Apparatus for Folding and Sealing Documents

The instant invention relates to document sheets containing a water-activated adhesive that are folded and sealed in a manner that they become converted into sealed document/envelopes which can be mailed by themselves without being inserted into another envelope and which when opened constitute a self-contained document. More particularly, the instant invention relates to apparatus for folding and sealing such document sheets.

Millions of business correspondence forms are utilized in commerce and the like, such as billing invoices, delivery notification, and the like. At the present time, multisheet business forms, some utilizing carbon paper or other means of duplication, are sold by manufacturers and delivered to the users. The forms are removed from their shipping container and inserted in a typewritier or printer which may be operated by a computer. The billing information or the like may be fed into a computer system which operates the typewriter or printer, to place the desired billing information on the forms. Each form may differ in its information, in that the typewriter or printer will insert a different customer with a different address, and a different billing amount (or other information) for each form.

In the above prior art systems, it is necessary for the forms to carry severable, lateral side strips having holes into which the pins of a form feeding sprocket fit, so that there is precise control of the position of the data entered onto the various layers of the business form, which is typically pre-printed. The pre-printed portions must of course be in precise registration with the material which is added by the computerized typewriter or printer.

After the desired information has been entered by the computerized typewriter or printer, the forms are manually severed from each othere, and the side strips with holes are removed. The forms may then be placed in an envelope.

The amount of paper in the side strips generally constitutes approximately 10 percent of the entire paper used in the forms, and thus constitutes a significant waste of paper, since the side strips are discarded. Furthermore, a considerable amount of manual labor is necessary to remove the forms from the typewriter or printer, to separate the forms and insert them into envelopes. Additionally, a significant amount of waste and delay is encountered by the simple step of shipping the blank business forms to the processor, involving the added expense of packaging materials and shipping expenses.

In response to the foregoing problems, a process has been developed for the production of message-containing envelopes in which the message may differ. Because the lateral, removable, perforated portions for alignment are unnecessary, there is a substantial savings in paper. The end product of this process constitutes a sealed, addressed envelope, ready for mailing. The instant invention provides apparatus for folding and sealing single sheets of paper to thereby produce such message-containing envelopes.

Accordingly, the instant invention provides apparatus for folding and sealing seriatim a supply of documents into envelopes, each of the documents containing water-activated adhesive on at least one portion thereof. The apparatus comprises a hoppr for storing a supply of the documents, means for applying moisture to a portion of the documents, and a pair of folding rollers for imparting a fold to the documents. The apparatus further includes a buckle chute for stopping the forward progress of the documents and causing the documents to enter the nip of the folding rollers, means mounted on the buckle chute for applying moisture to an interior portion of the documents, a pair of ironing rollers located downstream of the folding rollers for maximizing adhesive contact of the documents and forming the envelope, and conveying/curing means located downstream of the ironing rollers for holding the envelopes together during transport prior to their release for further processing.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a device for applying moisture to a flexible document containing a water-activated adhesive in accordance with the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a buckle chute in combination with the moisture applying device seen in FIG. 1 showing a paper document entering the buckle chute;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of three moisture applying devices seen in FIG. 1 together with a pair of mounting brackets;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the two sides of the moisture applying device not visible in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the apparatus seen in FIG. 2 except that the paper document has reached the stopping bar of the buckle chute;

FIG. 6 is the same as FIG. 5 except that the paper document is starting its exit from the buckle chute;

FIG. 7 is the same as FIG. 6 except that the paper document has traveled further down the buckle chute and the document is firmly urged against the wick;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the buckle chute and moisture applying device seen in FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the reservoir system used for the moisture applying device of the instant invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic, side, elevational view of apparatus in accordance with the instant invention for folding and sealing seriatim a supply of documents into envelopes;

FIG. 11 is a top, plan view taken on the horizontal plane indicated by the line 11--11 in FIG. 10.

In describing the preferred embodiment of the instant invention, reference is made to the drawings, wherein there is seen in FIG. 2 a substantially vertically oriented buckle chute 10 consisting of a pair of opposing plates 12 and 14 with a space therebetween which defines a document path. The buckle chute 10 also includes an adjustable plate 18 slidably mounted in slots 21 and 23 in the plate 14. The adjustable plate 18 also has a stopping bar 16 secured thereto. The horizontal orientation of the stopping bar 16 can be adjusted by means of a bolt 28 which moves one side of the stopping bar 16 up or down relative to the adjustable plate 18.

Also extending from the adjustable plate 18 are a pair of mounting brackets 22 and 24. Three moistening devices generally designated 20 are located between the brackets 22 and 24 and extend to both sides of the buckle chute 10. Each moistening device 20 includes a reservoir 26 having four ports 28, 30, 32 and 34 on one side thereof which can be utilized in a variety of ways. In the embodiment shown, the ports 28 and 30 and are utilized as inlet/outlet ports for water 36 which is pumped into the reservoir 26 by a pump 38 from a large container of water 40. The ports 32 and 34 are utilized as locators in order to secure each of the reservoirs 26 to each other and to the brackets 22 and 24. FIG. 4 illustrates the side 42 of the reservoirs 26 not seen in FIG. 3 and shows inlet/outlet ports 44 and 46 and locator ports 48 and 50. A rod 52 extending between the brackets 22 and 24 further secures and stabilizes the reservoir 26. A moistening wick 53 extends from the reservoir 26 to the document path between the plates 12 and 14. The wick 53 can be advanced as needed by means of gears 55 and 57 and locator sprocket 59 (see FIG. 1). The gear 55 can be manually rotated.

Each moistening device 20 includes a supporting arm 54 extending from the reservoir 26. A pivotable hammer 56 is pivotably mounted to the supporting arm 54 and extends toward the reservoir 26. A flexible, one-way gate 58 is secured to the lower portion of the hammer 56 for movement therewith. The gate 58 includes an end portion 60 which extends into the document path. A gate deflector 62 is secured to the gate 58 and hammer 56 for movement therewith.

It is to be understood that the buckle chute 10 has associated with it (but not shown) a series of rollers which feed a document 64 up the buckle chute 10 and continue to feed the document 64 after it has reached the stopping bar 16 into another series of rollers which impart the desired fold to the document 64. Such rollers are conventional and their use with buckle chutes is well known. the moistening device 20 is used to apply moisture to a flexible document 64 which contains a water-activated adhesive on some portions thereof. The adhesive portions could be anywhere on the document, and typically in the case of a flexible document to be formed into a sealed envelope, would run along the side of the document 64 and also comprise three areas on the interior of the document 64 somewhat near the marginal edge portions. The moistening devices 20 can be used to apply moisture to the sides of the document 64 as well as to the marginal edge portions. It can be seen in FIG. 3 that the embodiment shown therein is intended to apply moisture to three areas of the document 64 since three moistening devices 20 are employed. It is possible to use one moistener 20 to wet just one area, or as many as desired for the particular document 64 being folded and sealed into an envelope. It should be understood that the moisture can be applied either to the areas containing the water-activated adhesive or to areas of the document 64 lacking such adhesive but which later are brought into contact with such adhesive-containing areas.

FIG. 2 shows the position of the hammer 56, gate 58 and deflector 62 when the document 64 enters the buckle chute 10. As the document is advanced up the buckle chute 10 by the appropriate feed rollers (not shown) the end 60 of the one-way gate 58 is deflected upward by the document 64 as seen in FIG. 5. When the document 64 reaches the stopping bar 16, a buckle is created in an interior portion of the document 64 (not shown) as is well known and the document 64 continues to be fed resulting in the document 64 returning down the buckle chute 10 as seen in FIG. 6. When the document 64 continues to be fed resulting in the document 64 returning down the buckle chute 10 as seen in FIG. 6. When the document 64 is being fed down the buckle chute 10, the gate 60 is engaged by the document 64 and bends around the gate deflector 62, which causes the hammer 56 to be pivoted clockwise as seen in FIG. 7 and urges the document 64 firmly against the wick 53. Continued withdrawal of the document 64 from the buckle chute 10 wraps the gate 58 around the deflector 62 thereby developing even greater friction which in turn creates maximum force from the hammer 56 against the wick 53 and optimum water transfer from the wick 53 to the document 64.

The complete system for the forming of the documents 64 into envelopes 66 is seen in FIG. 10, wherein there is seen an inclined hopper 68 which feeds each of the documents 64 by means of feeder rollers 70, 72 and 74 toward a first buckle chute 76 if two folds are desired and then to the second buckle chute 10. If only one fold is needed, the first buckle chute 76 is bypassed. The folds are effected by feed rollers 79, 81 and 83. A seam moistener 78 is available if it is desired to seal the side seams of the document 64. A pair of ironing rollers 80 and 82 are located downstream of the buckle chute 10 for assuring maximum adhesive contact of the newly formed envelope 66, which is then fed downstream to a conveyor/curing station 84 which holds the newly formed envelop 66 firmly together to allow the adhesive to set and achieve optimum holding force before its release to an accumulation area (not shown).

Although FIG. 10 shows a supply hopper 68 which represents a stand alone configuration of the folding and sealing system, it is possible to use an interface module which would provide the ability to receive documents from other document output machines.

The conveyor/curing station 84 consists of a lower conveyor belt 86 extending across the width of the station 84 and five upper belts 88, 90, 92, 94 and 96 rotatably and 96 move at a substantially slower speed than the ironing rollers 80 and 82 to thereby cause the envelopes 66 to be shingled, i.e., partially overlap one another, thereby facilitating downstream stacking.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as described in the specification and defined in the appended claims.