CERTAIN MACHINERY FOR FOLDING SHEETS OF PAPER OR VARIOUS OTHER MATTERS OR SUBSTANCES CAPABLE OF BEING FOLDED THEREBY
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
N. SMITH, of West Brookfield, of the State of Massachusetts, of the Republic
of the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Queen Victoria, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of
Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of July, Anno
Domini One thousand eight hundred and fifty, did give and grant unto me, the
said Edward N. Smith, my exors, adññors, and assigns, especial license, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I or they, or such others as I or they
should at any time agree with, during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, and all the Colonies and Plantations abroad belong.
ing to the Government of Great Britain, my Invention of "CERTAIN MACHINERY
FOR FOLDING SHEETS OF PAPER OR VARIOUS OTHER MATTERS OR SUBSTANCES
CAPABLE OF BEING FOLDED THEREBY;" in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso that I shall particularly describe and ascertain the nature'
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by
an instrument of writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in the High
Court of Chancery within six calender months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as, reference being had there-
unto, will more fully and at large appear

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the same is to
be performed, are particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing Specification or Instrument in writing, to the Drawings annexed to or
accompanying the same, or making part of the same, and to the letters,
figures, and references thereof:-
Of the said Drawings, Figure 1 denotes a top view of my said machine or
Invention for folding paper. Figure 2 is a side elevation of it. Figure 3
is an elevation of that end of it at which the paper is delivered or discharged
after being folded. Figure 4 is a vertical section of part of the machine, the
same being taken on a line from X to x of Figure 1, and looking in a
direction denoted by the arrows a, a, of the said Figure 1. Figure 5 is a
vertical section of part of the machine, the same being taken on a line from
o to o, Figure 1, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows b³, 6ª,
of the said Figure 1. Figure 6 is a vertical section of part of the machine,
it being taken on a line extending through p, p, Figure 1, and as if the
spectator was looking in the direction exhibited by the arrows d, d.
In the operation of my Invention, a sheet of paper to be folded is first
deposited on a suitable supporting surface, which, as exhibited in the Drawings,
consists of the top surfaces of a series of endless bands arranged parallel to
each other, and made to run around suitable supporting cylinders or drums.
Such a scries of endless bands may be so applied to or connected with a
printing press, as to successively receive the sheets of paper after they
are printed by and as they are delivered from the same. When each
sheet has reached or been deposited in a certain and suitable position on
the series of endless bands, or on the supporting surface above mentioned,
it is doubled by means of a knife edge blade or thin strip of metal, or other
proper material, which being placed directly underneath the middle line or
part of the sheet of paper, is suddenly moved upwards, so as to elevate the
middle part of the sheet between two revolving or moving and converging
surfaces, placed near enough together to admit and seize the sheet, draw it
away from the knife edge or blade and supporting surface or series of endless
bands under it and double or fold one half over or upon the other half of it.
The two converging surfaces above mentioned are formed by means of two
series of endless bands passing around supporting rollers, one roller of one
series of the same being arranged with its axis parallel to that of the other
series, and in or about in the same horizontal plane with it, the two rollers
being arranged directly over and parallel to the thin edge or blade, and so
that when the said blade is raised upwards it may enter between them or the

page_text: belts passing around them. These two series of endless bands are put in
motion in such directions as to throw the paper away from the blade, and
carry it over another or second blade, which is arranged with its edge in a
plane at right angles to the plane of the first one; and the said second blade
is made to pass up between those bands which support the doubled sheet of
paper, and to strike the said paper cross-wise to its first fold and elevate it
between two other and converging surfaces, similar to those above described,
and which draw it away from the said second knife or blade, and double or
fold it a second time. By a suitable arrangement and combination of any
proper number of such blades and converging surfaces, a sheet of paper may
be folded any desirable number of times, my Invention consisting in the
employment of one, two, or more of such knives or blades, and one, two, or
more sets of such converging or doubling and carrying surfaces so combined,
arranged together and operated by machinery applied to them as to produce
ono, two, or more doubles or folds in the sheet of paper, as circumstances
may require.
In order that my Invention may be more clearly understood, I shall now
proceed to more particularly describe its construction.
In the accompanying Drawings, A denotes a strong frame made in a
suitable manner to support the operative parts of the machine. At one side
of this frame a cylindric roller B is arranged, and has its journals supported
by and so as to be capable of turning in proper boxes a, b. Around this
roller a series of endless belts D, D, D, &c., disposed at equal distances
asunder, is made to pass, they being also supported by one or more rollers
arranged parallel to the roller B; the outer one, in case the machine is
applied to a printing press, being at or near the part thereof at or by which
the sheets, after they are successively printed, are delivered or ejected from
the press. This outer roller, not shown in the Drawings (the roller C therein
exhibited being a supporting roller for the said belts) should be rotated by
suitable means, and in a direction which will cause the sheet of paper, when
received upon the top surfaces of the endless belts, to be moved towards
the roller B, and directly over a thin horizontal blade E,. which is
arranged directly between the two middle endless bands and below their top
surfaces, and is supported on a vertical rod F. The said series of endless
bands constitute what may be termed the first moving surface on which the
paper is extended for the purpose of being doubled. As soon as the sheet
has been carried over and made to cover the blade E, this blade is suddenly
elevated against the middle part of the sheet, and so as to raise it off the
endless bands and. force it upwards between two other series of endless

page_text: bands G, G, G, &c., H, H, H, &c., which are arranged with respect to each
other and the first series D, D, D, &c., and supported by and around cylindric
drums or rollers I, K, L, M, as seen on the Drawings; the two rollers I, L,
are disposed side by side and with their axes parallel, and so that the series of
endless bands G, G, &c., may rotate or move in contact, or very nearly in
contact, with the bands H, H, H, &c., and so that when the sheet of paper
is elevated between them by the blade E, while they are in motion in the
directions denoted by the arrows placed against them, they may seize or grip
it, and draw it upwards and away from the first series of endless bands D, D, D,
and cause it to pass upon the top surfaces of the endless bands H, H, H,
which receive and convey it in the direction at right angles to that in which
it was previously moved on the bands D, D, D, &c., and directly over a second
thin metallic blade N, disposed immediately between the two middle bands
of the series H, H, H, and somewhat below their top surfaces. This second
blade like the first is next suddenly forced upwards so as to strike the sheet
midway of it and on a line at right angles to that at which it was struck by
the first blade, and so as to elevate it between other converging and moving
surfaces or endless bands arranged and operated so as to impart to it another
double or fold, in manner similar to those before described. In the Drawings
two series of endless bands 0, 0, 0, &c., P, P, P, &c., are exhibited as
traversing about rollers Q, R, S, T, U, V, which are made parallel to one
another, and have their axes arranged with respect to each other, as seen in
Figure 5. The upper bands 0, 0, 0, pass between the rollers R, S, and a
roller W disposed under the roller.S, and by the side of the roller R, as scen
in Figure 5. When moved upwards the blade N is made to pass between
the converging or griping surfaces of the roller W, and the bands O, which
pass about the roller R. The sheet of paper, therefore, in its passage between
such converging surfaces is seized by them, drawn away from the belts under
them, doubled or folded, and passed between the roller W, and towards and
upon a roller X, arranged under the roller U, and by the side of the roller W.
Another blade Y is arranged parallel to the blade N, and between the
rollers W and X. When the sheet of paper rests equally upon the rollers W
and X, the blade Y is suddenly elevated, so as to elevate the middle of the
sheet up between the converging surfaces of the two series of bands O, O, O,
and P, P, P, which, being in motion, seize the sheet and draw it upwards
and fold it again, and on a line parallel to the fold next previously made.
Figure 5, therefore, denotes a method of arranging and operating converging
and moving surfaces or endless bands and rollers in order to produce folds
parallel to one another. Next above and at. right angles to the series of

page_text: endless bands P, P, two other series d, d, d, e, e, e, travelling around
rollers f, g, h, i, are arranged and made to operate in connection with
another blade k, so as to again seize the sheet and fold it at right angles
to the direction in which it was previously folded. The sheet so folded is
next discharged between the rollers 9 and i, and falls down a chute or
inclined plane. Each blade may be elevated and depressed at proper times
by any suitable mechanism, that which I generally use is indicated in
Figure 4 of the Drawings, and consists of a rotating grooved cam m, in whose
groove n a piece projecting from the side of the upper end of a right angular
or bent lever is inserted, the fulcrum of the lever being at its bend; to the
other or lower arm of the said lever, the upright rod which supports the blade
is connected or jointed in a proper manner, and the grove of the cam is so
made as to impart to the lever, and consequently to the blade, its proper
vertical movements.
The machinery above described and represented by the accompanying
Drawings is constructed, arranged, and operated so as to fold a sheet of
paper four times, the first fold or line of fold being across the paper, the
second at right angles to the first, the third parallel to the second, and the
fourth perpendicular to the third. It will be evident to any mechanician
that the paper may be folded a less or greater number of times by employment
of a less or greater quantity of the folding converging surfaces and elevating
blades so arranged as to produce the folds in the desired directions. I there-
fore do not confine my Invention to the production of four folds only. The
main shaft of the machine is seen at m in Figures 1 and 3, on it is fixed a
geer wheel n, which engages with a geer wheel o fixed on a horizontal shaft p.
A geer wheel q engages with the geer o, and with another geer r fixed on
the cam shafts, and then by means of such geers the cam shaft is put in
motion when the driving shaft is rotated. The machinery by which the
various rollers and endless belts or carrying and converging surfaces are ope-
rated is as follows, viz. :-On one end of the shaft p is a bevel geer t, which
engages with another bevel geer u on a vertical shaft v. Another horizontal
shaft w receives motion from the shaft v by means of two bevel geers x and y.
A bevel geer on one end of the shaft to engages with another geer a¹ on
one end of an inclined shaft b', on whose other end is another bevel geer c',
which in its turn engages with a bevel geer d' on the shaft of the roller W.
A small spur geer on the shaft of the roller W engages with two spur geers
g', h', fixed respectively on the shafts of the rollers R and S, and communi-
cates motion to them and their rollers. The shafts of the rollers S and V are

page_text: geered together by the two spur geers h', k'. On the opposite end of the
shaft of the roller V is a spur geer l which engages with a spur geer n¹
fixed on one end of the shaft of the roller T. On the opposite end of the
roller T is a small bevel geer n which engages with a bevel geer o' on the
shaft p' of the roller . The two shafts of the rollers i and g are connected
by spur geers q', r, while those of the rollers f and h are connected by spur
geers s¹, t. On the inner end of the shaft w a small bevel geer u¹ is fixed
and engages with another bevel geer v₁ fixed on the shaft of the roller L,
and communicates motion to the said roller L, and its series of carrying
bands H, H, H, &c. The parallelism of the bands of each series may
be preserved by one or more stationary guide bars applied to it and
having notches for the bands to pass through, such bars being seen at
a, b, c, d, in the Drawings. One of these bars is represented in side view
in Figure 7, and in top view in Figure 8. The paper may be delivered by the
machine after any number of folds within the number it is capable of pro-
ducing has been made, and this by simply disengaging or throwing out of
operation the mechanism by which the remainder of the folds are made.
Although I have described thin blades for striking up the paper, it will be
evident that a cord, wire, or other proper mechanical equivalent may be
adopted for each, and without changing the principle of the machine.
I would remark that my Invention is particularly applicable to the folding
of sheets of paper, whether for books or newspapers, and as an automatic
machine for such purpose, it effects a great saving of labor and time, as it
may be made to perform the operations of folding in an equal if not far better
manner than the same has usually been effected by human or hand labor
alone; and although I have described an automatic machine in which the
paper is seized by and between moving surfaces, and drawn away from that
which strikes it towards and between them, yet I am aware that a modification
of such machine may be made, in which stationary surfaces may be employed
to aid in folding the paper, there being used in connection with such stationary
surfaces a moveable plate or contrivance, which shall not only strike the sheet
on the line in which it is to be folded and introduce it between such surfaces,
but move it between them in such manner as to make and complete the
folding of it by the joint action of the stationary surfaces an: such moving
contrivance. I however consider the form of my Invention as herein-before
first described, and as represented in the Drawings, as a much preferable one
to that last mentioned or described. I claim an automatic mechanical com-
bination composed of elements, which by their operation together strike the

page_text: sheet of paper on a line in which the fold is to be made, and double the paper
together and complete the folding of it, the said elements being as follows:-
First, that for striking the sheet at its middle or other proper part where
the fold is to be made, and advancing it towards or between the folding
surfaces.
Second, machinery to further move the paper and between the surfaces:
which fold it. And,
Thirdly or lastly, folding surfaces or mechanism which complete the fold,
the whole being constructed and made to operate essentially as herein-before
specified, or in any other manner, while they preserve the principle of folding
as described. Meaning also to claim an automatic mechanical combination of
two or more such collections or combinations, for the purpose of successively
folding a sheet with two or more folds, substantially as herein-before specified.
I would also remark that I lay no claim to the naked and well known
principle of folding a sheet of paper, by a person crowding or pushing it by a
thin blade or plate between two surfaces, my Invention embodying such
surfaces and contrivance with mechanism for operating them, and which
surfaces, contrivance, and mechanism as a whole become an automatic machine
capable of performing the work of folding a-sheet of paper to great practical
advantage.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward N. Smith, have hereunto set
E. N. SMITH. (L.S.)
5 Taken and acknowledged by Edward
N. Smith, party hereto, the Fifteenth
day of August, A.D. 1850, before
30
me,
L.S.
EDMUND A. GRATTAN,
Her Britannic Majesty's Consul for the
State of Massachusetts.

page_text: character of the handwriting of Edmund A. Grattan, Her Britannic Majesty's
Consul for the State of Massachusetts, in the United States of America. And
this deponent further saith that the signature of "Edmund A. Grattan," set,
subscribed, or written in the margin of the Specification hereunto annexed,
marked A, and dated the Fifteenth day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty, and purporting to be executed by Edward N. Smith, of West
Brookfield, in the State of Massachusetts aforesaid, whereby it is stated that
the said Specification was acknowledged by him, the said Edward N. Smith,
before the said Edmund A. Grattan, on the said Fifteenth day of August, is
of the proper handwriting of the said Edmund A. Grattan.