Apparatus for folding the closure flaps of envelopes and similar articles

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING AND FOLDING THE CLOSURE FLAP OF AN ENVELOPE IN WHICH SIDE AND BOTTOM FLAPS OF THE ENVELOPES HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY FOLDED AND SEALED IN COMPLETING THE BODY OF THE ENVELOPE, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING A PAIR OF COUNTER-ROTATING FOLDING ROLLERS HAVING A PASS THEREBETWEEN, AN INCLINED TRAP ABOVE THE FOLDING ROLLERS AND HAVING A LOWER GUIDE MEANS TERMINATING SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENTIALLY WITH THE PERIPHERY OF ONE THE FOLDING ROLLERS AND HAVING AN UPPER GUIDE MEANS TERMINATING TO PROVIDE AN ENTRANCE TO SAID TRAP, CA FEED ROLLER COOPERATING WITH THE OTHER OF SAID FOLDING ROLLERS TO PROVIDE A PASS INTO SAID ENTRANCE OF THE TRAP THROUGH WHICH THE ENVELOPE IS DIRECTED UNDER DRIVEN CONTACT BY THE SAID OTHER FOLDING ROLLER AND THE FEEDING ROLLER WITH THE FOLDED EDGE OF THE BOTTOM FLAP LEADING INTO SAID TRAP UPON THE LOWER GUIDE MEANS AND WITH THE CLOSURE FLAP TRAILING BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS, LATERALLY SPACED APART LEAF SPRING EXTENDING RESILIENTLY ACROSS THE TRAP TO BE ENGAGED BY THE FOLD OF THE BOTTOM FLAP OF THE ENVELOPE, ROTATABLE CAM MEANS HAVING FLOW LOBE PORTIONS FOR CONTROLLING MOVEMENT OF THE LEAF SPRINGS IN MOVEMENT WITH THE ENVELOPE INTO SAID TRAP TO EXERT A YIELDABLE RETARDING PRESSURE UPON SAID BOTTOM FOLD IN OPPOSITION TO FEED BY SAID FEED ROLLER AND THE OTHER OF SAID FOLDING ROLLERS TO MAINTAIN THE BODY OF THE ENVELOPE IN CONTACT WITH THE LOWER GUIDE MEANS, A STOP RAIL EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID TRAP TO PROVIDE THE ULTIMATE STOP FOR THE ENVELOPE TO ASSURE ALIGNMENT OF THE ENVELOPE WITH RESPECT TO THE FOLDING ROLLERS, RESILIENT PADS CARRIED BY THE STOP RAIL FOR IMPRESS THEREIN OF THE LEAF SPRING FOR CONTACT OF THE ENVELOPE WITH THE STOP RAIL, SAID CAM MEANS HAVING HIGH PORTIONS TO REVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE LEAF SPRING TO START THE ENVELOPE FROM SAID TRAP AND BUCKLE THE CLOSURE FLAP INTO THE BRIGHT BETWEEN THE FOLDING ROLLERS, AND SUCTION MEANS CARRIED BY THE SAID ONE FOLDING ROLLER FOR ENGAGING THE BODY OF THE ENVELOPE NEAR THE FOLD TO BE IMPARTED IN THE BUCKLED CLOSURE FLAP TO CARRY THE BODY OF THE ENVELOPE BETWEEN THE FOLDING ROLLERS FOR FOLDING AND CREASING THE TRAILING CLOSURE FLAP.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING AND FOLDING THE CLOSURE FLAP OF AN ENVELOPE IN WHICH SIDE AND BOTTOM FLAPS OF THE ENVELOPES HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY FOLDED AND SEALED IN COMPLETING THE BODY OF THE ENVELOPE, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING A PAIR OF COUNTER-ROTATING FOLDING ROLLERS HAVING A PASS THEREBETWEEN, AN INCLINED TRAP ABOVE THE FOLDING ROLLERS AND HAVING A LOWER GUIDE MEANS TERMINATING SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENTIALLY WITH THE PERIPHERY OF ONE THE FOLDING ROLLERS AND HAVING AN UPPER GUIDE MEANS TERMINATING TO PROVIDE AN ENTRANCE TO SAID TRAP, CA FEED ROLLER COOPERATING WITH THE OTHER OF SAID FOLDING ROLLERS TO PROVIDE A PASS INTO SAID ENTRANCE OF THE TRAP THROUGH WHICH THE ENVELOPE IS DIRECTED UNDER DRIVEN CONTACT BY THE SAID OTHER FOLDING ROLLER AND THE FEEDING ROLLER WITH THE FOLDED EDGE OF THE BOTTOM FLAP LEADING INTO SAID TRAP UPON THE LOWER GUIDE MEANS AND WITH THE CLOSURE FLAP TRAILING BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS, LATERALLY SPACED APART LEAF SPRING EXTENDING RESILIENTLY ACROSS THE TRAP TO BE ENGAGED BY THE FOLD OF THE BOTTOM FLAP OF THE ENVELOPE, ROTATABLE CAM MEANS HAVING FLOW LOBE PORTIONS FOR CONTROLLING MOVEMENT OF THE LEAF SPRINGS IN MOVEMENT WITH THE ENVELOPE INTO SAID TRAP TO EXERT A YIELDABLE RETARDING PRESSURE UPON SAID BOTTOM FOLD IN OPPOSITION TO FEED BY SAID FEED ROLLER AND THE OTHER OF SAID FOLDING ROLLERS TO MAINTAIN THE BODY OF THE ENVELOPE IN CONTACT WITH THE LOWER GUIDE MEANS, A STOP RAIL EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID TRAP TO PROVIDE THE ULTIMATE STOP FOR THE ENVELOPE TO ASSURE ALIGNMENT OF THE ENVELOPE WITH RESPECT TO THE FOLDING ROLLERS, RESILIENT PADS CARRIED BY THE STOP RAIL FOR IMPRESS THEREIN OF THE LEAF SPRING FOR CONTACT OF THE ENVELOPE WITH THE STOP RAIL, SAID CAM MEANS HAVING HIGH PORTIONS TO REVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE LEAF SPRING TO START THE ENVELOPE FROM SAID TRAP AND BUCKLE THE CLOSURE FLAP INTO THE BRIGHT BETWEEN THE FOLDING ROLLERS, AND SUCTION MEANS CARRIED BY THE SAID ONE FOLDING ROLLER FOR ENGAGING THE BODY OF THE ENVELOPE NEAR THE FOLD TO BE IMPARTED IN THE BUCKLED CLOSURE FLAP TO CARRY THE BODY OF THE ENVELOPE BETWEEN THE FOLDING ROLLERS FOR FOLDING AND CREASING THE TRAILING CLOSURE FLAP.