Patent GB-925913-A (GB)
Title: Folding machine
IPC: B65H45/14
Filed: 1961-04-14
Abstract: 925,913. Folding paper. HEYER Inc. April 14, 1961 [Sept. 28, 1960], No. 13494/61. Class 100 (1).  In a buckling folder having two fold plates mounted on opposite sides of a series of pairs of folding rollers, paper stops on the fold plates are adjusted by means of devices arranged adjacent to each other on one side of the pairs of rollers. General arrangement.-Sheets of paper to be folded are fed from a pile 18 into the nip of a pair of rollers 26a, 26b which feed the leading edge of a sheet into the space 163 between a pair of plates 162, 164, constituting the first fold plate. The sheet edge abuts against a stop 194 in the space 163 so that the sheet buckles, the buckled portion being gripped by the roller 26b and a further roller 26c and fed between the rollers into a space 245 between a pair of plates 244, 246 constituting the second fold plate whereby a fold is made in the sheet. The folded edge of the sheet abuts against a stop 264 in the space 245 so that the sheet buckles a second time, the buckled portion being gripped by the roller 26c and a further roller 26d and being fed between the rollers whereby the sheet is folded a second time. The folded sheet is delivered by the last mentioned pair of rollers on to an endless belt conveyer 86, being held in contact therewith by spring fingers 342. The sheet brushes against a piece of tinsel 356 as it leaves the rollers so that any static electricity therein is dissipated. The conveyer 86 deposits the sheet on top of a stack on a receiving tray 20. Folding apparatus.-The first fold plate 162, 164 is removably mounted on the machine frame, slots 174 in down-turned side flanges 170 on the plate 162 engaging over pins 172 on side plates 28, 30 and spring-biased plungers 180, Fig. 12, mounted on the underside of the plate 164 engaging holes in the side plates. The stop 194 is a bar (see Fig. 12), pivoted at 204 on a block 206 riding in central slots 198 cut in the plates 162, 164, and has projections 202 which slide in slots 200 cut in the plate 164. The block 206 is longitudinally adjustable within the slots 198 and is clamped in a selected position by means of a screw 208, marks 238 on the block being registered with the markings of a scale 240 or 240a on the upper side of the plate 162 in accordance with the required length of the first folded portion of a sheet. The stop 194 can be swung about its pivot 204 by means of a screw 224 movable with the block 206 in order to compensate for inaccuracies in the sheets to be folded. An indicating finger 232 is mounted on the upper end of the pivot-pin 204 and swings with the stop 194 so as to indicate the angle of inclination of the latter. The stop 264 of the second fold plate comprises three roller elements mounted on spindles secured at each end to upper and lower strips 260, 262 which extend transversely respectively above the plate 244 and below the plate 246, the roller elements being engaged in longitudinal slots in the plates. The strip 262 is extended through a slot 282 in the side plate 28, Fig. 6, where it is rigidly secured to one end of a link 284, the other end of which is secured to a bar 286 projecting through a further slot 288 in the side plate 28. The bar 286 on the inner side of the plate 28 engages between the legs of a U-shaped strip 290, Fig. 3, which is secured by flanges to the plate 28. The strip 290 is longitudinally slotted at 298 and carries scales 314, 314b on its upper surface. The bar 286 is slidable longitudinally in the strip 290 and may be locked in a selected position by means of a screw 300 carrying an element 302 which has a marking 312 for registration with the scales 314, 314b. The screw 300 is close to the screw 208 so that the stops in the two fold plates may be adjusted from the same station. An arm 272, Fig. 5, is pivoted to the upper strip 260 at 276 and carries at its free end a deflector 280 which, when the stop 264 is in its extreme right-hand position, falls down so as to obstruct the entrance to the space 245 and deflect a sheet away from the fold plate and into the nip of the rollers 26c, 26d. The deflector is moved to this position when only a single fold is required in the sheets to be folded. Feeding sheets.-Sheets are fed singly from the top of the pile 18 by a pair of friction rollers 58 mounted on a shaft 60 journalled in a pair of arms 64, 66, Fig. 3, pivoted on a transverse shaft 144. A bar 62 is also mounted in the arms 64, 66 parallel to and above the shaft 60, both the bar and the shaft being slidable in arcuate slots 154 in the side plates 28, 30. The rollers rest on the top of the pile under the influence either of gravity or of a light spring pressure which is adjustable and descend as the pile diminishes, until the pile is exhausted at which point they enter a pair of depressions 68 in the pile table 32 and a switch is actuated which stops the machine. The shaft 60 is rotated intermittently by an electric motor 94 which also continuously drives the rollers 26a, 26c. To allow a new pile of sheets to be put on the table 32 the rollers 58 are raised, the operator grasping the bar 62 for this purpose, and latched in an elevated position in which the bar 62 engages the upper ends of the slots 154. The rollers may be kept in this position during operation of the folding apparatus in which case the sheets are fed into the machine manually. Fingers 54, Fig. 5, prevent double feed from the pipe 18. Sheet receivers.-The receiving tray 20 is longitudinally adjustable in slides 368 secured to the side plates 28, 30. The lower end of the tray has upturned stops 364 against which the stack of folded sheets builds up and is recessed at 366 to facilitate removal of the pile.