Patent ID: 7475522
Filing Date: 2009-01-13
Classification: B43M

Abstract:
1. An envelope filling machine for introducing sheets into envelopes comprising: a sliding surface for transferring said sheets in a forward direction to an envelope filling station; pushing means acting along said sliding surface to move said sheets; envelope supplying means for supplying each time a single envelope to said envelope filling station, each envelope having a leading edge consisting of a closed, bottom edge of said envelope, a closing flap connected to an opening of said envelope opposite to said closed, bottom edge, and two sides; the envelope filling station further including: at least two handling elements for receiving said envelopes one after another and for moving said envelopes downwards while keeping the envelopes separated from one another, said envelopes being introduced between said handling elements; a conveyor belt situated below said handling elements and extending in an exiting direction opposite to said sliding surface; stationary stop means for stopping said envelopes when said envelopes are between said handling elements and raised from said conveyor belt; movable stop means for yieldingly stopping said envelopes when said envelopes are between said handling elements and resting on said conveyor belt, and for allowing a filled envelope to move in said exiting direction under continued action of said pushing means on the sheets already inserted into the envelope, so that said filled envelope leaves the filling station; said handling means including two screws, rotatable supported on respective vertical shafts and operated to move each envelope of said envelopes from an upper position above said screws, to a lower position resting on said conveyor belt, for the introduction of the sheets into said envelope; and, said vertical shafts being set a distance from one another slightly greater than the width of said envelopes, i.e. the distance between said two sides.