Patent ID: 6241460
Filing Date: 2001-06-05
Classification: B07C,B65H

Abstract:
An apparatus for separating envelopes into bundles, comprising:a stationary envelope bundling table;envelope delivery means for delivering envelopes in a vertical configuration to said stationary envelope bundling table;said stationary envelope bundling table and said envelope delivery means being disposed in a common horizontal plane;said stationary envelope bundling table and said envelope delivery means being disposed at a substantially right angle to one another;a first, stationary vertical wall forming a part of said stationary envelope bundling table;a second, movable vertical wall forming a part of said stationary envelope bundling table;said second, movable vertical wall having a deployed position where it is disposed in substantially parallel relation to said first vertical wall and is transversely spaced apart therefrom by a predetermined distance;said second, movable vertical wall having a retracted position where it is longitudinally offset from said first vertical wall;said second, movable vertical wall remaining in said substantially parallel relation to said first vertical wall when said second, movable vertical wall is in said retracted position;means for alternating said second, movable vertical wall between said deployed position and said retracted position;said envelope delivery means delivering envelopes to said stationary bundling table such that each envelope is disposed in a vertical configuration at a right angle to said first, stationary vertical wall when said second, movable wall is retracted and such that each envelope is disposed in a vertical configuration at a right angle to said second, movable wall when said second, movable wall is deployed;said envelopes being delivered to said stationary envelope bundling table by said envelope delivery means and said envelopes remaining in their respective vertical positions and abutting said first vertical wall when said second vertical wall is retracted and said envelopes remaining in their respective vertical positions and abutting said second vertical wall when said second vertical wall is deployed; andsuccessive bundles of vertically configured envelopes being transversely offset from one another in an unambiguous manner so that said bundles may be manually separated from one another for banding.