IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR FOLDING PAPER
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Duncan, William Ashley Wilson, and George
Ashley Wilson, all of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR FOLDING
PAPER."
Sealed the 13th February 1877, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor,
and dated the 15th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Duncan, William
Ashley Wilson, and George Ashley Wilson at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents on the 15th July 1876.
GEORGE DUNCAN, WILLIAM ASHLEY WILSON, and GEORGE ASHLEY WILSON, all
of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR FOLDING PAPER."
This Invention has for its object to provide simple and efficient means for folding
sheets of paper or paper as it issues from the printing cylinders of a web printing
machine.
Hitherto paper has been folded either by means of a knife or blade doubling or
creasing the said paper when stationary and forcing it between two rotating rollers,
or by means of a knife or blade secured on and projecting from a rotating cylinder
doubling or creasing the said paper when passing over such cylinder, and forcing
the doubled or creased portion between grippers contained in a second rotating
cylinder.
Now our Invention consists essentially in the use of two rotating cylinders,
between which the paper passes, and in one of which a wiper, scraper, lifter, or
gatherer is employed to wipe, scrape, lift, or gather up and carry forward from off
the surface of the other cylinder that portion of the paper where it is desired to
make a fold. The folded sheet is then released to receive a second fold or to be
delivered, as desired.
Under a first modification the said wiper, scraper, lifter, or gatherer consists of a
knife or blade fitted in a groove, and caused by means of a cam or its equivalent
to move over the surface of the other cylinder towards the edge or lip of the groove,
and so wipe, scrape, lift, or gather up a portion of the paper between itself and the
edge or lip of the groove.
Under a second modification we employ in a rotating cylinder two rollers, which

page_text: are caused to revolve when in contact with the paper on the surface of another
cylinder, and by their revolution wipe or gather up and carry forward that portion
of the paper where it is desired to form a fold.
To ensure the correct action of the wipers, scrapers, lifters, or gatherers, we either
so construct that portion of the surface of the cylinder from which the paper is
wiped, scraped, lifted, or gathered that it shall be yielding or elastic, say, by means
of curved springs, or we give a little in-and-out play to the said wipers, scrapers,
lifters, or gatherers by means of springs or their equivalents.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said George Duncan, William
Ashley Wilson, and George Ashley Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th February 1877.
GEORGE DUNCAN, WILLIAM ASHLEY WILSON, and GEORGE ASHLEY WILSON, all
of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR FOLDING PAPER."
This Invention has for its object to provide simple and efficient means for folding
sheets of paper or paper as it issues from the printing cylinders of a web printing
machine.
Hitherto paper has been folded by means of a knife or blade doubling or creasing
the said paper when stationary and forcing it between two rotating rollers, or
by means of a knife or blade secured on and projecting from a rotating cylinder
doubling or creasing the said paper when passing over such cylinder, and forcing
the doubled or creased portion between grippers contained in a second rotating
cylinder.
Now our Invention consists essentially in the use of two rotating cylinders,
between which the paper passes, and in one of which a wiper, scraper, lifter, or
gatherer is employed to wipe, scrape, lift, or gather up and carry forward from off
the surface of the other cylinder that portion of the paper where it is desired to
make a fold. The folded sheet is then released to receive a second fold or to be
delivered, as desired.
Under a first modification the said wiper, scraper, lifter, or gatherer consists of a
knife or blade fitted in a groove, and caused by means of a cam or its equivalent to
move over the surface of the other cylinder towards the edge or lip of the groove,
and so wipe, scrape, lift, or gather up a portion of the paper between itself and the
edge or lip of the groove.
Under a second modification we employ in a rotating cylinder two rollers, which
are caused to revolve when in contact with the paper on the surface of another
cylinder, and by their revolution wipe or gather up and carry forward that portion
of the paper where it is desired to form a fold.
To ensure the correct action of the wipers, scrapers, lifters, or gatherers, we either
60 construct that portion of the surface of the cylinder from which the paper is
wiped, scraped, lifted, or gathered that it shall be yielding or elastic, say, by means
of curved springs, or we give a little in-and-out play to the said wipers, scrapers,
lifters, or gatherers, by means of springs or their equivalents.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of folding apparatus constructed under our Invention in
its simplest form. a, cylinder carrying wiper or gatherer d; b, plain cylinder
over which the paper to be folded passes, and from which the wiper or gatherer d
lifts up that portion of the paper between itself and the lip where it is required
to make the fold. The wiper or gatherer d is secured to the vibrating shaft j, and
is operated from the cam h through the arm f.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan view of apparatus illustrative of
our Invention. In this modification three cylinders a, b, c, are employed for giving
two folds to the paper. In the arrangement shown the paper is receiving the
second fold. d, e, are wipers, scrapers, gatherers, or lifters, formed of a thin sheet
of metal, caused by means of the arms f, g, and stationary cams h, i, to vibrate in
the shafts j, k, during the revolution of the cylinders. Springs may be used to keep
the arms f, g, in contact with the cams h, i. The wiper or gatherer d is slown
free from the lip l, and is not acting upon the paper to be folded. The wiper or
gatherer e is shown close to the lip m, so as to hold the portion of the paper
lifted or gathered up between itself and the said lip. The paper enters between
the cylinders at n, and receives the first fold from the wiper or gatherer d, which
carries round the doubled end of the paper until it arrives at the position shown on
cylinder b. The said wiper or gatherer then moves away from the said lip and
leaves hold of the doubled paper, which is wiped or gathered up at its centre by
the wiper or gatherer e, and a second fold is produced. The paper is delivered from
the cylinder c to further folding mechanism if desired. When the paper entering
at n forms part of a web a knife is provided to cut the paper into sheets, and is
placed by preference on the cylinder (.
Springs o, as shown in Fig. 6, may be secured to the cylinder a and b to provide
an elastic surface for the wipers or gatherers to operate upon. India-rubber springs
may also be inserted under the ends of the curved springs o if desired.
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 5 a plan view of a modification of appa-
ratus in which rollers perform the work of wiping or gathering up the paper.
a, b, are the cylinders; q, r, wiping or gathering rollers operated from the rack & by
the gearing t.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of apparatus similar to that described under Figs. 4
and 5. Here curved springs o are employed to form an elastic surface on which the
wiping or gathering rollers may act. An india-rubber spring is inserted beneath
the curved springs to increase the elasticity.
Figs. 7 and 8 are modifications in which the wipers or gatherers ware allowed
a little to-and-fro motion, being fitted in sliding bearings v. x are springs to
cause the said wipers or gatherers to fit well up to the cylinders a when operating
to wipe, lift, gather, or scrape up the paper. The arrows show the direction of
motion of the parts.
The above apparatus or appliances may be used in conjunction with any web
printing machine, or may be employed separately.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention in such manner that
others may be enabled to carry our improvements into effect, we claim,-
1. In a paper folding machine the combination of two folding cylinders, one of
said cylinders having gathering or lifting mechanism, substantially as described, for
gathering or lifting the material from the periphery of the other cylinder, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination of two folding cylinders, one of said cylinders having
gathering or lifting mechanism, substantially as described, for gathering or lifting
the material, and the other cylinder provided with an elastic or yielding surface,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination of three folding cylinders, constructed and operating sub-
stantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Ashley Wilson and George Ashley
Wilson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
WILLIAM ASHLEY WILSON. (L.S.)
GEORGE A. WILSON.
(L.S.)