Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Background o~ the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for producing
self-mailers. More particularly, it relates to apparatus
for printing, folding and sealing a Xorm sheet to prepare a
self-mailer.
` 30 Sel~-mailers, that is ~orm sheets on which may be
printed add~ess information:a~d message in~ormation and then
folded and sealed to ~oxm a mail piece,. are well known.
U. S. Pat.~No. 3,995,808; to:: Rehoe; ~or: UNIT CO~NT~INING
VARIABLE MESSAG~S; issued: Dec~mber 7, 1976 discloses a
Eorm sheet which may be used to prepare a sel -mailer.: In
the Kehoe patent, a foxm comprising first portion which is
folded about ~ seccnd portion to form a~ envelup~:co~taining
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a secorl~ portion, on which a message may have been printed,
is disclosed. In one embodiment taught b~ Kehoe, a web of
paper stock is first printed~ then appropriately cut and
perforated, then adhesive is applied, then the web is folded
a]ong lines parallel to the direction of motion to f orm a
continuous web of sealed envelopes, and the sealed envelopes
Cllt to ~orm separate mail pieces. While perhaps ef~ective
to produce great numbers of mail pieces from main frame
computer output, it is readily apparent that, particularly
lo because of the manner in which the paper stock is folded and
then separated, the apparatus of Kehoe must be physically
very large to prevent tearing of the paper stock during
folding, as well as to provide for the additional steps of
cutting and perforating and applying of adhesive. Kehoe
does briefly disclose that single sheet forms may be printed
on what Kehoe refers to as a computer-control copier~ then
folded and perEorated and then placed in a window envelope.
INote Kehoe, Col. 7, lines 51-62) This clearly teaches away
~rom the use of ~orms of Kehoe as a one-step self-mailer in
- 20 an office environment.
U. S. Pat. No. ~,701,233; to: Beck et al.; for:
METHOD FOR FOLDING AND SEALING SHEETS; issued: October 20,
1987 discloses an apparatus for use with a facsimile system
to assure privacy of a received document. A facsimile
document is printed with message information in one portion
and with the identity of the in~ended recipient in another
portion, and then output to a folding and sealing apparatus.
The document is then folded so that the message is not
vislble and the portion containing the identity is folded
back to be visible. Means are provided ln the apparatus of
Beck et al. for selectively bypassing the folder sealer.
While Beck et al. does produce a document which is
folded and sealed, it does not, however, produce a
sel~-mailer as contemplated by the subject invention since
Beck et al. does not produce anything which could be
considered an envelope surrounding the messaye portion.
- U. S. Pat. No. 4,202,621; to Yoshimura et al.; for:
RECQ~DING DEVICE; issued: May 13, 1980 discloses a
xerographic copier which selectively outputs o~ersized
copies to a ~older for folding for easier s-torage. Again~
it is clearly apparent that Yoshimura et al. does not
produce a self mailer.
Thus, it is an object of the subject invention to
provide an apparatus for printing, folding and sealing a
form sheet to produce a sel-E-mailer.
It is another object of the subject invention to
provide such an apparatus which is suitable for use with a
personal computer.
lo It is still another object of the subject invention to
provide such an apparatus which is compact and suitable for
use in an office environment.
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Bri.eE Summary o _ he Invention
The above objects are achieved and the disadvantages of
the prior art axe overcome in accordance with the subject
inven-tion by means of an apparatus ~or preparing a
self-mailer which includes a printer, responsive to text
signals de~ining information to be printed, for printing a
~orm sheet with address information in a first portion, and
a folder which receives the form ~heet from the printer and
folds the ~orm sheet to prepare the sel-mailer in such a
lo manner that the self-mailer includes an envelope imprinted
on its outer surEace with the address and which encloses a
second portion of the form sheet, and which also includes a
tear-off strip whose removal separates the second portion
from the envelope and simultaneously opens the envelope.
In a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, the
printer is positioned above the folder and outputs the
printed form downwards towards the folder, and the folder
further includes apparatus for sealing the folded form sheet
to prepare the self-mailer, and a transport for transporting
2~ the Eolded and sealed self-mailer t~ an outpu-t; the
transport extending beneath the printer so as to reduce the
"footprint" of the apparatus.
In another preferre~ emhodiment of the subject
invention, the apparatus includes a sheet feeder for
selectively feeding either a form sheet or a sheet o~ letter
stock in response to feed selection signals Erom a computex,
a diverter for selectively directing the output of the
: printer either to the folder or to an alternative output for
unfolded output, and a controller responsive to the feed
selection signals for directing the output to the folder
when the sheet feeder Eeeds a form sheet and to the
alternative output when the sheet feeder feeds letter stock.
In still another preerred embodiment of the subject
invention, the folder includes a central roller, a first
roller forming a first nip with the central roller for
capturing an input form sheet, a final roller forming a
: Einal nip with the central roller for transporting a
self-mailer along an exit path, the exit path crossing the
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input path, and folding apparatus disposed intermedia-te the
~irst and final rollers.
Thus, it can be seen that the subject invention
advantageously achieves the above objects; particularly in
that it produces an easily openable mail piece which is
substantially similar to a conventional letter stock and
envelope mail piece, and in that its novel con~iguration
provides an apparatus which is compact and suitable for desk
top use in an ofice environment.
o Other objects and advantages of the subject invention
will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from
consideration of the attached drawings and the detailed
description set forth below.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 shows the obverse side of a one piece form sheet
which may be printed, folded, and sealed ta prepare a
self-mailer by apparatus in accordance with the subject
invention.
Fig. 2 shows the reverse side of the form sheet of Fig.
1.
Fig. 3 shows a rear elevation, partially broken away,
of apparatus in accordance with the subject invention.
Fig. 4 shows a section taken along lines A-A of the
apparatus of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of a control
system for apparatus in accordance with the su~ject
invention.
Figs. 6-8 show a schematic representation of a portion
of the operation of apparatus in accordance with the subject
inven~ion.
Fig. 3 shows the form sheet of Figs. 1 and 2 after the
operation of Figs. 6-8.
Figs. 10-12 show the following portion of the operation
of apparat:us in accordance with the subject invention.
Fig. 13 shows the form sheet of Figs. 1 and 2 after
final folding and sealing.
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Fig. 14 shows a Elow chart of the operation o~ the
contro~ler of Fig. 5 in controlling a folder in accordance
with the subject invention.
Fig. 15 shows a flow chart of -the operation of the
controller of Fig. 5 in controlling a transport in
accordance with the subject invention.
Fig. 16 shows a flow chart of the operation of the
controller of Fig. 5 in controllin~ a diverter for directing
-the output of a printer in accordance with the subject
o invention.
Figs. 17 and ~8 show a moistening apparatus useful with
apparatus in accordance with the subject invention.
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Detailed ~escrip-~ion o~ Pre~erred Embodiments
Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the obverse side of a form
s~leet 10, which apparatus in accordance with the subject
inventîon may printr fold and seal to prepare a self-mailer,
as will he described further below. Form sheet 10 is
described in more detail in commonly assigned, co-pending
application Serial No. 3561149, ~iled May 24, 1989 (C-543).
Form sheet 10 includes a substantially rectangular upper
portion 20 bounded at its lower edge by a fold line Fl.
Upper por-tion 20 also includes a second transverse fold line
F2-1 parallel to line Fl and connecting the mid-points of
its lateral edges. Form ~0 is weakened in portion 20 by
tear lines Tl and T2 located para-lel to and e~ually spaced
below the upper edge of portion 20 and Eold line Fl.
Adhesive 29 is applied in a strip adjacent to the
lateral and upper ed~es of portion 20 to seal form 10 after
folding, as will be described further below.
Form 10 also includes a lower portion 30 for printing
message information. At its upper edge, lower portion 30 is
connected to connecting portion 40 along tear line T3 and
also includes fold line F2-2 connecting the mid-points of
the lateral edges of portion 30.
Connecting portion 40 extends from Eold line Fl to tear
line T3 to connect upper portion 20 and lower portion 30.
Fig. 2 shows the reverse side of form 10. Lower
portion 30 is printed with message information 50,52 on the
reverse side. For example, message information 50 may be a
bill or invoice, and message information 52 may be
information for a return portion to be returned with
payment. Upper portion 20 is printed between fold line F2-1
and tear line T2 with address information 54 and return
address information 56, franking information 58, such as a
penalty mail permit number, and bar code information 60 to
Eacilitate handling by the postal service.
Turning to Figs. 3 and 4, a preferred embodlment of the
subject invention is shown. This embodiment comprises a
substantially conventional printer o~ the type which is
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known Eor printing output Erom a personal computer, and
preEerably is a laser printer such as those manufactured by
the Hewlett-Packard Company under the trade name "Laser
Jet". As will be described further below, minor
modifications have been made to printer 100 to facilitate
its incorporation into the described embodiment of the
subject invention. Other than these modifications, the
operation of printer 100 is conventional and well
understood. Accordingly, only details of the operation of
printer 100 necessary for an understanding of the subject
invention will be descrlbe further.
Printer 100 include a pair of input trays 102u,1021 for
input of sheets stock. Trays 102u and 10~1 are mechanically
coded to indicate the type of sheet stock contained in each
tray, and therefoxe, in accordance with the subject
invention, orm sheet 10 may be fed from either tray 102u,
ox 1021, while the other is used ta feed conventional letter
stoc~.
Assuming that a form sheet 10 is selected and printed,
in a conventional manner, with information as shown in
Fig. 2; after printing form sheet 10 is urged along path 104
by final rollers 108 to exit printer 100 below deflector
; 110, which is shown in a raised position. As will be
; described below, if standard letter stock is selected, or if
a jam is detected, deflector 110 is switched to its lower
posi-tion to output a sheet along path 112 to upp~r output
tray 114.
Printer 100 also includes a conventional sensor PO, to
detect when form 10 is output by printer 100 and clear of
rollers 108.
As it is printed by printer 100, form 10 progresses to
folder-sealer 200 for preparation as a self-mailer.
In order to adapt printer 100 to the embodiment of the
subject invention shown, printer 100 is modified by the
addition oE manual input guides 202 for manual input of form
sheets 10 to folder-sealer 200 and by adapting diverter 110
Eor control by solenold 204 and operating shaft 206, which
is preferably made flexible to allow the cover of printer
100 to open.
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~s form sheet 10 is output by printer 100, it is guided
along path 209 by guides 210 to fQlding apparatus 220.
Foldin~ appara-tus 220 includes a central rollex 222,
which is preferably formed by an elastomer, around which are
arranged in peripheral contact a first, alignment roller,
which captures and aligns foxm sheet 10 in a known manner; a
second, urge roller 226; a first, fold roller 228, which
folds form sheet lO along line Fl; and a final fold roller
232, which folds form sheet 10 along lines F2~ 2.
Rollers 224, 226, 228, and 232 are held in tangential
contact with central roller 222 by a conventional garter
spxlng 234 and are conventionally mounted to allow radial
displacement against the res~oring force of spri~g 234 as
form sheet 10 passes through folder 220.
Mechanisms 236 are positioned between rollers 224 and
226 ~o moisten the lateral edges of upp~r portion 20 of form
sheet 10 as it is folded to prepare a self-mailer. Guide
237 extends between sealing mechanisms 236 to form rolling
loop L (Fig. ~) in form sheet 10, as will be descrîbed
below. ~n the embodiment shown, mechanisms 236 are
mo.isteners for moistening glue strip 2~ along the lateral
edges of upper portion 20, but it is also within the
contemplation of the subject invention thàt form sheet 10
may be sealed by the application of a glue during the
foldirlg and sealing process, or by other means.
A similar, but extended, sealing apparatus 238 is
provided to seal the upper, transverse edge of upper portion
20 of form sheet 10. Water ~or sealing mechanisms 236 and
238 is provided by fluid supply system 240.
Supply System 240 maintains two separat~ hydxostatic
heads for sealing mechanisms 236 and 238, which are at
separate heights, in a conventional manner which is
described in U. S. Pat. No. 2,374,076; to ~urckhardt et al.,
which is hereby incorporated by reference.
After passing sealing mechanism 236, form sheet 10 is
urged by roller 226 into buckle chute 250 until it reaches
stop 254, and buckles and is captured by the nip of first,
fold roller 228 which folds form sheet 10 and urges it into
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buckle chute 254 until it re~ches stop 256 and buckles in~o
the nip of final, fold xoller 232 for ~inal ~olding.
Fo'lder 220 also includes sensor FI -to detect the inpùt
of form sheet 10 and sensor FO to de~ect the output of ~orm
sheet 10, and is driven by motor Ml.
After final folding, form sheet 10, which is now Eolded
and sealed to prepare a self- mailer, is urged by final
roller 232 to transport mechanism 260 which transports form
sheet 10 along a path extending below printer 100. As can
lo be seen from examination o-f Fig. 4, an important feature of
the subject invention is the arrangement of folder 220 so
that the input path 209 and output path 261 cross at an
angle substantially equal to, or greater than, 90 degrees.
This arrangement allows transport 260 to extend back beneath
lS printer 100 in an arrangement which allows transport 260 to
provide suEficient transport time so that the seals o~ form
sheet 10 will have time to firmly adhere without
substantially increasing the surface area occupied by the
apparatus o~ the embodiment shown. This is a particularly
important advantage in desk top office equipment where the
"foot print'l occupied is a critical feature.
Since input path 209 crosses exit path 261, folder 220
is designed with the circumference of central roller 222
greater than the length, after folding and sealing of form
10, so that the leading edge of form 10 will not interfere
with the trailing edge as form 10 is output from folder 220
after folding and sealing. Also, to assure jam-free
operation, motor Ml drives folder 220 at a rate sufficiently
great with respect to the pxinting rate o~ printer 100 that
~orm 10 will not interfere with the next su~cessive form
even when printer 100 is printing forms at its maximum rate.
Transport 260 is substantially a conventional transport
o~ a type well known~in the mail pro~essing art for the
transport of mail pieces and need not be discussed in detail
here ~or an understanding o~ the subject invention.
Transport 2G0 is driven by motor M2 at a rate selected to
allow sufficierlt time for adhesive 22g to adhere securely.
This is achieved by operating transport 260 at a speed
slower than the printing speed o~ printer 100, and providing
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~ lengtll great enough so that transport 260 may contain two
or more mail pieces ,simultaneously. Transport 260 also
includes final squeeze rollers 262, to assure a good seal of
form 10, and sensors TM and TO.
After ~olding and sealing and transport form 10 is
output as a self-mailer into lower output tray 264.
Fig. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of the control
fo~ the system of the preferred embodiment of the subject
invention. Controller 270 is based on a known, commercially
lo available microprocessor, which is preferably a Intel Model
80196, and ~onitors control signals between printer 100 and
computer 300. Controller 270 also receives inputs from
sensors PO,FI,FO,TM, and TO. Controller 270 monitors the
control signals exchanged between printer 100 and computer
300 to determine when a copy of a form sheet 10 is to be
printed and otherwise passes the signals without
modiication so that printer 100 is controlled by computer
300 in a purely conventional manner as is well understood by
those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that
computer 300 transfers data fo~ one or more pages of t~xt to
be printed by printer 100 to printer buffer 120. When
cont,roller 270 determines that a copy of form 10 is to be
printed and prepared as a self-mailer it responds to inputs
from sensors PO,FO,FI,FO,TM, and TO ~o control motors Ml and
M2, and deflector 110 through solenoid 204 to operate ~older
sealer 200 as will be described below.
Turning now to Figs. 6-13, the operation of folder 220
will be described in further detail. In Fig. 6 form 10
advances along path 209 guided by guide 210 until it
encounters ~he circumference of roller 224. Form 10 then
slides across the circumference of roller 224 until it is
engaged in the nip formed between roller 224 and central
roller 222. At this time folder 220 is jogged to engage the
leading edge of form 10 and the nip between rollers 222 and
~24, assuring that the leading edge of form 10 is aligned
parallel to the axis of rollers 222 and 224, in a
conventional alignment operation well known to those skilled
in the axts. Any skew in the direction in which form 10 is
input to folder 220 will be absorbed by bulge B which forms
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downstream oE the leading edge of ~orm 10 ater it is
eng~ged by the nip.
To Eacilitate alignment of form sheet 10, roller 224
pre~erably will have a hard smooth surface so that form
s sheet 10 will slide smoothly across the surface of roller
224 into the nip. Prefera~ly roller 224 is machined from a
metal such as aluminum to obtain these characteristics.
Fig. 7 shows the next step in the folding and sealing
operation which begins after form 10 is clear from rollers
lo 108. At this time, ~older 220 begins continuous operation
and Eorm 10 advances until it contacts guide 237 and
moisteners ~36 where it is deflected into the nip fQrmed by
roller 226 and central roller 222 which urges form 10 into
buck].e chute 250. Guide 237 extends between moisteners 236
and is contoured to establish a rolling loop L (E'.ig. 7)
spaced from roller 222 in foxm sheet 10 which directs form
sheet 10 into the nip formed by roIlers 226 and 222. Loop L
assures that moisture is not transferred to the surface of
roller 222 by moi`steners 236. To assure that form sheet 10
moves through both nips at the same rate, and Loo~ L is
therefore maintained, roller 226 prefera~ly has the same
characteristics of smoothness and hardness as roller 224.
Note that form 10 is fed with lower portion 30 leading so
that while it is deflected by guide 237, no moistening
action takes place until upper portion 20 advances across
~ moisteners 236.
: Buckle chutes 250 and 254 are preferably opened,
curved, one-sided buckle chutes, as described in U. S. Pat
No. 4,834,699, which is hereby incorporated by reference~
Fig. 8 shows form 10 urged into buckle chute 250 by
roller 226 until the leading edge reaches stop 252. Just
privr to this point upper portion 20 has reached moistener :
236 and moisture is being applied to adhesive 29 along the
late.ral edges of upper portion 20. Roller 226 continues to
urge ~orm 10 against the resistance of stop 252 until form
sheet 10 buckles at fold line F1 into the nip formed by
rollers 228 and 222. At this point form sheet 10 has been
folded once along fold line F1, as is shown in
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Fig. 9, with the obverse sides o~ upper portion 20 and lower
p~rtion 30 in contact.
In Fi~. 10 roller 228 continues to urge form 10, now
folded once, into buckle chute 254 until the leading edge,
i.e. ~old line Fl, reaches stop 256. As roller 228
continues to urge form sheet 10 against the resistance of
stop 256, form sheet 10 buckles into the nip formed between
central roller 222 and roller 232 at fold lines F2-1 and
F2-2.
lo In Fig. 11 form sheet 10 is captured by rollers 232 and
222 and drawn away from the concave sur~ace of buckle chute
254 and into contact with moistener 238 so that moisture is
applied across the length of connecting portion 40.
In Fig. 12 form sheet 10 ls urged along exit path 261
by roller 232. As can be seen in the detail, connecting
portion 40, which has been moistened, is brought into
contact with adhesive 29 along the trailing lateral edge of
upper portion 20 and tear lines Tl, T2, and T3 are aligned.
Fig. 13 shows form sheet 10 as ~olded and sealed to
~ form a self-mailer.
Fig. 14 shows a flow chart of the operation of
controller 270 in controlling motor Ml. At 400 controller
270 monitors sensor FI to determine if form sheet 10 is at
the input to folder 220. Controller 270 continues to loop
through 400 until form shee.t lO is detected at sensor FI.
; Controller 270 then delays for a predetermined period, which
may be easily determined by calculation or mea~urement for a
particular system, to assure that form sheet 10 is engaged
by the nip of central roller 222 and first, alignment roller
224. After the delay, controller 270 operates motor Ml to
jog folder 220 to assure tha~ form sheet 10 is engaged b~
the nip of rollers 222 and ~24, thus assuring alignment of
form sheet 10, as described above. Then at 404 controller
270 monitors the input from sensor PO to determine if form
sheet 10 is clear of rollers 108. Controller 270 continues
to loop through 404 until it determines that sensor PO is no
longer blocked by form sheet 10 and then at 408 runs motor
Ml to operate folder 220. As noted above~ folder 220 is
operated at a rate chosen sufficiently great so that even if
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a second ~orm sheet is immediately printed, form sheet 10
will be folded and sealed and output to transport 260
without interference. Then at 410 controller 270 monitors
sensor FO to determine if form sheet 10 is clear of folder
~.20. Controller 270 continues to loop through 410 until
sensor FO is blocked then unblocked by form sheet 10, then
at 412 stops mo-tor M1 and returns to 400 to await input of
the next form sheet.
Fig. 15 shows a flow chart of the operation o~
cvntroller 270 in controlling motor M2 which drives
transport to 60. At 420 controller 270 determines if form
sheet 10 blocks sensor FO and thus is at the output of
folder 220. Controller 270 continues to loop through 420
until form sheet 10 blocks se~sor FO and then at 422
controls motor M2 to start. Then at 426 controller 270
tests to determine if transport 260 is empty. That is
controller 270 monitors sensors TQ and FO to determine if
form sh~et lO has been output through squeeze rollers 262 to
lower output tray 264 and no following form sheets have been
sensed by sensor FO. As discussed above, transport 260
operates at a slower speed than printer 100 so as to allow
time ~or adhesive 29 to adhere properly, and accordingly is
designed to transport two self-mailers simultaneously.
Controller 270 loops through 226 until it determines that
transport 260 is empty and then at 228 stops motor M2 and
returns to 420 to await the input of the next form sheet.
Fig. 16 shows a flow chart of the operation of
controller 220 in controlling deflector 110 through solenoid
204 and flexible operating rod 206. At 430 controller 270
monitors sensors FI, FO, TM, and TO to determine if there is
a jam in folder sealer 200. A jam is detected when form
sheet 10 blocks one of these sensors and ~ails to unblock
the sensor within a pxedetermined time, or if after form
sheet lO is detected at one sensor it is not detected at the
next sensor within a predetermined time. Appropriate times
may be determined for particulax systems by a simple
calculation or measurement. If no jam condition is detected
at 430, then at 434 controller 270 monitors the command
signals transmitted between computer 300 and printer 100 to
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de-termine if the next item to be printed is a letter, i.e.
is not a copy of ~orm sheet 10. If -the next item to be
printed is to be printed on letter stock, at 436 controller
270 sets deflector 110 so that the letter stock is diverted
alollg path 112 ~o upper output tray 114 in a conventional
manner. If the next item is to be printed on form sheet 10,
then at 440 controller 270 clears deflector 110 so that form
sheet 10 will be processed as described above.
Returning to 430, if a jam is detected then at 442
controller 270 sets deflector 110, signals computer 300 to
stop transmitting data and stops motors M1 and M~ to halt
folder sealer 200. However, since printer 100 may contain
data or printing additional pages in its buffer 12Q,
pri.nter 100 will continue to print in a conventional manner
lS u.ntil buffer 120 is empty. Since deflector 110 is set,
these pages will be diverted rom folder sealer 200 along
path 112 to uppe~ output tray 114. At 446 controller 270
determi.nes that buffer 12.0 is empty and then at 448 clears
de~lector 110 then ~tops at ~50 until the jam is cleared.
Thus, it can be seen that even in the event a jam
occurs in folder sealer 200, the data for successive forms
.in buffer 120 will not be lost.
Once the jam has been cleared from folder sealer 200,
the operator may manually restart folder sealer 200 and take
the successive form sheets from upper output tray 114 and
manually insert them into ~older sealer 200 along input path
209 using guides 202. Guides 202 are set equal in width to
the width o~ upper portion 20 of form sheet 10 and will
align form sheet 10 with input guides 210 as though form
sheet 10 had been output by printer 100. The curve in
guides 202 shown in Fig. 3 is advanta~eous in two ways, it
stiffens form sheet 10 against lateral forces; helping to
assure that form sheet 10 will be properly aligned when
manually inserted, and it facilitates manual insertion of
form shee~ 10 by an operator standing in front of the
appaxatus .
Figs. 17 and 18 show a schematic representation of the
: moistening system of the preferred embodiment of the subject
invention. As descrihed in:the above cited U. S. Pat. No.
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2,374,076, fluid supply system 240 maintains two reservoirs
240-1 and 240-2 Eor supplylng moistening apparatus 238 and
236 respectively. As shown, reservoir 240-1 wlll vary
between levels Ll and L2, while rese.rvoir 240-2 will vary
between levels L3 and L4.
Moistening apparatus 238 is co~nected to reservoir
240-1 by fluid supply tubing 238-1. Apparatus 233 comprises
a roller 238-2 mounted in a trough 238-4 provided in the top
of hody 238-8. Roller 238-2 may be smooth to minimize
o transfer of adhesive from form 10 to apparatus 238, and is
prefexabl~ formed with a hydrophillic surface to assure
adequate moistening. The length of roller 238-2 and 238-4
is substantially equal to the width of connecting portion 40
of form sheet 10 and a bevel 238-9 is provided in body 238-8
to facilitate moistening of connecting portion 40 as form
sheet 10 is withdrawn from buckle chute 254 as shown in Fig.
~1. Body 238-8 also contains primary reservoir 238-10 which
is connected to trough 238-4 by capillary tube 238-12.
Capillary tube 238-12 is approximately 0.060 inches wide and .
extends substantiall~ for the full length of trough 238-4.
Reservoir 240-1 is so designed and positioned that level Ll
is suEficiently high that primary reservoir 238-10 is
maintained full and the length of capillary 238-12 is chosen
~ with respect to level L2 so that level L2 is approximately
; 25 at or below the bottom of trough 238-4.
Thus, meniscus of water M is maintained at a
substantially constant level in the bottom of trough 238-4
` to moisten roller 238-2. As form sheet 10 moves across
- roller 238-2 the roller rotates through meniscus ~ and picks
up a substantially continuous sheet of water to moisten
connecting portion 40. It has been found that it is
desirable to reduce the diameter of roller 238-2 as much as
i.s practicable in order to assure a smooth continuous
sheeting action of the water picked up by roller 230-2 from
meniscus M. The lower limits of thls diameter result from
the need to assure a smGoth continuous rotation of roller
. 238-2 as form sheet 10 passes across it. If the diameter
becomes too small, the rotation becomes irregular and
moistening is adversely affected. Diameters of ~etween
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appro~imately 0.12 and 0.25 inches, and preerably
~pproximately 0.19 inches, have been found to be e~ective.
Th~ gap between roller 238-2 and trough 238-4 widens from
approximately 0.03 inches, at the bottom, to approximately
~.12~ inches so as to prevent capillary action.causing
trough 238-~ to overflow.
Fig. 17 also shows moistening apparatus 236 which are
provided to moisten adhesive 29 along the lateral edges of
upper portion 20. These apparatus are positioned with
lo respect to levels L3 and L4 of reservoir 240 in the same
manner as moistening apparatus 238 is positioned with
respect to levels Ll and L2 and are substantially identical
to apparatus 238. They differ only in that body 236-8 does
not include a bevel and in having a shorte.r length, and need
not be discussed further here for an understanding of the
subject invention~
Fig. 18 shows a top view of moistening apparatus 236.
As can be seen, roller 236-2 is mounted in trough 236-4
provlded in body 236-8, as described above. Hubs 236-16,
approximately 0.075 inches long, are provided to prevent
capillary action between the ends o~ roller 236-2 and the
ends of trough 236-4 which, if it occurred, might cause
overflow o~ trough 238-4. Similar hubs 23~-16 are provided
in apparatus 238.
The above embodiments o~ the subject invention have
:~ been described by way of illustration only, and other
embodiments of the subject invention will be apparent to
those s~illed in the art from consideration of the detailed
description given above and the attached drawings.
Accordingly, limitations on the subject invention are to be
found only in the claims set forth below.
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