Improvements in and connected with Drying Chains for Envelope Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Drying Chains for Envelope
Machines.
We HENRY BUCKLEY COOLEY, 10 Walnut Street, JOHN MADISON NOBLE,
144 Albany Avenue and JAMES EDWARD TREVOR, 37 Chestnut Street,
Machinists all of Hartford Connecticut, United States of America do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention relates to drying chains for envelope machines and has for its
object first, to provide a device of this character which will occupy as little space
as possible; second, to provide means whereby the envelopes may be thoroughly
dried before their discharge from the machine, without the use of any of the
heating appliances commonly employed; third, to provide a chain in which two or
more envelopes may be carried side by side in order that a shorter chain may be
used and so that the envelopes may be discharged through the bottom of the
chain; fourth, to provide means whereby the envelopes may be shifted from one
side of the chain to the other after they have travelled nearly one circuit of the
same so that they will be carried substantially nearly two or more times around
with the chain before they are discharged therefrom; fifth, to provide a chain
which will deliver the envelopes through the bottom thereof, instead of at the side
and end, as is now customary in all the machines hitherto in use; and lastly, to
improve the general construction of the chain and mechanism for operating the
same.
With these objects in view, our invention may be said to consist essentially of a
drying chain capable of carrying two or more rows of envelopes side by side, and
of the means and mechanism for causing the envelopes to be shifted successively
from one side of the chain to the other; and whereby the envelopes may be
successively discharged through the bottom of the chain after they have been
carried around with the chain.
We will describe our invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of so much of an envelope machine as is necessary
to show the application of our invention thereto.
Figure 1 is a plan view of the same with the top removed.
Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the shifting and discharging mechanism.
Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof.
Figure 4 is a sectional end elevation, on the line 4-4, Figure 3.
Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation of part of the device.
Figure 6 is a top plan view of two of the links of the chain.
Figures 7 and 10 are details.
Figure 8 is a bottom view of a portion of two links of the chain illustrating the
hinged joint.
Figure 9 is a modification of the link.
Figure 11 is a vertical section on the lines Figure 6.
Referring now particularly to the drawings in which the same letters refer to
corresponding parts throughout the different views, A is the fraine of the envelope
machine, such for example as that described and claimed in our pending application,
filed on even date herewith; D is the top table upon which the side frames B of
T

page_text: the envelope machine are supported; E and E¹ represent the side table of the
machine upon which the envelopes are finally delivered; C indicates the delivering
rolls of the envelope machine. These rolls with the frames B are the only portion
of the envelope machine deemed necessary to show, since from these rolls the
envelope, after it is folded and gummed by the machine, is discharged downward
into the chain, with which latter mechanism our present invention particularly
relates.
Suitably secured to the top and sides of the frame of the machine are guide
frames Hand H³, between which the links of the chain are confined and travel;
in proximity to these guide frames and confined by bands h¹ (passing from one
guide frame H around to the opposite guide frame H³) is a series of guide wires h.
These guide wires may be of any convenient number, and at the points where the
chain alters its direction of travel, extra guide wires should be used above and
below to keep the envelope from being thrown out of the chain, as shown clearly
in Figure 1.
The guide frames H upon one side of the structure are provided at the points
where the chain alters its direction with sprocket or toothed wheels I I' 1" around
which wheels one side of the links composing the chain is caused to move.
Journalled below the table D and under the delivery rolls of the machine, is a
shaft J to which is given an intermittent motion of rotation, in the manner herein-
after described, for causing the chain to move step by step, thus allowing it to
dwell sufficiently long under the delivery rolls C to permit an envelope to drop
with certainty between two links of the chain; upon this shaft is secured the
driving sprocket or toothed wheel I' from which the chain derives its motion by
the teeth of the said wheel meshing with the pintles a, Figure 6, of the joint of two
links of the chain.
The projecting ends of these pintles, or rods, slide upon slideways h¹¹, formed on
the two guide frames H Figure 4. It may be observed at this point that there are
no slideways, or sprocket wheels upon the other side of the chain structure, which
side may be designated as the "delivery" side while the opposite side may be
properly called the "receiving" side, by which terms we will so designate them
throughout this Specification.
With this general description of the chain and guides, which will be set forth
more in detail hereafter, we can now better describe the mechanism for giving
motion to the chain and for receiving the envelopes, and the means for passing them
from the receiving side of the chain to the delivery side, and for finally discharging
or delivering the said envelopes through the bottom of the chain.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, J is the shaft which is
journalled in suitable bearings on the frame work of the machine under the delivery
rolls C. Upon this shaft is loosely mounted a casting K, which is provided with
projecting lugs k; fixed to this shaft J, between the casting, K, and the frame
work of the chain structure, is a ratchet wheel M, the teeth of which are adapted
to be engaged by the pawl N, carried by the lug k, on the casting K. Connected
to the casting K, between the lugs k¹, is a pitman L, provided with a friction
roller held in contact with a suitable heart shaped or other cam W on the driving
shaft G of the machine. The continuous rotation of this driving shaft G, which
carries a suitable fly wheel F, imparts through the cam W, an intermittent
reciprocating motion to the pitman L, which in turn will rock the casting K, upon
the shaft J, thus causing the pawl N, to move the ratchet wheel M, one tooth at a
time thereby advancing the chain one tooth of the sprocket 1 at a time. This
movement, it will be observed, takes place as soon as the envelopes d, is dropped
fairly between the two links of the chain which are in position to receive it. By
this mechanism, it will be seen the envelopes will be passed from the delivery
rolls C of the envelope machine to the receiving side of the drying chain between
which links they rest upon the shelves f¹, forming part of the hinge joint of the
link. They are thus held securely between the two links of the chain and are held
in place at the sides by the guide wires h, and cannot be discharged through the

page_text: bottom of this side of the chain because of the shelves upon which they rest. One
circuit of the chain does not give sufficient time to insure the complete drying of
the gum and for that reason, we make the chain of plural capacity and it will now
be in order to describe the means whereby, first, the envelope is pushed from the
receiving to the delivery side of the chain, and second, the means whereby, when
it has completed its circuit on that side of the chain, it is delivered through the
bottom.
These means are more particularly shown in Figures 2 to 5. In Figure 2, it
will be seen that the inner guide wires h, are interrupted for a certain distance to
allow of the movement of the envelopes from one side of the chain to the other.
In the space so interrupted is a pusher rod T, passing diagonally across the top of
the chain so that as the envelopes have nearly completed their circuit or circuits
on the receiving side of the machine, their outer edges contact with this pusher rod
and are gradually pushed across to the delivery side of the chain. This rod is
operated intermittently by mechanism connected with the casting K. This
mechanism consists of a sliding bar P mounted in upwardly extending arms v, of a
bracket V, secured to the side guide frame H, of the chain structure. Upon this
bar P, are two inclined ways, or cams p', the former of which is adapted to
engage a friction roller S₁ carried at the bend of the rod T. The rod T, is
pivotally supported at y, upon the upwardly extending post, Y, on the bracket V;
and the bar P is connected to the casting K, by the pitman O, fulcrummed thereto
at, and pivotally connected to the bar P, at q. The pusher rod T, is normally
beld in position shown in full lines, Figure 2, by a spring t, connecting the same
with the fixed bracket V. When the casting K, is rocked in the manner heretofore
described, the inclined cam p, on the sliding bar P, moves under the roller S1,
throwing the rod T, across the line of travel of the envelopes so as to cause each
envelope d, to clear the end of the guide wire h, shown in Figure 2. From this
point in the travel of the chain, the envelopes are carried around the circuit again
until they come to the point where they are to be delivered through the bottom of
the chain.
The mechanism to accomplish this operation consists of a tappet arm, or lever R,
preferably of the form clearly shewn in Figure 4, where it is shown as a bell crank
lever fulcrummed upon the bracket V, by any suitable means such as a pin u,
passing through the lower end of the tappet and lugs upon the bracket. The outer
end of this tappet is provided preferably with a downwardly projecting portion r¹,
from the outer end of which portion extends a boss, or stud r. This tappet lever
is shown out of action, being held in such position normally by a springs, connected
to the frame of the machine, and when it is operated to deliver the blow upon the
envelope, the boss, or stud r, strikes the envelope on one end while the other end
of the envelope is struck by the bent portion, forming the heel of the tappet.
In order to cause this tappet to operate at the proper time, a friction roller S is
mounted upon a stud projecting from the arm ¹¹, of the said tappet lever, which
roller is adapted to be engaged and moved by the cam pl, upon the sliding bar P.
From this description, will be seen that as the sliding bar P, is moved in one
direction through its connections with the casting K, the pusher rod T, is operated
to push the envelope beyond the edge of the guide wire h fairly into the delivery
side of the chain, which operation takes place during each pause in the travel of
the chain, while the movement of the said sliding bar in the other direction operates
the tappet R, to knock the envelopes successively through the bottom of the chain.
The envelopes may, of course be received by suitable delivery mechanism operating
underneath the drying chain, or they may be dropped upon the table and removed,
in bunches, by hand, if desired.
Referring now particularly to the details of the chain, Figures 6 to 8, it will be
seen that each link Z, is composed of two parts z, ', preferably of a shape
substantially as shown. Each of the said portions of the link is provided with
vertical webs w, w¹, which are situated so as to prevent the unsealed flaps of the

page_text: envelope from accidentally passing between the webs of the link, the web w, being
situated on one side of the centre of the portion z, so as to align as nearly as
possible with the vertical centre of the flaps of the envelope when in place on the
delivery side of the chain. Upon the upper part of each of the portions z, consti-
tuting the delivery side of the chain, are formed projecting flanges, or lugs c, which
are adapted to abut against the back of each preceding link so as to hold the body
of the envelope, while in the delivery side of the chain, away from the unsealed
flap, as shown in Figure 10, the envelopes being supported and held up by the guide
wires c¹ which extend throughout the length of the delivery side of the chain,
except only at the point when the envelopes are discharged through the bottom of
the chain. A projection e is formed upon the upper extreme point of the portion 2¹
of each link acting similarly to the flange c. The two links are joined together by
a pintle, or rod a, passing through lugs g, f, formed on the bottom of each link.
The lugs on either of the faces, in the present instance on the forward side of the
links are connected by a flange f', which constitutes a shelf upon which the
envelope rests. The projecting ends of the pintle a slide as heretofore stated, upon
ways, on the two guide frames H as shown clearly in Figure 4. With the joint
formed as thus described, it will be seen that the opening between the links cannot
be greater than substantially a right angle, the preceding link falling by its own
weight as it passes around the sprocket wheel I¹, into the position shown in
Figure 3, at which time the envelope is dropped from the machine between two
links.
Instead of using the form of link first described, we may use that shown in
Figure 9, where the link is shown the full depth of the envelope, in which case the
pusher rod operates in the opening or slot c", between the upper and lower part of
the link; and in such case the link is also recessed to form a shoulder for the guide
wire h as well as to allow the tappet lever to strike the envelope. This construction
of link may be otherwise varied to suit circumstances without materially departing
from our invention.
The advantages derived from the use of a machine constructed and operating in
accordance with the foregoing description are very marked and among them may
be mentioned the following: By using chains capable of carrying two or more
rows of envelopes side by side, we provide a simple and efficient means of drying
envelopes without use of any additional heating devices and we secure great
compactness while the operating parts are exceedingly simple in their nature;
second, by delivering the envelopes positively through the bottom of the chain
instead of through the end, or side, as is the custom, they are less liable to be
twisted, or distorted in the preparation of the bunches; and uniformity of delivery
of the envelopes and bunches is secured; and third, the separate parts are few and
simple and so situated that ready access may be had to them when necessary while
the whole structure combines in itself simplicity and effectiveness of operation and
durability of construction.
We believe that we are the first to provide a chain with a plural capacity, as
herein disclosed, and that we are also the first to strike the envelope through the
bottom of the chain instead of passing it through the end or side thereof, and
therefore while we have shown a specific mechanism, which at the present time we
consider as the preferable form for effecting these two essential purposes, we wish
it to be understood that many variations may be made in the several mechanisms
for accomplishing these fundamental operations without departing from our
invention. For example, it is obvious that while we have shown the mechanism
for intermittently rotating the shaft J, connected with the driving shaft of the
machine, such connections may be made with any convenient rotative part of the
machine; and the particular mechanism for giving motion to the intermittently
rotating shaft may be greatly varied, and the shifting mechanism and the con-
struction of the chain may also be varied without materially departing from our
invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. For drying envelopes the combination with an envelope machine of a chain
composed of a series of links adapted to carry two or more rows of envelopes side
by side and connected together at one end so as to form a closed bottom for
supporting the lower edges of the envelopes at that side of the chain, and free
at the opposite end so as to provide an unobstructed passage to the bottom
delivery of the envelopes carried by that side of the chain, substantially as herein-
before described.
2. The combination with an envelope machine, of a drying chain composed of
a series of connected links, each of which is adapted to hold two or more envelopes
side by side thereon, and means for pushing the envelopes from one side of the
chain to the other, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
3. A drying chain for envelope machines composed of a series of connected
links of plural capacity, one side of each link being provided with means for
supporting the bottom edge of the envelope, and the other side provided with a
flange adapted to press the envelope against the back of preceding link and hold
the body of the envelope out of contact with the unsealed flap, substantially as
herein before described.
4. The combination with the delivery of an envelope machine, of a drying
chain composed of links adapted to hold two or more envelopes side by side, means
for causing the chain to travel around the circuit, mechanism for pushing the
envelopes from one side of the chain to the other at a certain point in the travel
or circuit of the said chain, and mechanism for striking and knocking the
envelopes successively through the bottom of said chain at a given point in its
travel, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. The combination with an envelope machine, of a drying chain having a
receiving and delivery side, a shaft journalled below the delivery rolls of the
envelope machine, or other delivery mechanism, a sprocket wheel on the said
shaft meshing with the links of the drying chain, connections between the said
shaft and the driving shaft of the machine for intermittently rotating the said shaft,
and mechanism for shifting the envelopes successively from the receiving to the
delivery side of the chain, substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. The combination with an envelope machine, of a drying chain adapted to
hold two or more rows of envelopes side by side, mechanism for giving an inter-
mittent motion to the drying chain, mechanism for pushing the envelopes
successively from one side of the chain to the other, whereby the envelope may be
caused to inake nearly two or more than two circuits with the chain, substantially
as herein before described.
7. The combination with an envelope machine, and the guide frames thereof, of
a drying chain adapted to hold two or more rows of envelopes side by side,
mechanism for giving intermittent motion to the drying chain, a bar slidably
mounted upon the guide frames, mechanism for intermittently moving the said bar,
a pusher rod extending diagonally across the line of travel of the envelopes and
connections between the bar and pusher rod for intermittently operating the said
rod, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
8. The combination with the envelope machine, of the guide frames, and drying
chain confined between the same, the intermittently rotating shaft journalled below
the delivery of the machine and provided with a sprocket or spur gear, a casting
loosely mounted upon the said shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to the said shaft,
having a pawl thereon engaging the ratchet wheel, a bar slidably mounted upon the
guide frames and provided with a cam, a pusher rod fulcrummed upon a fixed
part of the device, and extending diagonally across the receiving side of the chain,
adapted to be engaged by the cam upon the sliding bar, substantially as and for
the purpose herein before described.

page_text: 9. The combination with an envelope machine of the guide frame secured
thereto, a drying chain adapted to hold two or more rows of envelopes confined
between the said frames, an intermittently rotating shaft journalled below the
delivery of the said envelope machine. a casting having a pawl thereon loosely
mounted upon the said shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, a sliding bar
actuated from the casting and provided with a cam way mounted upon one of the
guide frames, a tappet lever operated by the cam and extending across the line of
travel of the chain, with means for intermittently rotating the shaft, whereby the
tappet is caused to strike the envelopes successively through the bottom of the
chain, as they pass under the same, substantially as hereinbefore described.
10. The combination with the intermittently moving drying chain, of the tappet
lever fulcrummed upon the chain structure and extending across and above the
line of travel of the envelopes, and normally out of contact therewith, mechanism
for giving motion to the said chain, and means for causing the tappet to strike the
top edge of the envelopes successively as they pass thereunder to knock them
through the bottom of the chain, substantially as hereinbefore described.
11. The combination with an envelope machine or analogous structure, of a
drying chain, a shaft journalled below the delivery of the machine around which
shaft the chain passes, connections between the machine and shaft for intermittently
rotating the same, mechanism operated from the said shaft to shift the envelopes
successively from one side of the chain to the other, and mechanism operatively
connected with the said shaft for striking the envelopes successively through the
bottom of the chain, substantially as hereinbefore described.
12. The combination with the drying chain and the driving shaft therefor, of
mechanism for intermittently rotating the shaft, a bar provided with two oppositely
acting cams slidably mounted upon a fixed part of the drying chain structure, a
pusher rod adapted to be engaged by one of the cams and pivotted to the chain
structure and extending diagonally across the top thereof, a bell crank tappet lever
adapted to be engaged by the other cam and pivotted to the chain structure and
having one arm extending transversely above the chain and normally held out
of contact with the envelopes in the said chain, with connections between the
said sliding bar and shaft, whereby movement of the sliding bar in one direction
as the chain pauses moves the pusher rod to throw the envelopes beyond the
central line of the chain, and movement of the said bar in the opposite direction
operates the tappet lever to strike an envelope through the bottom of the chain,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
13. The combination with a drying chain, of plural capacity of the guide frames
for supporting and confining the links of the chain, guide wires at each side of the
links, guide wires between the receiving and delivery sides of the chain, and the
bottom guide wires on the delivery side of the chain, substantially as herein before
-described.
14. The combination with the chain adapted to carry two or more rows of
envelopes side by side and composed of a series of links hinged together at
one side by pintles or rods, of the guide frames for supporting and confining
the chain having slide-ways upon which the end of the pintles are adapted to
travel, and guide wires at each side of the links and between the adjacent rows of
envelopes for confining the envelopes in their travel with the chain, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
15. A drying chain for envelope machines composed of a series of links, each
adapted to hold two or more envelopes side by side, the said links being provided
at one side with lugs projecting in opposite directions therefrom, with flanges
connecting the lugs ou one of the sides of the links forming shelves upon which
the envelopes may rest, pintles passing through the lugs to hinge the links
together at that side, and flanges projecting forwardly from the top of the
other side of the link, the bottom of said side being open and free from obstruction,
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
16. The combination with an envelope machine, and the guide frames H, H',

page_text: and the guide wires h, secured thereto, of the drying chain adapted to hold two
or more rows of envelopes side by side confined between the same, the shaft
journalled below the table of the machine, the guide frame H, the pusher rod
fulcrummed thereupon, the tappet lever likewise fulcrummed upon the said guide
frame, the guide frames H', and inner guide wires h, being interrupted between
the said shaft and the tappet lever to permit the envelopes to be discharged
through the bottom of the chain and to allow the envelopes to be shifted from
one side of the chain to the other, connections between the machine and the
shaft for intermittently rotating said shaft, with pusher and tappet mechanism,
to push the envelopes successively from one side of the chain to the other and
strike the same through the bottom thereof, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 24th day of June 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.