Machine for making addressed and filled envelopes in a single operation

Abstract

A machine for producing envelopes from individual blanks or from a paper web in a single uninterrupted passage may have the following stations which may be arranged in different sequences: 1. Pulling in individual blanks or a web. 2. When necessary, cutting the web into blanks. 3. When necessary, printing the web or the blanks. 4. When necessary, cutting a window opening. 5. When necessary, adhesively fixing a window opening. 6. Stacking. 7. Gumming the closing flaps. 8. Drying the gumming of the closing flaps. 9. Individualizing from the stock. 10. Aligning the individualized blanks. 11. Creasing the folding lines. 12. Folding the side flaps. 13. Gumming the side flaps. 14. Folding the bottom flap unto the gummed side flaps. Folding the closing flap, and 16. Delivering the finished envelopes. The machine of the present invention is particularly characterized by the provision of a further station for applying one or more inserts which is located in the machine upstream of the station for folding the side flaps.

Description

This invention relates to a rotary machine for the production of envelopes, flat bags or the like, referred to hereinafter as "envelopes," and having additional stations for optionally providing each envelope during its production with the address of the subsequent recipient and/or for one or more insertions, particularly printed matter or the like, to be folded into each envelope during its production, all these operations to be performed during a single uninterrupted passage through the machine for the production of the envelopes.

Mass consignments of addressed letters are being increasingly despatched by post, for example, publicity consignments of the large mail order houses or of the recipients of lotteries. The envelopes used to this and usually take the form of an edge perforated strip of so-called "continuous envelopes" which are provided with the different addresses in a separate addressing machine and subsequently the addressed envelopes are severed from the strip and finally the contents are inserted into the envelopes by means of a separate filling machine. The production costs of such mass consignments have hitherto been relatively high owing to the cost of the "endless envelopes" which is substantially higher than that of normal individual envelopes and because of the transportation and wages costs of the additional operations of addressing, severing and filling of the envelopes.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a machine of the described type which is capable of substantially reducing the production costs of such mass consignments.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it was found desirable to provide a machine capable of producing envelopes in a single uninterrupted passage and containing the following separate stations, either in their entirety or partially:

1. Pulling in of individual blanks or of a web.

2. Where necessary, cutting the web into blanks.

3. Where necessary, printing the web or the blanks.

4. Where necessary, cutting a window opening.

5. Where necessary, adhesively fixing a window section.

6. Stacking.

7. Gumming of the closing flaps.

8. Drying of the closing flap gumming.

9. Individualizing from the stack.

10. Alignment of the individualized blanks.

11. Creasing of the folding lines.

12. Folding of the side flaps.

13. Gumming of the side flaps.

14. Folding of the bottom flap onto the gummed side flaps.

15. Folding of the closing flap and

16. Delivery of the finished envelopes,

the machine being further provided at a suitable position between the stations 1 to 16 with an additional station for applying the different addresses onto the envelopes and having an additional station upstream of the station 12 for applying one or more insertions.

The stations 2 to 11 may be disposed in the machine in a sequence different to that described hereinabove. The station 2 is provided only in a machine adapted to produce envelopes from a web of paper or the like.

The machine according to the present invention is suitable for the efficient production of normal envelopes, for example according to DIN 16 551, optionally with or without internal or external printing and with or without a window; it is also suitable for the production of addressed envelopes containing inserts and being of the kind used for mass consignments, or of printed and filled envelopes without addresses, for example for mail shot consignments, or of addressed and unfilled envelopes, all the operations being performed in a single, uninterrupted passage through the machine.

A typewriting mechanism, controlled by a date support may be provided for applying the different addresses. It is also possible to provide a copy printing mechanism which is adapted to transfer one of a plurality of addresses, prerecorded with an inking ribbon on a web drawn off from a reel to be transferred individually by the pressing of the web onto the moving, unfilled or filled envelope. If a typewriting mechanism is disposed between the stations 15 and 16, it is possible for the address recorded on the previously filled envelope or some other data, possibly not visible from the outside, to be transferred to the contents of the envelope if either the inside of the envelope is provided at the appropriate position with a stratum of carbon or if a piece of carbon paper is adhesively fixed at this position. The station 5, in which sections of transparent window material are normally adhesively fixed over previously cut window openings, is also suitable for the adhesive fixing of such a piece of carbon paper which is appropriately cut off from a web.

The blanks of the envelope may also be addressed in accordance with the present invention in that a section of a paper web drawn from a reel and containing an address is adhesively joined over the cut-out window opening of each blank instead of a section of window material being adhesively fixed thereon, the web having been pre-printed with a plurality of addresses.

The station for applying one or more inserts is appropriately disposed between the stations 11 and 12 so that the flaps of the envelopes can be folded around the inserts immediately after the application thereof.

If the machine is used for the production of envelopes without folded inserts, the closing flaps of the blanks stocked in the station 6, will be gummed in the station 7 and the adhesive applied to the freely exposed edges of the closing flaps will be subsequently dried in the station 8. However, if one or more inserts are to be folded into the envelopes produced by the machine in the same passage of these envelopes through the machine, gumming of the closing flaps in station 7 will be appropriately omitted. In this case, an additional profiled gumming unit will also apply adhesive to the closing flap in the station 13 for gumming the side flaps which are already folded over the inserts so that the envelope can be delivered filled and closed. In envelopes which are to be despatched as printed matter one side flap remains completely without adhesive fixing or is only lightly tacked with a spot of adhesive as a so-called "dummy closure" to facilitate opening for postal inspection.

Addressing by means of the machine according to the present invention can also be performed for envelopes with a transparent window in that the first insert disposed behind the window carries the pre-printed address which is then visible through the window.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing by way of example only, preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are continuing side views of one embodiment of a machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the station for applying the inserts in accordance with FIG. 3 but shown to a larger scale.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the station constructed as copy printer for addressing finished envelopes in accordance with FIG. 2 but shown to a larger scale.

FIG. 6 is a plan view in the direction of the arrow VI of FIG. 5 showing a piece of printed address web.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a station provided with a typewriting unit for addressing the finished envelopes at the delivery end of the machine.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a station equipped with a typewriting unit for addressing the blanks in the machine prior to folding.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of an envelope blank with window and creased folding lines.

FIG. 10 is a plan view in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 4 of an envelope blank with inserts applied thereto.

FIG. 11 is a plan view in the direction of the arrow XI in FIG. 7, of finished envelopes retained between conveyor belts for addressing with the typewriting mechanism, and

FIG. 12 is a plan view in the direction of the arrow XII in FIG. 8, of envelope blanks, retained between conveyor belts for addressing with a typewriting unit.

A machine for the production of envelopes from pre-cut blanks is illustrated in FIG. 1 to 3 in purely diagrammatic form. The principal parts of this machine comprise a pull-in feeder 1 for the pre-cut blanks, three aniline printing units 3, 3', 3", a window cutting station 4, a window fixing station 5, a stacking station 6, a closing flap gumming station 7, a drying path 8, a station 9 for individualizing the stacked blanks, a station 10 for aligning the individualized blanks, a station 11 for creasing the subsequent folding lines of the side flaps, bottom flap and closing flap, a station 12 for folding the side flaps, a station 13 for gumming the side flaps, a station 14 for folding the bottom flap, a station 15 for folding the closing flap and a station 16 for delivering the finished envelopes. According to the present invention the machine is provided with an additional station 17 for the application of inserts prior to the folding of the side flaps and a station 18 for the printing of addresses on to the envelopes which are filled with inserts.

Without taking account of the additional stations 17 and 18, the method of operation of the machine is as follows:

The pull-in feeder, 1 (FIG. 1) draws the lowest blank Z individually from under the stack of blanks 19 by means of a suction rocker and segments 21 and the blanks are conveyed to the window cutting station 4 on the path indicated by the heavy broken line by the printing cylinder 22, 23 and suction cylinders 24, 25, 26, rotating in the direction of the arrow; on these cylinders they are retained in known manner by controlled suction. The interior of the blanks is printed on the printing cylinder 22 by the printing unit 23 which comprises an ink trough 27, a take-up roller 28, an intermediate roller 29 and a plate cylinder 30. The outside of the blanks is printed in two colors on the printing cylinder 23 by identical printing units 3' and 3" with plate cylinders 30' and 30". The window cutting station 4 has a cutting cylinder 31 supporting a closed cutting knife and a stationary strip 32 of hard metal to cut a window opening into each blank. Feed cylinders, not shown, convey the blanks in the direction of the arrow to a suction cylinder 33 whereon the blanks are gummed around the window opening by a gumming cylinder 34 with a gumming profile (not shown) provided with adhesive from a trough 35 through a take-up roller 36 and an intermediate roller 37. One section of the transparent window material is applied through a suction cylinder 38 of the window fixing station 5 onto the blank window opening the periphery of which is gummed; this window material is drawn off as a web, shown as a heavy broken line through a pair of feed cylinders 39, 40 from a supply reel 41, and cut off by a rotary guillotine indicated by the numeral 42, is taken over by the suction cylinder 38, accelerated and then applied to the blank which is retained on the suction cylinder 33. If two window openings are cut into each blank in the station 4, a second window section for the second window opening will be supplied from a second supply reel 41' to the suction cylinder 38. The cuts with windows are then transferred through suction disc 43, 44 into the stacking station 6 between whose rollers 45, 46, rotating at a substantially lower circumferential speed, and the subsequently disposed belts (not shown) they are stacked in such a way as to expose only the closing flap edges to be gummed in the next station 7. A gumming roller 47 applies to these edges adhesive obtained from a trough 48 through a take-up cylinder 49 and an intermediate cylinder 50 if envelopes are being produced having a closing flap which is subsequently adhesively joined by moistening.

While being retained between pairs of roller chains (not shown), the blanks subsequently run in stacked position on the path shown as a heavy line through the drying section 8 disposed below the machine and then upwardly to the station 9 for individualizing (FIG. 3), each leading blank being pulled out from the stack by segments 53 and mating rollers 54 which operate at a substantially higher speed, so that these blanks are transferred for alignment to the station 10. The station 10 is provided with a pair of roller chains 55 and pins 56, operating in the direction of the arrow, said pins gripping behind the corner cuts 194 (FIG. 9) of the individual blanks to convey the blanks in a precisely aligned position into the station 11 for creasing. The station 11 is provided with a cross-creasing cylinder 57, having two rectilinear creasing knives (not shown) and a mating cylinder and two longitudinal creasing rollers 59, having circular creasing knives (not shown) and mating rollers 60. The creased blanks are then individually and successively conveyed under the station 17, which will be described later on, and for the application of inserts into the side flap folding station 12 (FIG. 2) in which station there are folding loops 63 for upward folding of the side flaps 190 of the blanks, the folding taking place where appropriate over inserts previously applied in the station 17. In the next station 13, a profiled gum applicator, indicated by the numeral 64 and associated with a gumming mechanism of the kind already described applies adhesive onto the folded side flaps for adhesively joining them to the bottom flap 191. In the next folding station 14, the bottom flap 191, which leads in the feed direction, is gripped closely behind its leading edge by a suction cylinder 68 and entrained upwardly to an extent enabling it to be folded to the rear between downstream disposed rollers 69, 70 and to be thrust onto the gummed side flaps. In the adjoining folding station 15, the folded part of the envelope is guided upwardly by a suction cylinder 73 until it meets a stop abutment of a folding pocket indicated by the numeral 74, is then gripped by a suction cylinder 75 immediately behind the creasing line 192' of its closing flap 192 and is transferred to a downstream disposed suction cylinder 77 under a roller 76 while the closing flap is folded. The completely folded envelopes B are then individually and successively inserted by suction cylinders 78, 79 into separate slits 80 of delivery discs 81 of the delivery station 16 and are deposited in the form of an upright stack 84 in front of a loose fence 83 on a delivery table 82.

One example of an envelope blank Z with an adhesively fixed window as processed in the above-described machine is illustrated in FIG. 9. The blank has two side flaps 190, one bottom flap 191, leading in the feed direction through the machine as indicated by the arrow, and a closing flap 192, two corner cut-outs 194, which trail in the feed direction and two leading corner cut-outs 195. The indicated creasing lines 190', 191', 192' for the subsequent folding of the flaps 190, 191, 192 extend through the four corners of the corner cut-outs and enclose the middle section 193. The blank, with the side which will later be the interior of the envelope facing upwards, passes through the stations 4, 5 and 9 to 14 of the machine. The blank has a window opening 196 and a transparent window section 197, shown only partially and adhesively joined on the perimeter to the middle part 193. The adhesive applied to the closing flap is indicated by the numeral 198 and the adhesive applied to the side flaps only after folding thereof is indicated by the numeral 199.

The station 17 for applying inserts (FIGS. 3 and 4) contains two known pull-in feeders, similar to the pull-in feeder 1 of the machine, and adapted to support on plates 91, 91' stacks 92, 92' of printed matter or similar inserts 90, 90' which are aligned between stop fences 93, 93'. A roller 94 and pull-in segments 95 with suction holes (not shown) are disposed below the plate 91, the roller and segments rotating in the direction of the arrow. That part of the stack 92 which projects beyond the plate 91 is supported by stack supports 96 which pivot in rhythm of the rotating pull-in segments 95 and which are associated with suction elements 97, pivoting at the same rhythm. Identical parts of the second pull-in feeder are designated with numerals 94' to 97'. A suction cylinder 98 is disposed downstream of the pull-in segments 95. A suction cylinder 99 is disposed at a distance from the suction cylinder 98 and the pull-in segments 95', this distance being adequate to permit the passage of the inserts. The circumferential velocity of the parts 95, 95', 98 and 99, which rotate in the direction of the arrow is equal to the feed velocity of the blanks below the station 17. Two feed belts 102 are tensioned over the suction cylinder 99 and the reversing pulleys 100, 101. Two feed belts 103 are tensioned over the suction cylinder 98 and reversing pulleys 104, 105 and are also adapted to pass around a part of the suction cylinder 99 or around the conveying belts tensioned around the suction cylinder.

A plurality of feed rollers 106 is provided below the feed path for the blanks below the station 17, a broad feed belt 108 running over the feed rollers and being tensioned by a jockey roller 109. Pressure rollers 107 thrust the upper feed belts 102 against the lower feed belt 108 or against the feed rollers 106 which support this feed belt.

A gumming unit 110, provided with spot-shaped gumming profiles (not shown) and supplied with adhesive from a trough 111 through a take-up roller 112 and an intermediate roller 113, is provided for the application of adhesive spots which may be desired on that side of the lowest insert which is later disposed on the blank.

The station 17 operates as follows:

The pivoting suction units 97, 97' draw the lowest insert of the stacks 92, 92' downwardly into the zone of the pull-in segments 95, 95' which pull-out the blanks completely from under the stack by co-operation with the rollers 94, 94', retain the blanks with suction and transfer them to the downstream disposed suction cylinder 98 or 99, respectively, so that the suction cylinder 98 is provided with an insert from the stack 92 and the suction cylinder 99 is provided with an insert from the stack 92' and both inserts, being positioned superjacently, are transferred between the feed belts 102 and 103 between which they are guided past the gumming unit 110, which, where appropriate, applies spots of adhesive onto the outer insert. These inserts are applied to a blank which arrives at the same velocity on the feed rollers 106, accurately between the creasing lines 190', 191', 192' of the flaps of this blank (FIG. 10). The blank, together with the inserts disposed thereon is retained between the lower feed belt 108 and the upper feed belts 102 and is thus conveyed into the station 12 for folding the side flaps. The side flaps 190, bottom flap 191 and closing flap 192 are folded in the above-described manner and are adhesively joined in the stations 12 to 15.

The station 18 for printing the different addresses 122 onto the finished and filled envelopes B is associated with the suction cylinder 78 (FIGS. 2 and 5) and is constructed as a copy printing unit. It contains a supply reel 119 of the address web 120 (FIG. 6) with edge perforations 121 on which the different addresses 122 are printed in mirror image and at a pitch t with ink adapted to produce an image under pressure, a pair of feed rollers 124, 125, a storage box 126, preferably transparent, with a reversing roller 127 and a microswitch 128 with a lightly spring-loaded sensing element 129, a printing roller 130 with a slightly projecting printing segment 131, a periodically driven spike wheel 132 with mating wheel 133, a reversing roller 134, a self-aligning roller 136, supported on pivotable arms 135 and a take-up reel 137. All these parts of the copy printing unit move in the sense of the arrows shown in the drawings. The feed rollers 124, 125 and the take-up roller 137 are driven intermittently through magnetic clutches (not shown).

In order to obtain a low speed for the envelopes for addressing, a pair of belts 141, tensioned over reversing rollers 142, 143, 144 and adapted to retain the envelopes without any substantial space on the circumference of the cylinder 78, is associated with the suction cylinder 78, which in this case operates without suction air.

The copy printing unit operates as follows:

The feed rollers 124, 125, acting on the unprinted sides of the address web 120, convey the web 120, drawn off from the supply reel 119, into the supply box 126 where it forms loops 123 and operates the microswitch 128 through the sensing lever 129 when the supply box has reached a certain level of filling, said microswitch switching off the magnetic clutch of the feed rollers 124, 125. The printing segment 131, rotating continuously at the feed rate of the envelopes, and whose effective surface development is equal to the pitch t of the addresses 122 on the web 120, thrusts a colored image producing address during each rotation against an envelope arriving on the cylinder 78 and transfers the address to the envelope. The periodically driven pair of spiked rollers 132, adapted to engage in the edge perforations 121 of the web 120 also moves during this printing operation and draws the web 120 forward by an amount equal to the pitch t and then stops so that the next address on the web will be disposed in the correct position for printing the next envelope and so on. The web drawn forward by the pair of spiked wheels 132 is coiled by the self-aligning roller 136 onto the reel 137 which is driven by a magnetic clutch which is switched on by a microswitch (not shown) when the arms 135 are in the lowest position and is switched off in the upper position 135' of the arms.

The last end of the address web 120 pulled off from the supply reel 119 is preferably provided with one or more perforations of substantial size instead of addresses in order to stop the machine through a mechanical sensing element or a photocell as soon as the last addresses have been printed and a new address web may have to be inserted.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment with a station, designated with the numeral 118 and intended for addressing the finished filled envelopes with a typewriter mechanism which is controlled by a data support, for example a punched tape or a computer. This mechanism is disposed between the suction cylinder 79 and the delivery discs 81. The principal parts comprise a suction cylinder 151, a pair of edge-perforated feed belts 155, driven by spiked wheels 154 and tensioned over a curved plate 152 and reversing rollers 153, a pair of edge-perforated feed belts 157, also driven by the spiked wheels 154 and tensioned over reversing rollers 156 and the actual typewriting mechanism 155 which may be constructed in different commercial form, for example, with a type cylinder 159 and strikers 160 disposed opposite thereto. As shown in FIG. 11, the sides of the envelopes B are retained between the unperforated part of the feed belts 155, 157. The spacing of the spiked wheels 154 engaging in the edge perforation 167 of the feed belt pairs on the one hand and the feed belt pairs 155, 157 on the other hand is adjustable in accordance with the size of the envelopes B. The envelopes which arrive individually and successively by the suction cylinder 78, 79 are taken over by the suction cylinder 151 and are conveyed between guides (not shown) into the feed belt pairs 155, 157 the operating speed of which is so slow that the envelopes B, retained between the feed belts, follow without any space between them and their address field 168 is disposed in the correct position relatively to the typewriter mechanism 158.

The delivery end of the feed belt pairs 155, 157 is followed by feed belt pairs 161, 162 which are tensioned over reversing rollers 163 or 164 respectively and are driven at a speed so that the envelopes taken over from the feed belt pairs 155, 157 can be individually inserted into individual slots 80 of the delivery discs 81 which deposit the addressed envelopes upright as a stack 165 in front of the loose stop fence 83 on the delivery table 82. The distance between rollers 166, which press resiliently against the lower end of the feed belt pair 161, and the delivery discs 81 is adjustable in accordance with the height of the envelopes being processed.

A station constructed as a typewriter mechanism for addressing may however also be disposed at another position of the machine for the production of envelopes, for example in front of the station 6 for stacking the blanks, particularly if the machine is not provided with stations 4 and 5 for inserting windows into the blanks. In a machine having an output rate which is too high for a typewriter mechanism in terms of envelope output per minute, it is also possible in accordance with the invention for two typewriter mechanisms to be disposed so that one blank is alternately supplied to one and one blank to the other typewriter mechanism for addressing so that twice the time for each envelope is available for the individual typewriter mechanism.

A system of this kind having two addressing stations designated with 218 and 318 respectively and disposed in front of the station 6 for stacking the blanks on a machine which is not provided with stations 4 and 5 for providing windows in the blanks is shown purely diagrammatically as an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6. In this case, the suction cylinder 26 of a machine in accordance with FIG. 1 is followed by a suction cylinder 170 which is adapted to supply blanks obtained by the suction cylinder 26 alternately, one to the addressing station 218 and one to the addressing station 318. The principal parts of the addressing station 218 comprise a pair of edge-perforated feed belts 174, driven by spiked wheels 171 and tensioned by reversing rollers 172, 173, a pair of edge-perforated feed belts 178, driven by spiked wheels 175 and tensioned by reversing rollers 176, 177, the rear of the stringer bearing upon the feed belts 174 being supported by a guide plate 179 which contains an aperture for the type cylinder 180 and containing the strikers 181 disposed opposite thereto. Both pairs of edge-perforated feed belts 174, 178 are driven by spiked wheels 171, 175 at such a speed that the blanks Z supplied from the suction cylinder 170 are stacked between the conveyor belts 174 and stacking rollers 182 in such a way that at least the addressed zone 168 of the blanks Z remains free (FIG. 12).

At the delivery end of the feed belts 174, 178, the reversing rollers 173, 177 are followed by suction segments 183, having rollers which press resiliently against these suction elements and which once again individualize the addressed blanks and transfer them by a suction cylinder 185 to the suction discs 44 of the station 6 of the machine.

The construction and method of operation of the second addressing station 138 are completely identical to the addressing station 218 described hereinabove so that it is possible to dispense with a separate description thereof. The principal parts thereof are provided with the same reference numerals and prime strokes, for example pairs of edge-perforated feed belts 174' and 178', type cylinder 180' and so on. Two suction cylinders 186, 187, are disposed between the suction segments 183' of the addressing station 318 and the suction cylinder 185, to supply the blanks to the suction cylinder 185, the blanks having been previously once again individualized by the suction segments 183', so that the suction cylinder 185 alternately takes over one blank from the addressing station 218 and one blank from the addressing station 318 for transfer to the suction discs 44.

According to the present invention it is also possible for the addressing station 118 with typewriter mechanism (FIG. 7), disposed at the delivery end of the machine, to be duplicated as described for the addressing stations 218, 318.

Claims

I claim:

1. In a machine for producing envelopes from individual blanks, in combination, means supporting a stack of blanks, means folding said blanks, means removing said blanks individually from said stack and feeding them to said folding means, and a device located between said stack and said folding means for applying inserts to said blanks, said device comprising at least one support for a stack of inserts, rollers, at least one pivoting suction unit removing an insert individually from the last-mentioned stack and transmitting it to said rollers, a gumming unit, and feed belts removing an insert individually from said rollers, applying it to said gumming unit and then applying it to a separate blank moving upon the third-mentioned means toward said folding means.

2. A machine in accordance with claim 1, comprising a device for printing addresses upon blanks folded as envelopes, said device comprising a rotary cylinder moving said envelopes, a typewriting mechanism, means moving said envelopes from said rotary cylinder to said typewriting mechanism, means stacking the typewritten envelopes and means moving said envelopes from said typewriting mechanism to said stacking means.