Patent GB-190812653-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Paper Folding Machines
Inventor: JOHNSON OLIVER WARREN
Filed: 1908-06-12
Granted: 1909-01-28
Abstract: 12,653. Johnson, O. W. June 12. Folding paper ; delivery apparatus.-A paperfolding machine of the sheet-buckling type, as described in Specification No. 14,631, A.D. 1907, is so arranged that it can produce two or three parallel folds, or two or three folds with each fold at right-angles to the preceding fold. To ensure an accurate second perpendicular fold and to prevent buckling of the corners of the third fold, an adjustable paper slitting or scoring device is used to slit, or partially sever, the sheet after the first fold in the latter machine, and the slitter is preferably arranged on a swinging frame which carries feed-rolls coacting with a transverse moving belt to feed the folded sheet to a second folder adapted to fold at right-angles to the first fold. The swing- ing frame may be held inoperative and replaced by a parallel folder. An automatic self-aligning feed mechanism feeds the twice folded sheet to a third folder which delivers the finished product to a stacker. The buckling-plates are made so as to reduce friction and adhesion of the paper to the plates, and so as to prevent untrue folding due to electrification of the sheets. The folding-rollers are provided with metal ends, and one elastic roller co-operates successively with one of two contiguous inelastic rollers to feed the sheet to the bucklers, and to effect the actual folding, respectively. The buckling-plates are provided with adjustable stops so that sheets of different length may be folded, and these stops may arrest the sheet at one or more points. The sheets to be folded are fed between guides b, Fig. 1, to the first set of rollers A<1>, B<1>, C', Figs. 1 and 11. The central roll A' is of felt, rubber, &c., and is driven from the main shaft 5. The rollers B', C<1> are of wood &c., and are driven from the roller A'. The rollers A', B<1> feed the sheet between a main buckling- plate 8 formed of a series of parallel bars 9 with spaces 10, and a secondary plate 14 which is very finely ribbed or corrugated, and is preferably of zinc. The plate 8 is provided with a curved heel part 12, Fig. 13, and is formed with a series of ribs 13. The paper is engaged by a stop 22 formed with fingers 23 arranged in the spaces 10. The bar 22 is adjustably connected by hooked bolts 21 to a carriage 18 adjustable along a graduated screw bar 15. The bolts 21 permit one end of the bar 22 to be placed in advance of the other. To guide the paper accurately, the stop 22 may be formed with curved guide-arms 24, Fig. 25, carried by slotted brackets 25 bolted to the bar 22, and adjustable laterally. If it is desired to stop the sheet at different points, hooked fingers 22, Fig. 16, preferably formed with tapered front edges 29, are adjustably held to the stop by set-screws 28. The buckled sheet is caught between the rollers A', C<1> which make the first fold. If a fold perpendicular to the first is required, the folded sheet is fed to a series of rollers arranged in a pivoted frame 38, Fig. 11, which can be held by a strut 42 in the dotted position, or allowed to rest in the full-line position, while a frame 108 carrying parallel folding mechanism is fixed near the rollers A<1>, B<1>, C<1> to receive the once folded sheet. When the frame 38 is in the dotted-line position, the sheet passes to slitting or scoring-devices 30, 31 driven at the same speed as the roll A<1> by sprocket gearing, these devices being adjustable on their shafts, and adapted either to completely sever the web, or to cut or mark it at intervals. The sheet is then fed by rolls 36, 37 driven at a greater speed than the slitters to a travelling band 47, Fig. 2, the driving- mechanism of which comprises a set-screw clutch, the band passing over a driving-pulley 51, and a series of rollers in a plate 48 adjustable in a vertical plane by means of a screw 53. The belt 47 is provided with a tension roller on a slide 53<a>. The rollers 36, 37 only grip the paper lightly, and when the paper reaches the belt 47, the rollers 36, 37 support the paper while it is being fed to second folders A<2>, C<2>, Figs. 1 and 2, which coact with a third roll not shown, of yielding material. The paper passes to the second folder through a slot in a casing 38 to rollers 66 which are extensions of the rollers 36, 37, and shields 67 assist in guiding the paper. The folding - rollers A<2>, C<2> co-operate with buckling-plates 71, the primary plate being formed with a flat heel, and both plates having serrations 72, Fig. 23, preferably of diamond-shape, which nullify effects due to electrification of the paper. The twice folded sheet is conducted to the third folder rolls A3, B<3>, C3 by means of a series of pairs of oblique rollers 74 geared together, and arranged at a small angle to the horizontal plane. The rollers 74 are supported at the upper ends only, and their other ends are rounded to act as guides. The paper passes into the slits between the rollers, and the rollers draw the paper inwardly to the left until it is free from the folding-rollers, and at this instant the horizontal movement is stopped by an adjustable gauge 77, Fig. 1, with fingers extending between the rollers. The paper is then moved vertically through a guide slot in a plate 80 to the third folding-rollers A<3>, B<3>, C<3>, Fig. 12, which co-operate with buckling- plates 96, the secondary plate of which is detachable, the primary being provided with a slightly recessed or flat heel. The rollers A3, B<3> are positively driven, and the yielding roller C<3> is driven frictionally from these, this arrangement being adapted to prevent buckling, and to secure even conditions of the sheet in the fold. After the third fold the paper is guided by curved fingers 94 to delivery rolls 92, 93, one of which is driven by sprocket gearing from the folding-roller B3. When only two folds are desired, the rollers A<3>, B<3> deliver directly to the rolls 92, 93. The roller 93 is sectional, and between the sections fixed bent uprights 98 extend. The sheets are stacked on a movable table 104 supported by uprights 105 and set-collars 104<a> from a stacking-board 102 supported by rollers 103. The fluted roll 92 holds the piled sheets bent while a sheet is being delivered. When the machine is used for forming parallel folds, the arms 108 are held in the position shown in Fig. 11 by means of latches 111, 112, controlled by screws 113. The rolls 106, 107 are frictionally driven, and the second fold is formed by a buckling-plate 109 and the rolls C', 107. A third fold may be formed by a bucking-plate 110 and the rolls 106, 107.