Patent GB-178531-A (GB)
Title: Paper folding machine
IPC: B65H45/12
Filed: 1921-01-14
Abstract: 178,531. Burdick, C. L. Jan. 14, 1921. Folding paper. - In a machine for folding currency notes and other paper sheets, a sheet is fed between two substantially parallel articulated plates, which are then folded and correspondingly fold the sheet between them. Devices for feeding the sheets, stopping the machine if more than one sheet is fed, and receiving the folded sheets, are also described. Sheets from a table 20 are propelled by rollers 21, 22 so as to lie between two pairs of horizontal plates 11, which are collapsed, as shown in Fig. 4, and fold the sheet concertina fashion. The plates consists of wide and narrow pivoted portions, the forme being carried by pins 12, and the forward ones being pivoted to the side frames, the remainder sliding in grooves therein. Lazy-tongs 15 ars mounted on the pins 12 to cause the plates to fold in unision, the end long links being slotted and the central links having short pivoted parts 15b so as to fold compactly. A space is provided centrally between the ends of the plates, and a folding blade 35, Fig. 3, is first brought into a vertical position to remove the folded sheets through this space by a reciprocating cross pin 33 engaging a slot in a sliding carriage 31 on which the blade is mounted, and is then moved forward with the carriage to fold the sheets about a line at right angles to the previous folds between rollers 36 which are pivoted to fixed brackets 37 and raised into a vertical position by the passage of the pin 33. The rollers 36 are so spaced apart that if more than one sheet is present the blade and sheets jam between them and stop the machine. The folded sheets are finally pushed by the blade 35 into one of a number of clips 41 carried by a bar 40 moved transversely, at each forward movement of the carriage 31, by a notched projection 45 thereon engaging a ratchet-wheel 44 on the shaft of a pinion 43 in gear with holes in the bar 40, a detent-wheel 46 and spring-pressed arm 47 serving to align the clips. The bar 40 becomes removable when all the clips are filled and a counter may be used to count the number of bars removed. A helical spring on the shaft of the lower sheet-feeding roller 21 is wound up during the folding or other operation by means of a reciprocating rack 24, pinion 23 and pawl 23<a>, and is held by a pawl 23b which is subsequently released to cause the sheet to be propelled forward between the folding-plates by a projection 27 on the rack 24 striking against it. In place of the feed-rollers, a reciprocating gripper may be used. The parts are actuated from a main driving-shaft 3 carrying a disc 3<a> oscillating, through a connecting-rod 5 and crank 5a, a shaft 6 fixedly carrying a central arm 8 and two side arms 9, and loosely carrying two arms 10. The arms 9 are formed with segmental notched cam-plates, and similar fixed plates are provided, whereby, owing to the provision of sliding rods 10<c> on the arms 10, the latter are oscillated through a less angle than the shaft 6 and, through pivoted links 14 mounted on the end pins 12, serve to collapse the folding-plates. A rod 25 connecting the arms 10 engages between posts 24a for reciprocating the rack 24. The cross pin 33 is actuated by a rod 32 engaging a slot 8<c> in the end of the arm 8.