IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPE MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: "
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON; Fel. Inst. P. A., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, and
323 High Holborn, in the county of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPE MACHINES
(A communication from abroad by Sydney A. Grant of the city of Springfield
county of Hampden and state of Massachusetts, one of the United States of
America, manufacturer) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
envelope machines, the object being to greatly simplify the construction of the
machines for this purpose, and at the same time to embody therein mechanism for
holding and delivering envelope blanks, and for gumming, picking up, folding
and printing the same much more rapidly than has heretofore been done, all as
hereinafter set forth..
In the drawing forming part of this specification, Fig 1 is a side elevation partly
in section, and Fig 2 is a plan view of an envelope- machine embodying the
improvements.
In the drawing A indicates the frame of the machine which supports in suitable
bearings, three principal shafts, B E and D and three inking rollers e e¹ e. The
said inking-rollers are run by a belt running on a pulley on shaft D, and on a
pulley k on the shaft to roller e.
Shaft D is the driving shaft of the machine, and
has on it the usual tight and loose pulleys H.
A gum-box m and a gumming roller m² of the usual description are supported at
one end of the machine.
On the driving shaft D is secured a gear wheel h and a blank table frame b.
The blank-tables y, four of which are arranged on the several sides of the
frame b, are of suitable size and. form to hold piles of envelope-blanks z² and have
projecting from their faces suitable pins within which the blanks are piled, as
shown.

page_text: The blank-tables y are supported upon posts 3, which enter suitable perforations
in the several sides of the frame b and they are adapted to have a movement
therein in a direction at right angles to shaft D.
The movement of posts 3 and tables y outwardly from shaft D is effected by the
springs 4, (or other suitable ones) located in slots in the side of frame b, and
attached at 6, by a pin to posts 3, and at 5 to frame b. If prefered, a spring
may be inserted in the sockets in which posts 3 operate, beneath their ends.
Pins 6 projecting through said slots in frame b prevent posts 3, and tables from
turning.
Y
Two blank-holding rings i are secured to the frame A under each series of
blank-tables y. The ring is open at its upper side, and is adapted to spring
against the piles of blanks z². Each ring i is composed of wire or a narrow band
of metal and is adapted to bear upon the blank piles just within the folding lines of
the end-flaps.
The springs 4, operate to keep 'the tops of the piles of blanks against the
inner face of ring i and to hold up the piles against the pickers as hereinafter
described.
The shaft B has secured thereon a gear-wheel h', which engages with gear hon
shaft D, and also carries the picker and creaser frame a, which is likewise secured:
to, and rotates with it..
.
The frame a has secured within each of its four sides by the screws x two
gummers and pickers o and between each pair of the latter a creaser n, adapted
to be pressed against the blank upon the folding-lines of the back and seal-flap of
the blank, as hereinafter described. One lip of the creaser n is provided with
a printing-platen z whose face is in the plane of the rotation of the face of the
creaser, or of the edges thereof.
The gum-roll m² is so set that the ends of the pickers o when frame a is rotated,
will be carried against its surface. and be made to take therefrom, the. güm
required for securing the flaps of the envelope, in the usual way. It will be seen
that the ends of the pickers o project a little beyond the edges of the creaser: n and
they may be adjusted to proper positions by the screws
The pickers o, are located and arranged on frame a, in such manner that each
time that a pile of blanks 22, is brought around to the opening in spring i, a pair
of pickers is carried against the top blank and they transfer to the latter,.the.gum
required to secure its flaps when they are folded.
A gear which engages with gear 1 is secured on shaft E and thereby the
shafts B and E rotate, with equal velocity, and with the same speed as shaft D,
since the gears hh and h² are of like diameter.
+1
Shaft E has secured thereon the frame c, which carries on its four sides and
within the same, four folding boxes, and four type-blocks 14.
T
The base of the folding box is represented by 19, Fig 2. The end folding-
wings. 7, 7, and the back flap folding wing, 8, are secured to the shaft 9, which are
made to rotate together by the bevel gears thereon. One of the ends of each of
the shafts which carry the end wings 7, has thereon a pinion 13, which engages
with the opposite sides of a double rack 12. The said rack is, caused to have an
intermittent reciprocating motion when frame c is rotated, by bringing one end
thereof, against. the cam 18, which is secured to frame A, near the side of the
frame.c. A suitable spring moves rack 12 in the opposite direction from which
can 18 moves it after it has been carried beyond the latter. Cam 18 operates the
rack 12, to fold the wings 7, 7, 8, against the flaps and said spring to lift them
from the envelope.
It will be seen that one of wings 7, has one side of it cut away to expose a
spot v, on the base of the folding box, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Said spot v,
indicates the position on, said base of the end of the block 14 which bears the
printing-types.
Block 14 is adapted to have a movement in frame c at right angles to shaft E
and before the folding box comes around opposite to the pickers and creasers to

page_text: retire into frame c, bringing its type-face to the same plane of the base of the
folding box, or a trifle beyond. The said type-block has a spring 17, around it
within frame c, and a stud 16, projects from its side through a slot in said frame.
Spring 17, operates to retire the block within the frame.
•
A cam 15, is set on frame A near the side of frame c, and opposite the inking
roller e, and when in revolving, frame c brings the stud 16 in contact with the
border of cam 15, tho type-block is carried outwards, as in Fig 1, so that as its
type-face passes over roller e² it will roll against the latter and become inked. As
soon as stud 16, passes off from cam 15, spring 17, draws the type-block into
frame c.
The operation of the improvements is as follows :-
:
Piles of blanks z³, 2, 2 are placed on the tables y and the gum-box m is
supplied with gum. The machine is started and 'each set of pickers o as they roll
against roller m² take gum therefrom, and then are carried against the piles of
blanks in rapid succession. The spring 4, carries the blank-table towards the
pickers as fast as the pile is reduced in height, so that the top blank is within
contact distance of the picker.
As soon as the pile of blanks passes from under the ring i to the open space at
the top of the latter, the top blank is free to be removed, and each pair of pickers
carries with it a blank from each pile with which it comes in contact, and at once
carries the blank against the folding-box on frame c forcing against the blank the
creaser n, and the platen s on the latter receives the pressure of the type-block on
its face, the latter coming against the blank at the spot on the base 19. The
creasing and printing operation is somewhat similar to the printing of a sheet
between two rotating cylinders. The moment that the blank is brought squarely
against the folding-box, the end of rack 12, strikes cam 18, causing the wings 7, 7,
to swing over on to the base 19 of the folding box, encasing and folding down the
end flaps. The wings 8 are so geared as to move a little after the wings 7, 7, so
that the bottom flap will be folded above the end flaps. This can be accomplished
by a slight difference in the teeth of the gears. As the wings 8 are driven from
the gears which drive wings 7, 7, a very little play or lost motion will permit this.
As all the wings are elastic, this lost motion will be compensated for, when all the
wings are folded down on the envelope, by the spring of the wings 7, 7. The
folding wings close upon the blank, and transfer it to frame c. The seal flap is left
with the fold given to it by one border of the creaser, and is not carried down upon
the other flaps, whereby it would be likely to adhere to them before the gum on it
would have dried. After the blank has been folded as aforesaid, it is carried
around in the direction of the arrow over the frame c until the end of rack 12,
passes off from cam 18, when the wings 7, 7, open and the blank is dropped from
the box or taken therefrom by any of the well-known devices employed for that
purpose.
Thus by the employment of the three simultaneously rotating frames ba and c,
and the above described devices connected with each of them, together with the
gum-roll m² and ink-roll e², four envelopes are gummed, folded and printed at each
revolution of said frames.
To adapt the within-described machine to some classes of envelope-work, the
frames carrying the blank piles, pickers, and creasers, and folding mechanism may
be constructed with a less number than four sets of said devices, or a part of them
may be thrown out of action.
The type-block 14, may be made inoperative by removing the cam 15.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1st. In an envelope machine, one or more blank-tables supported in a rotating
frame and adapted to have an outward movement in the direction of their plane
of rotation, combined with a spring blank-holder open on one side and encircling

page_text: said tables, and adapted to bear against the blanks thereon, substantially as set
forth.
2nd. In an envelope machine, a rotating frame carrying one or more sets of
pickers and creasers substantially as described, one or more envelope-blank tables
to rotate in coincidence, with said pickers, and suitable gumming mechanism
substantially as described to supply gum to the pickers, combined and operating
substantially as set forth.
3rd. In an envelope machine, a rotating frame carrying on its periphery one
or more folding boxes provided with folding wings, and mechanism substantially
as described for operating said wings during the rotary movement of said boxes,
combined and operating substantially as set forth.
4th. In an envelope machine, a rotating frame carrying one or more folding-boxes
provided with folding-wings, a type-block presenting a face in, a plane with the
base of each folding box, an inking roller, and mechanism substantially as described
for operating said wings during the rotary movement of said folding boxes and
for giving said type-block a reciprocating movement in the plane of its rotation
when opposite said roller, combined and operating substantially as set forth.
5th. In an envelope machine a rotating frame carrying one or more folding
boxes provided with folding wings, which fold towards the centre of said frame,
mechanism substantially as described for operating said wings during the rotary
movement of said boxes, and a series of pickers and creasers substantially as
described, adapted to rotate in coincidence with said folding boxes and to carry
envelope-blanks. thereto, combined and operating substantially as set forth.
6th. In an envelope machine, a series of rotating blank-tables, substantially as
described, a series of pickers and creasers substantially as described adapted to
rotate in coincidence with said tables, a series of folding-boxes and wing-operating
mechanism substantially as described, adapted to rotate in coincidence with said
pickers and creasers, and suitable gumming mechanism for supplying gum to said
pickers, combined and operating substantially as set forth.
7th. In an envelope machine a rotating frame carrying one or more folding
boxes provided with folding wings, a type-block presenting a face in a plane with
the base of each folding box, and a series of creasers substantially as described each
having a platen thereon adapted to rotate in coincidence with said type-block to
bring said platens opposite the latter, combined and operating substantially as set
forth.
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