Improvements in and connected with Machines for Folding Sheets of Paper.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1896-Accepted, 4th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Machines for Folding Sheets
of Paper.
I, KARL GEIGER, of 5 Adlerstrasse, of Durlach, in the Grand-Duchy of Baden,
German Empire, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this my invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In the machines for folding sheets of paper that have become known to me up to
now the paper after being folded the first time by the first pair of rollers is delivered
to the second pair of rollers (for being folded the second time) by means of belts or
straps that are held and moved by special rollers or rolls. The use of belts or
straps for delivering the sheets of paper from one pair of rollers to another pair
has since long been regarded as a serious drawback, in that a proper continual
working of the machine is greatly hindered by the same. The purpose of my
invention is to do away with the inconveniences resulting from the use of said belts
or straps, and I attain that object by the novel arrangement shown in the accom-
panying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side-view of said arrangement, and Figure 2
a plan of the same.
Before entering into the details of the construction, I call attention to the fact,
that my novel arrangement is not restricted to machines having but two pairs of
rollers (for holding the paper two times), but it may as well be employed with
machines having three or, perhaps, still more pairs of rollers, and I wish it to be
understood, that the form of construction shown in the drawing is to be regarded
merely as an example.
The sheet of paper to be folded (the first time) is placed in proper position upon
the table X, Fig. 1, and is then pushed between the rollers A¹ A 2, Figs. 1 & 2, by
means of the folding knife B, Fig. 1. The folded sheet is received or caught up
by tongues or switches F1 F2 F3 F4, and is led by the same onto thin strained
guide-rails or supporting-rods H1 H2 H3 H4 that are secured at one end to a
bar G, and at the other end to bolts K' K2 K3 K4; the latter are held by, and
longitudinally displaceable within, a bar J, and are each subjected to the constant
action of a spring that tends to keep the respective guide-rail or rod in a strained
state.
Below the rods H-H 4 is another pair of rollers C C 2 Figs. 1 & 2, which
is arranged rectangularly to the pair of rollers A' A 2; and between said rods
and the table X is another folding knife D that pushes the folded sheet
through between the rollers C¹ C2, so as to cause the paper to be folded the
second time.
There may be, if desired, another set of strained guide-rails or rods, and another
pair of rollers, which parts, as a matter of course, must be situated below the
rollers C C 2. The second set of the rails or rods (such as H-H 4) should be
arranged rectangularly to the first set, and the third pair of rollers should be
arranged rectangularly to the second pair, so that the relative position of said second
set of rods and said third pair of rollers is just the same as that of the parts H¹-H4
and C¹ C 2.
I prefer to adjust the position of the (folded) paper before the second folding is
made, and I provide for that purpose angular ledges M¹ M 2, Figs. 1 & 2, that
are fixed to a bar S, Fig. 2. The latter is furnished with an arm S' that takes

page_text: through, or is held by, a guide-piece S 2, and may be displaced within said guide-
piece by means of a lever P, Fig. 1; said lever may be moved by any desired
means, that may be operated either by hand, or by foot, or automatically by the
machine.
The angular ledges M¹ M2 may thus be moved parallely to the strained
rods H4, or in the direction to, and from, the rollers A¹ A 2 respectively.
When in their normal position the ledges are most distant from said rollers, and
the folded sheet moved, or rather thrown, by the said (quickly rotating) rollers
upon the rods H-H 4 glides along upon the same against said ledges. The latter
are then moved forward for the requisite distance so as to cause the paper to assume
its proper position as necessary for the second folding.
I have found it advantageous to adjust the paper in two directions, and for that
purpose I provide a bell crank lever R, Fig. 2, that carries at one end a projection
or pin N, and is at its other end connected to the bar S by means of a rod O. The
pin N may thus be moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 in full lines into that
shown in said figure in dotted lines, and it is moved in this direction simultaneously
with the displacement of the angular ledges M' M 2, the direction of motion of which
is rectangularly to that of the pin N.
By entirely dispensing with the belts or straps formerly used (which easily lost
their proper tension, or slackened respectively, and got destroyed at their edges in
a short time by the constant friction arising between said edges and the collars or
flanges of the pulleys or disks) the smearing of the fresh print is entirely done away
with which is of special value for printed papers that are provided with illustrations
or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. In a machine for folding sheets of paper by two or more pairs of rollers
acting one after the other upon the same sheet, so as to fold the latter one or
several times. The combination with two pairs of said rollers, of a set of
strained guide-rails or supporting rods arranged between said two pairs, and
adapted to lead the paper from one of said pairs to the other, substantially as
described.
2. In a machine of the kind stated, and having the arrangement claimed, the
combination with the strained guide-rails or supporting rods, of movable ledges or
equivalent parts adapted to stop the movement of the paper transported upon said
rails or rods, and to adjust the paper thereafter for the next folding, substantially
as described.
Dated this 4th day of M
1000
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4 Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.