end edges and the top edges of the envelopes in the batch with a liquid degrading agent of the type that functions more effectively when heated;
(e) conveying said clamped batch of envelopes to an end edge heating station in said upper horizontal conveying path and terminating the movement of said batch at said end edge heating station;
(f) contacting the end edges of the envelopes in the clamped batch with heating members at said end edge heating station to facilitate degradation of the envelope end edges;
(g) conveying the clamped batch of envelopes from said upper horizontal conveying path to said lower horizontal conveying path to invert the position of said batch wherein the top edges of the envelopes become inverted relative to the orientation of the envelope top edges in said upper horizontal conveying path and then terminating the movement of said inverted batch at a jogging station in said lower horizontal conveying path;
(h) at said jogging station, releasing the clamping of said inverted batch of envelopes with the envelopes resting by the force of gravity on a generally horizontally disposed realignment surface whereby the top edges of the envelopes contact the realignment surface, said step of releasing the clamping of the envelopes including restraining the envelopes laterally to prevent each envelope from falling over on said realignment surface into an orientation in which the envelope panels are substantially parallel with the realignment surface;
(i) at least after step (h), vibrating said realignment surface whereby said inverted envelope top edges are realigned along said vibrating realignment surface;
(j) terminating the vibration of said realignment surface;
(k) reclamping said inverted batch of envelopes by means of said pair of clamps with the inverted envelope top edges realigned in a common plane defined at said realignment surface;
(m) conveying said inverted batch of envelopes in said inverted position with said top edges realigned along said lower horizontal path of said endless conveying loop to a top edge heating station and terminating movement of said inverted batch;
(m) contacting the inverted envelope top edges in the batch with an upwardly facing heating member at said top edge heating station to facilitate degradation of the envelope top edges;
(n) conveying said batch of envelopes to said loading and discharge station and terminating the movement of said batch at said loading and discharge station;
and
(o) releasing said clamping of said batch at said loading and discharge station to permit removal of said batch.

13 more elements

An apparatus for conveying and opening envelopes comprising:

(a) an endless loop conveyor with the loop oriented in a substantially vertical plane and defining upper and lower horizontal paths
(b) a plurality of envelope batch holding cars carried by said conveyor at spaced locations along the conveyor loop, each said car being adapted for receiving and holding a plurality of envelopes in face-to-face relationship to form a batch of envelopes, each said car including a base, a pair of opposed clamp members carried on said base and adapted to be moved (1) toward one another to clamp a batch of envelopes and (2) away from one another to release a batch of envelopes;
(c) means on said conveyor for moving said batch holding car clamp members toward one another and away from one another to selected spaced-apart clamping positions;
(d) said apparatus defining a batch loading and discharge station in said conveyor path at which said batch of envelopes can be positioned in one of said holding cars and at which a batch of envelopes can be removed from one of said holding cars after the envelopes have been opened;
(e) said apparatus defining a heating station along said conveyor upper path for heating at least one edge of each envelope in said batch to which an envelope material degrading agent has been applied, said heating station having a heating member adapted to contact the edges of the envelopes in a batch to facilitate degradation and deterioration of the envelope edges;
(f) said apparatus defining downstream of said heating station an abrading or brushing station having means for abrading or brushing the deteriorated edges of the envelopes to facilitate separation of the envelope edges;
and
(g) means for incrementally driving each of said batch holding cars around said conveying loop to each said station and for maintaining each said car stationary at each station for a selected period of time.

5 more elements

An apparatus for conveying and opening envelopes comprising:

(a) an endless loop conveyor defining a conveying path;
(b) a plurality of envelope batch holding cars mounted to and carried by said conveyor at spaced locations along the conveying path;
each said car being adapted for receiving and holding a plurality of envelopes in face-to-face relationship to form a batch of envelopes;
each said car including a base and a pair of opposed clamp members carried on said base and adapted to be moved (1) toward one another to clamp a batch of envelopes and (2) away from one another to release a batch of envelopes;
(c) clamp operating means at least at one stationary location on said conveyor for moving said batch holding car clamp members toward one another and away from one another to selected spaced-apart clamping positions;
(d) said apparatus defining a batch loading and discharge station in said conveying path at said stationary location of said clamp operating means in which station said batch of envelopes can be positioned in one of said holding cars and in which station said batch of envelopes can be removed from said holding car after the envelopes have been opened;
(e) said apparatus defining a heating station along said conveying path for heating at least one edge of each envelope in said batch to which an envelope material degrading agent has been applied, said heating station having means for heating the edges of the envelopes in a batch to facilitate degradation and deterioration of the envelope edges;
and
(g) means for incrementally driving each of said batch holding cars around said conveying path to each said station and for maintaining each said car stationary at each station for a selected period of time.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.