IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DOUBLING, CUTTING OFF, SEPARATING, AND FOLDING PAPER AS DELIVERED FROM ROTARY WEB-PRINTING MACHINES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Duncan, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, and William Ashley Wilson, of the same Place,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR DOUBLING, CUTTING OFF, SEPARATING, AND FOLDING PAPER AS DELIVERED
FROM ROTARY WEB-PRINTING MACHINES."-Partly a communication from
abroad by George Lauder, of New York, in the United States of
America, Civil Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Duncan and
William Ashley Wilson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 19th November 1870.
We, GEORGE DUNCAN, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and WILLIAM ASHLEY WILSON, of the same Place, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DOUBLING, CUTTING OFF, SEPARATING, AND FOLDING
PAPER AS DELIVERED FROM ROTARY WEB-PRINTING MACHINES," the same being
the result partly of a communication made to us from abroad by George

page_text: Lauder, of New York, in the United States of America, Civil Engineer,
and partly of Invention made by us, to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates to machinery or apparatus of novel
construction to be worked in combination or in a conjoined operation
with that class of rotary printing machines now known as rotary web-
printing machines, that is to say, machines adapted to print a succession
of impressions on a web or long length of paper, and has for its object
the automatic performance of the important operations, or one or more
of them, mentioned above in the title.
First Part. The machinery or apparatus constituting the first part
of the Invention has been devised and perfected for the following special
purposes:(a), doubling the printed part of the web of paper once or
oftener lengthwise during delivery from the printing machine; (b),
cutting off the desired newspaper, book, or other length; (c), folding
the cut-off length as often as may be necessary; and (d), delivering
such folded sheets in rapid succession on to a travelling band, a carrier,
or laying them in piles ready for removal by hand or otherwise.
For simplicity of description we will divide the said first part into two
sections, hereafter called section A. and section B.
Section A. (first part), as preferred, consists of a series of pairs of
parallel rollers arranged thus:-The first pair are placed to receive the
paper as it leaves the printing machine, and are of sufficient length for
this purpose; the second pair are placed with their axes in a plane at a
right angle to the plane containing the axes of the first pair, and in a
position relatively to them, so that when the paper is passed between
them it is doubled as it passes. To prevent undue strain the edges of
the paper must always be kept in a plane at a right angle to the plane
containing the axes of the second pair of rolls, the second pair of rolls
being preferably mounted in an adjustable frame. The third pair of
rolls are placed with their axes in a plane at a right angle to the plane
containing the axes of the second pair, so that the paper is again
doubled in passing from the second pair to them, the same precaution
being observed to prevent straining. Two endless bands together the
width or thereabouts of the paper to be folded pass around the bottom
roller of the first pair of rolls, one band passing round each of the
rollers of the second pair; these bands serve to support the paper as it
receives the "first double."

page_text: Section B. (first part), consists of apparatus having a large drum of a
circumference equal to the length of one or more of the cut-off sheets
to be folded. A circumference equal to three lengths is preferred for
large and quick working printing machines, and apparatus of that size
is hereafter described. Three knives are fixed to the periphery in
recesses formed for them, a separate knife revolving in fixed bearings
being provided and geared with the drum, so as to come into shearing
contact with each knife in succession, and so cut the web of paper into
the required lengths. Midway between these knives openings, three in
number, are made in the periphery of the drum, at the back of each of
which is a pair of rollers with tapes led over a second pair of rollers
placed in a convenient position in the interior of the drum. A folding
knife is attached to the drum by levers immediately over the opening
in the periphery, and is caused to vibrate, so that it presses each cut-off
length of paper in succession between rolls and tapes, thereby folds it.
These tapes deliver the paper into a groove fixed in the interior of the
drum. A second folding knife is provided, and so placed and actuated
as to give a second fold by pressing the paper through a second set of
rollers and tapes. The said second set of tapes are carried round a
curved guide to the periphery of the drum, such curved guide being so
placed that it gives the paper a motion in the opposite or nearly opposite
direction to that of the drum; in this way, when the paper is being
delivered, its motion relatively to the framing of the machine may be
very small.
After leaving the drum the folded sheets or papers are
preferably received on a travelling band having a slow motion from
which they can be removed by attendants.
of
Second Part. The machinery or apparatus constituting the second
part of the Invention has been devised and perfected for the purposes
(a) separating or detaching sheets from the web as delivered from the
printing machine; (b'), folding such sheets as often as may be desired.
in practice; and (c) delivering the folded papers in piles and removing
them. Under the said second part the end of the printed web is led
direct to a saw or knife cylinder, and each sheet or length all but
separated from the web. The web is then led between tapes to a pair
of rollers, one having a tongue or tongues and the other a corresponding
groove or grooves on its periphery. These rollers run faster than the
saw or knife cylinder, and hence detach sheet after sheet; they also
serve to give the first fold in consequence of each tongue delivering the

page_text: "closed double" edge of a sheet. A brush is provided to prevent the
sheet with one fold as aforesaid from being carried round with the roller.
To give the second fold the sheets are passed to a second pair of tongue
and groove rollers. For the third, usually a cross fold, the sheets are
made to pass between cross rollers. The fourth fold is effected by rollers
whose axes are preferably parallel to the cross rollers for the third fold.
After receiving the fourth fold the papers slide down on a fly which
delivers them on an endless band, the said band being adjusted to move
after several papers, say six, have been piled one above the other. The
fly stands until two papers are received on it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Duncan and William Ashley Wilson in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th May 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
DUNCAN, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and
WILLIAM ASHLEY WILSON, of the same Place, Engineer, send greeting.
"
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said George Duncan and William Ashley
Wilson, Her special license that we, the said George Duncan and William
Ashley Wilson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said George Duncan and William Ashley Wilson, our exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR DOUBLING, CUTTING OFF, SEPARATING, AND FOLDING PAPER AS
DELIVERED FROM ROTARY WEB-PRINTING MACHINES," the same being the result
partly of a communication made to us from abroad by George Lauder,
of New York, in the United States of America, Civil Engineer, and
partly of Invention made by us, upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said George Duncan and William Ashley Wilson, our

page_text: executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or
their, or one of our or their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Duncan and William
Ashley Wilson, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying four Sheets of illustrative Drawings, and to the
figures and letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to machinery or apparatus of novel
construction to be worked in combination or in a conjoined operation
with that class of rotary printing machines now known as rotary web-
printing machines, that is to say, machines adapted to print a succession
of impressions on a web or long length of paper, and has for its object
the automatic performance of the important operations or one or more
of them mentioned above in the title.
First Part. The machinery or apparatus constituting the first part of
the Invention has been devised and perfected for the following special
purposes, (a), doubling the printed part of the web of paper once or
oftener lengthwise during delivery from the printing machine; (b),
cutting off the desired newspaper, book, or other length; (c), folding the
cut off length as often as may be necessary; and, (d), delivering such
folded sheets in rapid succession on to a travelling band, a carrier, or
laying them in piles ready for removal. by hand or otherwise.
For simplicity of description we will divide the said First Part into
two sections hereafter called Section A. and Section B.
Section A. (first part), as preferred, consists of a series of pairs of
parallel rollers arranged thus:-The first pair are placed to receive the
paper as it leaves the printing machine, and are of sufficient length for
this purpose; the second pair are placed with their axes in a plane at a
right angle to the plane containing the axes of the first pair, and in a
position relatively to them, so that when the paper is passed between
them it is doubled as it passes. To prevent undue strain the edges of
the paper must always be kept in a plane at a right angle to the plane

page_text: length of paper in succession between rolls and tapes, thereby folding it.
These tapes deliver the paper into a groove fixed in the interior of the
drum. A second folding knife is provided, and so placed and actuated
as to give a second fold by pressing the paper through a second set of
rollers and tapes. The said second set of tapes are carried round a
curved guide to the periphery of the drum, such curved guide being so
placed that it gives the paper a motion in the opposite or nearly opposite
direction to that of the drum. In this way when the paper is being
delivered its motion relatively to the framing of the machine may be
very small.
After leaving the drum the folded sheets or papers are
preferably received on a travelling band having a slow motion, from
which they can be removed by attendants. This part of our Invention
is illustrated on Sheet B. of the Drawings, Fig. 2 being a view in
transverse section and end elevation, and Fig. 3 a view in longitudinal
section and elevation both of a revolving drum equal in circumference
to the length of three cut off sheets, and fitted with mechanism for
separating or detaching the doubled sheets, folding them twice, and
delivering the folded papers. The doubled web of paper passes between
the rollers i, thence on to the periphery of the drum j, which revolves
with the shaft in the direction shewn by the arrow.
At equal
distances apart there are three fixed knives k; one only is shown fixed
on the drum j. As j rotates these knives come in succession into
shearing contact with the knife 1, which by preference is made to
revolve in fixed bearings m, and cut off sheet after sheet. n are openings
formed midway between the knives k in the drum j. At the back of n
are rollers o, over which and over the rollers p the endless tapes q are
passed; q', grippers on each side of the openings n for holding the paper
to the drum. The rollers o are driven by the band o' led over the
pulley o; r, vibrating folding knives; each of these in succession forces
the closed double edge of a paper between the rollers n and tapes q.
From 9 the single folded paper is delivered into interior grooves 8;
t, second folding knives caused to vibrate on the centres u by the outer
ends v running in the cam w.
When either of the knives & descends the
paper is again folded by being forced between the second set of rollers x
and tapes y. The said tapes y are carried round a curved guide in the
periphery of j, whereby a motion is given to the folded paper in a
direction opposite to that of the drum. The endless travelling band to
receive the folded papers as they issue from the drum is not shewn. The
motion may be continuous or intermittent. It will be obvious that
1
.

page_text: when the paper is strong enough the doubling mechanism will not be
necessary, as the web may pass direct to the revolving drum, the
cutting off and folding mechanism of which may be increased and
varied.
Second Part. The machinery or apparatus constituting the second
part of the Invention has been devised and perfected for the purposes of,
(a), separating or detaching sheets from the web as delivered from the
printing machine; (b'), folding such sheets as often as may be desired in
practice; and, (c¹), delivering the folded papers in piles and removing
them. Under this said second part the end of the printed web is led
direct to a saw or knife cylinder, and each sheet or length all but
separted from the web; the web is then led between tapes to a pair of
rollers, one having a tongue or tongues, and the other a corresponding
groove or grooves on its periphery. These rollers run faster than the
saw or knife cylinder, and hence detach sheet after sheet; they also
serve to give the first fold in consequence of each tongue delivering the
"closed double "edge of a sheet. A brush is provided to prevent the
sheet with one fold, as aforesaid, from being carried round with the
roller. To give the second fold the sheets are passed to a second pair of
tongue and groove rollers; for the third, usually a cross fold, the sheets
are made to pass between cross rollers. The fourth fold is effected by
rollers whose axes are preferably parallel to the cross rollers for the
third fold. After receiving the fourth fold the papers slide down on
a fly, which delivers them on an endless band, the said band being
adjusted to move after several papers, say six, have been piled one
above the other.
That modification of the second part of our Invention which we prefer
is shewn on Sheets C. and D. of the accompanying Drawings, fitted or
attached in position on a rotary web-printing machine of the kind
manufactured by us. Fig. 4, Sheet C., is a side elevation, Fig. 5 a plan,
Fig. 6 a side elevation, the side framing being removed, Fig. 7 a
transverse section and elevation shewing the laying fly, and Fig. 8 a
view drawn to a larger scale of the tongue and groove rolls, cams, and
grippers all of parts adapted to separate or detach sheets (say of news-
paper size) from the web, to fold each such separated sheet three times,
and to deliver the folded sheets In these views like letters indicate the

page_text: 1 shews the web of paper as delivered from the rotating printing
cylinders, the course of the said web before it is cut into sheets, and
of the sheets during folding and laying is indicated on Fig. 6 by blue.
arrows. The web of paper delivered at a uniform speed from the
printing cylinders is guided between the pullies 2 and rotating drum 3,
thence between the said roll 3 and rotating perforator roll 4 carrying the
toothed blade 5, whereby the web is transversely perforated at the
required distances. The web so perforated passes downwards and end-
wards between the travelling tapes 6 driven by the roller 6*, thence
upwards with them and between the rollers 8, such rollers 8 being
suspended by straps 9 from the excentric pulley 10 fixed on the shaft 11.
From rollers 8 the web passes between small rollers 12 to the tongue
and groove rollers 13; when a sheet has travelled half way through the
rollers 13 the brush 14 causing the free single end to pass downwards
between the tapes 15, the protruding tongue in the lower roller 13 forces
the sheet into a groove on the upper roller 13, where it is held by
grippers 16. The excentric straps and pullies are adjusted to cause the
downwards stroke of the rollers 8. After the closed double of the sheet
has been carried about half way round the upper roller 13, and when
the perforated line has passed the rollers 12 the sheet is torn off. The
rollers 13 may be made to run faster than the tapes 6, and in this way
tear off sheet after sheet. To give the second fold a protruding tongue
on the top roller 13 enters a groove on the roller 17, and grippers in
17 hold the sheet and deliver it past the rotating roller 18 to the
tapes 19. The tongues in the rollers 13 are caused to fall inwards
almost within the circumference thereof by the cams 20 for the purpose
of allowing the paper to be easily carried away without objectionable
friction. A large groove is formed in the bottom roller 13 to allow the
tongue on the top roller to pass. Cams 21 operate the grippers 16; the
tapes 19 convey the sheets after two folds are made downwards over the
rotating cross rollers 22, where a knife 23 caused to vibrate by slotted
lever 24, connecting rods 25, centred lever 26, cam 27, and return.
spring 28 gives the third fold by forcing the sheet between the said
cross rollers 22, from which it is carried downwards by the tapes 29.
The tapes 29 are carried on the laying fly, which is caused to vibrate
by the connecting rod 30 operated through the excentric pin 31. It
will be evident that, as shewn on the Drawings, all the parts in direct
contact with the web as well as with the separated and folded sheets
of paper have the same surface speed, and that the laying fly delivers

page_text: a folded sheet during each double vibration. It will also be evident
that the moving parts are so geared that every revolution of the driving
shaft causes one vibration of the perforator roll 4, and also one revolution
of the pin 31. The travelling band to convey away the folded sheets,
and to which a continuous or intermittent motion may be given, is not
shewn.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and
particularized the same by details which after lengthened trials we
have found to answer well in practice, we claim, the machinery or
apparatus working in combination or in a conjoined operation with
rotary web printing machines for the purposes set forth, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Duncan, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
In the presence of
J. T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
GEORGE DUNCAN. (L.s.)