Patent GB-649349-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in apparatus for folding paper and like material
Inventor: THORPE JAMES WILLIAM
IPC: B31D5/00
Filed: 1948-02-24
Abstract: 649,349. Paper-folding machines. REEVE ANGEL & CO., Ltd., H. Feb. 24, 1948, No. 5460. [Classes 100 (i) and 100 (ii)] [Also in Group VII] A folding-machine for paper and the like comprises an upper and a lower jaw, each having a plurality of movably-mounted folding blades, means being provided for moving a first folding blade from one of said jaws into contact with a piece of paper positioned between the jaws and subsequently moving folding blades from said other jaw and said one jaw alternately so as to produce a series of folds with adjacent folds on opposite sides of the piece of paper. As shown in Fig. 1, a folding-machine, particularly for producing pleated filter papers by folding paper into zig-zag shape is attached to a known buckle-folding machine which forms a preliminary diametral fold in a circular sheet of paper before the sheet is conveyed by endless bands into the nip between upper and lower jaws 11 and 12 mounted on a table 9. The upper and lower jaws, Fig. 4, comprise upper and lower folding blades 15 and 16 mounted side-by-side. The blades 15 and 16 are formed of sectoral-shaped portions of thin sheet-metal and are pivotally-mounted on a shaft 17, the centre of which is slightly offset from the folding edges 18 of the opposed blades. The blades 16 are actuated by portions 19 oscillated by cams 22 through bell-crank levers 24 and pull-rods 27. The blades 15 are similarly actuated by portions 19 oscillated by cams 22 through bell-crank levers 30, adjustable pullrods 32, further bell-crank levers 34 and further pull-rods 36. The profiles of the cams 22 are such that when a sheet of paper folded into semicircular form is positioned in the jaws 11 and 12, the centre folding blade 15a, Fig. 15, will move down into contact with the paper while two blades 16e from the lower jaw 12 will move up so as to complete the fold about the blade 15a, further pairs of blades then move downwards and upwards in succession. Sectorshaped portions of the paper are formed between the adjacent fold lines. The three blades 15a, and 16e, are maintained in position while the remaining blades 16f, 16g, 16h and 15b, 15c, 15d are withdrawn. The distance apart of the fold lines may be varied by varying the length of the pull-rod 32 and adjusting the eccentricity of a shaft 35 which carries the lever 34 so as to vary the initial position of the blades 15. By modifying the shape of the blades 15 and 16 and imparting a reciprocating movement to their folding edges parallel folds may be produced. The folded papers are extracted on completion of the folding operation by an extractor arm 40 and blade 41, Fig. 10. The arm 40 is rotatably mounted on a driven shaft 38 and is connected by a spring 43 to a crank arm 42 fixed to the shaft 38. A cam-operated stop 51 holds the arm 40 and blade 41 in a position adjacent the jaws 11 and 12 until the instant when blades 15a and 16e are withdrawn while the crank arm 42 continues to rotate, thus tensioning the spring 43 which causes the blade 41 to move with an increased speed when the stop 51 is withdrawn and so deposit, the folded paper in a container on one side of the jaws.