Patent GB-240403-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in envelope machines
IPC: B31B23/00
Filed: 1924-11-27
Abstract: 240,403. Smithe Machine Co., Inc., F.L., (Assignees of Novick, A.). Sept. 27, 1924, [Conventiondate]. Envelopes, making.-In a machine for making envelopes from a continuous web, the web is fed from a roll 27, Fig. 1. by feeding-rollers 33, 34, and passes under a roller 35 and over guide rollers 36, 38 to a printing machine 41 and a cutting device 46. A side flap is gummed by the roller 51 and a folder 52 turns one side flap on to the other. The remaining operations are completed while the web passes around a cylinder 53, and the completed envelopes are discharged on to a drying-belt 55 where the gum on the sealing flap is dried. Provision is made in the cylinder 53 for making envelopes of different lengths. Folding and severing envelopes. The cylinder 53, Fig. 12, comprises a pair of sectors 95 fixed to a shaft 66 and a pair of sectors 96 movable on the shaft relatively to .the sectors 95. Each sector 95 carries a grooved block 124 with which a blade 114 engages to crease the top flap 49 of the envelope, and also a knife 127 which is engaged by a knife 125 to sever the envelopes from the web. Each sector 96 carries a gripper 99 which seizes the bottom of the next envelope which has been forced into a slot 97 by a blade 98. A series of fingers 151 ineach sector 96 removes the partly completed envelope from the face of the cylinder. The members 99, 127, 151 are actuated by the operation of fixed cams secured to the machine frame, and the interengagingmembers 98, 114, 125 are mounted on a shaft 101 driven from the cylinder shaft 66. Gum is applied to the bottom flap by means of a gummer bar 85, resiliently mounted between feed rollers 78, and the bottom flap 50 is folded down by engagement with rods 112 carried by a bar 112<a>, being pressed against the body of the envelope by a bar 144 carried by delivery rolls 143. Adjustment for length. Each sector 96 is connected to an arm 177, Fig. 11, which is provided with a link connection 178 adjustably pivoted at its other end to an oocillatable arc 170. The arcs 170 are pivoted at 169 to the spokes of a flywheel 166 and carry rollers 171 engaging a groove 172 in a fixed cam 173, so that a periodical oscillation is given to the arms 177. The amount of oscillation may be varied by altering the point of connection 187 of the link 178 with the arm 170, so that the sectors 96 lag behind the sectors 95 to a different extent. Consequently, more or less paper is drawn from the web at each half-revolution of the cylinder 53, according to the lag of the sectors 96, and envelopes of different sizes may be produced. A graduated scale may be provided on the arcs 170 to assist in the setting of the link connections 187. The sectors 96 are adjustably secured to the arms 177 by nuts 176, and the cam 173 may also be adjusted by nuts 174. Feeding webs. The feed roller 33 is driven by a clutch which is thrown in and out of gear by the movement of a frame 243, Fig. 6, which carries the guide-roller 35 to compensate for the varying amount of paper taken by the cylinder 53. As the paper feed slows down, the roller 35 is raised by the tension of the paper, and the clutch is thrown in to feed more paper, and vice versa. The upper feed roller 34 is mounted in pivoted brackets 260, which may be raised and lowered by the hand-lever 268. A counterbalanced roller 251 presses on the roll 27 to prevent too rapid upwinding. Cutting and printing. One of the cutting rolls is secured by a nut and slot connection to its driving member so that it may be adjusted relatively to the other cutter. Additional feed rolls 191, Fig. 1, are provided for the cutting device, and a device 192 removes scrap paper adhering to the web. Two sets of printing rollers may be used, and the second set may be adjusted in a manner similar to the cutting rolls 46. The printing and cutting means are driven from a splined shaft gearing to the cylinder shaft 66 so that the parts work in synchronism. Both the cutting device 46 and the printing machine 41 are adjustably mounted on the machine frame 25 in order that they may register correctly when envelopes of varying sizes are to be produced, and graduated scales may be provided to assist in the setting.