Patent GB-759769-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for folding sheets and a method therefor
IPC: B65H45/20
Filed: 1953-04-24
Abstract: 759,769. Feeding webs; sheet delivery apparatus; folding paper. KIMBERLEYCLARK CORPORATION. April 24, 1953 [Sept. 11, 1952], No. 11346/53. Class 100 (1). In a sheet folding apparatus a plurality of potential paper sheets in the form of a partially transversely slitted web are interfolded with a similar plurality of potential sheets and insert sheets are successively fed into positions adjacent certain of the sheets so as to be folded in unison with the sheets. General arrangement.-Webs 24, 25 (Fig. 3) are guided over longitudinal slitting discs 39, 40 which substantially cut the webs longitudinally and are then led over anvil rolls 26, 27 which co-operate with rotary knives 28, 29 to partially cut the webs transversely. The webs then pass to rotary interfolding rolls 30, 31 to which at predetermined intervals starter sheets 18 (Fig. 25) and reminder sheets 17 are fed by rolls 152, 153 for folding with the webs 24, 25. The starter and insert sheets are fed from web rolls 43 by intermittently operated rolls 55, 56 and are cut by rolls 82, 83. The folded sheet portions are delivered through a guide shoot 33 to oscillating pack separating device 47 (Fig. 2) which separate the sheet portions into packs of predetermined number and deliver them to jaws 49. The jaws 49 rotate the pack through 90 degrees to separate the two webs along the longitudinal slit and deposit them on a table 285 from which they are pushed by fingers 286 to a gate 53 for deposition on an endless receiver 53a. Feeding webs.-The supply rolls of insert paper 43 are each intermittently driven by rollers 55, 56 (Fig. 14). The drive roller 56 is mounted on a shaft 63 to which is attached a sun gear 67 co-operating with planet gears 66 mounted on a hub member 65 to which is fast an intermittently driven sprocket 64. - The planet gears also engage the inner teeth of an outer gear member 69, the outer teeth of which are adapted to be driven by a worm gear. The arrangement is such that the drive imparted to rolls 56 is slightly below that required so that the feed of the web 43 will tend to become out of phase with the folding machine. To ensure correct feeding of the web 43 the operation of the worm gear controlling the normally stationary member 69 is controlled by an electric switch 78 and electric eye device 76. The switch 78 is controlled by a rack arm 79 (Fig. 9) actuated on each cycle of a web feed movement by a cam 80. The web 43 is also provided with dark registration marks. When the feed lags behind that required a register mark on the web will lag and enter the inspection area of the electric eye so as to cause the flow of current, when the switch 78 is also closed, to an electric motor driving the worm gear to impart an accelerated motion to the drive of the web 43. The intermittent drive for the rollers is derived from a one-revolution clutch member comprising a continuously driven part and a part 178 (Fig. 19) having a gear wheel suitably geared to the rollers for feeding and cutting the webs 43. Fixed on the shaft 179 of the part 178 is a member 178a having a projection 178b. Also on the part 178 is a stop 215. A lever 213 is pivoted on a plate 210 and spring biased towards the stop 215. The plate 210 is pivoted at 211 and carries a cam follower 209 co-operating with a continuously rotating cam 206. When the plate 210 is rocked by the cam 206 the lever 213 frees the stop 215 to allow the part 178 to rotate with the continuously rotating part of the clutch. The projection 178b after one revolution forces the lever 213 back as shown in dotted lines (Fig. 19) so that when it is released it is urged against the rotating stop 215 by the spring 216 with sufficient force to stop the rotation of the part 178. After passing the rollers 55, 56 the web 43 is cut into insert sheets by rollers 82, 83 and the insert sheets fed by further rollers 98, 99 to the folding mechanism. Folding paper; sheet delivery apparatus.- After passing the rollers 98, 99 the moist sheet passes between an intermittently rotating folding cylinder 104 (Fig. 10) having a fixed jaw 105 and a cam-operated movable jaw member 106 and an intermittently rotating cooperating tucker member having a blade 107. As shown in Fig. 25, the fold made in the insert sheets is such that in the case of the starter sheet 18 the edge of the sheet will be located adjacent the slot 2 in the finished package and the fold 18a will protrude slightly beyond the folds in the remainder of the sheets. This is achieved by making the initial fold 18a slightly behind the position where the sheet will be folded together with the webs 24, 25 so that the natural resilience of the starter sheet causes the end fold 18a to project slightly (Fig. 28, not shown). The insert sheets are grouped along their length by the jaws 105, 106 and the trailing portion of the sheets is folded over by the action of a blast of air from nozzles 121, the folded sheet passing beneath fingers 127 on a camactuated rocking shaft 128 so that as the sheets are fed beneath the fingers 127 the latter are rocked to complete the folding of the sheets. The sheets are released by the folding jaws 105, 106 on a table 129 mounted on an adjustable shaft 134 and having side portions 132, holddown rollers 133 and curved guide members 305. When the sheet is to be fed to the folding rollers 30, 31 an arm 149 pivoted on a shaft 147 is rocked by a solenoid 151, causing a roller 143 to be raised and to co-operate with a segment 142 on a continuously driven roller 141 to forward the folded insert sheet. The notches 207, 208 on the cam 206 controlling the intermittent feed of the webs 43 are arranged so as to effect the feeding of starter and reminder sheets in properly timed relation to the actuation of the feeder rolls 141 by counting devices which cause actuation of the solenoid 151 after predetermined numbers of separable sheet portions have been folded from the webs 24, 25 by the cylinders 30, 31. Air blast from the nozzles 121 is controlled by a valve actuating lever 126 under the control of a cam 125 concentric with the cam 206. The insert sheet is then fed by rollers 152, 153 to the folding cylinders 30, 31, so as to be folded with the partially cut webs 24, 25. The folded separable sheet portions are delivered into a guide shoot 33 by presser devices 37, 38 and, aided by a conveyer 34, are guided towards the pack separating devices 47. The devices 47 comprise a series of fingers 218 (Fig. 2) pivotally mounted at 219 in opposed relation to and spring biased towards stationary fingers 220. A shaft 236 carries cams which control mechanism causing the fingers 220 to move upwardly behind a sheet 18 the fingers 218 being released against the front of the stack to grasp it when a cam follower at lower end of the fingers 218 disengages a cam plate 267. The separators 47 are then rotated by gear 271 and cam-controlled gear segment 272 and finally forwarded to deliver the separated bundle to the jaws 49. At the instant the top surface of the cam plate 267 releases the fingers 218 from pack grouping position. The shaft 236 is driven through a one-revolution clutch device operation of which is initiated by the action of the projecting folds 18a of the starter sheets on an electric switch 242. During the separation of the individual bundles from the main stack by the separators 47 hydraulically operated fingers 250 are lowered into the stack to retain the remainder of the stack in position. After separation one half of a separable sheet portion 23 (Fig. 25) will overlie the starter sheet 18. In order to arrange the starter sheet 18 to overlie the sheet portion 23 as shown in Fig. 25, pneumatic devices 287 are provided for lifting the sheet portion 23 (Fig. 35) and pneumatic devices 293 for lifting the part 19 of the sheet 18. The devices 287 and 293 are hydraulically operated in sequence so that first the sheet portion 23 is lifted, then the sheet portion 19, and the sheet portion 23 replaced before the replacing of the sheet portion 19. The pneumatic pack adjusting devices are located at 52 (Figs. 2 and 4). Specifications 628,053, 647,161 and 656,527 are referred to.