US 5,706,636 AGranted

Envelope-stuffing device

AssigneeBowe Systec AG

InventorRobert Eckl

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Abstract

The present invention pertains to the object of substantially increasing the performance of an envelope-stuffing machine. While EP-A-0 504 114 discloses the use of rotating elements for opening the envelopes and for grasping the envelope flaps for this purpose, the present invention suggests that the opening and grasping of the envelopes (20) be performed in one conveying plane (13), and the introduction of the envelope contents (21) be performed in a conveying plane (12) arranged offset in relation thereto at another level, and that a link chain (10) with a plurality of spreading members (9) be provided between them, which is movable at right angles to the conveying planes (12, 13) and keeps the envelopes (20) picked up by the spreading members (9) ready at another point for the introduction of the envelope contents (21) and discharges them.

Claims7

Dependent claims

An envelope stuffing device, comprising:

a conveyor for removing stuffed envelopes;
envelope contents stacking and pull-off means for stacking and pulling off envelope contents, said envelope contents stacking and pull-off means including an envelope conveyor with an envelope conveying plane;
envelope stacking and pull-off means for stacking and pulling-off envelopes, said envelope stacking and pull-off means including an envelope conveyor with an envelope conveying plane;
spreading means for spreading open each envelope and positioning each envelope for introducing the envelope contents, said spreading open means including a revolving pair of link chains provided with a plurality of spreading members, said pair of link chains being disposed between an envelope conveying plane adjacent to said envelope pull-off means and an envelope contents conveying plane adjacent to said envelope contents pull-off means, said envelope conveying plane being located at a different level from said envelope contents conveying plane, said link chains being disposed at right angles to said envelope conveying plane and said envelope contents conveying plane;
and
intermittent drive means for driving said link chains intermittently whereby said spreading members of said pair of link chains pick-up envelopes in said envelope conveying plane during a stopped phase of said link chains, convey said picked-up envelope to said envelope contents conveying plane and push said envelope contents into said envelope at said envelope conveying plane.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.