Improvements in Envelope Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
Improvements in Envelope Machines.
I, CHARLES ARTHUR ALLISON, of No. 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, hereby declare the nature of this invention,
which has been communicated to me from abroad by The Novel Envelope Opener
Company (Incorporated), of Denver, Colorado, United States of America, and in
what mauner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in envelope machines, and the object of
the invention is to provide the envelope machine as heretofore constructed, with
such attachments or improvements as shall meet the requirements in manufacturing
envelopes provided with an opener-thread located in the folding crease of one of
the sides and extending between the adjacent corners and consists of the features
hereinafter described and claimed, all of which will be fully understood by reference
to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.
In this drawing,
Fig. 1 is a front view of the machine showing my improvements.
Fig. 2 illustrates the envelope with the opener in place, the latter, as well
as the position of the cutters when the thread is severed, being indicated in dotted
lines.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper part of the machine provided with the
folders.
Figs. 4 and are two views of the pitman, the rack and the pinion which actuate
the shaft, imparting the downward movement to the cutters.
Fig. 6 is a top view of the alarm disk over which the thread passes to the
holder.
Fig. 7 is a front view of the upper part of the machine showing the operating
parts on a larger scale.
Fig. 8 is a top view of the reciprocating rod carrying the grippers.
Fig. 9 is a similar view showing said rod in connection with the cutter frame and
the shaft for actuating the cutters,
Fig. 10
a side view of the lower part of the machine.
Fig. 11 is a similar view with the parts removed, the main shaft being shown in
section.
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the cutters and the cutter block which
it enters when at its lowest limit of movement. This view is on a large scale.
Fig. 13 illustrates the thread-holler in connection with one of the cutter
holders.
Fig. 14 is a longitudinal section of the thread-holder.
Fig. 15 illustrates an inclined eam, which allows the spring-actuated arm carrying
the thread-holder, a partial rotation.
Fig. 16 is a section taken on the line, Fig. 7 showing the cogged rack on the
utter frame, and the engaging pinion on the adjacent shaft.
Fig. 17 illustrates one of the supporting brackets for the arms or bars carrying
he cutters.
Fig. 18 is a fragmentary plan view of the machine, illustrating the pickers.
Fig. 19 is a front view of the same.
Fig. 20 is a side view of the pickers, the frame being shown in section.
Fig. 21 is a fragment of the picker-operating mechanism.
Similar reference characters indicating corresponding parts or elements of the
mechanism in the several views, let the numeral 5 designate the lower frame-work

page_text: of the machine to which is attached the top plate 6 and in which is journalled the
main shaft 7. Mounted on the shaft 7 is a cam 8 which actuates the pitman 9, the
upper extremity of which is attached to a cross-head 10 carrying the bar 12 having
the plunger 13 at its lower extremity.
Mounted above the top plate 6 of the machine and supported upon a bracket 14made
fast to the top plate is the reciprocating rod 15, which passes through sleeves 14"
and 14, in which the arms 14 of the bracket terininate. The sleeve 14 is divided,
the top part being removable for convenience in assembling the parts. This rod 15
is provided at its free extremity with a stationary jaw 17 and a movable jaw 18
pivoted to the stationary jaw at 19. A small spring 20 attached to the stationary jaw
and bearing against the movable jaw from the inside, has a tendency to maintain the
jaw 18 in the open position, or that shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9. The rod 15
is longitudinally grooved to receive a slide 21 carrying a lug 22 at one extremity,
a roller cam 23 at its opposite extremity, and a lug 24 located near the roller cam.
Just before rod 15 reaches its backward limit of movement, the lug 24 engages the
sleeve 14 after which the rod moves far enough to force the cam roller 23 of the
slide into a recess 25 in the rear of the pivot 19. When the cam has reached
this position the spring has opened the movable jaw. The jaw 18 remains in the
open position until the rod has almost reached its forward limit of movement, when
the lug 22 engages the sleeve 14 which forms a stop for the slide, after which the
rod moves far enough to draw the roller cam 23 back under the rear extremity of
the jaw closing said jaw as shown in full lines in Fig. 8. The outer extremity of
rod 15 is pivoted to a link 15 which link is in turn pivoted to the upper end of an
oscillating lever 26 fulcrumed at its lower extremity on an arm 27 rigid on the
frame, and provided with an intermediate friction roller 29 engaging a cam
groove 30 formed in a collar 31 made fast on the outer extremity of shaft 7. The
groove in this collar 31 is of such shape that as the shaft. 7 rotates, a properly
timed reciprocating movement is imparted to rod 15 through the medium of the
oscillating lever 26.
The thread 23 used for the openers is drawn from a spool case 32 passed over a
roller 34 and through the holder 35 supported upon a vertical rod 36 which is
retained within a slotted tube 137, and held in position by a set screw 138. By
means of this feature, the thread-holder is adjustable, vertically. The body of this
holder is tubular, its interior being composed of a rubber filling 35" engaged by a
screw plug 35 located in its larger end. There is a passage way 35 through the
holder for the thread, and the filling 35° is so adjusted that the thread is just drawn
straight as it passes through, as no greater tension is required. The movable
cutters for severing the thread, whereby it is made of the proper length to form the
opener for the envelope, are attached to the bifurcated lower extremities of two
vertical bars 38 and 38 connected by a horizontal bar 39 provided with a cogged
rack 40 shown in Fig. 16. The bars 38 and 38 are made fast to the respective
extremitics of the horizontal bar 30 by means of set screws or in any other suitable
manner. These vertical bars pass through sleeves 70 of the brackets 71 which are
made fast to a stationary part of the frame. The rack 40 of bar 39 is engaged by
a pinion +1 made fast on a longitudinal shaft 42 journalled in sleeves 43 mounted
on the stationary frame-work of the machine. Made fast on this shaft near one
extremity, is another pinion 43 which engages a cogged rack 44 carried by the
pitman 45, the upper extremity 45 of which is flattened and slotted as shown at 46
to receive the shaft 42, the upper extremity of the pitman being guided and
supported between the pinion 43 and a collar 47 made fast to the extremity of the
bar by means of a set screw. The lower extremity of the pitman is pivoted to one
arm of a forked bar 48 attached to the stationary frame by means of a pivot 49.
The other arm of bar 48 carries a friction roll 50 held in engagement with a cam 51
on the shaft 7 by a coil-spring 52 attached to the bar at one extremity, and to the
lower part of the stationary frame at the opposite extremity. It will thus be seen
that as the shaft 7 rotates, a vertically reciprocating movement is imparted to the
bars 38 and 38 through the medium of the cam 51, bar 48, pitman 45 and shaft 42.

page_text: The cutters proper consist of edged plates 53 attached by means of set screws 54 to
The knife-
the longer arms 55 of the bifurcated extremities of the bars 38, 38ª.
holding arms 55 are made comparatively thin at 56 where they join their respective
bars 38 and 38 to the end that the position of the knives may be adjusted by
screws 57 which pass through threaded apertures formed in the shorter arms 58,
and bear against the arms 55 whereby the latter may be adjusted to a limited
extent by reason of the yielding property of the metal. The knives 53 when at
their lowest limit of movement enter slots 59 formed in blocks 60 located in sockets
formed in the plates 61. The surface 60 of each block 60 is bevelled to form an
edge which co-operates with the edge of knife 53 in cutting the thread as the knife
enters the slot 59. Hence the necessity for this adjustable feature of the knife-
holding arm since it is essential that the knife should pass very close to the
It will
supplemental cutting edge of the block in order to get the best results.
readily be seen that after each act of sharpening the knife it may be necessary to
adjust the knife-holding arm in order to bring the plane of the knife in suitable
proximity to that of the edge of the block. To the bar 30 is made fast an arm 62
carrying a sleeve 64 through which bar 37 passes.
To the lower arm of the bracket 70, through whose sleeves the bar 38 passes, is
attached a plate 66ª carrying a flange 66. This plate is pivoted to the bracket at
a point 66, and is slotted as shown at 66 to receive a set screw 66. The plate is
so located on its supporting bracket that its flanged extremity engages the lower
sleeve through which the bar 38 passes. The flange 66 of this plate is inclined
and projects from the surface of the adjacent sleeve into the path of a pin 67 formed
integral with a collar GS suitably clamped to the bar 37. This pin is held in
engagement with the inclined flange 66 by means of a coil-spring 69 surrounding
bar 37 and made fast at its lower extremity to a collar 37 attached to the bar by
From
means of set screw 37, its upper extremity being secured to the sleeve 64.
this construction it will be observed that as the bars 38 and 38 move downward.
bar 37 is carried therewith until its lower extremity engages the plate 61, during
which movement the pin 67 follows the inclined flange 66 from a position A to a
position B, referring to Fig. 15, the bar 37 being thereby given a partial rotary
movement. The nose of the thread-holder 35 is thus thrown to the position shown
in Fig. 3, whereby the thread 33 is carried into the path of the plunger 13 and in
such a position as to be placed in the folding line or crease between the flap and
the body of the envelope. Just as the thread-holder reaches this position, the
cutters 53 descend and sever the thread which is carried downward by the plunger
with the envelope blank.
This mechanisin for swinging the thread-holder about the vertical axis to
position the thread with reference to the plunger and envelope blank, is necessary
for the reason that the thread must be in its proper place, that is, in the line of one
of the flap creases, when the opener length is severed by the reciprocating cutters,
since the last named devices press the opener down to contact with the gummed
corners before cutting the thread and this fasten the opener to the envelope blank
before it is acted upon by the plunger. Hence the necessity for the threads being
in the proper position when first acted upon by the cutters and plunger. It must
be remembered that the reciprocating cutters do not sever the thread until it is
pressed down to the stationary blades, when the two sets of cutters act in
conjunction, the use of the previous engagement of the movable cutters being, as
before stated, to press the thread down to engagement with the gummed parts of
the flap.
The tension of the spring 69 may be regulated by adjusting the collar 37" on its
bar, while the inclination of the flange 66 may be controlled by loosening the set
screw 66 and moving the plate 6 on its pivot. These features place the movement
of the thread-holder for the purpose just described, entirely under the control of
the person in charge of the machine. In applying the opening thread to the
envelope, provision must be made for fastening the extremities of the thread in the
two corners adjacent to the folding crease in which the opener is located. It is

page_text: well known that in the manufacture of ordinary envelopes, the gum is not applied
to the extremities of the flaps. Hence it becomes necessary to so modify the
ordinary gum-applying device as to meet this requirement. My improvement for
accomplishing this object will now be described, special reference being made to
Figs. 18, 19, 20 and 21 in these views, the numeral 75 designates the vertically
reciprocating shaft mounted on the frame-work of the machine and provided with a
cross-bar 76 at its lower extremity to which bar is attached the pickers 77 and 78.
The picker 77 is of ordinary construction. My improvement relates only to the
picker 78 which is provided at its extremities with projections or extensions 78"
which reach to the extremities of one of the side flaps, whereby the gum is applied
to the entire length of the flap's edge. The means for applying the gum to the
pickers as well as the mechanism for actuating the pickers is all of ordinary con-
struction. The numeral 80° designates the gum-applying rolls mounted on a bar
slidingly supported upon the stationary guide rods 82. The movement of the
shaft 75 is imparted from the main shaft 7 through the medium of a eam 83, an
arm 84, a pitman 85 and other suitable connections.
By reason of placing the gum at the extremities of the flap, I find it necessary to
modify the construction of the plunger to prevent the possibility of the gum's
adhering thereto, and holding the thread. Hence I cut away the plunger forming
two recesses 13 which occupy positions adjacent to these gummed extremities of
the flap when the plunger engages the blank. By this means, the plunger is kept
free from gum and all possibility of trouble from the sticking of the thread thereto,
obviated.
As the person in charge of the machine sits on the side opposite from that where
the thread inserting mechanism is located, it is quite important that provision should
be made, whereby this person may know whether this part of the machine is
performing its proper function in harmony with the other parts. To accomplish
this object, I provide a sort of annunciator in connection with the disk 34 over
which the thread passes on its way from the thread-holder, as heretofore stated.
As illustrated in the drawing, this disk is supposed to be of such size that it
makes exactly one revolution for each length of the opener thread which passes
over it. It is provided with a pin or projection 34" on one side, in whose path as
the disk rotates, lies one extremity of a small bar 34 which is pivoted on a post 34ª
supported on plate 6 and carrying a small gong 34", so located that as bar 34° is
released from the engaging pin of the disk, the opposite end returning, strikes the
gong, which is sufficiently sonorous to be distinctly audible on the opposite side of
the machine. From the description of the function and operation of the recipro-
cating rod 15 heretofore given, it will be understood that every time an opener
length is cut from the thread, a short piece drops from the jaws or grippers of the
reciprocating rod.
From the well known capacity of machines of this class, it will be understood
that provision must be made for removing these short pieces, the accumulation of
which, would otherwise interfere with the working of the machine. To accomplish
this, make use of a suction tube 80 whose mouth is located in close proximity to
that point of the machine where these thread-ends are dropped, while its opposite
extremity is connected with suitable suction-inducing mechanism, whereby these
small pieces are carried off through the tube as fast as they are dropped by the
grippers, and any annoyance therefrom, obviously averted.
In Fig. 181 have shown a simple and efficient means for guiding the envelope
blank from the position in which it is left by the pickers, to its position beneath the
plunger as it is moved along on the sliding frame or carriage 85. My improvement
consists in attaching wings 86 to opposite sides of the plate 61. These wings are
supported on arms 87. The wings consist of the parallel parts having extensions
outwardly deflected in the direction from which the blanks are received. The
parallel parts of the wings are separated by a distance exactly equal to the length
of the blank, while the deflected parts receive and guide the blank to its position
between the parallel parts. This is a very simple construction but it works

page_text: effectively and is believed far superior to the meaus heretofore employed to
accomplish the same object.
From the foregoing description, it is believed the operation of the mechanism
will be readily understood. The blank envelope after being properly gummed, is
taken from the pickers and placed over the aperture in plate 61 and in the path of
the plunger. Rod 15 then mores in the direction of the thread-holder with its
mouth open until it reaches its forward limit of movement, then the movable jaw
closes upon the thread-end by reason of the engagement of lug 22 of the slide with
the sleeve 14 in time to stop the slide and allow the rear extremity of the jaw to
pass over the roller cam 23, when the rod moves backward, drawing the thread across
the blank until the grippers or jaws reach about the position shown in Fig. 3, when,
by reason of the peculiar shape of the cam groove 30 in collar 31, the rod ceases to
move. Bars 38 and 38" are then moved downward through the interposition of the
parts heretofore described, the spring-actuated bar 37 being allowed a partial
rotation by the engagement of its projection 67 with the inclined flange or cam 66,
whereby the holder 35 carries the thread into the path of the plunger and in
position to enter the folding crease of the blank. This position of the thread-
holder is illustrated in Fig. 3. The bars 38 and 38 then continue their downward
movement until the knives or cutters 53 enter the slots 59 and sever the thread on
both sides of the envelope blank. Rod 15 now continues its backward movement,
but the further movement in this direction of the slide 21 is stopped by the engage-
ment of lug 24 with sleeve 14. Hence the rear part of the jaw 18 passes to the
rear of the cam roll which occupies the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8.
The jaw 18 is then thrown open by the action of spring 20. The thread-end cut
off is then dropped from the jaws and is carried away by the suction tube 80. The
cutter bars 38 and 38" are then raised by the reverse action of shaft 42 caused by
the downward movement of pitman 45 and the consequent engagement of rack ++
with pinion 43. Bar 37 and the thread-holder are also returned to their normal
position. Rod 15 then moves forward again and the operation of the several
parts is repeated.
It must be understood that when the cutters 53 first engage the thread, the latter
is a short distance above the envelope blank. It is then carried downward by the
cutters and pressed to contact with the gummed flap-ends, since the cutters do not
act to sever the thread until their edges reach the horizontal planes in which the
supplemental cutting edges of blocks 60 lie.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In an envelope machine, the combination with the folding mechanist and
means for holding the thread in position to be grasped, of the reciprocating gripper
rod which grasps the thread and places it in suitable proximity to the envelope
blank, and reciprocating cutters which sever the thread on either side of said
blank, substantially as described.
2. In an envelope machine, the combination of the folding mechanism and a
thread-holder, of the reciprocating rod having a movable jaw which grasps the
thread and places it in suitable proximity to the envelope blank, and the recipro-
cating cutters for severing the thread on each side of the envelope, substantially as
described.
3. In an envelope machine, the combination with the folling mechanism and
a thread-holder, of the reciprocating rod having the movable jaw, and the slide for
controlling said jaw, the slide being provided with a lug or projection whereby its
movement is interrupted at proper intervals, and the reciprocating cutters which
sever the thread on either side of the envelope, substantially as described.
4. In an envelope machine, the combination with the folding mechanism, of a
reciprocating rod having a movable jaw and a slide attached thereto, the slide being
provided at one extremity with a cam adapted to engage the jaw, and having a

page_text: projection whereby its movement is interrupted at proper intervals by engaging a
stop, means for holding the thread in position to be grasped by the rod and placed
in suitable proximity to the envelope blank, and reciprocating cutters which sever
the thread on either side of said blank, substantially as described.
5. In an envelope machine, the combination with the folding mechanism, and
means for placing the opener-thread in suitable proximity to the envelope blank, of
vertically reciprocating bars carrying cutters adapted to sever the thread on either
side of said blank, substantially as described.
6. In an envelope machine, the combination with the folding mechanism, and
means for placing the opener-thread in position in front of the envelope flap, of the
vertically reciprocating bars carrying detachable knives attached to their lower
extremities and adapted to sever the thread on either side of the envelope,
substantially as described.
.
7. In an envelope machine, the combination with the folding mechanism, and
means for placing the opener-thread in suitable proximity to the envelope blank, of
vertically reciprocating bars bifurcated at their lower extremities, and having
knives attached to the longer arms of the bifurcation, and adjusting screws located
in the shorter arms and bearing against the longer arms which are of such
construction that the knives may be adjusted by turning these screws, and
stationary blades which co-operate with the reciprocating knives in severing the
thread on either side of the envelope, substantially as described.
8. In an envelope machine, the combination with the folding mechanism, and
means for placing the thread in position in front of the envelope flap, of the
vertically reciprocating bars carrying knives, and edged blocks provided with slots
which the knives are adapted to enter, the edges of the blocks supplementing the
knives in cutting the thread on each side of said blank, substantially as described.
9. The combination of the reciprocating grippers, the vertically reciprocating
bars, the thread-holder bar provided with a coil-spring, normally under suitable
tension to turn the bar, and a stationary cam which engages a projection on the
thread-holder bar, and allows the bar to make a partial rotary movement as it is
carried downward by the cutter bar, substantially as described.
10. The combination with the folding mechanism of an envelope machine, of a
reciprocating rod provided with jaws at its free extremity, means for automatically
closing the jaws when the rod is at its forward limit of movement, whereby it
grasps the exposed extremity of the opener-thread, and draws the thread through
in front of the envelope flap, and means for severing the thread on each side of the
envelope, substantially as described.
11. The combination with the fol·ling mechanism of an envelope machine, of a
thread-holder, means for grasping the thread and placing it in front of the envelope
flap, and means for severing the thread on each side of the envelope, substantially
as described.
Dated this 27th day of December 1893
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.