Envelope filling apparatus

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR FILLING ENVELOPES COMPRISING A SHEET MAGAZINE ADAPTED TO HOLD A STACK OF SHEETS, SHEET FEEDER MEANS OPERATIVE TO GRIP THE BOTTOM MOST SHEET IN SAID STACK AND MOVE IT POSITIVELY TO A FOLDING STATION OF THE APPERATUS, A FOLDING MECHANISM AT SAID FOLDING STATION OPERATIVE TO RECEIVE SAID SHEET FROM SAID SHEET FEEDER MEANS AND FOLD IT TO ENVELOPE SIZE, A STATIONARY FILLING MEMBER, MEANS OPERATIVE TO MOVE SAID FOLDED SHEET FROM SAID FOLDING MECHANISM INTO SAID FILLING MEMBER, AN ENVELOPE MAGAZINE ADAPTED TO HOLD A STACK OF ENVELOPES WITH THE FLAPS OF THE ENVELOPES FOLDED AGAINST THE ENVELOPE BODIES, FLAP OPENING MEANS OPERATIVE TO GRIP THE FLAP OF THE BOTTOM MOST ENGELOPE IN SAID STACK AND MOVED IT ABOUT THE FLAP FOLD LINE PREFORMED IN THE ENVELOPE TO A POSITION LEADING THE BODY OF THE ENVELOPE, FIRST TRANSFER MEANS OPERATIVE TO TRIP AND FLAP IN ITS SAID LEADING POSITION AND MOVE SAID ENVELOPE FLAP FIRST THROUGH A PATH ALIGNED WITH ITS OWN PLANE TO A POSITION AT SAID FILLING MEMBER WHERE IT RECEIVES SAID FOLDED SHEET FROM SAID FILLING MEMBER, SECOND TRANSFER MEANS OPERATIVE TO GRIP SAID ENVELOPE AND SHEET THEREIN AT SAID POSITION AND MOVE THE SAME POSITIVELY AWAY FROM SAID POSITION TO A DELIVERY STATION OF THE APPARATUS THROUGH ANOTHER PATH ALIGNED WITH THE PLANE OF THE ENVELOPE, A DELIVERY MECHANISM AT SAID DELIVERY STATION OPERATIVE TO MOVE SAID ENVELOPE WITH SAID SHEET TEREIN TO A SEALING STATION OF THE APPRATUS, AND MEANS DETECTING THE THICKNESS OF SAID ENVELOPE WITH SAID SHEET THEREIN AS THE SAME IS MOVED ALONG SAID OTHE RPATH AND OPERATIVE UPON THE DETECTION OF A THICKNESS THEREOF VARYING FROM A SESIRED THICKNESS TO RENDER SAID DELIVERY MECHANISM INIPERATIVE SO THAT ONLY FILLED ENVELOPES HAVING SAID DESIRED THICKNESS ARE DELIVERED TO SAID SEALING STATION.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR FILLING ENVELOPES COMPRISING A SHEET MAGAZINE ADAPTED TO HOLD A STACK OF SHEETS, SHEET FEEDER MEANS OPERATIVE TO GRIP THE BOTTOM MOST SHEET IN SAID STACK AND MOVE IT POSITIVELY TO A FOLDING STATION OF THE APPERATUS, A FOLDING MECHANISM AT SAID FOLDING STATION OPERATIVE TO RECEIVE SAID SHEET FROM SAID SHEET FEEDER MEANS AND FOLD IT TO ENVELOPE SIZE, A STATIONARY FILLING MEMBER, MEANS OPERATIVE TO MOVE SAID FOLDED SHEET FROM SAID FOLDING MECHANISM INTO SAID FILLING MEMBER, AN ENVELOPE MAGAZINE ADAPTED TO HOLD A STACK OF ENVELOPES WITH THE FLAPS OF THE ENVELOPES FOLDED AGAINST THE ENVELOPE BODIES, FLAP OPENING MEANS OPERATIVE TO GRIP THE FLAP OF THE BOTTOM MOST ENGELOPE IN SAID STACK AND MOVED IT ABOUT THE FLAP FOLD LINE PREFORMED IN THE ENVELOPE TO A POSITION LEADING THE BODY OF THE ENVELOPE, FIRST TRANSFER MEANS OPERATIVE TO TRIP AND FLAP IN ITS SAID LEADING POSITION AND MOVE SAID ENVELOPE FLAP FIRST THROUGH A PATH ALIGNED WITH ITS OWN PLANE TO A POSITION AT SAID FILLING MEMBER WHERE IT RECEIVES SAID FOLDED SHEET FROM SAID FILLING MEMBER, SECOND TRANSFER MEANS OPERATIVE TO GRIP SAID ENVELOPE AND SHEET THEREIN AT SAID POSITION AND MOVE THE SAME POSITIVELY AWAY FROM SAID POSITION TO A DELIVERY STATION OF THE APPARATUS THROUGH ANOTHER PATH ALIGNED WITH THE PLANE OF THE ENVELOPE, A DELIVERY MECHANISM AT SAID DELIVERY STATION OPERATIVE TO MOVE SAID ENVELOPE WITH SAID SHEET TEREIN TO A SEALING STATION OF THE APPRATUS, AND MEANS DETECTING THE THICKNESS OF SAID ENVELOPE WITH SAID SHEET THEREIN AS THE SAME IS MOVED ALONG SAID OTHE RPATH AND OPERATIVE UPON THE DETECTION OF A THICKNESS THEREOF VARYING FROM A SESIRED THICKNESS TO RENDER SAID DELIVERY MECHANISM INIPERATIVE SO THAT ONLY FILLED ENVELOPES HAVING SAID DESIRED THICKNESS ARE DELIVERED TO SAID SEALING STATION.