Abstract:
A device for enveloping inserts in an envelope has at least one feeder for supplying first and second articles. A transporting device for the first and second articles received from the at least one feeder is arranged downstream of the at least one feeder. A first adhesive station with at least one applicator unit is configured to apply an adhesive onto the first article provided for forming an envelope, wherein the envelope is produced from the first article without waste. The at least one applicator unit is stationary during application of the adhesive onto the first article.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention relates to a device for enveloping inserts in an envelope, the device comprising at least one feeder, at least one transport unit for the articles to be transported, and at least one adhesive station having at least one applicator unit with which the adhesive is applied onto the article provided for manufacturing the envelope, wherein the envelope is produced from the article without any waste.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Enveloping devices are known in which a paper sheet is folded to an envelope when passing through the device. The folded-over flaps of the paper sheet are provided with an adhesive. The adhesive station employed for this purpose has applicator units which apply the adhesive onto the paper sheet slantedly to the transport direction. The control required for moving the applicator unit as a function of the transport speed of the paper sheet is complex.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is an object of the present invention to configure the enveloping device of the aforementioned kind such that a problem-free enveloping of the inserts is possible with a simple configuration.  
           [0006]    In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved in that the applicator unit is arranged stationarily during the application of the adhesive.  
           [0007]    According to the present invention, the applicator unit is stationary during application of the adhesive onto the article. The article to be provided with the adhesive moves past the applicator unit. When doing so, the adhesive is applied by the applicator unit onto the article along a line which extends in the transport direction of the article through the device. As a result of the configuration according to the invention, a complex control of the applicator unit as a function of the transport speed of the article is not required.  
           [0008]    In another embodiment, at least one vacuum drum is provided in the transport path of the article to be transported and transports the article in a direction toward a stop. In this configuration, by means of the vacuum drum the article is transported against a stop and is aligned at the stop. The vacuum drum is advantageously continuously rotated so that a rebound action of the article on the stop is prevented.  
           [0009]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the device has at least one deflection unit for changing the transport direction of the article. In this configuration, the deflection unit for the article has a roller pair whose rollers are driven in opposite directions relative to one another. The article, which is supplied in one direction, is received between the rollers of the roller pair and is transported farther by them in another direction.  
           [0010]    In yet another embodiment of the invention, the device has at least one folding unit with at least one folding element which is adjustable in a direction transverse to the transport direction of the article. By means of this configuration, a portion of the article is folded by adjusting the folding element in order to produce, for example, an envelope from a paper sheet. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    In the drawing:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a plan view onto an enveloping device according to the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 shows a schematic and enlarged view in the direction of arrow II of FIG. 1.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a plan view onto a deflection unit of the device according to the invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a plan view onto an accumulator of the device according to the invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a view in the direction of arrow V in FIG. 4.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a view in the direction of arrow VI in FIG. 4.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a folding unit of the device according to the invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 is a plan view onto a paper sheet with an adhesive pattern applied by the device according to the invention in connection with using a hot-setting adhesive.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 is an illustration corresponding to FIG. 8 showing the adhesive pattern when employing a cold-setting adhesive.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 10 is a plan view onto an insert folding device of the device according to the invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 11 is a side view of the insert folding device according to FIG. 10.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 12 is a front view of the insert folding device according to FIG. 10. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0024]    The device is provided for the purpose of enveloping sheets of paper, cardboard, plastic and the like in an envelope which is produced in the device from a sheet of paper, carton, plastic or the like. The illustrated embodiment will be explained in connection with paper sheets  1 .  
         [0025]    The device is supplied, for example, with printed paper sheets  1  which may be supplied individually or as an endless web uncoiled from a roll. In the illustrated embodiment according to FIG. 1, the paper sheets are supplied first as an endless web uncoiled from the roll and are cut, as is known in the art, in the longitudinal and transverse direction of the roll. The resulting paper sheets  1 ′,  1 ″ are used as inserts (paper sheets  1 ″) as well as for producing an envelope (paper sheets  1 ′) for these inserts. The paper sheets  1 ′/ 1 ″ are transported first in their longitudinal direction to a deflection unit  3 . The transport direction of the paper sheets is changed at this deflection unit  3 . As illustrated in FIG. 1, the paper sheets are deflected by 90° relative to the supply direction by the deflection unit  3  and then transported farther.  
         [0026]    The paper sheets  1 ′,  1 ″ are transported perpendicularly to their longitudinal direction into a feeder  4  and stacked in the illustrated embodiment. The configuration and function of the feeder  4  is known in the art and is therefore not described in detail in this context. The individual paper sheets  1 ′/ 1 ″ are stacked in the stack  2  in an imbricated arrangement and, after individualization on a stop  11 , are supplied perpendicularly to their longitudinal direction to an accumulator  5 . The accumulator  5  has a stop  6  on which the paper sheets  1 ″ come to rest with their longitudinal side leading in the transport direction. In the accumulator  5  the paper sheets  1 ″ are collected to individual sets which are to be enveloped in the envelope  1 ′.  
         [0027]    As illustrated in FIG. 2, the stop  6  for the paper sheets  1 ″ is formed by an edge of the plate-shaped support  7  for the paper sheets  1 ″ angled at a right angle. The accumulator  5  is provided with a vacuum drum  8  which is arranged on a horizontal axis extending perpendicularly to the feeding direction of the paper sheets  1 ″ coming from the feeder  4 . The vacuum drum  8 , as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, has openings  9  in its peripheral surface which are arranged uniformly distributed about the periphery of the vacuum drum and via which vacuum can act on the paper sheets  1 ″. The vacuum drum  8  is connected to a vacuum source and is rotated continuously about its axis such that the paper sheets are transported against the stop  6  and are held thereat. The vacuum drum  8  may have a friction coating on its peripheral surface.  
         [0028]    For paper sheets of different weight the magnitude of the vacuum can be advantageously adjusted. The vacuum drum  8  can be provided underneath or above the paper sheets  1 ″ to be transported, depending on whether they are to be stacked underneath or on top. Because of the constant rotary movement of the vacuum drum  8 , the paper sheets are reliably pressed against the stop  6  and rebound of the paper sheets is prevented in this way. The vacuum drum  8  is advantageously provided with a friction coating so that the respective paper sheet can be reliably transported. The vacuum drum  8  in the accumulator  5  has correlated therewith at least one sensor  31  (FIG. 4) which is, for example, a photocell. As soon as the paper sheet  1 ″ is positioned in the area of the sensor  31  and is detected by it, the vacuum of the vacuum drum  8  is switched off.  
         [0029]    Since the paper sheet  1 ″ or the set of paper sheets collected in the accumulator  5  must be deflected by 90° for further transport, the accumulator  5  is provided with a transport device  93  which is comprised of two rows of transport rollers  94  which are positioned at a spacing opposite one another and have aligned axes. The rollers  94  have a flattened periphery and have correspondingly a planar section  95 . When the paper sheet set for the paper sheet  1 ″ is supplied, the transport rollers  94  are in the position illustrated in FIG. 5 in which their planar sides  95  are facing one another and extend parallel to one another. In this way, the transport rollers  94  of the two rows do not contact one another but delimit a free space  96  which transversely to the axis of the transport rollers  94  has such a size that the paper sheets  1 ″ can enter the free space  96  between the rows of transport rollers  94  (FIGS. 5 and 6).  
         [0030]    The transport rollers  94  are arranged near the narrow side  21  of the paper sheets  1 ″. In the described initial position of the transport rollers  94 , the paper sheets  1 ″ can be transported unimpededly from the feeder  4  in the transport direction  97  (FIG. 4) to the stop  6 . As soon as the paper sheets  1 ″ contact the stop  6 , the vacuum of the vacuum drum  8  is switched off. At the same time, the transport rollers  94  are driven in opposite directions as indicated in FIG. 5 by the arrows. After having been rotated about a short rotary angle, the transport rollers  94  engage with their cylindrical peripheral surface  98  the paper sheets  1 ″ positioned therebetween and transport them in the transport direction  99  to a folding device  54  (FIG. 1) to be described in the following. The axes of rotation of the two rows of rollers are positioned perpendicularly to the stop  6  so that the paper sheets  1 ″ are transported by the transport rollers  94  in a direction perpendicularly to the narrow side  21  of the paper sheets  1 ″.  
         [0031]    The transport direction  97  in which the paper sheets  1 ″ are transported into the accumulator  5  is parallel to the axis  100  of the transport rollers  94 . In this way, it is ensured that the paper sheets  1 ″ reach with one edge area the free space  96  between the transport rollers  94  positioned in their initial position. The transport direction can be changed easily in this way because it is then only necessary to drive the transport rollers  94  in rotation in order to transport the paper sheets  1 ″ in the transport direction  99  out of the accumulator  5 .  
         [0032]    Since the paper stack  2  also contains the paper sheet  1 ′ for manufacturing the envelope, this paper sheet, when transferred from the feeder  4  to the accumulator  5 , is deflected by a diverting device  10  (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) to a different transport path than the inserts  1 ″ to be enveloped. The diverting device  10  is connected to a read head (not illustrated) in the feeder  4  with which the paper sheets  1 ′,  1 ″ can be read, for example, by means of a bar code. Depending on the bar code, the respective paper sheet is then deflected by means of the diverting device  10  to the support  7  of the accumulator  5  or to a descending transport path  14  on which the paper sheet  1 ′ is transported in the area below the accumulator  5  to an adhesive applicator device  15 . The paper sheets  1 ″ positioned on the support  7  of the accumulator  5  are transported by the vacuum drum  8  against the stop  6  in the described way.  
         [0033]    As illustrated in FIG. 1, the adhesive application device (adhesive station)  15  is provided with two adhesive applicator units  16 ,  17  positioned at a spacing from one another in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the paper sheet  1 ′.  
         [0034]    Three adhesive strips  18  to  20  (FIG. 8) are applied onto the paper sheet  1 ′ by the adhesive applicator units  16 ,  17 . The adhesive strips extend parallel to one another and to the narrow sides  21 ,  22  of the paper sheet  1 ′. The adhesive strips  18  to  20  have different lengths. The length of the adhesive strips  18  to  20  depends on the shape of the flaps which result upon folding of the paper sheet.  
         [0035]    While the inserts  1 ″ to be enveloped in the envelope are collected in the accumulator  5 , the adhesive application is carried out in the adhesive application device  15 . After adhesive application is complete, the paper sheet  1 ′ is guided between two rollers  23 ,  24  (FIG. 2) whose axes of rotation are positioned horizontally and perpendicularly to the supply direction of the paper sheet  1 ′ and by which the paper sheet  1 ′ is moved from a horizontal position into an upright position. The transport of the paper sheet  1 ′ via the transport path  14  into the adhesive application device  15  is carried out as is known in the art, for example, by means of a vacuum belt  25 , illustrated in an exemplary fashion in FIG. 3, or by means of transport rollers.  
         [0036]    The paper sheet  1 ′, which has been deflected by 90° into an upright position, is conveyed into a holding and guiding unit  27  which has parallel vertically extending sidewalls  28 ,  29  between which the paper sheet  1 ′ is positioned. The sidewalls  28 ,  29  secure the paper sheet  1 ′ in its upright position. In order for the paper sheet  1 ′ to reach reliably the unit  27 , the lower end of the sidewall  28  is bent in the direction toward the roller  23 . The sidewall  29  remote from the roller  23  is straight across its height and projects past the bent end of the sidewall  28  in the downward direction. In this way it is ensured that the paper sheet  1 ′ reaches the area between the two sidewalls  28 ,  29  without the risk of being caught. The upper ends of the two sidewalls  28 ,  29  are connected by a transverse wall  30 . The transverse wall  30  serves advantageously as an adjustable stop for the paper sheet  1 ′. The paper sheet  1 ′ rests on the transverse wall  30  with one longitudinal side.  
         [0037]    For transporting the paper sheets  1 ′ until it rests against the transverse wall  30  at least one vacuum drum  25  is provided (FIGS. 1 and 2) which is identical to the vacuum drum  8  of the accumulator  5 . In the unit  27  the vacuum drum  8  can be rotated about a horizontal axis which is parallel to the axes of rotation of the rollers  23 ,  24 . The vacuum drum  8  is driven in rotation such that the paper sheet  1 ′ is moved upwardly into a contact position at the transverse wall  30 . The vacuum which acts via the openings  9  in the vacuum drum  8  onto the paper sheet  1 ′ is advantageously adjustable. In this way, the vacuum can be adjusted in a simple way to the weight of the paper sheet.  
         [0038]    The vacuum drum  8  of the unit  27  is arranged at such a spacing to the rotatably driven rollers  23 ,  24  that the vacuum drum  8  has already engaged the paper sheet  1 ′ when the paper sheet  1 ′ is still positioned between the two rollers  23 ,  24 . In this way, a reliable transport of the paper sheet  1 ′ up to the point of contact on the transverse wall  30  is ensured.  
         [0039]    In the holding and guiding unit  27  the upright paper sheet  1 ′ is transported farther by transport rollers (not illustrated) perpendicularly to the feed direction determined by the vacuum drum  8  in the transport direction  34  (FIG. 1). In the above described way, the vacuum of the vacuum drum  8  is advantageously switched off when the paper sheet  1 ′ is engaged by the transport rollers for which purpose a sensor (not illustrated) is employed which detects the supplied paper sheet in the unit  27  and effects switching off the vacuum.  
         [0040]    The upright paper sheet  1 ′ is guided by the transport rollers (not illustrated) between two rollers  35 ,  36  which are driven in rotation about vertical axes and supply the paper sheet  1 ′ to a second adhesive application device (adhesive station)  37 . The adhesive strips  38  and  39  (FIG. 8) are applied by the adhesive application device  37  onto the upright paper sheet  1 ′. The strips  38 ,  39  extend at a minimal spacing parallel to the two longitudinal edges of the paper sheet  1 ′. Both adhesive strips  38 ,  39  begin at the narrow side  21  of the paper sheet. The adhesive strip  38  is significantly longer than the oppositely positioned, parallel extending adhesive strip  39 . The length of the two adhesive strips  38 ,  39  depends on the flaps resulting from folding the paper sheet for producing the envelope.  
         [0041]    After application of the adhesive in the adhesive application device  37 , the paper sheet  1 ′ moves between two vertical, rotatably driven rollers  40 ,  41  for manufacturing the envelope; the rollers  40 ,  41  transport the paper sheet between two vertical sidewalls  42 ,  43 . In the transport unit  44  provided with these sidewalls the upright paper sheet  1 ′ is transported to two further vertical and rotatably driven rollers  45 ,  46  having arranged downstream thereof at a minimal spacing in the transport direction two further vertical, rotatably driven rollers  47 ,  48 . The paper sheet  1 ′ is supplied to a deflection unit  49  by means of the rollers  47 ,  48  and the deflection unit  49  transports the paper sheet  1 ′, after deflection by 90°, in the transport direction  50  into the insert folding device  51  which comprises rollers  52 ,  53  in front of which the paper sheet  1 ′ provided with adhesive is positioned.  
         [0042]    During application of the adhesive onto the paper sheet  1 ′ to be used for manufacturing the envelope, the paper sheets collected as a set within the accumulator  5  are supplied to a folding device  54  with which the paper sheets  1 ″ are folded in a manner known in the art to the size of the envelope to be produced. The folded paper sheets  1 ″ are transported with transport belts  55  or the like in the direction toward the insert folding device  51 . In the area adjacent to the transport devices (belts)  55 , insert feeders  56  can be provided which supply inserts transversely to the transport direction of the transport belts  55  to the folded paper sheets  1 ″. The transport belts  55  transport the folded paper sheets  1 ″ on an insert transport path parallel to the paper sheet  1 ′ which is transported on a branch path via the transport unit  44  and the deflection unit  49  parallel to the folded paper sheets  1 ″.  
         [0043]    In the insert folding device  51  the paper sheet  1 ′, whose adhesive strips  18  to  20 ,  38 ,  39  have dried in the meantime, and the documents  1 ″,  57  to be enveloped are combined. The paper sheet  1 ′ is supplied to the insert folding device  51  such that its narrow sides  21 ,  22  are positioned at an obtuse angle to the transport direction of the transport belts  55 . In the insert folding device  51  a first fold is produced so that a triangular flap  58  is formed which is placed on top of the documents  1 ″,  57 . The documents  1 ″,  57  are positioned with their longitudinal edge (FIG. 8) on the folding edge  58   a . In FIG. 8 the position of the documents  1 ″,  57  is illustrated by a dotted line.  
         [0044]    Upon transfer from the deflection unit  49  to the insert folding device  51 , the paper sheet  1 ′ is transported downwardly at a slant, as illustrated in FIG. 12. The slant angle is selected such that the folding edge  58   a,  along which the paper sheet  1 ′ is folded within the insert folding device  51 , has the required position for the folding process. The folding edge  58   a  is positioned at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal side  104  of the paper sheet  1 ′ and to the narrow side  21  adjoining it at a right angle. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the paper sheet  1  is deflected in the deflection unit  49  from its upright vertical position into the slanted position. The insert folding device  51  is provided with a stop  105  for the paper sheet  1 ′. The stop  105  has two stop parts  106 ,  107  positioned at a right angle to one another. The paper sheet  1 ′ comes to rest with its narrow side  22  on the stop part  106  and is positioned with its longitudinal side  108  on the stop part  107 . The two stop parts  106 ,  107  are positioned at a slant relative to the roller gap between the folding rollers  52 ,  53  such that the folding edge  58   a  between the two folding rollers  52 ,  53  can be produced.  
         [0045]    A folding blade  109  is arranged upstream of the two folding rollers  52 ,  53  on which the insert  1 ″ is supplied transverse to the feed direction of the paper sheet  1 ′ to the folding rollers  52 ,  53 . Advantageously, the folding blade  109  is adjustable into the area between the two folding rollers  52 ,  53 . The edge  107  of the folding blade  109  facing the roller gap serves for assisting the folding precision with which the paper sheet  1 ′ is folded between the folding rollers  52 ,  53  along the folding edge  58   a.  The insert  1 ″ is supplied together with the paper sheet  1 ′ simultaneously to the two folding rollers  52 ,  53 , and the paper sheet  1 ′ is pressed by means of the transversely supplied insert  1 ″, and assisted by the folding blade  109 , into the roller gap between the two folding rollers  52 ,  53  which engage the paper sheet  1 ′ and in this way fold the triangular flap  58  in the paper sheet  1 ′.  
         [0046]    Downstream of the insert folding device  51  a diverting device  59  is provided with which documents and envelopes which have been combined wrongly can be removed without having to stop the device. Since the inserts  1 ″,  57  and the paper sheet  1 ′ used for producing the envelope are transported in the described way separately to the insert folding device  51 , these inserts and the paper sheet  1 ′ can be monitored with respect to proper combining of the inserts and the paper sheets  1 ′, for example, by means of printed labels such as a bar code label. Moreover, it can be monitored whether the insert and the paper sheet for producing the mailing are even present. Sensors such as photocells can be used for monitoring. When they indicate an error, the corresponding insert  1 ″,  57  and/or the paper sheet  1 ′ can be deflected, preferably upwardly, while the properly combined inserts and paper sheets (future envelopes) are transferred onto a transport device  60 . The upwardly deflected inserts and/or paper sheets (future envelopes) transported in the area above this transport device  60  are then removed from the enveloping device.  
         [0047]    The transport device  60  has two parallel positioned endless circulating vacuum belts  61 ,  62  (FIGS. 1 and 7) which are provided over their length with openings  63 ,  64 . In the illustrated embodiment, these openings  63 ,  64  are positioned at a minimal spacing behind one another at half the width of the vacuum belts  61 ,  62 . Via the openings  63 ,  64 , vacuum can act on the paper sheet  1 ′ positioned thereon which is thus reliably transported together with the insert  1 ″,  57  and the folded flap  58 . As illustrated in FIG. 1, the paper sheet  1 ′ projects laterally past the two vacuum belts  61 ,  62 . The projecting lateral flaps  65 ,  66  of the paper sheet  1 ′ are folded by a downstream folding unit  67 . The folding unit  67  has two erecting means in the form of wings  68 ,  69  (FIG. 1) oriented counter to the supply direction and arranged divergently with which the lateral flaps  65 ,  66  are erected. Downstream of these wings  68 ,  69 , the folding unit  67  is provided with freely rotating pressing-down rollers  70 ,  71  (FIG. 1 and FIG. 7) which are positioned at a minimal spacing in the area above the vacuum belts  61 ,  62  and are adjustable transversely to the transport direction of the vacuum belts in the direction of the indicated double arrows  72 ,  73 . As soon as the upright lateral flaps  65 ,  66  of the paper sheet  1 ′ reach the area of the pressing-down rollers  70 ,  71 , they are adjusted relative to one another such that the flaps  65 ,  66  are folded over. The folding edges  74 ,  75  are positioned, in a plan view onto the transport device  60 , at a minimal spacing adjacent to the respective neighboring vacuum belts  61 ,  62 . The axes of rotation of the rollers  70 ,  71  are positioned parallel to the conveying direction of the vacuum belts  61 ,  62 . In the area above the transport path the folding unit  67  is provided with a holding-down device  101  which secures the paper sheet  1 ′ and the insert  1 ″,  57  positioned thereon during the folding process. The longitudinal edges  102 ,  103  of the sheet metal-shaped holding-down device  101  extending in the conveying direction facilitate the folding process during folding of the lateral flaps  65 ,  66  because the flaps are folded along these edges  102 ,  103 . In order to be able to produce different envelope sizes, the holding-down device  101  is preferably adjustable so that the spacing between the longitudinal edges  102 ,  103  can be changed.  
         [0048]    A heating unit  76  is provided in the transport direction of the vacuum belts  61 ,  62  behind the folding unit  67  and comprises a heating pallet  77 ,  78  (FIG. 1). They are placed onto the overlapping edge areas of the folded flaps  58 ,  65 ,  66 . In this area the folded flaps are resting on one another with their adhesive strips. By applying heat and pressure, the folded flaps  58 ,  65 ,  66  are glued to one another by means of the heating pallets  77 ,  78 . At this stage of the process, only the flap  79  of the paper sheet  1 ′ projecting to the rear in the transport direction of the vacuum belts  61 ,  62  is not yet folded.  
         [0049]    As illustrated in FIG. 1, in the folding unit  67  the pressing-down rollers  70 ,  71  are present in pairs. The two pressing-down rollers  70 ,  71  on each side of the transport device  60  are moved independently from one another in the adjusting direction  72 ,  73  (FIG. 7). This has the advantage that the first rollers  70 ,  71  in the supply direction of the paper sheet  1 ′ return immediately after the folding process into their initial position in order to receive the subsequent paper sheet  1 ′ with the inserts  1 ′,  57 . The pressing-down rollers  70 ,  71  downstream in the transport direction remain in the advanced position relative to the vacuum belts  61 ,  62  until the paper sheet  1 ′ with the folded-over lateral flaps  65 ,  66  has been transported farther to the heating device  76 . In this way, it is ensured that the lateral flaps  65 ,  66  of the paper sheets  1 ′ can be reliably folded over even when the paper sheets with inserts are supplied in a rapid sequence.  
         [0050]    With the transport device  60  the paper sheets  1 ′ with the now partially enveloped inserts  1 ″,  57  are transported to the stop  80  (FIGS. 1 and 3). The envelope produced partially of the paper sheet  1 ′ is pressed by the vacuum drum  81  against the stop  80 . The vacuum drum  81  is of the same configuration as the vacuum drum  8 . The axis of rotation of the vacuum drum  81  is positioned perpendicularly to the supply direction  32  of the envelope  1 ′. By means of a sensor  31 , for example, a photocell, the vacuum acting on the paper sheets is switched from the vacuum drum  81  to a transport device in the form of vacuum belt  82  as soon as the envelope  1 ′ contacts the stop  80 . The vacuum belt  82  with the openings  26  is of identical configuration as the vacuum belts  61 ,  62 . By means of the vacuum belt  82  the envelope  1 ′ is transported along the stop  80  perpendicularly (arrow  33  in FIG. 3) to the transport direction  32  of the transport device  60  up to a delivery  83 . The vacuum belt  82  is an endless belt and is connected to a vacuum source. By means of slots  26  the vacuum is applied onto the transported articles. While the articles are transported against the stop by means of the vacuum drum  81 , whose axis of rotation extends parallel to the stop  80 , the vacuum belt  82  conveys the articles parallel to the stop  80  in the conveying direction  33 . The paper sheet  1 ′ is thus pulled onto the vacuum belt  82  and is already aligned. By means of the vacuum belt  82  the paper sheet  1 ′ can then be transported turned by 90°.  
         [0051]    As illustrated in FIG. 3, the paper sheet  1 ′ is transported by means of the vacuum drum  81  in the transport direction  32  to the stop  80 . As a result of the described switching of the vacuum from the vacuum drum  81  onto the vacuum belt  82  the paper sheet  1 ′ is then transported farther in the transport direction  33  perpendicularly to the transport direction  32 . On the vacuum belt  82  the paper sheet  1 ′ can no longer be moved. In this way, no complex and long alignment devices with alignment rails and transport balls are required.  
         [0052]    The partially closed envelope  1 ′ reaches first a perforation device  84  with which a perforation  85  is produced on the projecting flap  79  of the envelope which is used as a folding edge for folding over the flap  79  in the next station of the enveloping device. The perforation  85  extends in the transport direction of the vacuum belt  82  and facilitates later the opening of the envelope.  
         [0053]    The perforation device  84  has arranged downstream thereof a folding unit  86  which is substantially identical to the folding unit  76 . Since only one flap  79  of the paper sheet  1 ′ must be folded with the folding unit  86 , the folding device  86  has only on one side thereof two freely rotatable rollers  87 ,  88  which are adjustable perpendicularly to the transport direction of the endless circulating vacuum belt  82 . Moreover, the folding unit  86  at the intake end is provided with a slanted, outwardly oriented wing  89  which is oriented counter to the supply direction of the paper sheet  1 ′ at a slant to the exterior and on which the flap  79  projecting laterally past the vacuum belt  82  will impact. By means of the wing  89  this flap  79  is erected during transport and reaches the area of the pressing-down rollers  87 ,  88 . The rollers  87 ,  88  positioned in this area above the vacuum belt  82  are adjusted in the direction toward the vacuum belt  82  so that the flap which has been erected by the wing  89  can be folded. The slight perforation  85  which has been previously produced in the perforation unit  84  facilitates this folding process. The folding unit  86  has also advantageously two pressing-down rollers  87 ,  88  which are positioned sequentially in the transport direction. The first pressing-down roller  88  in the feeding direction can be retracted immediately after the folding process while the pressing-down roller  87  arranged downstream remains in its advanced position until the closed envelope has been transported to the next station. In this way, the first paper sheet  1 ′ with the insert can be supplied while the roller  87  is still in the advanced position.  
         [0054]    Downstream of the folding unit  86 , a heating device  90  is provided which has at least one heating pallet  91 . It is rests against the edge of the folded flap  79  of the paper sheet  1 . The heating pallet  91  has an angular shape corresponding to the contour of this edge. However, it is also possible to provide two heating pallets positioned at an angle to one another. The heating pallet or stamp  91  presses onto the corresponding adhesive strips and heats them so that in this way the envelope produced of the paper sheet  1 ′ is closed or sealed.  
         [0055]    Subsequently, the closed envelope  1 ′ with the insert is transported to the delivery  83 . Between the vacuum belt  82  and the delivery  83  a diverting device may be provided (not illustrated) with which an envelope which is not properly sealed can be removed from the enveloping device.  
         [0056]    With the described device the inserts  1 ″,  57  are collected in sets and at the same time the corresponding envelope  1 ′ is produced of a paper sheet. The paper sheet provided for producing the envelope can already be provided with the address, optionally also the sender&#39;s address and other information. The adhesive is applied onto the paper sheet  1 ′ in two steps by means of the two adhesive application devices  15  and  37  which are arranged upstream of the insert folding device  51 . In this way, a complex slanted application of the adhesive can be avoided. In the two adhesive application devices  15 ,  37  the adhesive is applied parallel to the lateral edges of the paper sheet  1 ′ (FIG. 8). The employed adhesive is a hot-setting adhesive.  
         [0057]    It is also possible to employ a cold-setting adhesive and to thus eliminate the heating units. The cold-setting adhesive, however, can be applied only downstream of the insert folding device  51 . The cold-setting adhesive in this case is applied advantageously in two steps. First, the lateral flaps  65 ,  66  of the paper sheet  1 ′ are provided with adhesive within the area upstream of the folding unit  67 . The adhesive strips  20 ,  39  are applied according to FIG. 9. The second adhesive application is carried out after the perforation action in the perforation unit  84  has taken place before folding of the flap  79  in the folding unit  86  has been carried out. Between the perforation unit  84  and the folding unit  86  the adhesive strips  18 ,  19 ,  38  are applied. Subsequently, the flap  69  with the applied adhesive is then folded over in the folding unit  86 .  
         [0058]    For applying the cold-setting adhesive multi-head adhesive applicators can be used which can apply droplets of adhesive at spot locations at minimal spacing to one another. The corresponding applicator nozzles can be controlled individually. When employing such multi-head adhesive applicators it is also possible to carry out a slanted adhesive application, i.e., the adhesive tracks can also extend at a slant to the lateral edges of the paper sheet  1 ′ in that the corresponding applicator nozzles are closed or opened. The adhesive strips  18  to  20 ,  38 ,  39  in this case can be applied with a single adhesive station.  
         [0059]    The transport device  93  with flattened transport rollers  94  (FIGS.  4  to  6 ) can be employed in the enveloping device where the transport direction of the paper sheets has to be changed, preferably by 90°. In this way, such a transport device can be provided also in the area of the stop  80 , on which the partially closed envelope  1 ′ after passing through the heating unit  76  will come to rest, or in the area of the holding and guiding unit  27 .  
         [0060]    With the described vacuum drum  8 ,  81 , folded or unfolded paper sheets  1 ′ with or without insert  1 ″,  57  can be transported. Instead of paper sheets  1 ′ it is also possible to process sheets of plastic, cardboard, and the like.  
         [0061]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.