US4934892A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Envelope processing apparatus
Assignee: Opex Corp
•
Filing: 1986-01-31
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Granted: 1990-06-19
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Expires: 2006-01-31
Abstract
Abstract An extraction apparatus which is particularly suited to the processing and extraction of contents from cumbersome envelopes and mail pouches incorporates a planar transport path which is sufficiently wide and appropriately oriented to receive relatively large or otherwise awkward envelopes, irrespective of their characteristics and the weight of their contents, for unimpeded transport through the apparatus without subjecting the envelopes to bending or other such distortions. A simplified transport path is provided to assure that the envelopes are appropriately conveyed, severed and presented for extraction without requiring any difficult or complicated processing operations which are inappropriate to the handling of such envelopes, and special attention is given to the station at which the envelopes are severed, to avoid damaging the contents of the envelope; to the station at which the extraction of contents takes place, to make sure that all contents of the envelope are extracted prior to discharge of the emptied envelope; and to the staion at which the envelopes are candled, to make sure that the envelopes have been emptied of all of their contents.
Inventors
- 👤 James G. Smith
- 👤 Paul E. Haley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 06:35
CPC Classifications
B; B43; B43M; B43M7/00; B43M7/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S83/00; Y10S83/912
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 39
Claim 1
Independent Claim
454 words
An apparatus for the automated processing of cumbersome envelopes having a size and shape which promotes deformation of the envelope faces or having a height in excess of that of a No. 10 envelope, said apparatus comprising: first conveyor means for receiving a plurality of said cumbersome envelopes so that an edge of each envelope rests on said first conveyor means, and so that said envelopes are received upon said first conveyor means for controlled support thereon as said envelopes are conveyed through said apparatus, irrespective of the characteristics of said envelopes; means for engaging a first of said plurality of envelopes, and for transferring said envelope to a planar staging area; second conveyor means in communication with said staging area, for receiving said envelope from said staging area with a face of said envelope resting on said second conveyor means so that said envelope is retained in controlled support thereon as said envelope is conveyed through said apparatus, irrespective of the characteristics of said envelope, wherein said staging area includes means for aligning said envelope for presentation to said second conveyor means; cutting means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said staging area, for severing an edge of said envelope as said envelope is conveyed past said cutting means by said second conveyor means; envelope handling means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said cutting means, for presenting said envelope to an operator for the extraction of contents from said envelope, and including a first arm for engaging the bottom of said envelope and for raising said envelope from said second conveyor means to an angle greater than that of said second conveyor means, and a second arm for engaging the top of said envelope and for spreading said top from the bottom of said envelope to expose the interior of said envelope; wherein said staging area is a planar surface which progresses upwardly at a slight angle toward a work surface adjacent to and in general alignment with said envelope handling means, said work surface including sensor means for detecting the presence of contents extracted from said envelope and retained over said work surface; wherein said second conveyor means is disposed over a planar surface which is substantially parallel to the planar surface of said staging area; and wherein the spread envelope is first released from said first arm, and is thereafter released from said second arm, to glide downwardly to the planar surface of said second conveyor means for removal from said envelope handling means; and candling means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said envelope handling means, for checking each envelope to verify that all of said contents have been extracted.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
454 words
An apparatus for the automated processing of cumbersome envelopes having a size and shape which promotes deformation of the envelope faces or having a height in excess of that of a No. 10 envelope, said apparatus comprising: first conveyor means for receiving a plurality of said cumbersome envelopes so that an edge of each envelope rests on said first conveyor means, and so that said envelopes are received upon said first conveyor means for controlled support thereon as said envelopes are conveyed through said apparatus, irrespective of the characteristics of said envelopes; means for engaging a first of said plurality of envelopes, and for transferring said envelope to a planar staging area; second conveyor means in communication with said staging area, for receiving said envelope from said staging area with a face of said envelope resting on said second conveyor means so that said envelope is retained in controlled support thereon as said envelope is conveyed through said apparatus, irrespective of the characteristics of said envelope, wherein said staging area includes means for aligning said envelope for presentation to said second conveyor means; cutting means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said staging area, for severing an edge of said envelope as said envelope is conveyed past said cutting means by said second conveyor means; envelope handling means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said cutting means, for presenting said envelope to an operator for the extraction of contents from said envelope, and including a first arm for engaging the bottom of said envelope and for raising said envelope from said second conveyor means to an angle greater than that of said second conveyor means, and a second arm for engaging the top of said envelope and for spreading said top from the bottom of said envelope to expose the interior of said envelope; wherein said staging area is a planar surface which progresses upwardly at a slight angle toward a work surface adjacent to and in general alignment with said envelope handling means, said work surface including sensor means for detecting the presence of contents extracted from said envelope and retained over said work surface; wherein said second conveyor means is disposed over a planar surface which is substantially parallel to the planar surface of said staging area; and wherein the spread envelope is first released from said first arm, and is thereafter released from said second arm, to glide downwardly to the planar surface of said second conveyor means for removal from said envelope handling means; and candling means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said envelope handling means, for checking each envelope to verify that all of said contents have been extracted.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first conveyor means comprises a plurality of chain conveyors spaced across a planar surface, and adapted to receive a shingled series of said envelopes on their edges.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said planar surface is substantially horizontal, and said envelopes are maintained at an angle to said planar surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said envelopes are maintained at said angle by a pusher plate disposed on said chain conveyors and maintained at said angle by a guide slidingly associated with said planar surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said engaging means is a vacuum operated pick-up arm adapted to rotate between a first position in which said pick-up arm engages said first envelope and a second position in which said envelope is brought to rest upon said staging area.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 5 which further comprises means for intermittently interrupting movement of said pick-up arm between said first and said second position, thereby imparting a jogging motion to said pick-up arm during at least portions of said movement.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said jogging motion occurs during initial portions of said movement, adjacent to said first position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein an edge guide is operatively associated with an edge of said staging area opposite to said first conveyor means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said staging area further comprises third conveyor means operatively associated with the planar surface of said staging area.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said third conveyor means is generally perpendicular to said edge guide, and wherein angled friction rollers are operatively associated with said third conveyor means to urge envelopes generally toward said second conveyor means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said third conveyor means is disposed at an angle to said edge guide, in the general direction of said second conveyor means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said third conveyor means ends at the beginning of the second conveyor means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said cutting means is in general alignment with said edge guide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said third conveyor means transfers said envelope to said second conveyor means before said envelope is introduced into said cutting means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said second and third conveyor means are substantially co-planar.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein a sensor is operatively associated with the planar surface of said staging area to detect that the envelope has been transferred to said staging area.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 16 wherein a sensor is operatively associated with the planar surface of said staging area to detect that the envelope has been brought to said edge guide, and wherein said third conveyor means is operated responsive to signals received from said sensors.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein a sensor is operatively associated with the planar surface of said staging area to detect that the envelope has been brought to said edge guide.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein an idler roller is operatively associated with said edge guide, and wherein said idler roller cooperates with said third conveyor means to prevent contents of said envelope from being jogged toward the edge of said envelope which is to be severed by said cutting means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first arm and said second arm simultaneously converge upon one another to engage the top and bottom of said envelope.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first arm initially raises said envelope from the planar surface of said conveyor means, and said second arm thereafter converges upon said first arm to engage said envelope.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a pair of first arms are provided to engage the bottom of said envelope.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said envelope handling means further comprises a sensor for monitoring the capacity of the envelope when positioned at said envelope handling means, and wherein said sensor is operatively associated with said first arm so that said sensor is moved in accordance with the raising and lowering of said first arm.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gliding causes said envelope to come into registration with a fixed reference member, for aligned presentation to said candling means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensor means is operatively associated with said apparatus to cause an emptied envelope to be removed from said envelope handling means, and to cause an envelope to be emptied to be placed at said envelope handling means, responsive to a change in state of said sensor means.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said sensor means is adapted to detect a first state in which contents are present over the sensor means and a second state in which contents are not present over the sensor means, and wherein said change in state is a transition from said first state to said second state.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein delay means operatively connect said sensor means and said apparatus, so that only changes in state which are present for a period of time in excess of said delay will operate said apparatus.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said envelope handling means includes means for detecting the removal of contents from said envelope.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
68 words
The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the detecting means of said envelope handling means is operatively associated with the sensor means of said work surface so that said envelope removal and replacement will occur only in response to a change in state of the sensor means of said work surface which follows the detection of said removal of contents by the detecting means of said envelope handling means.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
424 words
An apparatus for the automated processing of cumbersome envelopes having a size and shape which promotes deformation of the envelope faces or having a height in excess of that of a No. 10 envelope, said apparatus comprising: first conveyor means for receiving a plurality of said cumbersome envelopes so that an edge of each envelope rests on said first conveyor means, and so that said envelopes are received upon said first conveyor means for controlled support thereon as said envelopes are conveyed through said apparatus, irrespective of the characteristics of said envelopes; means for engaging a first of said plurality of envelopes, and for transferring said envelope to a planar staging area; second conveyor means in communication with said staging area, for receiving said envelope from said staging area with a face of said envelope resting on said second conveyor means so that said envelope is retained in controlled support thereon as said envelope is conveyed through said apparatus, irrespective of the characteristics of said envelope, wherein said staging area includes means for aligning said envelope for presentation to said second conveyor means; cutting means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said staging area, for severing an edge of said envelope as said envelope is conveyed past said cutting means by said second conveyor means; envelope handling means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said cutting means, for presenting said envelope to an operator for the extraction of contents from said envelope; a work surface adjacent to and in general alignment with said envelope handling means, said work surface including sensor means for detecting the presence of contents extracted from said envelope and retained over said work surface; and candling means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said envelope handling means, for checking each envelope to verify that all of said contents have been extracted, and including a plurality of discrete sensors for checking said envelope at various positions along its width by measuring the oapacity of said envelope at various positions along its length; means for receiving and accumulating the sum of said oapacity measurements taken as said envelope proceeds through said candling means; means for receiving and detecting measured capacities which exceed a selected threshold; means operatively associated with said detecting means for counting successive measurements which exceed said selected threshold; and means operatively associated with said accumulating means and said counting means, for signaling that contents remain in said envelope if either said accumulated sum or said count exceeds a specified value.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
424 words
An apparatus for the automated processing of cumbersome envelopes having a size and shape which promotes deformation of the envelope faces or having a height in excess of that of a No. 10 envelope, said apparatus comprising: first conveyor means for receiving a plurality of said cumbersome envelopes so that an edge of each envelope rests on said first conveyor means, and so that said envelopes are received upon said first conveyor means for controlled support thereon as said envelopes are conveyed through said apparatus, irrespective of the characteristics of said envelopes; means for engaging a first of said plurality of envelopes, and for transferring said envelope to a planar staging area; second conveyor means in communication with said staging area, for receiving said envelope from said staging area with a face of said envelope resting on said second conveyor means so that said envelope is retained in controlled support thereon as said envelope is conveyed through said apparatus, irrespective of the characteristics of said envelope, wherein said staging area includes means for aligning said envelope for presentation to said second conveyor means; cutting means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said staging area, for severing an edge of said envelope as said envelope is conveyed past said cutting means by said second conveyor means; envelope handling means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said cutting means, for presenting said envelope to an operator for the extraction of contents from said envelope; a work surface adjacent to and in general alignment with said envelope handling means, said work surface including sensor means for detecting the presence of contents extracted from said envelope and retained over said work surface; and candling means operatively associated with said second conveyor means downstream of said envelope handling means, for checking each envelope to verify that all of said contents have been extracted, and including a plurality of discrete sensors for checking said envelope at various positions along its width by measuring the oapacity of said envelope at various positions along its length; means for receiving and accumulating the sum of said oapacity measurements taken as said envelope proceeds through said candling means; means for receiving and detecting measured capacities which exceed a selected threshold; means operatively associated with said detecting means for counting successive measurements which exceed said selected threshold; and means operatively associated with said accumulating means and said counting means, for signaling that contents remain in said envelope if either said accumulated sum or said count exceeds a specified value.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said sensors are positioned at spaced intervals along a line substantially transverse to the direction of movement of said envelope.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said sensors are polled sequentially and at regular intervals.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said sensors are adapted for selective activation and deactivation.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said accumulated sum is an averaged sum.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said opacity measurements are multiplied by a weighting factor when said count exceeds a selected number.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said contents are capable of being folded into multiple layers, and wherein said accumulated sum is weighted according to the number of said layers.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said candling means operatively associated with said apparatus to inhibit further operation of said apparatus if said sensors detect contents remaining in said envelope.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-06-18 | 1993-12-18 | 1994-06-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-06-18 | 1997-12-18 | 1998-06-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-06-18 | 2001-12-18 | 2002-06-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |