Title of Invention: Envelope Machine For Small Industrial Use

Background Art In our area, small industries and home peoples make envelopes of commercial use and wedding cards use by using manual envelope machine.\ This machine consists of folding table on machine table, set of wings fitted on shafts for folding the flaps, pedals linked to wings shaft by chain and handle bar fitted with holding blades and gum vessels which moves up and down in hinge. The operator picks up previously cut blank from pile one by one and place it on folding table and align it on four corner guides. The operator then holds the blank in that position by pressing with the holding blades fixed with handle bar. While pressing down with handle bar, vessels fitted on handle bar supplies gum to the gumming area of flaps. While holding the blank with blades, the operator press the first pedal to fold side flaps This is achieved by rotation of wings fitted on shaft which is linked to pedal. The operator then release the handle bar from pressing the blank through blades without releasing the first pedal. While the blank is in grip of side flaps folding wings, the operator press the second pedal to fold the end flaps by rotation of wings fitted on shaft which is linked to second pedal. The operator then release both pedals, The wings return to back position by spring action after completing the folding. This machine has the following advantage over the latest high speed rotary cylinder machine ilt is made for small industries and home use because of low costJ

Less space\ iNo power consumption^

^lt can be used for various types and sizes of envelopes; This manual machine has the following disadvantages ilt involves lot of labour work

Skilled operator is required

Since gumming operation is carried out near folding table, often cleaning by wiping the gum falling on metal wings is required By observing both advantages and disadvantages of this machine, the applicant has invented this envelope machine which is a improved and modified form of background art machine by applying automation to great extent. 009 When I search on Google for such type of machine, .i found the following expired patterns.

- US Pattern No. 58327 dated 25 ^th March 1866

- US Pattern No. 296353 dated 8 ^th April 1884 010 But both these machine have disadvantages of cost and also they are suitable for pointing flap envelopes of a particular size.

Summary of Invention 011 The applicant has invented the machine for home and small industries use which is suitable for various types and sizes of envelopes. It involves less labour work and not much skill required. Cost is low when compared to high speed cylinder machines

Brief Description of Drawings 012 The invention is now detailed with reference to accompanying drawing by way of examples only without limiting the scope of invention.

Figi 013 Fig 1 is orthographic top view/ plan of machine. Some parts are cut away for clarity.

Fig 2 014 Fig 2 is the detached view of primary drive and driven gear

Fig 3 015 Fig 3 is the detached view of secondary drive and driven gear

Fig 4 016 Fig 4 is orthographic left side view of machine ie view direction is marked as A-A in Fig 1. Some parts are cut away for clarity.

Fig 5 017 Fig 5 is the vertical section view along line X-X which covers details of Swing Shaft and its arms. Some parts are cut away for clarity.

Fig 6 018 Fig 6 is the rear view of the machine ie view direction is marked as B-B in Fig 1. This figure covers details of Folding Station. Some parts are cut away for clarity.

Fig 7 019 Fig 7 is the detached view of blank aligning, holding, folding and pressing cams. Fig 8 Fig 8 is the vertical section view along line Y-Y which covers details of Pile Station. Some parts are cut away for clarity.

Fig 9 Fig 9 is the detached view of pile station cam 25.

Fig 10 Fig 10 is the orthographic top view of the folding station which explain how wedding card type envelope are produced in this machine.

Fig 11 Fig 11 is the detached view of cams used to produce wedding card type envelopes.

Fig 12 Fig 12 is the orthographic rear view of machine which shows details of second embodiment of blank aligning, folding, gumming at folding station.

Fig 13 Fig 13 is the detached view of cams used in second embodiment. This machine consists of intermittent drive of primary and secondary shafts (7 and 8). Fig 2 shows primary drive and driven gear. Fig 3 shows secondary drive and driven gear. Primary and Secondary drive gears 3 and 4 with uncut teeth are mounted on main shaft of gearbox 2 output shaft driven by motor 1. Both respective driven gears 5 and 6 fitted on primary and secondary shafts rotate intermittently. The primary shaft 7 along with its parallel shafts 9 and 23S completes operation of gumming, picking up blank at pile station, aligning, folding and pressing at folding station. It remains idle while secondary shaft does operation of picking up the finished blank and feeding the blank at folding station. The secondary driven gear has two uncut teeth steps for stopping the feeder rod while feeding the blank at folding station and while picking up the blank at pile station. This machine as shown in Fig 3 consists of middle swing shaft 42 driven by secondary shaft 8 via bevel gears 41 mounted on two rotavators 45 and 44. The vacuum supplied via solenoid valves operated by limit switches is circulated to feed rod and picker rod suction cups through separate passages provided in middle swing shaft. This machine consists of feeder rod 52 and picker rod 46 attached to respective cam followers 53 and 48 resting on sliding bushes 57 fixed to swing shaft arms over springs. This machine consists of base plate 10 on which wooden folding tablell is fixed has perforated slots so that four square guide supports 21 meant for locating the blank and supporting the metal wings shafts mounting can be adjusted according to the size of envelope.

This machine as shown in Fig 8 consists of four guide screws 28 rising from slotted base support 29 through pile table 30 (Refer Fig 8 and 2) These four guide screws hold the blanks in position with respect to folding table position . It does not allow blanks to turn or slide while lifted by gum feeder boxes and suction cups.

The machine consists of gum feeder boxes 26 and 27 filled with free flowing gum and filtered by suitable mesh cloth at its bottom narrow opening.

The machine consists of rack and pinion assemblies along with lever operated by cams for folding flaps of the blank.

The machine consists of guide platesl6G projecting from cam followers 16F acted by cams 16 to push both bottom side flap A and top end flap C of the blank dropped in folding table so that it locates within four guide supports.

Previously cut blanks with flaps marked as A, B, C and D located between four threaded guide screws 28 extending from pile base plate 29 are placed on table 30. These blanks are lifted one by one by gum boxes 26 & 27 and also by suction cups of Feeder Rod 52. The gum vessels and push rod 38 fitted on moving bush 23 moves up and down on guide rod 22 by movement of the lever 24 pressed by cam 25 driven by shaft 23S. The gum boxes and feeder rod descends down, the suction cups hold the uppermost blank and gum boxes apply gum while it touches and sticks to.it. While moving up, both gum boxes and suction cups hold the blank till feeder rod reaches it level. After leaving the blank in this level, the gum boxes move further up and stay in that position. The sensor 63 coverage area is used to maintain blank level in pile. As soon as pile level comes down sensor gives signal to operate clutch 40 and brake 36 assembly which receives motion from middle shaft 42.

The feeder rod is positioned such that suction cups lift and hold the blank near bottom end flaps and when blank's top end flap side fall by its weight and touches the table it does not disturb its position while swinging.

The feeder rod while moving over the folding table descends down because of cam 51 pushing down cam follower 53 attached to it. At this position feeder rod stops and drops blank at folding table before moves up and starts swinging again to stop at pile station.

Envelope blank dropped by feeder is aligned in folding table by guide plates 16G rising from cam followers 16F operated by cams 16. The guide plates pushes the top end flap C and bottom side flap A of the blank so that it rests within four guide supports 21.

The holding blades 14 starts descending down by movement of cams 12 on hinged levers which lower the moving bushes attached to holding blades. After holding blades hold the blank along the line intersecting ends flaps and body of the blank. The bottom side metal wings 19W starts folding un gummed flap side A of the blank.. Then metal wings 20W operated by hinged lever cam 20 starts folding top side gummed flap B . With wings 20W and 19W in holding position of blanks, holding blades starts moving up and end flap wings 17 W and 18 W operated by hinged lever cams 17 starts folding top end un gummed and bottom end gummed flap. When all wings are in holding position of folded envelope, the pressing plate 15 descends down by hinged lever operated by cam 13 presses gum area at middle of body and near bottom end of envelopes so that gummed areas of blank sticks well. The movement of metal wings for folding the flaps are achieved by action of cams 17, 19 and 20 which pushes the rack up by lever 17L and 18L , 19L and 20L respectively and the rack rotates the respective pinion attached with wing shafts. The detached view of cams 17,19 and 20 are shown in Fig 7. The picker rod 46 which rotates along with feeder rod mounted in middle shaft descends down at folding table while swinging to pick up folded envelope. The picker rod drops folded envelope at discharging conveyor 64 where it is further pressed by passing through pressing roller 65. The dropping of folded envelope at discharging conveyor by picker rod and dropping the blank at folding table by feeder rod are done simultaneously when picker rod pushes limit switch 49. The Limit Switch can be mounted on gear box output shaft of gearbox 2. The plate 10 supporting the folding table and square guides are provided with sufficient holes and slots so that it can be used for different sizes blanks for making different types and sizes of envelopes. The supports 55, 56, 58 and 59 are provided with slots so that it can be adjusted as per the size and type of envelope. Also Feeder Rod and Picker rod are provided with sufficient openings to fix suction cups according to the size and type of envelope. The machine as shown in Fig 10 can be used for making the wedding card envelopes in which gum is applied at both sides of flap A, The end flaps C & D are folded first by action of cams 17 after holding the blank at line intersecting body of the blank with side flaps. For this purpose holding blades are moved by lever 12L operated by cam 12A. when end flap wings are in holding positing of the blank, holding blades moves up and side flap A with gum is folded and stay in position just before reaching complete folding position by cam 19A. The side flap B without gum is also folded by action of cam 20A and stays in position before reaching complete folding position. The metal wings 19W and 20W complete the folding action after end flap wings starts returning to original position. The pressing plates attached to levers 13L presses the gum area by cam 13 before picked up by picker rod. The detached views of cams 12A, 13, 17,19A and 20A are shown in Fig 11. The second embodiment of blank aligning, folding and gumming is explained in Fig 12. Aligning of blank is done by the metal wings 16W fitted on shafts 16 rotated by bosses 16B which is pulled by chains 16C when hinged lever is pressed by cam 16. Folding of the flaps of blanks is carried out in the same manner when cams 17, 19 and 20 press the hinged levers. Gum Boxes are mounted such that they descends down along with holding down and apply gum in the gum area of flaps. When holding blades press the body of the blank, side top flap B rises and touches the bottom of the gum box 27 so that gum is applied properly in gum area. Holding blades and pressing plate can be mounted directly on hinged levers along with gum boxes. In such case the pressing plate first descends down when operated by cam 13A and push the body of the blank so that it holds the body of the blank before holding blades which are in inclined position do not disturb blank position starts pressing the blank. The pressing plate comes down again after flaps are folded to press the gum area. This second embodiment is to reduce machine cost further in which feeding the blank and picking up the folded envelopes and dropping them in conveyor are done manually.