Conveying apparatus for envelopes and related methods

An apparatus for conveying envelopes traveling in a travel direction in a generally upright orientation, comprising:

• a first pair of conveyor assemblies disposed opposite one another and each including a belt and a plurality of flexible and deflectable elements extending from said belts for engaging lateral edges of the envelopes, said first pair of conveyor assemblies configured to move the envelopes in the travel direction;
• a second pair of conveyor assemblies disposed opposite one another, each including a belt and a plurality of flexible and deflectable elements extending from the belts of the second pair of conveyor assemblies for engaging lateral edges of the envelopes, and positioned downstream of said first pair of conveyor assemblies, said second pair of conveyor assemblies configured to move the envelopes in the travel direction independently of said first pair of conveyor assemblies, said flexible and deflectable elements configured to bend by action of the engagement of the lateral edges of the envelopes therewith;
• said first and second pairs of conveyor assemblies having respective overlapping portions;
• and
• wherein flexible and deflectable elements of said first pair of conveyor assemblies are oriented to engage envelopes engaged by said second pair of conveyor assemblies and to deflect upon such engagement with said envelopes.

An automatic envelope stuffing apparatus having a first end associated with feeding of a roll of paper, and a processing apparatus for converting the roll of paper into discrete sheets for feeding the discrete sheets into envelopes, further comprising:

• a conveying apparatus for conveying the envelopes toward the stuffing apparatus in a travel direction, said conveying apparatus including:
• (a) a first pair of conveyor assemblies disposed opposite one another and configured for engaging lateral edges of the envelopes, said first pair of conveyor assemblies configured to move the envelopes in the travel direction;
• and
• (b) a second pair of conveyor assemblies disposed opposite one another and positioned downstream of said first pair of conveyor assemblies in the travel direction, said second pair of conveyor assemblies configured to move the envelopes in the travel direction independently of said first pair of conveyor assemblies, wherein at least one of said first or second pairs of conveyor assemblies each includes flexible and deflectable elements for engaging the lateral edges of the envelopes, said flexible and deflectable elements being mounted on respective belts of said assemblies, said flexible and deflectable elements being bendable with respect to said belts by action of the engagement of the lateral edges of the envelopes therewith so as to position each of the lateral edges between displaced flexible and deflectable elements,
• said first and second pairs of conveyor assemblies overlapping one another at respective ends thereof;
• and
• said first and second pairs of conveyor assemblies at said ends each engaging at least a same envelope simultaneously.

A method of conveying envelopes traveling in a travel direction, comprising:

• sliding an envelope in a generally upright orientation between a first set of flexible and deflectable elements engaging opposite lateral edges of the envelope;
• bending and displacing the flexible and deflectable elements by action of the engagement of the lateral edges of the envelope therewith so as to position each of the lateral edges between displaced flexible and deflectable elements;
• moving the flexible and deflectable elements to thereby move the envelope in the travel direction;
• transferring the envelope in the generally upright orientation to a second set of flexible and deflectable elements while still engaged by said first set of flexible and deflectable elements;
• and
• moving the second set of flexible and deflectable elements independently of the first set of flexible and deflectable elements to thereby move the envelope in the travel direction, away from said first set of flexible and deflectable elements.

A method of conveying envelopes traveling in a travel direction, comprising:

• sliding an envelope in a generally upright orientation between a first set of deflectable elements engaging opposite lateral edges of the envelope;
• moving the deflectable elements to thereby move the envelope in the travel direction;
• transferring the envelope in the generally upright orientation to a second set of deflectable elements;
• moving the second set of deflectable elements independently of the first set of deflectable elements to thereby move the envelope in the travel direction;
• wherein sliding of the envelope in a generally upright orientation includes downward movement of the envelope in the upright orientation thereof.