Apparatus and method for opening and emptying envelopes of various thicknesses

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 further including as part of said exit station a document chute having a document stacker integral therewith for accumulating said documents while said drum is in said empty position.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 2 further including a document sensor integral with said document chute for sensing whether or not said documents have entered said document chute within a certain time interval.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 1 further including as part of said exit station a reject receptacle for receiving by means of a reject kicker envelopes still containing documents, or a high probability thereof, as determined by said document sensor, said reject kicker being operable while said drum is in a reject position.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 1 further including as part of said exit station a scrap receptacle for receiving by means of an eject kicker envelopes that have been emptied as determined by said document sensor, said eject kicker being operable while said drum is in an eject position.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 1 further including an oscillating shaft having a helical cam rigidly attached thereto, said helical cam being operable by means of a helical guide rigidly attached to said transport means and followers causing said oscillating shaft to rotate counterclockwise as said transport means move in a forward direction and causing said oscillating shaft to rotate clockwise as said transport means move in a reverse direction.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 6 in which said oscillating shaft is rigidly attached to said concave flexible vacuum head and rotatably mounted in said rotatable drum by bearing means, while in an extended position, said concave flexible vacuum head being rotatable in synchronism with said oscillating shaft with said drum remaining stationary.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 7 in which said rotatable drum, oscillating shaft and concave flexible vacuum head rotate together when said concave flexible vacuum head is in a retracted position.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said transporting means comprises: a main frame support having feed guides integral therewith; a reciprocating feed trolley attached to said main frame support; a plurality of anti-back pawls pivotally attached to said feed guides, said anti-back pawls allowing forward motion of said envelopes on a forward stroke of said reciprocating feed trolley and preventing reverse motion of said envelopes on a reverse stroke of said reciprocating feed trolley; and a plurality of feed dogs pivotally attached to said reciprocating feed trolley, said feed dogs on a forward stroke of said reciprocating feed trolley pushing against the back edge of said envelopes thereby moving said envelopes forward with said reciprocating feed trolley, and on reverse stroke of said reciprocating feed trolley, said feed dogs pivoting to a horizontal position passing under an envelope following in sequence.

Claim 11

Apparatus for automatically opening envelopes of various thicknesses wherein a completely emptied envelope and the documents thereof are sorted from an envelope with a high probability of not being completely emptied comprising: a hopper for retaining a plurality of envelopes containing documents to be extracted; a hopper vacuum head which engages a bottom envelope pulling the leading edge of said envelope below a hopper exit gate, said exit gate being integral with the front of said hopper and cooperating with said vacuum head so that only a single envelope is extracted from said hopper; a reciprocating feed trolley being attached to said hopper vacuum head so that a forward reciprocating motion of said reciprocating feed trolley advances said envelope in a forward direction; a shearing means positioned in the path of said advancing envelope so that when said envelope is stationary at said shearing means, said shearing means being activated to shear the ends of said envelope; a rotatable drum having a plurality of vee pocket arms integral therewith with vee pockets thereon for receiving said envelopes while said rotatable drum is in a load position, said reciprocating feed trolley advancing said envelope to said load position of said rotatable drum; a concave flexible vacuum head being in an extended position over said load position of said rotatable drum, said concave flexible vacuum head when in a retracting position, forcing said envelope into said rotatable drum vee pockets and triggering a reverse trolley stroke which rotates said envelope, said rotatable drum and said concave flexible vacuum head to an empty position whereupon said concave flexible vacuum head extends from said rotatable drum thereby buckling said envelope open allowing documents contained therein to fall by gravity into a document chute; a document sensor integral with said document chute for sensing whether or not said documents have entered said document chute within a certain time interval; a reject receptacle for receiving by means of a reject kicker envelopes still containing documents, or a high probability thereof, as determined by said document sensor, said reject kicker being operable while said drum is in a reject position; and a scrap receptacle for receiving by means of an eject kicker envelopes that have been emptied as determined by said document sensor, said eject kicker being operable while said drum is in an eject position.

Claim 12

Apparatus for automatically opening envelopes of various thicknesses wherein a completely emptied envelope and the documents thereof are sorted from an envelope with a high probability of not being completely emptied comprising: a hopper for retaining a plurality of envelopes containing documents to be extracted; a hopper vacuum head which engages a bottom envelope pulling the leading edge of said envelope below a hopper exit gate, said exit gate being integral with the front of said hopper and cooperating with said vacuum head so that only a single envelope is extracted from said hopper; a reciprocating feed trolley being attached to said hopper vacuum head so that a forward reciprocating motion of said reciprocating feed trolley advances said envelope in a forward direction; a shearing means positioned in the path of said advancing envelope so that when said envelope is stationary at said shearing means, said shearing means being activated to shear the ends of said envelope; a rotatable drum having a plurality of vee pocket arms integral therewith with vee pockets thereon for receiving said envelopes while said rotatable drum is in a load position, said reciprocating feed trolley advancing said envelope to said load position of said rotatable drum; a concave flexible vacuum head being in an extended position over said load position of said rotatable drum, said concave flexible vacuum head when in a retracting position, forcing said envelope into said rotatable drum vee pockets and triggering a reverse trolley stroke which rotates said envelope, said rotatable drum and said concave flexible vacuum head to an empty position whereupon said concave flexible vacuum head extends from said rotatable drum thereby buckling said envelope open allowing documents contained therein to fall by gravity into a document chute; a document sensor integral with said document chute for sensing whether or not said documents have entered said document chute within a certain time interval; a reject receptacle for receiving by means of a reject kicker envelopes still containing documents, or a high probability thereof, as determined by said document sensor, said reject kicker being operable while said drum is in a reject position; and a scrap receptacle for receiving by means of an eject kicker envelopes that have been emptied as determined by said document sensor, said eject kicker being operable while said drum is in an eject position.