Sheet folding and inserting apparatus

Claim 1

A COMPACT SHEET FOLDER AND ENVELOPE INSERTER COMPRISING, A FRAME, A SHEET HOPPER ON SAID FRAME FOR RECEIVING A STACK OF SHEETS TO BE FOLDED AND STUFFED INTO ENVELOPES, FOLDING MEANS ON SAID FRAME FOR AUTOMATICALLY FOLDING THE SHEETS TO A PREDETERMINED SIZE FOR INSERTION IN THE ENVELOPES, MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID SHEETS INTO SAID FOLDING MEANS FROM SAID HOPPER, FIRST TRANSFER MEANS FOR MOVING THE FOLDED SHEETS HORIZONTALLY FROM SAID FOLDING MEANS, AN ENVELOPE HOPPER FOR STORING ENVELOPES IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE WITH THE FLAP FACING UPWARDLY, SECOND TRANSFER MEANS FOR MOVING AN ENVELOPE FROM SAID HOPPER TO A STUFFING STATION, SAID SECOND TRANSFER MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO HOLD SAID SECOND TRANSFER MEANS BEING SAID FIRST TRANSFER MEANS OPERABLE TO POSITION THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FOLDED SHEET INTO THE ENVELOPE, STUFFING MEANS FOR FORCING THE FOLDED SHEET ENTIRELY INTO THE ENVELOPE, SEALING MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID SECOND TRANSFER MEANS FROM THE ENVELOPE AND FOR SEALING THE FLAP TO THE MAIN BODY OF THE ENVELOPE AND TRANSFERRING THE STUFFED ENVELOPE TO A DISCHARGE HOPPER.