Method and apparatus for processing envelopes containing contents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12565392-B2
Application number	US-202418792666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2024
Priority date	May 7, 2010
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing mail is provided. A feeder serially feeds envelope from a stack of mail. Two cutters at a cutting station cuts one or two edges of the envelopes. As the envelopes travel from the feeder to the cutters the envelope is jogged on two edges to justify the contents with the envelopes. Additionally, an improved feeder is provided to reduce the number of jams created when feeding the envelopes from the stack.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for feeding envelopes containing contents, comprising the steps of:
stacking a plurality of envelopes containing contents in an input bin to form a stack of envelopes in which the envelopes are in a generally vertical orientation; displacing the stack toward a feeder; sensing a pressure of the stack against the feeder; driving the feeder to attempt to feed an envelope from the stack; detecting whether the feeder fed the envelope from the stack; iteratively driving the stack toward and away from the feeder in response to detecting that the feeder did not feed the envelope from the stack.

2 . The method of claim 1 comprising the step of driving the feeder to attempt to feed the envelope during the step of iteratively driving the stack.

3 . The method of claim 1 comprising the step of detecting an angular orientation of the front of the stack adjacent the feeder.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the step of iteratively driving the stack toward the feeder is in response to the detected angular orientation of the front of the stack.

Assignees

• Opex Corp

Inventors

• Allen John
• Dewitt Robert
• Valinsky Joseph

Classifications

• B65H5/00

  Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines ({B65H9/00 takes precedence; } identical mechanisms or parts for delivering or advancing articles from machines B65H29/00; recirculating articles B65H85/00 {, G03B27/6257}) · CPC title

• B65H7/06

  responsive to presence of faulty articles or incorrect separation or feed (B65H7/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H2515/34

  Pressure, e.g. fluid pressure · CPC title

• B43M7/02 Primary

  Devices for both opening envelopes and removing contents · CPC title

• B43M7/005 Primary

  with at least two cutting discs · CPC title