Apparatus for opening envelopes

An apparatus is provided for processing mail by severing an edge of each envelope in a stack of mail. The apparatus includes an input bin for receiving a stack of mail. An agitator confronting the stack of envelopes in the input bin reciprocally displaces the bottom envelope in the stack of mail to provide separation between the bottom envelope and the remaining envelopes in the stack. A feeder feeds the bottom envelope from the input bin to a transport that conveys the envelope along an envelope path. A cutter positioned along the envelope path severs one edge of the envelopes. The transport discharges the opened envelopes onto a return conveyor that conveys the opened envelopes to a stacking area where the opened envelopes are stacked.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for opening envelopes, comprising:

an input bin for receiving a stack of envelopes;

a cutter operable to sever one edge of each of the envelopes;

a transport for forwardly conveying the envelopes from the input bin to the cutter;

a feeder for serially feeding the envelopes from the input bin to the transport;

an envelope discharge disposed at the end of the transport;

a stop for stopping the forward movement of envelopes discharged from the transport;

a return conveyor positioned vertically below the transport for receiving envelopes discharged from the transport, comprising a rotatable member operable to move envelopes away from the stop, wherein the return conveyor is disposed at an angle relative to the transport; and

a reorienting element extending vertically upwardly from the return conveyor, configured to reorient the envelopes from a generally horizontal disposition to generally vertical disposition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the input bin comprises a discharge slot for serially receiving the envelopes from the stack, and a retard is positioned in the discharge slot, wherein the retard is displaceable to accommodate envelopes of various thicknesses.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a gap between the envelope discharge and the stop that is at least as long as the length of the envelopes, so that envelopes discharged from the transport fall through the gap and onto the return conveyor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the input bin comprises a discharge slot for serially receiving the envelopes from the stack, the discharge slot having a height that is variable to accommodate envelopes of various thicknesses.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a stacking area, wherein the return conveyor conveys the envelopes to the stacking area.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rotatable element comprises a continuous belt.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising an agitator for vertically reciprocally displacing the stack of envelopes in the input bin.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the agitator is configured to reciprocally displace the bottom envelope in the stack of envelopes without imparting significant forward feed force on the bottom envelope.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the agitator is rotatable around a first axis, and the feeder is rotatable around a second axis spaced apart from the first axis.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the agitator comprises a rotatable member having an eccentric lobe such that rotation of the rotatable member vertically displaces one of the envelopes in the input bin.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the feeder comprises a second rotatable member, and a feed belt engaging the stack of envelopes and entrained about the first and second rotatable members.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first rotatable member comprises a groove and the feed belt is entrained within the groove, and the depth of the groove is greater than the thickness of the feed belt.

13. An apparatus for opening envelopes, comprising:

an input bin for receiving a stack of envelopes;

a cutter operable to sever one edge of each of the envelopes;

a forward transport for forwardly conveying the envelopes from the input bin to the cutter;

a feeder for serially feeding the envelopes from the input bin to the transport;

a return transport for receiving the envelopes discharged from the forward transport; and

a stacking area adjacent the end of the return transport, comprising an element extending vertically upwardly, configured to reorient envelopes from a generally horizontal orientation to a generally vertical orientation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the return transport is vertically separated from the forward transport, positioned below the forward transport, and the apparatus comprises a gap between the forward transport and return transport, wherein the gap is at least as long as the length of the envelopes, so that envelopes discharged from the forward transport fall through the gap and onto the return transport.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the element in the stacking area comprises an end wall disposed at an angle relative to the return transport.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the return transport comprises a rotatable element operable to move envelopes toward the stacking area.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the return transport is disposed at an angle relative to the forward transport, and is vertically separated from the forward transport.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the forward transport is disposed at an angle relative to horizontal.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 comprising a stop for stopping the forward movement of the envelopes discharged from the forward transport.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the stop comprises an end wall spaced from the forward transport.

21. An apparatus for opening envelopes, comprising:

an input bin for receiving a stack of envelopes;

a cutter operable to sever one edge of each of the envelopes;

a forward transport for forwardly conveying the envelopes from the input bin to the cutter;

a feeder for serially feeding the envelopes from the input bin to the transport;

a return transport for receiving envelopes discharged from the forward transport, wherein the return transport is formed at an angle relative to the forward transport and the return transport comprises a moveable element for moving envelopes; and

a gap formed between the forward transport and an upper portion of the return transport, such that envelopes discharged from the forward transport fall through the gap and onto the return transport;

wherein the forward transport is disposed overtop the return transport.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the moveable element is rotatable.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the forward transport has an input end and a output end and the return transport has an input end and an output end, wherein the return transport is positioned relative to forward transport such that the vertical distance between the output end of the return transport and the input end of the forward transport is greater than the vertical distance between the output end of the forward transport and the input end of the return transport.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the forward transport conveys envelopes in a forward direction and the return transport conveys envelopes in a return direction that is opposite the forward direction.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 comprising a stop positioned adjacent the forward transport for stopping the forward motion of the envelopes discharged from the forward transport.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the stop is an end wall.

27. The apparatus of claim 21 comprising a reorientor positioned adjacent the return transport, configured to reorient the envelopes.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the reorientor is configured to reorient the envelopes from a generally horizontal orientation to a generally vertical orientation.

29. The device of claim 27 wherein the reorientor extends vertically upwardly from an end of the return transport.