Claims
- 1. A system for storing and dispensing materials to a feed station of a utilization device that handles the materials comprising:
a container that maintains the materials in a stack for storage and transport, the container including a dispensing opening directed towards the feed station; and a stack release that causes the stack in the container to be transferred to the feed station in response to a predetermined motion.
- 2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the materials comprise envelopes having at least one flap.
- 3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the feed station comprises an envelope inserter feed station having a plurality of upright guides for storing a stack of envelopes therein.
- 4. The system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the release comprises a shoulder structure at the dispensing opening that moves out of interfering contact with the stack of envelopes in the container when the shoulders are directed into engagement with the upright guides.
- 5. The system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the container includes four side walls defining a rectangular cross section and sized to surround an outer perimeter of the upright guides so that the container can be passed over the upright guides.
- 6. The system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the container includes a depth greater than a length of extension of the guides and wherein the container is constructed and arranged to support a portion of the stack therein after the container is passed over the guides while the stack is located at a position remote from upper most ends of the guides.
- 7. The system as set forth in claim 6 wherein the container includes a window adapted to reveal a portion of the materials so as to determine a level of materials in the container.
- 8. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the container comprises a comb having a spine and a series of projections that separate the materials, the comb being constructed and arranged to be withdrawn from the stack when the stack is located at the feed station.
- 9. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the container comprises a band that surrounds the stack, the band being constructed and arranged to be removed from the stack when the stack is located at the feed station.
- 10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the container comprises adhesively joined members disposed between adjacent materials in the stack, the adhesively joined materials in the stack, wherein the container comprises adhesively joined members disposed between adjacent materials in the stack, the adhesively joined materials in the stack the adhesively joined members disposed between adjacent materials in the stack, the adhesively joined members being constructed and arranged to be withdrawn from the adjacent materials when the stack is located in the feed station.
- 11. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the dispensing opening of the container includes a plurality of interlocking closure flaps, each of the flaps having an overlapping tab section with respect to an adjacent one of the closure flaps so as to positively retain the stack against outward movement, but that are opened by applying a force in an opposing inward direction to unlock the interlocking closure flaps from each other.
- 12. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the container comprises a cassette having a flap that includes a raised external edge for accessing the stack through an opening other than the dispensing opening.
- 13. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the feed station includes a plurality of upright walls defining a receptor for receiving the cassette thereinto, at least one of the walls including a block that confronts the raised edge so as to restrict receipt of the cassette to a predetermined orientation with respect to the receptor.
- 14. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the feed station includes a plurality of upright walls, at least some of the walls including a flexible strip that bends adjacent to the cassette and that remains extended and unbent along at least a portion of the feed station remote from the dispensing opening.
- 15. The system as set forth in claim 14 wherein at least one of the walls includes an angled lower edge that is adapted to bias the cassette into an opposing wall so as to justify the cassette with respect to the feed station.
- 16. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein at least one of the walls includes an adjustment mechanism for changing a spacing of the one of the walls respect to another of the walls.
- 17. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the receptor includes a sensor for detecting information with respect to the cassette.
- 18. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the container comprises a cassette and the stack release comprises a tear strip located adjacent to an end portion of the cassette and adapted to separate the end portion from a remainder of the cassette.
- 19. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the feed station includes a conveying surface and the container comprises a cassette adapted to dispense a plurality of the materials of the stack simultaneously to the conveying surface from the cassette.
- 20. A method for storing and dispensing a stack of materials to a feed station of a utilization device that receives the materials in a stack comprising:
containing the materials in a stack with an external container; presenting the external container to the feed station; and operating a release with a predetermined motion that causes the stack to transfer from the container to the feed station.
- 21. The method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the stack transfers to the feed station under force of gravity.
- 22. The method as set forth in claim 21 the step of containing includes surrounding the materials with side walls of the container and defining a dispensing opening in the container, and wherein the step of operating includes moving flaps of the dispensing opening into a non-interfering position with respect to the materials.
- 23. The method as set forth in claim 22 wherein the step of operating includes directing the flaps onto guides of the feed station to move the flaps to the non-interfering position.
- 24. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the step of directing includes positioning the container over the guides so that the container extends beyond free ends of the guides and the side walls guide a portion of the stack that extends beyond the free ends.
- 25. The method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the step of containing includes containing envelopes having a flap, the flaps all being oriented in a common orientation.
- 26. The method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the step of containing includes binding the materials into the stack with a binding member having joined free ends and wherein the step of releasing includes unjoining the binding member at a selected location.
- 27. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the step of unjoining includes separating the free ends at an attachment location therebetween.
- 28. The method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the step of containing includes engaging the materials with a comb-like structure in which each of the materials is separated from an adjacent of the materials by a projection attached to a common spine, and wherein the step of releasing includes removing the comb-like structure from engagement with all of the materials when the materials are located so as to define a stack at the feed station.
- 29. The method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the step of operating a release comprises dispensing a plurality of the materials of the stack to a conveying mechanism simultaneously from the external container.
- 30. A system for storing and dispensing a stack of envelopes to a utilization device comprising:
a container that stores the stack of envelopes from of escape therefrom, the container including a dispensing opening having a dispensing opening release, the dispensing opening release being constructed and arranged to selectively interfere with passage of the stack out of the container and to enable release of the stack out of the container to the feed station in response to a predetermined actuation of the release.
- 31. The system as set forth in claim 30 wherein the utilization device comprises an envelope inserter having a feed station that includes a plurality of separated upright guides for holding and feeding an envelope stack.
- 32. The system as set forth in claim 31 wherein the release comprises a plurality of movable flaps that move inwardly, out of interfering contact with the stack in response to movement of the dispensing opening onto and over the guides.
- 33. The system as set forth in claim 32 wherein the flaps comprise a plurality of interlocking flap closures that resist unlocking from each other in a direction outwardly from the dispensing opening, and that enable unlocking in a direction inwardly toward the stack.
- 34. The system as set forth in claim 33 wherein the container includes side walls spaced at a predetermined distance from confronting edges of the stack so as to provide a space for the guides to be located therebetween.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/234,155, which was filed on Sept. 21, 2000, by H. W. Crowley entitled MATERIAL SUPPLYING METHOD AND SYSTEM, and is hereby incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60234155 |
Sep 2000 |
US |