CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR FOLDING PAPER."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Richmond and Walter Whiting, both of Kirby
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers, for an Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR FOLDING PAPER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Richmond and Walter
Whiting at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st June 1880.
JOSEPH RICHMOND and WALTER WHITING, both of Kirby Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineers. "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
MACHINES FOR FOLDING PAPER."
The object of this Invention is the construction of a machine designed for folding
paper in sections of several sheets or in quires with expedition and facility, without
regard to adjustment as to the thickness or number of sheets being folded at one
time, and the appearance of the paper when folded will be cleaner, neater, and more
uniform than when folded by hand.
In constructing a machine according to this Invention we mount upon a suitable
frame work a feeding table provided with a fixed longitudinal guide, and an
adjustable transverse guide, and an open guide slot, over and through which the
paper to be folded is placed.
The framing of the machine below the table supports a shaft driven by a pulley
and suitable gearing. This shaft carries two cams, one of which, through the
medium of a compensating connecting rod and levers, gives motion to a vibrating
knife and a roller supported in movable bearings which, during the ascent of the
knife, is brought into contact with a second roller revolving in fixed bearings, and
is again withdrawn during the time the knife is descending.
The second cam in like mannner gives motion through a similar arrangement of
compensating connecting rod to levers which support a second vibrating roller
placed at right angles to the one previously described, and which is also caused
whilst revolving to close intermittantly and come into contact with a roller
revolving in fixed bearings.
Each connecting rod communicating motion from the cams to the vibrating knife
and movable rollers before mentioned are made in two parts, coupled together by
springs which will allow their lengths to be expanded or contracted automatically,
Tu 421

page_text: according to the thickness or number of sheets of paper being operated upon at one
time.
The rollers revolving in fixed bearings and those revolving in vibrating bearings
are driven continuously by a suitable arrangement of gearing whilst the machino is
at work.
The working and action of the machine may be described as follows:-
The transverse guide plate having been adjusted and fixed in position to suit the
work in hand, the sheet or sheets of paper to be folded, whether one or more at the
same time, are, whilst the knife is temporarily dwelling at its highest elevation,
placed against the fixed side guide and the adjustable top guide; when in this
position the descent of the knife doubles up and forces the paper through the slotted
guide in the table, where, as the knife ascends, it is nipped by the coming into
contact of the first pair of rollers in manner as before described, which, during their
temporary contact, pass the folded sheets between them onto running tapes, which
carry them with their folded edges against a back board or streight edge, where the
paper is caused to assume a truly square position for being nipped by the second
pair of rollers, which, during tho traverse of the folded paper on the tapes, have
been kept apart; but so soon as the paper is squared against the abutment before
named the said second pair of rollers close in upon the top folded edges of the paper,
and immediately pass the same between them to the receiving or drop box.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Richmond and Walter Whiting in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st December 1880.
JOSEPH RICHMOND and WALTER WHITING, both of Kirby Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineers. "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
MACHINES FOR FOLDING PAPER."
The object of this Invention is the construction of a machine designed for folding
paper in sections of several sheets, or in quires, with expedition and facility, without
regard to adjustment as to the thickness or number of sheets being folded at one
time, and the appearance of the paper when folded will be cleaner, neater, and more
uniform than when folded by hand.
When constructing a machine according to this Invention we mount upon a
suitable frame work a feeding table provided with a fixed longitudinal guide, an
adjustable transverse guide, and an open slot guide, over and through which the
paper to be folded is placed.
The framing of the machine below the table supports a shaft driven by a pulley
and suitable gearing; this shaft carries two cams, one of which, through the medium
of a compensating connecting rod and lever, gives motion to a vibrating knife and
a roller supported in moveable bearings which, during the ascent of the knife, is
brought into contact with a second roller rovolving in fixed bearings, and is again
withdrawn during the time the knife is descending.
The second cam, in like manner, gives motion to a similar arrangement of
compensating connecting rod to levers which support a second vibrating rollor
placed at right angles to the one previously described, and which is also caused
whilst revolving to close intermittantly and come into contact with a roller revolving
in fixed bearings.
When sheets of paper are placed on the table against the guides before mentioned
the vibrating knife in its descent doubles the paper up and forces it through the
slot in the table, where the sheet or sheets thus acted upon are taken hold of by
the first pair of rollers and passed in a folded state on tapes against a straight edge
or back board, where the folded paper is again taken hold of and passed by the
second pair of rollers into the receiving drop boy.
In order that the Invention may be well understood and explained in detail we
have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings made upon a scale of about two inches
to the foot, similar letters of reference being marked on corresponding parts in all
the Figures alike.
Figure 1 represent a side and Fig. 2 a back elevational views of the improved
quire or paper folder.
In these Figures a, a, is the framing of the machine supporting the table b.
This table is provided with a fixed longitudinal guide o, a transverso adjustable
guido d, and a slot e, over and through which the paper to be folded is placed
and passed.
The framing a below the table b supports a shaft ƒ driven by the driving
pulley g. This shaft carries two cams hand i; the cam h, through the medium
of the compensating rod h¹, friction roller h³, and levers h³, gives motion to the
vibrating knife and the vibrating roller l, which, with the roller C, forms the
first pair of rollers between which the doubled up paper passes. The roller L,
during the descent of the knife k, is brought into contact with the roller zi
revolving in fixed bearings, and is again withdrawn during the time the knife k is
descending.
The cam i transmits, through the medium of the compensating rod ≫, friction
roller and levers 8 to the vibrating roller which with the roller 3 forma

page_text: the second pair of rollers, which are placed at right angles to the rollers and ^;
the said roller is, supported in fixed bearings, has brought into contact with it
whilst revolving the vibrating roller it.
The connecting rods h¹ and i¹, communicating motion from the cams h and i
to the vibrating knife and moveable rollers and , before mentioned, are
made in two parts, coupled together by springs which allow their length to be
expanded or contracted automatically, according to the thickness or number of
sheets of paper being folded at one timo.
The rollers and is, supported on fixed bearings, are driven continuously by
the bevil gearing n and spur wheels o.
The working and action of the machine may be now described as follows,
reference being had to the Drawings:-
The transverse guide plate d having been adjusted and fixed in position to
suit the work in hand, the sheet or sheets of paper to be folded, whether one or
more at the same time, are, whilst the knife is temporarily dwelling at its
highest elevation, placed against the fixed longitudinal guide c and the adjustable
guide d. When in this position the descent of the knife doubles up and forces
the paper through the slotted guide e in the table b, where, as the knife
ascends, it is nipped by the coming into contact of the first pair of rollers and
and, in manner as before described, which, during their temporary contact,
passes the folded sheets between them on to the running tapes p, p, which
carry them with their folded edges against the back board or straight edge q,
where the said paper is caused to assume a truly square position for being nipped by
the second pair of rollers and , which, during the traverso of the folded
paper on the tapes p, p, were kept apart, but so soon as the paper is squared
against the abutment q the said second pair of rollers and close in upon
the top folded edges of the paper, and immediately pass the same between them
into the receiving or drop box r.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, together with the
manner of performing the same, we would have it understood in conclusion that we
do not wish to confine ourselves to the exact detail of the parts herein described
forming a machine for folding paper, but what we do claim as our Invention is,―
The general arrangement and construction of mechanism composing a paper
folding machine, in which such paper is folded through the medium of vibrating
and revolving rollers, actuated in the manner and for the purpose as herein
substantially described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Richmond and Walter Whiting, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, the Second day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
Witness to the signatures,
THO®. WRIGLEY.
JOSEPH RICHMOND. (L.S.)
WALTER WHITING. (L.S.)
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