Method and apparatus for fabricating continuous envelopes

A method of fabricating a sheet of continuous envelopes adapted for use in connection with electronic data processing printers and the like, and comprising the steps of

• advancing a first web of sheet material along a path of travel, with the web comprising serially arranged generally rectangular envelope backing panels, and with each envelope backing panel having a transverse bottom edge, opposite side edges, and a flap portion positioned opposite the associated transverse bottom edge,
• advancing a second web of sheet material along a path of traval, and completely severing the advancing second web along alternating first and second transverse lines to thereby produce alternating, discrete envelope patch portions and discrete scrap portions, with the envelope patch portions having a transverse bottom edge, a transverse top edge, and opposite side edges, and wherein the step of severing the advancing second web along alternating first and second transverse lines includes passing the advancing web through a nip defined between a pair of rotating cylinders, with one of said cylinders mounting at least one pair of circumferentially separated transverse cutting blades with one of the blades in each pair having a slightly V-shaped outline, and with the second of said rotating cylinders being disposed tangent to said path of travel of said first web, and such that the surface of the second of said rotating cylinders moves in the same direction and at the same speed as said advancing web at the tangent point,
• supporting each envelope patch portion on the surface of the second of said rotating cylinder so that each envelope patch portion is conveyed by the rotating cylinder from the nip onto the advancing first web and so that each envelope patch portion is superimposed over an envelope backing panel with the straight transverse bottom edge of the patch portion aligned with the bottom edge of the envelope backing panel, and with the transverse top edge being adjacent the flap portion of the envelope backing panel, and with the respective side edges being aligned, and
• adhering each of the envelope patch portions to its associated envelope backing panel along the aligned transverse bottom and side edges to form a pocket therebetween which includes an insert opening.

An apparatus for fabricating a sheet of continuous envelopes adapted for use in connection with electronic data processing printers and the like, with the envelopes being adapted to be readily separated from the sheet, and comprising:

• means for advancing a web of sheet material along a path of travel,
• first cutting means comprising a first pair of rotatable cylinders forming a nip therebetween, with one of the cylinders having transverse cutting blade means mounted thereon positioned perpendicular to the path of travel of the advancing web as it enters the nip, for severing portions of the advancing web along longitudinally and regularly spaced apart transverse lines, and such that each transverse line includes straight completely severed segments adjacent each of the ends of the transverse line and a non-severed medial segment intermediate said severed segments, and with the transverse lines defining a continuous stream of serially arranged generally rectangular envelope backing panels having longitudinal opposite side edges and which are interconnected across the medial segments of the transverse lines,
• second cutting means, positioned in longitudinally spaced apart relation along the path of travel from said first cutting means and comprising a second pair of rotatable cylinders forming a nip therebetween, with one of the second pair of cylinders mounting a die thereon, for severing the advancing web along a non-linear line adjacent each of the ends of each transverse line, with each non-linear line including a completely severed longitudinal segment which extends substantially perpendicular from the end of the transverse line, and a completely severed bridging segment extending in a substantially oblique direction between the transverse line and the outer end of the associated longitudinal segment, and such that each non-linear line and associated severed segment define a generally triangular cut-out, with the two cut-outs along each transverse line being on the same side of such transverse line and being mirror images of each other, and
• means for adhering a separate generally rectangular patch portion to each of the envelope backing panels of the advancing web, with each patch portion having a bottom edge and two side edges which are aligned respectively with the transverse line opposite the cut-outs and the two side edges of the associated envelope backing panel, and with each patch portion having a top edge which is disposed adjacent the cut-outs, and with each patch portion being adhered to the associated envelope backing panel along such three aligned edges to form an envelope pocket therebetween which opens along the top edge of the patch portion.

An apparatus for fabricating a sheet of continuous envelopes adapted for use in connecting with electronic data processing printers and the like, and comprising:

• means for advancing a first web of sheet material along a path of travel, with the web comprising serially arranged generally rectangular envelope backing panels, and with each envelope backing panel having a transverse bottom edge, opposite side edges, and a flap portion positioned opposite the associated transverse bottom edge,
• means for advancing a second web of sheet material along a path of travel and for completely severing the advancing second web along alternating first and second transverse lines, to thereby produce discrete alternating envelope patch potions and discrete scrap portions, with the envelope patch portions having a transverse bottom edge, a transverse top edge, and opposite side edges, and comprising a pair of rotatable cylinders forming a nip therebetween, with one of said cylinders mounting at least one pair of circumferentially separated transverse cutting blades with one of said blades in each pair having a slightly V-shaped outline, and with the second of said rotatable cylinders being disposed tangent to said path of travel of said first web, and such that the surface of the second of said rotatable cylinders moves in the same direction and at the same speed as said advancing web at the tangent point,
• means for supporting the resulting envelope patch portions on the surface of the second of said rotatable cylinders for continuing without interruption the advance of the envelope patch portions to said tangent point with said advancing web so that the patch portions are positioned serially upon the advancing web by said second rotatable cylinder and so that each envelope patch portion is superimposed over an envelope backing panel with the straight transverse bottom edge of the patch portion aligned with the bottom edge of the envelope backing panel, and with the transverse top edge being adjacent the flap portion of the envelope backing panel, and with the respective side edges being aligned, and
• means for adhering each of the envelope patch portions to its associated envelope backing panel along the aligned transverse bottom and side edges to form a pocket therebetween which includes an insert opening.