Patent ID: 7389624

Claim:
A high-speed envelope transport and packing system comprising: a conveyor for conveying an open envelope having a front wall, a back wall and a flap extending away from the front wall, a packing station for inserting an object into the conveyed open envelope, such that the conveyed open envelope and the object are in simultaneous, same direction motion along the conveyor during insertion of the object into the conveyed open envelope; and a bending member disposed in the packing station; wherein the bending member is configured to impart a bend in the conveyed open envelope by displacing a center portion of the conveyed open envelope and to maintain the bend in the conveyed open envelope until the open envelope is gripped by a gripping device, in such a manner as to provide access to an interior of the open envelope or until the object is at least partially inserted into an interior of the open envelope, wherein a joint between the flap and the open envelope is perpendicular to the conveyor, and wherein the bending member is configured to bend the open envelope about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the joint between the flap and the open envelope.