Mailing machine

Abstract

An automatic mailing machine which is computer controlled and has facilities for feeding envelopes from a stack of envelopes, and separating the envelopes so that they are fed one at a time onto a platform of a weighing scale. The scale platform has belts which feed the envelopes in a second pass in an opposite direction from the scale back into the machine, wherein this indicia, such as representing postage, are applied thereto. The envelopes are then ejected onto to a platform which can hold a standard mail tray into which the ejected envelopes may be placed. Inasmuch as the envelopes make a double pass through the machine, the space occupied by the machine and scale is reduced. The machine has an envelope separating mechanism including a plurality of pulleys having teeth which are journaled on one way clutching bearings on a common shaft. During the feeding of each envelope, the shaft is actuated to turn in opposite directions so that the envelope being fed from the bottom of the stack is engaged by the gear teeth and driven in a direction out of the machine towards the scale platform, while the next envelope in the stack is engaged by the teeth of another of the pulleys which turn in the opposite direction which holds that next envelope back and prevents it from being fed. The separation is also enhanced by pulsing of feed rollers which engage and drive the bottom envelope in the stack into the separating mechanism. The simple and effective separating mechanism separates the envelopes in their first pass through the machine and does not interfere with the second pass in the opposite direction of the envelopes through the machine for printing and ejection into the stack.

1 . A mailing machine comprising a mechanism whereby envelopes are driven in opposite directions so as to execute a double pass through the machine along one of which the envelopes are separated and along the other of which the envelopes are ejected to a collecting station, after printing of postage or other indicia on the envelopes.  
   
   
       2 . A mechanism for separating envelopes from a stack in a mailing machine which comprises a shaft, a plurality of rollers having teeth along the periphery thereof and mounted on the shaft by one way over running clutches so that when the shaft is driven in a clockwise direction at least one of the rollers turns with the shaft in the clockwise direction, at least another of the rollers turns with the shaft when the shaft is driven in the counterclockwise direction said toothed rollers engaging envelopes at the bottom of said stack and deflecting said envelopes one at a time into engagement with a drive roller which rotates in a sense which directs the envelopes out of the machine, and said toothed roller rotatable in the opposite sense being engagable with the next to bottom envelope of the envelopes of the stack for maintaining said next to the bottom envelope separated from the bottom envelope during feeding thereof.  
   
   
       3 . A mechanism which can be used in a mailing machine and which separates envelopes in a stack for processing in the mailing machine, said separating mechanism comprising a drive roller, a shaft, at least a first and a second toothed pulley coupled to said shaft with one-way overrunning clutches which enable the first and second toothed pulleys to turn with said shaft in opposite senses of rotation, said first pulley engaging a leading edge of an envelope at the bottom of said stack and said second pulley engaging a leading edge of an envelope next to said bottom envelope, said bottom envelope being deflected into feeding relationship with said drive roller, while said next envelope is prevented by said second pulley from moving with said bottom envelope.  
   
   
       4 . A mailing system comprising a pair of mechanisms as claimed in  claim 1  which are mirror images and disposed on opposite sides of the collecting station each of which mechanisms process different envelopes which are separated and printed and can be weighed after separation and before printing.  
   
   
       5 . The mailing machine according to  claim 1  further comprising along said one pass a mechanism for separating envelopes which comprises a shaft, a plurality of rollers having teeth along the periphery thereof and mounted on the shaft by one way over running clutches so that when the shaft is driven in a clockwise direction at least one of the rollers turns with the shaft in the clockwise direction, at least another of the rollers turns with the shaft when the shaft is driven in the counterclockwise direction said toothed rollers engaging envelopes at the bottom of said stack and deflecting said envelopes one at a time into engagement with a drive roller which rotates in a sense which directs the envelopes out of the machine, and said toothed roller rotatable in the opposite sense being engagable with the next to bottom envelope of the envelopes of the stack for maintaining said next to the bottom envelope separated from the bottom envelope during feeding thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The mailing machine according to  claim 1  further comprising along said one pass a separating mechanism comprising a drive roller, a shaft, at least a first and a second toothed pulley coupled to said shaft with one-way overrunning clutches which enable the first and second toothed pulleys to turn with said shaft in opposite senses of rotation, said first pulley engaging a leading edge of an envelope at the bottom of a stack and said second pulley engaging a leading edge of an envelope next to said bottom envelope, said bottom envelope being deflected into feeding relationship with said drive roller, while said next envelope is prevented by said second pulley from moving with said bottom envelope.  
   
   
       7 . The mailing machine according to  claim 1  further comprising a drive mechanism including drive rollers common to said paths, said rollers intersecting said paths generally on diametrically opposite cumferential portions thereof respectively.  
   
   
       8 . The mailing machine according to  claim 1  further comprising a platform at an end of said one path, a weighing mechanism associated with said platform, a belt drive entrained around said platform, said belt drive being reversible to move said envelopes from said platform after weighing along said other path.  
   
   
       9 . The mailing machine according to  claim 1  further comprising means responsive to the weighing of said envelopes for controlling said printing and said mechanism.  
   
   
       10 . The mailing machine according to  claim 1  further comprising a weighing platform at an end of said one path, and a table at an end of said second path said table comprising said collecting station.  
   
   
       11 . The mailing machine according to  claim 1  where said table is oblique to a horizontal plane thereby causing said ejected envelopes to stack one over the other upon collection on said table.  
   
   
       12 . A method for transporting enveloped in a mailing machine comprising the steps of: 
 feeding an envelope along a first path for deposit on a scale; and    driving said envelope from said scale along a second path opposite said first direction, in which said second path is located below said first path.    
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12  further comprising the steps of: 
 weighing said envelop deposited on said scale; and    printing indicia on said envelopes at a location along said second path in accordance with the weight of said envelope.    
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 12  further comprising the step of 
 exiting said envelop from said backward path to a stacking surface with other ones of said envelope when located on said stacking surface.    
   
   
       15 . The method of processing envelopes in a mailing machine comprising the steps of: 
 driving envelopes successively to execute a double pass, each pass of said double pass being in a direction opposite the other;    separating said envelopes from a stack of envelopes so as to travel along in one of said opposite directions; and    printing postage on said envelopes in another of said opposite directions.