Blank folding and gluing device

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR FOLDING AND GLUING ENVELOPE BLANKS COMING FROM A CONSTANT FEED SOURCE HAVING A THROAT FOR INTERFOLDING THE SIDE FLAPS OF THE ENVELOPE BLANK AND DELIVERING THE BLANKS WITH THE BOTTOM FLAP AS THE LEADING PORTION THEREOF COMPRISING A SUPPORT, SPACED GLUE APPLYING ROLLERS CARRIED BY THE SUPPORT TO RECEIVE THE BLANK, BACKING ROLLERS BENEATH THE GLUE APPLYING ROLLERS, A FIRST PAIR OF FOLDING ROLLERS COMPRISING A TOP ROLLER AND A BOTTOM ROLLER TO RECEIVE THE BLANK FROM THE GLUING ROLLERS, A SOURCE OF VACUUM CONNECTED TO THE TOP ROLLER, A PORT IN SAID TOP ROLLER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE VACUUM SOURCE TO GRASP THE BOTTOM FLAP, A SOURCE OF VACUUM CONNECTED TO THE BOTTOM ROLLER, A PORT IN SAID BOTTOM ROLLER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE VACUUM SOURCE, VALVE MEANS TO APPLY THE VACUUM IN THE BOTTOM ROLLER TO THE SAID PORT AT A PREDETERMINED PORTION OF THE BLANK AT A DISTANCE FROM THE END THEREOF AND WHILE THE BOTTOM FLAP IS STILL GRASPED BY THE TOP ROLLER PORT, A SECOND PAIR OF FOLDING ROLLERS ADJACENT THE FIRST FOLDING ROLLERS COMPRISING A SECOND TOP ROLLER AND A SECOND BOTTOM ROLLER, SAID SECOND TOP ROLLER BEING DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRST BOTTOM ROLLER SO AS TO FOLD THE BLANK BOTTOM FLAP THEREBETWEEN AS IT IS CARRIED DOWNWARDLY BY THE TRAVEL OF THE FIRST BOTTOM ROLLER, A SOURCE OF VACUUM CONNECTED TO THE SECOND TOP ROLLER, AT LEAST ONE PORT IN THE SECOND TOP ROLLER CONNECTED TO THE VACUUM SOURCE, VALVE MEANS TO APPLY THE VACUUM IN THE SECOND TOP ROLLER TO THE SAID PORT AS THE PORT REACHES THE BITE BETWEEN THE FIRST BOTTOM ROLLER AND THE SECOND TOP ROLLER TO GRASP THE FOLDED PORTION OF THE BLANK AND CARRY IT BETWEEN THE SECOND TOP ROLLER AND SECOND BOTTOM ROLLER, A SOURCE OF VACUUM CONNECTED TO THE SECOND BOTTOM ROLLER, A PORT IN SAID SECOND BOTTOM ROLLER CONNECTED TO THE VACUUM SOURCE, SAID PORT BEING DISPOSED WITHIN THE SECOND BOTTOM ROLLER TO ENGAGE THE SEALING FLAP OF THE ENVELOPE BLANK AS IT PASSES THROUGH THE BITE OF THE SECOND PAIR OF FOLDING ROLLERS, A THIRD FOLDING ROLLER ADJACENT THE SECOND BOTTOM ROLLER, A SOURCE OF VACUUM CONNECTED TO THE THIRD ROLLER, AT LEAST ONE PORT IN THE THIRD ROLLER CONNECTED TO THE VACUUM SOURCE, VALVE MEANS TO CONTINUE THE VACUUM IN THE SECOND BOTTOM ROLLER UNTIL IT REACHES THE BITE BETWEEN THE SAID SECOND BOTTOM ROLLER AND THE THIRD ROLLER, VALVE MEANS TO APPLY THE VACUUM IN THE THIRD ROLLER TO THE PORT TO GRASP THE ENVELOPE AS IT PASSES THROUGH THE BITE AND IS FOLDED THEREIN AND MEANS TO DRIVE THE GLUING AND FOLDING ROLLERS AND OPERATE THE VALVES TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS GLUING AND FOLDING OPERATION.