Envelope emptying and contents stacking machine

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR EMPTYING AND STACKING THE CONTENTS AND EMPTIED ENVELOPES OF EDGE-OPENED ENVELOPE MAIL, COMPRISING AN ENVELOPE DISTENDER HAVING LATERALLY-SPACED GENERALLYVERTICAL OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS DEFINING A GENERALLY-VERCAL PASSAGEWAY THEREBETWEEN WITH AN UPPER INLET AND A LOWER OUTLET, SAID DISTENDER HAVING LATERALLY-SPACED SUCTION APPLICATORS IN SAID OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS ADAPTED TO PULL APART THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE ENVELOPES PASSING THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY, MEANS FOR APPLYING SUCTION INTERMITTENTLY AND MOMENTARILY TO SAID APPLICATORS AND ADAPTED TO MOMENTARILY DISTEND THE OPENED ENVELOPES AND DROP THE CONTENTS THEREFROM BY GRAVITY, A STACKING CONVEYOR DISPOSED BELOW SAID OUTLET OF SAID PASSAGEWAY AND ADAPTED TO REMOVE AND STACK IN ALTERNATE SUCCESSION THE EMPTIED ENVELOPE CONTENTS AND THE ENVELOPES EMPTIED OF SUCH CONTENTS, A GATE DISPOSED ADJACENT THE OUTLET OF SAID PASSAGEWAY, AND MEANS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID GATE IN TIMED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SUCTION-APPLYING MEANS.