Printed document device for e.g. a mailing machine

摘要

A machine comprises a printer (8) and a document handling device having an input station (2) and an output station (4) contained within an outer housing (6). The input station is aligned with a first output (10) of the printer and a second output station (12) for manual removal of the printed sheets. An envelope feed path (14) and a document feed path (16) are provided by pairs of rollers (18,19) for conveying the items along the respective feed paths. The envelope feed path includes envelope rotation rollers (17) for rotating envelopes from a position with the flap along one side edge, in which orientation the address is usually printed, to a position with the flap along the trailing edge. An envelope (60) is fed from the printer along the envelope feed path by a pair of rollers (61) past a sensor (62), which detects the leading and trailing edges of the envelope in order to ascertain its length. Using this information, the envelope is either advanced or retracted until the center lies below the center of the envelope rotation rollers. One of the pair of rollers is then retracted to release the envelope, and the rotation rollers are then turned in the opposite directions by stepper motors, driving lower wheels (17a) until the envelopes are turned through 90 degrees. Independent claims also included for the following: (1) A mailing machine (2) An envelope facsimile machine (3) A method for extracting address information.