JPH028906Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] "Industrial Application Field" The present invention relates to an automatic envelope feeding device that feeds out envelopes loaded on a stacking section one by one.

``Prior Art'' Conventionally, as a device for feeding out sheets instead of envelopes as in the present invention, for example, the device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 49-49643 has been known, but this device has a wall and a support plate. The sheets are stacked in a box surrounded by a torsion spring and are pushed downward by a loader rod, the lowest sheet is fed by a conveyor belt, and this downward force is removed during this feeding operation. It is something.

``Problem that the invention aims to solve'' However, although such conventional devices are effective for sheets with a constant thickness, they can be ,
On the other hand, there are many problems as an envelope feeding device, as there are many cases where thin envelopes are mixed together.
The problem of double feeding could not be completely solved.

In other words, the above-mentioned conventional device first uses the pressing force of a spring called a torsion spring to provide an additional force for frictional engagement between the lowest sheet and the conveyor belt, but the force of this spring causes a mixture of thick and thin sheets. If the gap between stacked envelopes is thick, there will be a large gap, and if the envelopes are thin, the gap will be small and they will stick together. If the strength of this additional force is insufficient, the bottom position and the next two This results in the problem that the second envelope is also unrolled.

Moreover, unlike this conventional device, the torsion spring presses a large number of stacked sheets from above, and the loader rod presses only the tip of the top surface of the sheet corresponding to the conveyor belt. If there is a problem that the pressing force changes depending on the number of stacked sheets, and the additional force is not applied from the center to the rear part of the sheet that does not come into contact with the conveyor belt, it is difficult to apply it to envelopes. In this case, double feeding was more likely to occur.

Furthermore, this conventional device has a feeding cycle in which the loader rod is moved upward to release the pressing force during feeding operation, so there is no problem with the time of frictional engagement between the next sheet and the conveyor belt. In other words, if the pressing force is applied for a long time, the feeding speed decreases and efficiency decreases, and if the pressing force is set too short, the feeding action is performed without sufficient pressing force. .

Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems with the conventional sheet feeding device, the present invention has been devised to repeatedly strike a small number of envelopes to be fed out from among a large number of stacked envelopes using a beating plate on the top surface of the envelopes. Therefore, the present invention provides a device in which the envelopes at the lowest position are given a frictional engagement force that brings them into close contact with the corresponding transfer belt, and can be fed out one by one by being shared with the brake plate.

``Means for Solving the Problems'' This invention consists of a loading section on which a large number of envelopes are placed, an envelope restriction opening formed between the lower end of the front plate and the transfer belt, and an envelope in the lowest position. A horizontally long braking plate biased by a spring so that it can be opened and closed freely in order to feed out the envelopes, and a small number of envelopes that are sent out between the envelope restriction opening and the braking plate and positioned corresponding to the transfer belt, In order to repeatedly strike the drum with a beating electromagnet, the hammer plate includes an extended portion, a lower bent portion, and a bent portion.

"Operation" The present invention moves the upper surface of a small number of envelopes located between the envelope restriction opening and the brake plate in correspondence with the transport belt.
By repeatedly striking the tip of the bent portion of the striking plate using the intermittent excitation force of the striking electromagnet, the envelope at the lowest position is momentarily and intermittently pressed against the transfer belt, thereby bringing it into close contact with the transfer belt. At the same time, the envelope is pushed open against the biasing force of the spring of the brake plate, and the envelope at the lowest position is fed out.

"Embodiment" Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 2, frames 1 and 1 are placed opposite each other, and these frames 1 and 1 are supported by support rods 2 through screws 3, respectively.

Reference numeral 4 denotes side plates fixedly provided on the left and right sides of both frames 1, 1, and the front part of this side plate 4 is formed by a front plate 7 inclined downward as shown in FIG.

A large number of envelopes 6 are placed on a placing portion 5, which is surrounded by the side plates 4, 4 and the front plate 7 and formed into a U-shape in plan.

Furthermore, an envelope restriction opening is provided between the lower end 7a of the front plate 7 and the transfer belt 8, through which a small number of envelopes 6 can pass and be sent out.

The transport belt 8 is placed on the loading section 5 and the envelope 6a at the lowest position is sent out from the envelope restriction opening 9.
A second
As shown in the figure, a driving pulley 10 and a driven pulley 11
There are four wires installed between the two.

12 is a motor provided below the transfer belt 8;
This driving force is transmitted to the transmission belt 15 which is stretched between the pulleys 13 and 14, and by rotating the drive pulley 10, the transport belt 8 is moved in the direction of the arrow Q, thereby moving the envelope 6a at the lowest position. receives the feeding action.

Support rollers 16 and 17 are provided in the middle of the transfer belt 8 to prevent deflection.

In order to feed out only the lowest envelope 6a among the small number of envelopes 6 sent out through the envelope restriction opening 9 of the front plate 7 as the transfer belt 8 is transferred, a horizontally elongated belt that spans the width of the four transfer belts is used. A brake plate 18 is provided above the transfer belt 8 near its end. This brake plate 18 is fixed to a brake shaft 19 horizontally suspended on the frame 1 in a downwardly inclined manner.
At one end, it is biased downward (in the closing direction) by a spring 20 so as to be openable and closable.

Further, a lever 21 is fixed to one end of the brake shaft 19. Although not shown, the brake plate 1
A non-slip piece made of rubber or the like with a large coefficient of friction is attached to the back side (lower side) of 8.

In order to always reliably and smoothly feed out only the lowest envelope 6a by the brake plate 18, a horizontally long hitting plate 22 having the same width as the brake plate 18 is fixed to a hitting shaft 23 horizontally suspended on the frame 1. There is. This striking plate 22 is provided so as to cover the brake plate 18 from above, and includes an extended portion 22a extending from the striking shaft 23 toward the envelope restriction opening 9 side, and a lower bent portion bent downward from the extended portion 22a. Part 22b
Furthermore, a brake plate 1 is provided at the free end of this lower curved portion 22b.
8 and a bent portion 22c that is inclined and bent in the same direction.

The inclined bent shape of the bent portion 22c serves to guide the envelope 6 sent out from the envelope restriction opening 9 toward the brake plate 18 without colliding with the envelope 6.

A beating electromagnet 24 is provided at one end of the beating shaft 23.
A lever 26 connected to the plunger 25 is fixed. When the striking electromagnet 24 is turned on and the lever 26 is rotated against a spring (not shown), the striking plate 22 rotates downward about the striking shaft 23, and the envelope restriction opening is rotated as described above. The upper surface of a small number of envelopes 6 that are sent out protruding from 9 is struck.

Reference numeral 27 is a micro switch which is linked to the lever 26, and when the striking electromagnet 24 is attracted, the power is turned off and intermittent operation is performed, whereby the striking plate 22 is repeatedly struck.

A photo sensor 28 is used to stop the motor 12 upon detection by the photo sensor 28 when it is desired to stop the feeding operation of each letter.

Next, the operation of the envelope feeding device of the present invention will be explained.

First, a large number of envelopes 6 are loaded on a loading section 5 surrounded by side plates 4, 4 and a front plate 7. At this time, each envelope 6 does not have to have the same thickness, and thick envelopes and thin envelopes containing contents may be mixed together.

When a power switch (not shown) is turned on, the motor 12 rotates, and the drive pulley 10 rotates via the pulleys 13, 14 and the transmission belt 15, thereby transporting the transport belt 8 in the direction of arrow Q. Among the stacked envelopes 6 as a result of the transfer by the transfer belt 8, a small number of envelopes 6 that are projected from the envelope restriction opening 9 and sent out come into contact with the brake plate 18 and are stopped.

Next, the striking electromagnet 24 is attracted, returns by turning off the micro switch 27, and repeats this operation to apply a striking action to the striking plate 22 via the plunger 25 and lever 26.

The brake plate 18 protrudes from the envelope restriction opening 9 and is fed out.
By repeatedly hitting the upper surface of a small number of envelopes 6 that are in contact with and blocking the upper surface of the envelopes 6 with the tip of the bent portion 22c of this hitting plate 22, the envelope 6a at the lowest position is momentarily hit by the transport belt 8. The spring 2 of the brake plate 18 is pressed intermittently, and the frictional engagement with the transfer belt 8 increases and the spring 2 of the brake plate 18 is in close contact with the transfer belt 8.
Overcoming the braking force of 0 and pushing it open, the first
As shown by the dashed line in the figure, only one copy (6b) is fed out.

Furthermore, since the friction force of the second envelope 6 from the bottom is smaller than that between the lowest envelope 6a and the transfer belt 8, the envelope 6 does not have the transfer force to pass through the brake plate 18, and the envelope restricting opening 9 It continues to be blocked in the same way as other more protruding envelopes 6, and the lowest envelope 6a is fed out and the next envelope 6 is moved to the transport belt 8.
When it comes into contact with the paper, it receives a similar effect and is fed out one after another.

Since the striking action of the striking plate 22 is continuously performed on a small number of envelopes 6 that have been sent out protruding from the envelope restriction opening 9, the strength of this striking force can be increased even when the envelopes are thick or thin. Since the brake plate 18 is tensioned by a spring 20, it can be pushed open according to the thickness of the envelope containing the contents, so it can be pressed open depending on the thickness of the envelope containing the contents. Even in the case of uniformity, malfunctions such as pinching or double feeding do not occur.

``Effects of the invention'' As described above, according to the invention, firstly, by providing a striking plate that performs repeated striking operations, this striking plate momentarily and intermittently presses the envelope at the lowest position against the transport belt. Therefore, compared to conventional sheet feeding devices that use spring force to press, the additional force of frictional engagement with the transfer belt can be maintained at all times. It can be set strongly and is very effective for envelopes containing a mixture of thin and thick envelopes, and can be used in conjunction with a brake plate that opens and closes with a spring to prevent double feeding.

In addition, in the present invention, the striking action of the striking plate is performed on the upper surfaces of a small number of envelopes located between the envelope restricting opening and the brake plate in correspondence with the transport belt, which is different from the conventional device. Compared to a method that presses only the top surface of a large number of stacked sheets, and only the front end of the sheet corresponding to the belt, the additional force applied to the transport belt by the striking force is constant and strong, and this additional force is This can be done in a sufficient manner relative to the transport belt, and the occurrence of double unwinding of envelopes can be completely eliminated.

Moreover, according to the present invention, repeated and continuous beating can be performed by the intermittent excitation force of the beating electromagnet.
The transfer belt can smoothly apply frictional engagement to the envelopes that are being fed out one after another, and the envelopes can be fed out efficiently.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the bent part of the striking plate is bent in the same direction as the brake plate, so that the small number of envelopes that are projected and sent out from the envelope restriction opening are always smoothly delivered without being interfered with by the striking plate. It has many practical effects such as being able to guide the brake plate.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 1 being a partial vertical sectional view of the device, and FIG. 2 being a plan view with the envelope removed. 5... Placement section, 6... Envelope, 7... Front plate, 8...
...transfer belt, 9...envelope restriction opening, 18...braking plate, 20...spring, 22...beating plate, 22a...
Extension part, 22b... lower bent part, 22c... bent part,
24...Electromagnet for hitting.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] A large number of envelopes 6 are placed on a placing portion 5 formed into a U-shape in plan surrounded by left and right side plates 4, 4 and a front plate 7. A transfer belt 8 that performs a transfer action by being driven by a motor 12 is stretched at a position in contact with the lowest envelope 6a among the envelopes 6a, and the front plate 7 is inclined toward the transfer direction of the transfer belt 8. An envelope restriction opening 9 is formed between the lower end portion 7a and the transfer belt 8, and comes into contact with a small number of envelopes 6 that are sent out and protrudes from the envelope restriction opening 9 among the envelopes 6 placed above,
In order to send out only the envelope 6a at the lowest position,
A horizontally long braking plate 18 is provided so as to be openable and closable by a braking shaft 19 horizontally suspended on the frame 1, and a spring 2 is always attached to the braking plate 18 to tilt it downward toward the transfer belt 8 side.
Further, a horizontally elongated striking plate 22 is provided which is fixed to a striking shaft 23 horizontally suspended on the frame 1 so as to cover the brake plate 18 from above, and this striking plate 22 is attached to the envelope. Extended portion 22a extending toward the restriction port 9 side
and a lower bent part 22b bent downward from the extended part 22a, and a bent part 22c whose free end part is bent in the same direction as the brake plate 18, and the envelope The upper surface of the small number of envelopes 6 located between the restriction opening 9 and the brake plate 18 corresponding to the transfer belt 8 is pressed against the bent portion 2 of the striking plate 22.
The envelope 6a at the lowest position is momentarily and intermittently pressed against the transfer belt 8 by repeatedly striking it with the tip of the envelope 2c using the intermittent excitation force of the striking electromagnet 24, so as to bring it into close contact with the transfer belt 8. An automatic envelope feeding device characterized in that it is configured to perform an action.