Automatic packaging machines

Claim 2

A packaging machine comprising means for introducing material into open envelopes at a discharge station, a conveyor mounted for movement in said machine, means including spaced envelope carrying devices on said conveyor for carrying a series of normally flat open top envelopes to said discharge station, each envelope being carried in edgewise spaced succession to adjacent envelopes by one side edge by one of said envelope carrying devices on said conveyor, envelope opening means for laterally bowing the open top of each envelope whereby the opposite sides are spread apart and the opposite side edge thereof is displaced toward said first mentioned side edge, a series of holding means mounted on said conveyor between said carrying devices, each holding means being mounted in fixed relation to said conveyor and adapted with an adjacent carrying device to engage and hold said displaced opposite side edges effectively spaced apart a distance corresponding to the spacing of the side edges of the bowed envelope, and means operated in timed relation with said envelope opening means for disposing each envelope after it has been opened in operative association with one of said holding means preparatory to introduction of material into the open envelope.

Claim 3

The packaging machine defined in claim 1, wherein said carrying device comprises a spring clip into which the leading edge of an envelope is inserted for mounting it on said conveyor and each holding means is in the form of an abutment for engaging the trailing edge of that envelope.

Claim 4

A packaging machine comprising means for introducing material into open envelopes, means providing a series of normally flat open top envelopes mounted in edgewise spaced succession on a moving conveyor, envelope opening means for laterally bowing the open top of each envelope whereby the opposite sides are spread apart and the opposite edges thereof are displaced toward each other, holding means on the conveyor for engaging said displaced opposite side edges effectively spaced a fixed distance corresponding to the spacing of the side edges of the bowed envelope, said holding means comprising a carrier device in the form of spring clip into which the leading edge of an envelope is inserted for mounting it on said conveyor and a retainer device in the form of a stationary abutment for engaging the trailing edge of that envelope, and means operated in timed relation with said envelope opening means for disposing each envelope after it has been opened in operative association with said holding means preparatory to introduction of material into the open envelope comprising means reciprocable in a direction normal to movement of the conveyor for engaging and moving the trailing edge of said envelope into contact with said abutment.

Claim 5

A packaging machine comprising means for introducing material into open envelopes, means providing a series of normally flat open top envelopes mounted in edgewise spaced succession on a moving conveyor, envelope opening means for laterally bowing the open top of each envelope whereby the opposite sides are spread apart and the opposite edges thereof are displaced toward each other, holding means on the conveyor for engaging said displaced opposite side edges effectively spaced a fixed distance corresponding to the spacing of the side edges of the bowed envelope, said holding means comprising a carrier device in the form of spring clip into which the leading edge of an envelope is inserted for mounting it on said conveyor and a retainer device in the form of a stationary abutment for engaging the trailing edge of that envelope, and means operated in timed relation with said envelope opening means for disposing each envelope after it has been opened in operative association with said holding means preparatory to introduction of material into the open envelope comprising means reciprocable in a direction normal to movement of the conveyor for engaging and moving the trailing edge of said envelope into contact with said abutment.

Claim 6

A packaging machine comprising means for introducing material into open Envelopes, means providing a series of normally flat open top envelopes mounted in edgewise spaced succession on a moving conveyor, envelope opening means for laterally bowing the open top of each envelope whereby the opposite sides are spread apart and the opposite edges thereof are displaced toward each other, holding means on the conveyor for engaging said displaced opposite side edges effectively spaced a fixed distance corresponding to the spacing of the side edges of the bowed envelope comprising a carrying device on the conveyor for gripping the leading edge of the envelope and a fixedly spaced associated retainer device on the conveyor for engaging the trailing edge of the opened envelope and means operated in timed relation with said envelope opening means for disposing each envelope after it has been opened in operative association with said holding means preparatory to introduction of material into the open envelope including means for automatically displacing the trailing edge of the envelope into holding engagement with said associated retainer device after the leading edge of the envelope has been gripped by said carrier device and said envelope has been moved by operation of the conveyor into an expansion station containing said envelope opening means.

Claim 7

A packaging machine comprising means for introducing material into open Envelopes, means providing a series of normally flat open top envelopes mounted in edgewise spaced succession on a moving conveyor, envelope opening means for laterally bowing the open top of each envelope whereby the opposite sides are spread apart and the opposite edges thereof are displaced toward each other, holding means on the conveyor for engaging said displaced opposite side edges effectively spaced a fixed distance corresponding to the spacing of the side edges of the bowed envelope comprising a carrying device on the conveyor for gripping the leading edge of the envelope and a fixedly spaced associated retainer device on the conveyor for engaging the trailing edge of the opened envelope and means operated in timed relation with said envelope opening means for disposing each envelope after it has been opened in operative association with said holding means preparatory to introduction of material into the open envelope including means for automatically displacing the trailing edge of the envelope into holding engagement with said associated retainer device after the leading edge of the envelope has been gripped by said carrier device and said envelope has been moved by operation of the conveyor into an expansion station containing said envelope opening means.

Claim 8

The packaging machine defined in claim 4, wherein means is provided for automatically displacing the trailing edge of the envelope from holding engagement with said retainer device after the material has been introduced into said envelope.

Claim 9

The packaging machine defined in claim 4, wherein said carrying device is a resilient clip on said conveyor and said retainer device provides a socket open toward said clip.

Claim 10

The packaging machine defined in claim 4, wherein said conveyor comprises as periodically actuated endless conveyor having at one end an arcuate section followed by a straight section and wherein during each dwell period of the conveyor a carrying device on the straight section is disposed to receive the leading edge of an envelope, and the associated retainer device is on said arcuate section out of the path of said envelope, said retainer device moving into said straight section in alignment with the associated gripping device when the conveyor is next actuated.

Claim 11

A packaging machine comprising means for discharging material into open envelopes, means providing a series of normally flat open top envelopes mounted in edgewise spaced succession on a moving conveyor, envelope opening means for laterally bowing each envelope whereby the opposite sides are spread apart and the opposite side edges thereof are displaced toward each other, holding means on the conveyor for engaging said displaced opposite side edges, and means reciprocable in a direction normal to movement of the conveyor for engaging and moving the opened envelope into the holding means.

Claim 12

A packaging machine comprising means for discharging material into open envelopes, means providing a series of normally flat open top envelopes mounted in edgewise spaced succession on a moving conveyor, envelope opening means for laterally bowing each envelope whereby the opposite sides are spread apart and the opposite side edges thereof are displaced toward each other, holding means on the conveyor for engaging said displaced opposite side edges, and means reciprocable in a direction normal to movement of the conveyor for engaging and moving the opened envelope into the holding means.

Claim 13

The packaging machine defined in claim 8, wherein said holding means comprises a carrying device on the conveyor for gripping the leading edge of the envelope and a fixedly spaced retainer device on the conveyor for engaging the trailing edge of the opened envelope.

Claim 14

The packaging machine defined in claim 1, wherein each said carrying device is longitudinally fixed on said conveyor.

Claim 15

The packaging machine defined in claim 10, wherein each carrying device is a flexible clip that is open rearwardly with respect to the direction of conveyor movement to accept insertion of the leading edge of an envelope, and each said holding means coacting with an adjacent clip to carry an envelope therebetween is a longitudinally fixed socket open toward said adjacent clip.