Manually operated moistener for items with a water-activated glue

A manually operated moistener for moistening a liquid-activatable glue on a flap of an envelope attached to an envelope body, said moistener being configured for attachment to a franking machine and comprising:

• an upper part having a substantially vertical placement wall adjoining a substantially horizontal platform;
• a blade and rocker assembly attached to said platform, said blade and rocker assembly comprising a blade configured to interact with the flap of an envelope manually supplied to the blade with the flap beneath the envelope body and away from said placement wall;
• a lower part forming a liquid tank configured to contain liquid therein, said lower part being having an open top attached below said upper part, with said upper part covering and closing said open top, by releasable fastening elements that are released exclusively from above through said upper part to permit detachment of said upper part from said liquid tank exclusively from above for maintenance of said lower part;
• a liquid transfer element having a lower portion extending into said lower part and a curved upper portion mounted in said upper part;
• a moistening element mounted in said upper part abutting said curved upper portion of said liquid transfer element with a contact surface allowing liquid transfer between said liquid transfer element and said moistening element, said flap of said envelope being manually moved against said moistening element in a transport direction as said envelope is manually supplied to the blade;
• said platform comprising a first step and a second step disposed in succession in said transport direction with said second step being higher than said first step, said second step comprising a plurality of support rails configured for smooth transfer of said envelope to said franking machine, and further comprising a feed incline connected to said platform, upstream of said first step in said transport direction, inclined to descend toward said placement wall, said feed incline having an opening therein through which one of said fastening elements proceeds to make a releasable connection with said lower part, and said platform comprising a plurality of spacing elements projecting from said first step between said shaft and an edge formed by said feed incline and said first step;
• a liquid seal disposed between said upper part and said lower part, said liquid seal having an opening therein through which said liquid transfer element proceeds;
• and
• said upper part having a shaft on said first step extending to said second step, and a support surface disposed at a base of said shaft, said support surface having an opening therein in registration with said opening in said seal, through which said liquid transfer element also proceeds, and said second step having an opening therein in which said liquid transfer element is clamped.

A manually operated moistener for moistening a liquid-activatable glue on a flap of an envelope attached to an envelope body, said moistener comprising:

• an upper part having a substantially vertical placement wall adjoining a substantially horizontal platform;
• a blade and rocker assembly attached to said platform, said blade and rocker assembly comprising a blade configured to interact with the flap of an envelope manually supplied to the blade with the flap beneath the envelope body an away from said placement wall, and a moistener rocker attached by a hinge to said blade allowing said moistener rocker to be opened upwardly by rotation with respect to said hinge, a spring biasing said moistener rocker being at said hinge, and said hinge comprising a locking arrangement that locks said moistener rocker, when opened upwardly, in an upwardly opened position against a force exerted by said spring;
• a lower part attached below said upper part and forming a liquid tank;
• a liquid transfer element having a lower portion extending into said lower part and a curved upper portion mounted in said upper part;
• and
• a moistening element mounted in said upper part abutting said curved upper portion of said liquid transfer element with a contact surface allowing liquid transfer between said liquid transfer element and said moistening element, said flap of said envelope being manually moved against said moistening element in a transport direction as said envelope is manually supplied to said blade.

A manually operated moistener for moistening a liquid-activatable glue on a flap of an envelope attached to an envelope body, said moistener comprising:

• an upper part having a substantially vertical placement wall adjoining a substantially horizontal platform;
• a blade and rocker assembly attached to said platform, said blade and rocker assembly comprising a blade configured to interact with the flap of an envelope manually supplied to the blade with the flap beneath the envelope body and away from said placement wall, and a moistener rocker attached by a hinge to said blade;
• a lower part attached below said upper part and forming a liquid tank;
• a liquid transfer element having a lower portion extending into said lower part and a curved upper portion mounted in said upper part;
• a moistening element mounted in said upper part individually from said curved upper portion of said water transfer element and abutting said curved upper portion of said liquid transfer element with a contact surface allowing liquid transfer between said liquid transfer element and said moistening element, said moistener element having a trapezoidally shaped contact surface with said liquid transfer element, having a liquid storage capacity that increases with increasing distance from said placement wall;
• and
• said flap of said envelope being manually moved against said moistening element in a transport direction as the envelope is manually supplied to the blade, and said moistener element being mounted in said moistener rocker with a first edge of said moistening element closer to said placement wall than a second edge of said moistening element, said second edge having a larger width in said transport direction than said first edge.