| 摘要 |
<p>MANUALLY LOADED ENVELOPE FEEDER An envelope feeder sequentially feeds envelopes from a loading station to a printing station of a conventional printer for addressing, and releases addressed envelopes at a discharge station. The feeder includes an upstanding housing that journals a platen roll at its lower end and an idler roll at its upper end. The feeder's platen roll replaces the printer's conventional platen roll and serves to drivingly connect the feeder to the printer. The housing has a front guide surface that faces forwardly with respect to the printer, and a rear guide surface that faces rearwardly. At least two transport belts have reaches that extend along the front and rear guide surfaces. The belts extend around and are held taut by the feeder's platen and idler rolls. Envelopes to be addressed are loaded manually, one at a time, at the loading station by opening a door to permit each new envelope to be positioned in engagement with the transport belts, whereupon the door is closed to assist in maintaining proper envelope positioning. The transport belts have lugs that are brought into engagement with trailing edge portions of newly loaded envelopes for moving envelopes along the travel path from the loading station to the printing and discharge stations as the belts are caused to move in response to rotation of the feeder's platen roll by the printer. The printing, discharge and loading stations are located at closely spaced positions along the front of the feeder, with the loading station above the printing station, and with the discharge station therebetween.</p> |
