Patent GB-1057136-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for folding webs of paper or other flexible sheet material
IPC: B65H45/22
Filed: 1963-08-08
Abstract: 1,057,136. Folding paper &c. KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION. Aug. 8. 1963 [Aug. 10, 1962], No. 31413/63. Heading B6H. In apparatus for folding webs of paper or like flexible material a continuous web 12 is folded longitudinally into two overlapping folds 12a, 12b as it passes through the apparatus, and another folder is arranged to cause the folded web to change its direction of travel and to invert the fold, as shown in Fig. 8. As described, the apparatus is for producing stacks of interfolded tissues of the kind packed in a slotted carton, and wherein when one sheet is withdrawn through the slot, the next sheet is also partially withdrawn to be grasped for removal. Folding apparatus 10 produces two separate superposed elongated stacks A and B, Fig. 6 (not shown), of longitudinally folded webs which are interfolded with each other, and these two stacks are joined together to produce one uniformly interfolded stack by inserting the folded web 12 between the two stacks such that it is interfolded with these stacks. Thus, an interfolded stack is produced from a machine which is only half the length of the usual machine, since the sets of folders 10 are superposed. The elongated stacks are fed by rollers 37, 38 to a cutting apparatus where they are severed into stacks suitable for insertion in the slotted cartons. The web 12 is fed from a reel over a roller 20 to a folder 11 comprising a sheet metal folding board with plane portions 11a, 11b and 11c which have folding edges 11d, lie between them and have terminal folding edges 11f, 11g. The folder 11 is mounted on a cross-bar 18 slidably secured on vertical rods 17, and is supported on the machine, table 16 by a stud 19. The web 12 is folded longitudinally so that one half passes downwardly on the inclined surface 11a under the edge 11g, and over the horizontal plane 11c to produce the top fold 12a. The other half travels downwardly on the surface 11a, over the edge 11d over the surface 11b, under the edge 11e beneath the surface 11c, and over and around the edge 11f, being thereby folded through 180 degrees to produce the underfold 12b. The folded web passes beneath a presser roller 22 to a folder 15, which comprises a sheet metal blank which is notched at one end and folded centrally to provide two spaced plates each with a folding edge, such as 15d, which lie between the two superposed stacks from the folders 10. A tongue 32, secured between the two plates of the folder 15, forms part of a strip 31 which is clamped between plates 28, 29 pivoted on a strip 26 which is adjustably secured to the table 16. Spaced plates 14, 13 (not shown) secured by screws 33 to the table 16 are arranged above and below the spaced plates of the folder 15 to guide the webs of the stacks from the folders 10 in the direction 36. The folder 15 causes the folded web 12 to change direction to follow the direction 36 of the stacks A, B, and to invert the fold of the web, and the guides 13, 14 assist in interfolding the web 12 with the two stacks to form one homogenous interfolded stack. Further folders 15 may be used to interfold additional webs 12 with folded webs fed in the direction 36.