Improvements relating to Web Printing and Folding Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
[Communicated from abroad by ROBERT HOE, of 504, Grand Street, New York
City, State of New York, United States of America, Printing Press
Manufacturer.]
Improvements relating to Web Printing and Folding Machines.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6, Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Patent Agent, 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 web printing machines, and one part of the invention
has for its object to provide improved feeding devices for advancing the paper,
whether as a web or in the form of sheets cut from the web, and especially to
provide a simple, cheap, and efficient construction, which will always be in position
to take a sheet, so as to act independently of, and require no special timing of,
feeding devices in advancing sheets thereto. While the feeding devices embodying
certain features of the invention are applicable to many other uses, the invention
has been designed especially for use in that class of folding mechanisms generally
known as longitudinal folders, and this part of the invention consists chiefly of
features of construction in such folders.
In such
The class of folding mechanisms referred to are those which operate to impart
a longitudinal fold to material passing over or through them on the run, and
more particularly such as are provided with a pair of converging internal folding
guides or formers, in passing over which, the material has its sides carried
towards each other, so as to be doubled or folded longitudinally.
longitudinal folders, adapted to fold sheets, tapes have usually been employed
for advancing the sheets over the folder, two series of tapes being used, or a
series of external tapes coacting with internal plates. Such constructions,
however, have not been entirely satisfactory in operation, as it is difficult to
secure and maintain by tapes the proper tension at all points of the sheet, to
assure its proper feed and accurate folding: the construction requires careful
attention to secure the best results; and there is danger of offsetting, as it is
found in practice that several series of tapes engaging different parts of the
sheets are required for efficient action, and various feeding means have been used
to avoid these objections to tape folders, such as feeding rollers and travelling
grippers.
One of the especial objects of the present invention is to provide an improved
longitudinal folder by which the sheet may be fed positively, and with certainty,
and the requisite tension at all points of the sheet secured and maintained at
high rates of speed throughout its movement over the folder, while the sheets
need not be accurately timed in their delivery to the folder, as is necessary when
travelling grippers are used. This object is attained by the use of travelling
feeding fingers, which feed the sheet by pressure against stationary abutments,
such as metal plates, which are preferably spring mounted, and it is preferable to
employ endless chains to carry the feeding fingers, which chains are preferably

page_text: driven by sprocket wheels, as usual in sprocket chain constructions, so as to
secure a positive movement, without possibility of slip.
Another part of the present invention relates to certain improvements by which
a web of paper is caused to be drawn from its roll, and entered into the machine
which is to operate upon it with an evenly maintained tension, this object being
accomplished by providing a peculiar and novel construction of tension devices
to act upon the web, which, will be fully described in the detailed description
of the invention.
In the present state of the art, the custom is to use rolls of paper as they come
from the mill, that is to say, they are. not re-wound. These rolls are frequently
wound so as not to be uniform, and, being of great weight, are, during shipment,
transit, delivery, and handling, more or less damaged, so that their circular
formation is destroyed by dents and flattened portions, whereby the tension of
the web, as it is drawn from the roll for use, varies (and at times to a great extent),
owing to the sudden changing of the length of web stretched between its roll
and the tension roller, which irregular variation has to be compensated for, in
order to preserve an even tension.
In the example shown of an embodiment of this part of the invention, it is
illustrated as applied in connection with a rotary printing machine, but, as will
appear from the following detailed description of it and its operation in connection
with a rolled web that is printed upon, it is equally applicable to other machines
operating upon a web led thereto from a roll, and wherein the best results will
be produced when the web is subjected to uniform tension.
The accompanying drawings illustrate such parts of a web printing machine
embodying the invention in a simple form, as are necessary to illustrate the
improvements.
In these drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a printing machine, more particularly
showing the device for controlling the web tension, the printing couples, and the
devices by which the web is fed to and along the longitudinal folder.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the feeding devices for
advancing the web of paper, said devices being shown in connection with the
internal guide or longitudinal folder.
Fig. 3 is a front view of the construction shown in Fig. 2, with the point of
the top plate broken away, and certain parts shown in section.
Fig. 4 is a plan view, with the top plate broken away on one side.
Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of a chain and co-acting spring plate and
abutment.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of that end of the machine carrying the web
roll, and showing one form of the improved tension device.
Fig. 7 is a plan view, partly in section, of the construction shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a detail view, showing a modification of the tension device; and.
Fig. 9 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 8.
Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to the constructions illustrated
in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, A indicates the frame of a well-known form of web
printing machine. This form of machine has been selected because the improve-
ments which constitute the invention are applicable thereto, but it is to be
understood that the improvements are applicable to any form of web printing
machine employing devices for giving a longitudinal. fold to the web, and that
also certain parts of the improvements are separately applicable to machines other
than printing machines. At the folding end of the machine is shown a pair of
internal guides B, C, over which the sides of the sheet are bent to form the fold,
these internal guides B, C, being shown as consisting of bars converging between
a pair of external guides or rollers D, and having a nose or point bent downward,
and continuing the guides to and between a pair of fold-laying rolls E. The
internal guides B, C, are supported at their upper ends by a bar G extending
across the top of the folder, and at their lower ends by a cross bar H pivotally

page_text: mounted so as to be vertically adjustable on a bar I extending rearward under
the folder, and mounted in a bracket on frame A, so as to be adjustable longi-
tudinally, thus securing the proper positioning of the guides B, C. The folder may
be left open at the top, and only the internal side guides B, C, be used, but a
top plate L extending between the internal guides will preferably be added, to
aid in supporting the middle of the sheet, and this plate is extended rearward
of the ends of the guide B, C, to a feed roller M, which co-acts with pulleys N
and tapes thereon, in feeding the sheets to the folder. This roller M is preferably
formed either of a series of discs, or is grooved, as in the construction shown, and
a series of fingers Q are used to guide the sheet from the roll M onto the plate I,
these fingers entering grooves in the roll M and slots.in the upper rear edge of the
plate L. In the construction shown, side tapes a, are used at the opposite side
edges of the folder, these tapes passing from pulleys N over the plate L to the
internal guides 13, C, and around the latter, returning around pulleys 10 mounted
just below the internal guides B, C, and tightening pulleys 11. Between the
tapes a are two sets of tapes b, running from pulleys N forward above the plate L,
and returning to the pulley N around pulleys 12 mounted above the folder. These
tapes coact with corresponding sets of tapes 6 running upon the top plate L,
through openings provided therein, and carried by pulleys 13, 14, below the plate,
and opposite said openings. A central tape c runs from cne of the pulleys N
over the plate L, following the nose or point downward between the rollers D),
to a point just above the rolls E, and thence returns around the pulley 15 and
tightening pulley 16. This tape co-acts with a tape c¹ running on the top plate L,
and carried by pulleys 17, 18, below the plate.
The construction thus far described is common in longitudinal folders, and it
will be understood that the features forming the invention are applicable also
to other forms of such folders.
Referring now to the novel features, on each side of the folder, and converging
from the upper ends of the internal guides B, C, between the rollers D, and to the
fold-laying rolls E, are endless sprocket chains 0, which are carried by, and driven
from, the shafts of rolls E, and run in grooves in rolls D, their upper ends passing
around sprocket wheels 19. These chains are formed of open and closed links,
as usual in such chain constructions, and the closed links, at suitable intervals,
carry feeding fingers g, which are preferably formed integral with the links, as
shown, and are flat pieces of metal forming blunt fingers, which operate to feed
the sheet by pressure against stationary abutments formed by plates h, which
are mounted opposite the chains, and converge with the chains between the rolls D
to the rolls E. These plates are preferably constructed to form elastic abutments
by which feeding contact of all the fingers is assured, independently of wear
thereon, and, in the construction shown, these plates are of thin flexible metal
carried by pins 2, which pass through openings in bars 20, and are elastically
mounted on flat springs 21, pressing them towards the chains. It will be understood,
however, that any other suitable constructions may be used for this purpose.
The chains are preferably supported between the rolls 19, D, and E, so as to be
rigidly held in proper position for feeding the sheets by pressure of the fingers
against the plates h, plates 22 mounted on studs 23 being shown for this purpose.
Guides K, also, are preferably used, arranged on opposite sides of the sheet, and
extending from the internal guides B, C, to the rolls E, these guides acting to
control the leading edge of the sheet, and secure its proper advance by the feeding
fingers.
Any suitable driving means may be used. As shown, the rolls D are driven from
the rolls E through gears 24 on the shafts of rolls E, intermediates 25, and gears 26
on the shafts of the rolls D, the rolls E driving the chains O, as previously
stated.
It will be found that this part of the invention provides a very efficient feeding
means, avoiding the necessity for accurately timing the receipt of sheets, and a
very simple, efficient, and durable longitudinal folder, capable of folding sheets

page_text: with certainty at a very high rate of speed, the proper tension upon the sheet
or sheets at every point being readily secured, and all danger of offsetting being
avoided, as the feeding fingers and plates h need engage only the unprinted
margin of the sheet. While the construction has been described as applied to
folding sheets, it will be understood that it is applicable also to associating two
or more sheets or webs led over the opposite sides of the folder, the improved
construction being admirably adapted for this use. It will be understood, also,
that a slitter, and other devices in use with present longitudinal folders, are
equally applicable to folders embodying the invention.
By the term "stationary," applied in the claims to the abutment or plate, is
meant that the abutment or plate, does not travel with the fingers, as in the case
of moving grippers, but the abutment or plate may have movement transversely
to the fingers.
Referring now to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 6 to 9 inclusive, in which
the second part of the invention is embodied, it will be seen that the web of paper
upon which the machine operates, is led from a web roll 50, and passes over a tension
roller 55, guide rolls 52, 53, and enters between the cylinders 70, 71, which repre-
sent form and impression cylinders that constitute the first printing couple. The
shaft 60 of this roll 50 turns in suitable bearings 61 carried by arms 62 projecting
from the frame, and may have friction devices applied thereto, to exert tension
upon the roll shaft, as is common. These arms 62 are shown as provided with
pivoted levers 63, that may be turned downwards, to form inclined ways, over
which the rolled web of paper may be lifted from the floor by rolling its shaft
over these ways, until said shaft reaches and rests in the depressed seats 65 and 66,
when said levers 63 may be raised, to lift the rolled web and carry its shaft onto
the arms 62, so that it may then he rolled into its place in the bearings 61.
At a point sufficiently high to support the same above a rolled web of paper
of ordinary size, other arms 80 project from the frame, and support the tension
controlling device for the unrolling web. This tension device consists of a
roller 55, mounted to turn in bearing boxes 56, so supported by the arms 80 that
they may slide in guideways 51 provided for them, but these boxes 56 have their
inward movement obstructed, and the degree of resistance thereto determined by
springs 58, that are carried in hollow guides 57 supported by said arms 80, the
force of which spring is fixed by means of an adjusting screw rod 59, that turns
in a threaded hole at the rear end of said hollow guide. The springs bear at
their forward ends against the rear sides of the boxes 56, and are seated against
the inner ends of said adjusting screws 59, which latter are provided with jam
nuts 90, to secure their positions of adjustment.
The ends of the shaft of the roller 55 turn in the boxes or bearings 56, which
have the inclined seats, the arrangement being such that, when the roller 55
simply revolves in its normal position, shown in Figs. 1 and 6, its relation to the
rolled web is such as to exert a minimum and slight resistance to its onward
passage. But when the draught upon the web is such as to move this roller 55 up
over the inclined seats in said boxes or bearings for its shaft (see dotted lines,
Fig. 6), the weight of the roller will be applied to the web, so as to exert a
resistance to its onward passage, or exert tension upon the web sufficiently to
compensate for the slight variations found in ordinary rolled webs, and produce a
working strain upon the web as it is drawn therefrom into the printing machine.
But when the web has not been wound uniformly, or its circular form has been
disturbed by jamming it, or in any other manner, it presents irregularities,
which result, as the web pays off, in suddenly decreasing and then increasing
the length of web extending from its roll 50 to the roller 55, which variation
the said roller may not compensate for through its weight thus applied to the
web. To provide for these sudden and considerable variations, the tension roller 55
is acted upon by the springs 58, to oppose the movement of its carrying boxes 56
in one direction, and accomplish it in the other, so that while the usual run of the
web, under ordinary tension, may regularly go on, applied by the roller 55

page_text: moving bodily unaffected by said springs, any excessive variation in the roll of
web, and the consequent change in the draught or tension of the web, may be
quickly provided for, and an even tension be maintained.
When the roller 55 is moved by the shortening of the web length, so as to
compensate for slight variation in the run of the web, its shaft is drawn up the
inclined plane which each of its journal bearings afford, and said roller is conse-
quently lifted thereby above the plane wherein it imposes no weight upon the
web, to one in which its own weight presses thereon, and its movement is such
as not only to conform to the shortened path of the web, but to maintain the
tension thereon, as said roller rises from its normal position, when the condition
of the roll shortens the path of the web, and return to said normal position
as the condition of the roll lengthens the path of the web. In the modified structure
shown in Figs. 8 and 9, this roller 55 has the journals of its shaft turning in
journal bearings that are in the ends of swinging arms 40 which are pivoted to
the arm 80. The pivoting studs of these arms 40 carry a rock arm 45 that bears
upon stops 46 projecting laterally from the arms 80, whereby said arms 40 are
held to support the roller 55 in a normal position, wherein it is so related to the
passage thereto of the web, that the weight of the roller will not normally be
applied to the web, and the springs 58, housed and adjusted as before explained,
carry buffers 42, which stand in a position normally that admits of a swinging
movement of the arms 40 (see dotted lines Fig. 8), which will apply the weight
of the roller 55 to the web, and thus exert tension thereon, as before, for the
compensation ordinarily required. When, however, the pathway of the web from
the roll 50 to said roller 55, is greatly shortened by defects in the shape of the
said roll 50, the running web will not only act to draw said roll out of its normal
plane, and lift the same into another, which will cause the roll-carrying arms to
leave their supporting stops 46, but carry the bearings or boxes of the roller 55
into contact with the buffers 42, and apply the pressure of the springs 58 to the
roller 55 in manner as before explained, thus enabling the roller 55 to adjust
itself to the changed pathway, while maintaining a resistance upon said web
that will return the roller 55 to its normal position, as the pathway of the web
increases, to admit of the movement.
It will be observed that the construction is such that each end of the tension
roller 55 is practically independently adjustable, and consequently that said roller
may assume angular positions which will apply even tension to the web, when
only one end of the rolled web is, out of shape, and hence that this structure
practically so operates in connection with the modern or mill-rolled webs of paper,
as to compensate for their effective condition, and enable the web to be drawn into
a machine operating upon it, with a substantially evenly maintained tension or
strain, and yet avoid frequent breaking of the web, which results by the application
to it of an uneven strain.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me from abroad, I declare that what I claim is:
1. The herein described feeding mechanism for sheets or webs used in connection
with printing machines or other machines.
2. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination with a series of travelling
feeding fingers, arranged at a distance apart less than the length of the sheet to
be fed, of a stationary elastic abutment co-acting with the fingers in feeding the
sheet, substantially as described.
3. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination with a series of travelling
feeding fingers, of a stationary elastic abutment co-acting with the fingers in
feeding the sheet, and consisting of a spring-mounted plate, substantially as
described.
4. In a paper-feeding mechanism, the combination with a series of travelling
feeding fingers, of a stationary elastic abutment coacting with the fingers in

page_text: feeding the sheet, and consisting of a spring-mounted flexible plate, substantially
as described.
5. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination with sprocket wheels and
endless chains carrying a series of feeding fingers, of a spring mounted plate
arranged to support the pressure of the fingers in feeding a sheet, substantially
as described.
6. In a paper-feeding mechanism, the combination with sprocket wheels and
endless chains thereon carrying a series of feeding fingers, of an elastic abutment,
and supports for the chains holding the fingers against the abutment, substantially
as described.
7. In a paper-feeding mechanism, the combination with sprocket wheels and
endless chains thereon, carrying a series of feeding fingers, of a stationary elastic
abutment, and supports for the chains holding the fingers against the abutment,
substantially as described.
8. In a paper-feeding mechanism, the combination with sprocket wheels and
endless chains thereon carrying a series of feeding fingers, of a stationary abut-
ment consisting of a spring-mounted flexible plate, and supports for the chains
holding the fingers against the abutment, substantially as described.
9. In a longitudinal folder, the combination with converging internal guides,
of endless carriers on opposite sides of the folder converging from the internal
guides, and having series of feeding fingers, and stationary elastic converging
abutments for said fingers, substantially as described.
10. In a longitudinal folder, the combination with converging internal guides,
of endless carriers on opposite sides of the folder converging from the internal
guides, and having feeding fingers, and stationary converging abutments for said
fingers, consisting of spring-mounted plates, substantially as described.
11. In a longitudinal folder, the combination with converging internal guides,
of endless carriers on opposite sides of the folder, converging from the internal
guides, and having feeding fingers, abutments for said fingers, consisting of spring-
mounted flexible plates, and supports for said carriers, holding the fingers against
the abutments, substantially as described.
12. The combination with a series of travelling feeding fingers arranged at a
distance apart less than the length of the sheet to be fed, of a stationary elastic
abutment co-acting with the fingers in feeding the sheet, and means for feeding
single sheets to the feeding fingers, substantially as described.
13. The combination with the converging internal guides of a longitudinal
folder, of endless carriers on opposite sides of the folder, converging from the
internal guides, and having feeding fingers arranged at a distance apart less than
the length of the sheet to be fed, stationary converging elastic abutments co-acting
with said fingers in feeding the sheet, and means for feeding single sheets to
said fingers, substantially as described.
14. A tension device for running webs, consisting of a roller over which the
web runs normally supported so as to apply no weight to the web, and mounted
to permit said roller to be moved in its bearings by the web from its normal
position, to apply its weight to the web, substantially as described.
15. A tension device for running webs, consisting of a roller over which the
web runs normally supported, so as to apply no weight to the web, and mounted
to permit said roller to be moved in its bearings by the web from its normal
position, to apply its weight to the web, and means for applying to said roller
spring pressure acting to increase the tension on the web independently of the
weight of the roller, substantially as described.
16. A tension device for running webs, consisting of a roller over which the
web passes, and bearings for the shaft of said roller having inclined seats for the
shaft, in which seats the shaft is movable by the web, to apply the weight of
the roller to the web, substantially as described. .
17. In a tension device for running webs, the combination with a movable

page_text: tension roller, of spring-seated sliding bearings having inclined seats for the roller
shaft, substantially as described.
18. A tension device for running webs, consisting of a roller over which the
web runs, having means for applying tension to the web through its own weight
independently of its bearings, and by spring pressure against its bearings,
substantially as described.
19. A web tension device for running webs, consisting of a roller over which
the web runs, mounted to move against spring pressure, and means permitting
said roller to be lifted by the web independently of the spring pressure, to apply
tension to the web by the weight of the roller, substantially as described.
20. In a tension device for running webs, the combination with the tension
ruller 55, of sliding bearings 56 having inclined seats for the opposite ends of the
roller shaft, springs against which the bearings are movable after the roller has
been moved up the inclined seats, whereby the web is normally not under tension
by the springs, and means for controlling the tension of the springs.
21. In a tension device for running webs, the combination with the tension
roller 55, of movable bearings for the opposite ends of the roller shaft, arranged
to permit the roller to be lifted by the web, for applying tension to the web by
the weight of the roller, springs against which said bearings are movable after
the roller has been lifted, the springs being arranged so that the web is not under
tension of the springs until the roller has been lifted, substantially as described.
22. The web-tension device as herein described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of October 1898.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.