An Improved Apparatus for Folding and Facilitating the Closing or Fastening of Circulars and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Folding and Facilitating the Closing or
Fastening of Circulars and the like.
We, JOHN MACFARLANE, of 112 Dalry Road, Edinburgh, in the County of
Midlothian, Engineer, and OLIVER PRESCOTT MACFARLANE, of 4 Chevertou
Villas, Hornsey Rise, in the County of Middlesex, Accountant, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved apparatus for folding and facilitating the
closing or fastening of circulars and the like, by means of a cheap simple and
portable appliance. The said appliance may be employed only to fold circulars or
the like, or may be used to both fold and facilitate the closing or fastening of the
same, as may be desired.
According to our invention we provide, upon a suitable base, a frame which com-
prises two or more members lying in the same plane, which is preferably inclined to
the horizontal. We provide also in the same plane suitable plates or folders parallel
with each other and adapted to turn in bearings upon the said frame. The said
bearings may be adjustable so that the plates or folders may be secured at different
distances from each other to vary the size of the folds as may be necessary. Each
said plate or folder is preferably provided with a slot or opening extending from
one edge thereof across the plate or folder nearly to the opposite edge, said slit
being for the purpose of receiving the circular or the like to be folded. Means
are provided for turning or oscillating each said plate or folder about its axis, said
axis being parallel with the slot hereinbefore referred to and situated near one
edge of the said plate or folder. A pair of small rollers maintained in contact with
each other by springs or other convenient means is mounted upon the said frame
beneath the aforesaid edge of each folder for a purpose which will be hereinafter.
referred to.
At one extremity of the apparatus is a roller or other device the surface of
which is moistened with water or mucilage as required the said water or mucilage
being obtained from the interior of the said roller or device or otherwise. The
said roller or other device is retained in position by springs which will yield to
allow the said device to be brought by the user into contact with the portion of
the circular or the like which it is desired to gum or otherwise moisten.
Suitable supports and adjustable guides and stops or gauges are provided upon
the apparatus to enable the operator to place in proper position the circular or the
like which is to he folded simply, or folded and closed or fastened.
The supports, the plates or folders, and the guides and stops or gauges are so
arranged relatively to each other that a circular, for example, whilst lying on the
said supports may be passed through the slots in the plates or folders and adjusted
by the aforesaid stops or guides.
The plate or folder which is to make the first fold is preferably made of a width
equal to the intended distance between the folds. The width may be made
adjustable to suit circulars of different sizes. When placed in position, the circular
will have a portion of each plate or folder below it and a porticu above it. One
of the plates or folders is now rotated in its bearings and will fold one portion of
the circular over through an angle of 180°. That portion of the first folder which
was formerly below the circular will now bear upon the upper side of the folded
circular at the point at which the second fold is to be made. The second plate or
While the folders
folder is now rotated to fold another portion of the circular.
are being turned over, the edges thereof enter between the aforesaid rollers and the
circular is thereby nipped and a sharp fold is made. The circular thus folded may

page_text: be readily withdrawn from engagement with the plates or folders by sliding it
end wise out of the slots therein, which, as hereinbefore stated, are left open at
their ends to permit the circular to be disengaged therefrom in the manner
described.
If it is desired to close or fasten the circular or the like, the same or the wrapper
therefor which is placed in the apparatus along with the circular, is gummed or is
moistened on a previously gummed surface by means of the roller or other device
above referred to.
Dated this 16th day of October 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Folding and Facilitating the Closing or
Fastening of Circulars and the like.
We, JOHN MACFARLANE, of 112 Dalry Road, Edinburgh, in the County of
Midlothian, Engineer, and OLIVER PRESCOTT MACFARLANE, of 4 Cheverton
Villas, Hornsey Rise, in the County of Middlesex, Accountant, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improved apparatus for folding and facilitating the
closing or fastening of circulars and the like. The object of our said invention
is to obtain a cheap, simple and portable appliance which may be employed only to
fold circulars or the like, or may be used to fold and to facilitate the closing or
fastening of the same, as may be desired.
In order that our said invention may be clearly understood we will now proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a front view of an appliance constructed according to our invention
for the purposes above specified, and
Figures 2 and 3 are elevations of the opposite ends of the appliance illustrated
in Figure 1.
A is the base; B is a frame supported thereon, the two members B' B³ of which,
are in the same plane and are inclined to the horizontal. C, D are folders adapted
to turn on bearing pins C¹, D' respectively, which are placed at one side of the
frame. The said bearing pins are carried by brackets C° D° respectively the latter
of which is adjustable upon the frame so that the distance between the bearings can
be varied for the purpose hereinafter explained.
The folder D, which is to make the first fold is preferably made of a width
approximately equal to the intended distance between the folds.
Each said folder is provided with a slot or opening C³, D² extending from one
edge thereof nearly to the opposite edge as shown, the said slot being parallel with
the axis about which the folder rotates. The bearings are so arranged that the said
axis of rotation of each folder is coincident with one of its edges, that of the
folder C being coincident with the edge Cand that of the folder D being
coincident with the edge D'. The part of each roller on one side the slot is slightly
elevated with respect to the part on the other side thereof, to facilitate the insertion
therein of the circular or the like to be folded, and the ends of the folders are also
slightly curved or bent for the same purpose. E, F, are small rollers journalled
in pairs in the brackets Cº D° respectively immediately below the edges Cand D'
of the folders.
The rollers of each pair are normally kept in contact with each other for a
purpose hereinafter explained by springs G.
B is a transverse bar fixed at its ends to the bars B', B. H is a screwed spindle
secured therein by one of its ends, so that it may rotate freely, and provided at its
other end with a milled head H' by which it may be rotated.

page_text: I is a transverse gauge-bar, the ends of which rest on the bars B₁ B2 so that it
may be caused to slide thereon in a direction at right angles with its length by
means of the aforesaid screw which passes through a central screw-threaded hole.
provided in the gauge-bar.
At the upper end of the frame B is a hollow roller K, which rests upon a
transverse plate B secured to the frame and is formed in such a manner that its.
outer periphery is kept moist by water or mucilage stored in its interior.
In certain cases the exterior of the said roller may be kept moist with gum or
mucilage by suitable means.
Lis a case or cover in which the roller I is journalled and L', L' are projections.
on the case or cover which extend through slots formed in lugs B' provided upon
the frame B. I is a knob or handle upon the said case or cover.
M, M are
springs placed upon the projections L' hetween nuts screwed thereon and the
lugs B of the frame. The said projections and springs are so arranged that
the roller may be drawn downward by means of the knob on its casing, along the
plate B, against the resistance of the springs M which will be compressed between:
the said nuts and the lugs so as to automatically return the roller to its normal
position when the knob is released.
To use the appliance the folders are placed in the positions in which they are
shown in the drawings and the circular is inserted in the slots of the folders so that
its lower edge rests against the gauge plate I. When thus placed in position the
circular bears upon the bar B and must lie above one portion of each folder and
under the other portion thereof, which portions are in different planes one being
slightly elevated with respect to the other as above explained. The folder D is
then rotated on its bearing and will fold the lower portion of the circular over
through an angle of 180° so that the tongue D' of the lower portion of the said
folder D which was formerly below the circular will now bear upon the upper side
of the folded circular at the point at which the second fold is to be made. The
second folder C is now rotated to fold the upper or doubled portion of the circular.
The arcs of movement of the folders are indicated by dotted lines. While the
folders are being turned over, the edges thereof enter between the aforesaid rollers
and the circular is thereby nipped so that a sharp fold is made. The circular thus.
folded may be readily withdrawn from engagement with the plates or folders by
sliding it endwise out of the slots therein, which, as hereinbefore stated, are left
open at their ends to permit the circular to be disengaged therefrom in the manner
described.
If it is desired to close or fasten the circular or the like, the same or a wrapper
therefor, placed in the apparatus along with the circular, is gummed or is moistened
on its previously gummed surface, by means of the roller K above referred to which
is drawn down into contact with it.
As above explained the folders are preferably so secured in their bearings as to
be readily removable, in order that folders to make folds of different widths may
be employed in the machine, and the brackets D° are also made adjustable for a
like purpose.
We do not limit our aforesaid invention to the particular apparatus herein before
described which may obviously be otherwise arranged in detail without departure
from our invention.
Having now particularly described and.ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for folding circulars and the like, the employment of slotted
folders for the purpose specified.
2. Apparatus for folding circulars and the like provided with readily removable
folders, adjustable bearings for the said removable folders, and adjustable bearings
for the rollers F and E, substantially as hereinbefore described, for the purpose
specified.

page_text: 3. In apparatus for folding and facilitating the closing or fastening of circulars
and the like, the combination, with the folders, of damping apparatus such as is
herein described, for the purpose specified.
4. The apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings for the purposes specified.
Dated this 16th day of August 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.