US 5,672,237 AGranted

Postage stamp applicator

OwnerBruce W. Whiteford, Larry R. Whitefordinventors

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Abstract

A postage stamp applicator includes a stamp applicator drum rotatably carried on a housing for oscillating motion. A free end of a coiled supply of stamps extends to the stamp applicator drum. A metering head on the stamp applicator drum advances and severs a predetermined number of stamps as the stamp applicator drum oscillates through one complete cycle of oscillation corresponding to the movement of each envelope that passes beneath the applicator. The outer surface of the stamp applicator drum includes a plurality of decurling rollers that press down on the front side of the predetermined number of stamps to help affix such stamps to the face of the envelope. The stamp applicator drum is oscillated by a crank arm and crankshaft combination that connects the drive shaft on which the stamp applicator drum is mounted to a rotary driven input that rotates one full turn for each envelope passing beneath the applicator. A swing arm pivotally mounts a guide roller adjacent the coiled stamp supply such that the free end of the stamps passes over the pivot point for the swing arm and then down and back around the guide roller in a S-shaped manner as the free end of the stamps extends towards the stamp applicator drum.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A postage stamp applicator for a mailing machine having means for automatically advancing individual envelopes along a predetermined path and a driven member which rotates one turn each time an envelope passes through the machine, the applicator comprising:

(a) a housing with a drive shaft rotatably mounted therein, the housing having means for engaging the housing to the mailing machine during use of the postage stamp applicator;
(b) a stamp applicator drum affixed to the drive shaft for rotation therewith and further positioned so that an outer surface of the stamp applicator drum is brought into engagement with envelopes advancing along the path;
(c) means for mounting a perforated coil of stamps on the housing for rotation about an axis with the free end of the coil passing through the housing to the stamp applicator drum;
(d) drive means for producing for each turn of the driven member an oscillating rotary movement of the drive shaft to thereby cause the stamp applicator drum to oscillate in a first rotary direction and then back in a second rotary direction opposed to the first direction in a complete cycle of oscillation for each turn of the driven member;
(e) metering means carried on the stamp applicator drum receiving the free end of the coil of the stamps in engagement therewith for moving a predetermined number of stamps outwardly of the stamp applicator drum during each cycle of oscillation;
and
(f) means associated with the stamp applicator drum for severing the stamps advanced from the stamp applicator drum during each cycle of oscillation to allow the advanced and severed stamps to be applied to the outwardly directed surface of the advancing envelopes.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.