Patent ID: 6289657
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: B43M

Abstract:
A mail inserter machine having a chassis, a cam shaft assembly, and a main drive system, said main drive system comprising:a drive motor having a motor pulley;a gear reducer unit having a receiving drive pulley and an output drive for directly driving an indexing unit driving an indexing timing pulley and a belt pulley, said receiving drive pulley timing pulley and belt pulley being in rotational connection and each rotating in planes parallel to said motor pulley; andsaid gear reducer unit having a drive shaft for driving a cam shaft drive pulley and a timing belt for driving a cam shaft of said cam shaft assembly, the cam shaft mounted to a cam shaft pulley, the cam shaft and output shaft being parallel to each other and parallel to said planes of said parallel planar pulleys;whereby a substantially direct drive between said gear reducer unit and said indexing unit provides minimal loss of mechanical motion through the performance of timing and drive functions by a single direct drive in which the motor, receiving drive, indexing timing and belt pulleys are in parallel planes and the said cam shaft and output shaft of the gear reducer unit are parallel to themselves and to said pulley parallel planes, whereby the forces generated by the pulleys thereby are vectored in parallel directions, being parallel to said cam shaft and output shaft, and the drive system being located low in the inserter chassis enabling larger size, greater precision, higher durability, and greater dynamic stability on the inserter.