Apparatus and method for envelope flap opening

Apparatus for flapping an unflapped envelope having a body and a flap and a crease line therebetween, including:

• reversible drive means for feeding the envelope;
• a first path;
• a flapper path adjoining the first path and leading to a flapping zone;
• flapper blade means associated with the flapping zone;
• and
• control means serving to control the drive means such that in use of the apparatus an unflapped envelope is fed in a first direction along the first path with the crease line leading;
• such that when the crease line reaches a predetermined position along the first path the drive means is reversed and the envelope driven along the flapper path with the crease line leading at least until the flap is engageable by the flapper blade means;
• and such that the drive means is then reversed again whereby the envelope is driven back along the flapper path and stripping the flap from the body of the envelope is achieved by the flapper blade means.