US3685402A

US3685402A - Envelope-making machine

Info

Publication number: US3685402A
Application number: US58296A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gunter Ehlscheid
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-08-01
Filing date: 1970-07-27
Publication date: 1972-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-22
Also published as: ES382304A1; GB1322002A; CA935686A

Abstract

An envelope-making machine is shown having interconnected separate stations for producing the edge perforations of individual envelopes, applying adhesive to the lateral edge portions of the envelopes to be connected with each other, staggering the envelopes, aligning the staggered envelopes in accordance with the edge perforations, drying the edge gluing of the endless strip of staggered envelopes, and winding the strip of endless envelopes on a roll.

Description

United States Patent Ehlscheid [451 Aug. 22, 1972 [54] ENVELOPE-MAKING 3,565,728 2/1971 Alton ..229/69 X [72] Inventor: Gunter Ehlscheid, Burgstrasse 43,

[22] Filed: July 27, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 58,296

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 1, 1969 Germany ..P 19 39 183.4

[52] US. Cl. ..93/61 R, 93/62 [51] Int. Cl. ..B3lb l/00 [58] Field of Search ...93/6l R, 62, 63, 63 M; 229/69 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,379,103 4/l968 Tretf ..93/62 5453 Niederbieber, Germany Primary ExaminerBemard Stickney Att0rneyRichards & Geier ABSTRACT An envelope-making machine is shown having interconnected separate stations for producing the edge perforations of individual envelopes, applying adhesive to the lateral edge portions of the envelopes to be connected with each other, staggering the envelopes, aligning the staggered envelopes in accordance with the edge perforations, drying the edge gluing of the endless strip of staggered envelopes, and winding the strip of endless envelopes on a roll. 4

2 Clains, 9 Drawing Figures PAT-ENTED M1822 I972 SHEET 2 BF 5 Inventor G. EhZsc/vedd GLLWaJcM PATENTEBAUBZZWZ 3,685,402

SHEET 4 BF 6 Inventor A TOILNESS PATENTED nuszz I972 SHEET 5 BF 6 WWWY XW MMM me Q6 whpjw Inc 00 S T 2 h m EU ENVELOPE-MAKING MACHINE DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a machine for the manufacture of envelopes, flat bags or the like, hereinafter referred to merely as envelopes, which produces individual envelopes from prestamped blanks or else from a strip or paper or the like in a single pass through the machine and ejects them or else which connects the individual envelopes to form a continuous bank of so-called endless envelopes and roll said strip onto a roller.

Such endless envelopes are being used to an increasing extent in order to address them on tabulating machines or other machines controlled by computer, punch tape or other storage. One disadvantage of these endless envelopes is that their price has been substantially higher than that of individual envelopes. This is due to the fact that the manufacture of the endless envelopes has heretofore been expensive either because of the fact that the envelopes must be provided with special attachments and placed onto a supporting belt which can be used only once'see for instance British Pat. No. 1,013,552 and US. Pat. No. 3,200,7l9or due to the adhering of individual envelopes to each other on special perforated side tabs of the envelopes themselves-see for instance US. Pat. No. 3,219,285.

The object of the present invention is to create a machine for the production of individual envelopes which ejects said envelopes individually onto a delivery table or connects them together in a single pass through the machine without the need of additional step to form a continuous strip of endless envelopes.

The machine of the present invention eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art structures and may be employed in connection with the standard envelope machine which operates on prestamped blanks or which may operate on a strip of papers or the like. The conventional machine of this type has stations for printing the envelope, inserting a window in the envelope; inserting printed matter, reply envelopes, advertising material or other insert material into the envelopes and thereafter delivering the material into a container or the like. The machine of this invention is connected between the folding station and the delivery means of the conventional envelope machine and includes the following additional stations which are connected to one another and form, together with the envelope machine, a single structural unit. These additional stations are defined as follows:

a. A station producing the edge perforations of the individual envelopes.

b. A station applying adhesive to the lateral edge portions of the envelopes which are to be glued together.

c. A station staggering the envelopes.

d. A station aligning the staggered envelopes in connection with the edge perforation thereof.

e. A station for drying the edge gluing of the endless strip of staggered envelopes, and

f. A station for winding the strip of endless envelopes.

Stations a to f are operatively connected in front of the delivery of the individual envelopes to the folding station of the envelope machine so that the machine can either eject individual envelopes onto a delivery table of the envelope machine or else can conduct the individual envelopes arriving from the folding station of the envelope machine through stations a to f by-passing the delivery and eject them as an edge-perforated strip of endless envelopes wound onto a roller.

The main advantage of the machine in accordance with this invention resides in the elimination of a special operator for a separate machine for the'manufacture of an endless strip of individual envelopes and the elimination of the conveyance to such a separate machine. Also the machine of the invention is adapted for use for the economic production of normal envelopes if endless envelopes are not to be produced.

The gluing of the individual envelopes which have been previously perforated on lateral edge portions is effected by adhesive applied between the edge perforation in order to prevent smearing of the pins of a pin wheel which engages into the edge perforation upon alignment in station d.

However, it is also possible in accordance with the invention to arrange station a for the production of the edge perforation behind station e for the drying of the edge gluing of the endless strip and to omit station d for the aligning of the freshly gummed, staggered letter envelopes after the edge perforation. In this case adhesive can be applied to the entire surface of the lateral edge portions of the individual envelopes which are to be glued to each other. In order to assure the correct position of the edge perforation with respect to the combined envelopes staggered in the endless strip, there is provided in front of the station for producing the edge perforation a station for the determining of the position of the individual envelopes in the endless strip by which a correction of any deviations thereof can automatically be brought about.

Finally, the station for producing the edge perforation can also be provided in the envelope machine which produces the envelopes or blanks provided with edge perforation and can be fed from the start for processing to the envelope machine. In these cases also the machine of the invention affords the aforementioned economic advantages in the manufacture of endless envelopes with edge perforation as compared with manufacture of such endless envelopes by means of two separate machines.

The above sets forth a brief description of the instant invention and the proposed objects and advantages thereof. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to the reader of this specification as the description proceeds.

The invention will now be further described by reference to the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this specification.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are three consecutive portions of a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the machine made in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic end view of the stations a to e set forth hereinbefore for connecting the individual envelopes into an endless strip and shown on an enlarged scale.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are successive diagrammatic end views of an alternate form of the machine of this invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of an individual edge perforated envelope before it is glued together to form an endless strip.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a strip of endless envelopes glued together in accordance with the method of this invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic side view of the strip of envelopes shown in FIG. 8.

The invention will now be further described by reference to the specific forms thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings. In this connection, however, the reader is cautioned to note that such specific forms of this invention as shown herein are for illustrative purposes and for the purposes of example only. Various changes and modifications can obviously be made within the spirit and scope of this invention without departing therefrom.

Now referring to the specific form of invention as shown in the accompanying drawings there is shown conventional envelope machine which has a feed 1 which is an operative connection with a pile 2 of prestamped blanks and a printing cylinder 3 with printing mechanisms 4, 5 and 6 printing the individual blanks of pile 2 which pass in succession through the machine. There is also shown a station 7 for the cutting of window openings throughout the envelopes, station 8 for applying adhesive about each of the window openings and a station 9 for applying a section of transparent window material for the window opening of each blank. The window material is supplied in strip form from a supply roll 9. The arrows in FIGS. 1 through 3 show the direction of rotation of the essential parts of the machine. The blank envelopes travel in the direction indicated by the arrows through the machine as indicated by a thick-line.

The structure previously recited is, of course, conventional and the structure of this invention is applied to the conventional machine as follows: A station 10 (FIG. 2) is provided for staggering the blanks, a station 11 (FIG. 2) is provided for applying adhesive to the edges of the subsequent closure flaps of the envelopes which lie within the stack and a drying pair 12 (FIG. 2) is provided for the adhesive on the staggered blanks which extend below the machine. A guide drum 13 (FIG. 3) is then provided for conveying the staggered blanks to the top of the machine to a station 14 (FIG. 3) which is provided to convey the blanks individually from the stack, a station 15 (FIG. 3) for aligning the individualized blanks, a station 16 (FIG. 3) for the prescoring of the subsequent fold lines of the envelopes, a folding station 17 (FIG. 3) for folding the side flaps, a station 18 (FIG. 3) for applying adhesive for the gluing of the bottom flap to the side flaps, a station 19 (FIG. 1) for folding the bottom flap, a station 20 (FIG. 1) for folding theclosure flap, suction means 21, 22 and 23 (FIG. 1), delivery disks 24 (FIG. I) having slots 25 and a delivery table 26.

When individual envelopes are produced with the machine they are inserted after the folding of their closure flaps in station 20 via the suction means 21, 22, 23 individually into a slot 25 of the delivery disks 24 and are deposited, standing vertically as a pile 27, in front of a displaceable stack 28 on the delivery table 26.

The stations located in upward direction behind the suction roller 23 serve to connect the individual envelopes together into a strip of endless envelopes and are designated a to f in the drawing.

The suction roller 23, as can be noted from FIG. 4, has a control slot 29 of variable effective length for controlling the suction air at a number of suction holes 30. Accordingly, depending upon the adjustment of the length of the control slot 29, it can insert the envelopes which arrive individually one behind the other either each into a slot 25 of the delivery disks 24 or else, if the envelopes are to be connected together to form a strip of endless envelopes, it can carry them along individually past the delivery disks 24 below a guide 31 arranged concentrically to the suction roller 23 and against a stop 32 the position of which is adjustable as a function of the length of the envelopes.

As can be noted from FIG. 4, there are arranged in upward extending direction behind the suction roller 23 segments 33 having counter-rollers 34, disks 38 having counterrollers 39, and thereupon, rotating at a lower circumferential speed, disks 40 with counter-rollers 41. The latter serve to reduce the speed of conveyance of the envelopes.

The segments 33 have a recess 35 the rear edge 36 of v which, as seen in direction of rotation, lies on the radius about 1 mm smaller than the cylinder periphery of the segments, whereby a grasping edge is produced. An envelope 42 the folded closure flap 44 of which rests against the front of the stop 32 has its bottom edge 43 extending into the recess 35 of the segments as shown in FIG. 4. Upon further rotation of the segments 33 of the edge 36 thereof bends the envelope over until'it comes against the counter-roller 34in such a manner that the bottom edge 43 of the latter which up to now was at the rear in the direction of conveyance, extends about 3 mm beyond the line connecting the centers of the segments 33 and the counterrollers 34. The stop 32 is correspondingly adjusted. As soon as the grasping edge 37 grasps the envelope upon the further rotation of the segments 33, it is conveyed between the segments 33 and counter-rollers 34, opposite its previous direction of conveyance, to the disks 38 and counterrollers 39.

FIG. 7 shows a top view from the side of an individual envelope 47 suitable for the manufacture of a strip of endless envelopes on the machine of the invention. The envelope has a bottom edge 43, a closure flap 44 and lateral edge parts 45. The edge perforation is indicated by 46 and the adhesive applied between the edge perforations by 47. A piece of an endless strip 54 of envelopes which are glued together is shown in top view in FIG. 8 and in schematic side view in FIG. 9.

The station a adjoining the disks 38 with counterrollers 39 which is adapted to produce the edge perforation 46 in the side edges of the envelopes consists of disks 48 with punctures 49 and counter-disks 50 with die holes 51. The

disks

48, 50 have conveyor rollers 52 with counter-rollers 53 arranged in front of and behind them.

The main parts of the station b for the application of adhesive to the lateral edges of the envelopes which are to be glued together comprise a suction roller 55 and an applicator roller 56. On the suction roller 55 there are arranged two opposing groups of suction holes 57, 57 each of which alternately draws an envelope against it and holds same on the cylindrical surface of the suction roller while profiled gummers 58 which are fastened to the applicator roller 56 and receive adhesive from a trough 61 via a scoop roller 59 and intermediate roller 60 apply adhesive spots 47 (see FIG. 7) to the lateral edge parts 45 of each envelope. Behind station b are a conveyor roller 62 and counter-rollers 63.

' The main parts of the following station c for the staggering of the envelopes comprise a belt 66 which is tensioned via

rollers

64, 65 and has counter-rollers 68 resiliently supported against the holder 67, all of which rotate with a circumferential velocity of the

disks

40, 48 and of the suction roller 55, as well as a roller 69, with counter-rollers 70, which rotates with a smaller circumferential speed corresponding to the desired mutual overlap of the staggered envelopes. The

counterrollers

63, 68, 70 are so arranged that they do not contact the freshly applied adhesive. As a result of the lesser circumferential speed of the roller 69 and counter-rollers 70 and the change in the direction of conveyance, each envelope arriving onto the belt 66 is I pushed partially below the preceding envelope which is already present between the rollers 69 and its counterrollers 70 and is in this way staggered.

The main parts of the following station (I for the aligning of the staggered envelopes after the edge perforation thereof comprise disks 71 with tapered pins 72 which engage into the edge perforation 46 and counterrollers 73 with recesses (not shown) for thepins 72. The main parts of the following station e for the drying of the edge gluing of the endless strip comprise lower belts 76 which are tensioned via

end rollers

77, 78 and a plurality of supporting rollers 79 and are moved by a drive roller 80, as well as upper belts 81 which are tensioned via

end rollers

82, 83 and a plurality of supporting rollers 84 and are carried along by friction by the lower belts 76. As a result of the curvature of the path of the belts, the lower course of the upper belts 81 presses the edges of the strip of endless envelopes firmly against the upper course of the lower belts 76.

Between the segments 33 and the

end rollers

77, 82 of station e for the drying of the endless strip there are provided lower guides 85 and upper guides 86 for the envelopes; see FIG. 4.

The main parts of the following station f for the rolling of the strip of endless envelopes comprise a roller 88 which receives the endless strip, a guide roller 89 and a light oscillating roller 91 which is swingably supported on arms 90 and hangs within a loop of the endless strip, the upward or downward movement of said oscillating roller in case of deviations of the speed of winding of the roller 88 from the speed of conveyance of the strip of endless envelopes such deviations are corrected in known manner via limit switches (not shown) or the like and a control motor. A known device (not shown) for replacing a full roll by an empty roll can also be provided.

The above description sets forth the principal form of the invention as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4. The alternate form of invention shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 differs from the first embodiment by the position of station a for the production of the edge perforation and by the elimination of station d for the aligning of the previously edge-perforated envelopes, the place thereof being taken by another aligning station g. The convention envelope manufacturing machine is the same as that shown 'n FIG 1 and therefo e h nl b h in part in FIGS. 5 and 6. For all uni h ng ed r i ris t li reference numbers employed in FIGS. 1 to 4 have been retained.

Starting from the suction roller 23 at the deliveryend of the envelope machine, there are provided, as can be noted from FIG. 5, unchanged, the segments 33,

disks

38, 40 and conveyor rollers 52 as well as counter-rollers 34, 39, 41 and 53. Station a has been omitted between the pairs of

rollers

52, 53. This is followed by station b for the application of adhesive with the parts 55 to 61 and the staggering station 6 with the parts 62 to 70. The following station d for alignment after the edge perforation has been omitted. The

end rollers

77, 82 or station e for the drying of the edge gluing of the endless strip follow closely on the roller 69 with counter-rollers 70.

As can be noted from FIG. 6, the end roller 83 of station e for the drying of the endless strip 54 is followed by a station g for determining the position of the individual envelopes in the endless strip, said station comprising a source of light 92 and photoelectric cell 93. It may also consist of other known sensing means. If station g detects a deviation of the envelopes in the endless strip from their proper position, it brings about, in known manner, via a servomotor a corresponding correction in the speed of the staggering station 0 and the drying station e.

Behind the end rollers 78 of the drying station e there is arranged in the station a for producing the edge perforation, consisting of disks 48 with punches 49 and counter-disks 50 with die holes 51. The following station f for the rolling up of the band of endless envelopes is unchanged.

The foregoing sets forth the manner in which the objects of this invention are achieved.

I claim:

1. In an envelope-making machine, the combination of a device for making individual envelopes which comprises stations making envelope blanks, stations folding the flaps of the blanks to produce envelopes, a suction roller and a delivery table, said suction roller delivering said envelopes upon said delivery table; with a device for making strips of endless envelopes which comprises a guide, said suction roller having a control slot adjustable so as to supply the envelopes toward said guide, means receiving the envelopes from said guide and reducing their speed, means producing edge perforations in the envelopes, means applying adhesive to the edges of envelopes, means staggering the envelopes, means alining the staggered envelopes, whereby the edges of the envelopes are glued to form an endless strip, means drying the endless strip and means rolling the strip into a roll.

2. An envelope-making machine as described in claim 1, including an additional station for determining the position of the envelopes within the endless strip.