Patent ID: 6164043
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: B43M

Abstract:
In a document insertion machine for inserting documents into envelopes, each envelope having a front side and a back side with a throat, wherein the front side is kept in place with a holding device, an apparatus for picking up the throat on the back side by a suction force resulting from a low air pressure which is lower than an atmospheric pressure so as to separate the throat on the back side of the envelope from the front side of the envelope, said apparatus comprising:a housing having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end to define an air chamber therein;a chamber divider, movably located within the air chamber, for dividing the air chamber into a first chamber near the first end and a second chamber near the second end; the first chamber having an inlet to allow air to come in and out of the first chamber;a suction device operatively connected to the inlet;a restraining mechanism operable at a first position for keeping the chamber divider near the first end, and at a second position for causing the chamber divider to move away from the first end, expanding the first chamber and drawing air into the first chamber via the inlet and the suction device, thereby creating the suction force for the suction device to pick up the throat.