Machine for banding envelopes

Claim 1

IN AN ENVELOPE BANDING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION WITH AN ELONGATED SUPPORT PLATE HAVING A COLLATING STATION FOR CONTROLLING ENVELOPES AS THEY EMERGE FROM AN ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINE AND A BANDING STATION FOR WRAPPING A BAND AROUND A STACK OF ENVELOPES SPACED APART THEREFROM, AND MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING A COLLATED STACK FROM THE COLLATING STATION TO THE BANDING STATION, OF (A) MEANS COR COLLATING THE ENVELOPES IN STACKS SUCH THAT THE INDIVIDUAL ENVELOPES LIE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SUPPORT PLATE, (B) OPPOSED, COOPERATING STACK HANDLING MEMBERS HAVING LATERAL AND TRAILING SIDE STACK ENGAGING PORTIONS MOVABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID TRANSFERRING MEANS FOR ALIGNING AND ENGAGING A STACK BEING TRANSFERRED FROM SAID COLLATING STATION TO SAID BANDING STATION, (C) MEANS TO ENGAGE A COLLATED STACK AT SAID COLLATING STATION WITH SAID STACK HANDLING MEMBER AFTER A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF ENVELOPES HAVE BEEN COLLATED, (D) MEANS TO RELEASE THE STACK FROM SAID STACK HANDLING MEMBERS AFTER THE STACK HAS COME TO REST AT SAID BANDING STATION.