IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FOLDING PAPER
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FOLDING PAPER."-A communication
from abroad by Samuel Colwell Forsaith, of Manchester, New
Hampshire, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 25th March 1869, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR FOLDING PAPER," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant

page_text: unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has
been communicated to me from abroad by Samuel Colwell Forsaith,
of Manchester, New Hampshire, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming a
part of this Specification:-
-
The said Invention is designed to facilitate in a great degree the
operation of folding printed sheets of newspapers and other sheets, and
Figure 1 is a top view of my improved folding machine; Figure 2 is a
left-hand side elevation, and Figure 3 is a right-hand side elevation
thereof; Figures 4, 5, 6, show parts of the same in detail.
The paper to be folded is placed upon the table T with its lower edge
against the guages X, so that the nippers W in approaching to grasp the
sheet will pass under its edge, the back board U, against which the outer
edge of the sheet is held, being so adjusted that the margin in the centre
of the sheet through which the second fold passes shall be at right angles
to the first set of rolls and in the centre of the same. The rolls G
which make the first fold are held horizontally in bearings (52) secured
on the frame A of the machine. The first or the roll nearest the table T
is furnished with grooves 34, and the second roll is provided with spring
bearings 46; below these rolls, and placed at an angle of forty-five
degrees with them, is an inclined table formed of bars P, on which the
sheet is received from the first rolls; in the centre of this table the
inclined rolls H which produce the second fold are placed; these rolls
are held in bearings secured to the cross bars D, D', of the frame.
After the sheet has passed through the first rolls it drops upon the
inclined table and slides down until the folded edge comes in contact
with the gauge 36, when it is struck by the second knife M and forced
between the second set of rolls H. The second trough which receives
the sheet from the second set of rolls is formed of inclined bars Q, and

page_text: holds the sheets in proper position to be acted upon by the third knife
and its rolls. The rolls I of the third set are arranged immediately
beneath and parallel to the second set, and form the third fold of the
sheet parallel to the second fold. After having received the third fold
the sheet drops into the third trough formed of the inclined curved
bars R, and slides down into position to be acted upon by the fourth set
of rolls. The rolls K of the fourth set are arranged at an angle of forty-
five degrees with the first set of rolls, and consequently at right angles to
the second and third sets, their bearings being secured to the cross
bars C, E, of the frame. After the sheet has passed through these rolls
which form the fourth fold it drops into the packing trough S. From
the relative position of the several sets of rolls it will be seen that the
second fold is formed at right angles to the first, the third parallel to the
second, and the fourth at right angles to the second and third. The.
mechanism from which the motions of the several parts of the
machine are derived are all arranged upon the main shaft F. The
first pair of rolls G is driven by means of the bevel wheel i on the
top end of the vertical shaft 1, which engages with a wheel b upon
the shaft of one of the rolls, and the two rolls are made to run together
by the toothed wheels a, b. The vertical shat 1 runs in brackets
secured to the frame, and receives rotary motion from a toothed wheel n
on the main driving shaft F, which engages with a wheel Q on the
bottom of the vertical shaft. The second and third rolls are driven in
the following manner:-The bevel wheel o on the main shaft F engages
with a bevel pinion on a horizontal shaft; one end of this rod has also
two other bevel wheels g, k, one of which engages with a bevel wheel f
on the third set of rolls, and the other engages with a bevel wheel d on
one of the second set of rolls. The second set of rolls are driven together
by the wheels c, d, and the third set by the wheels e, f, which have
bearings in the standard 53; on this shaft there is another pinion, which
engages with the bevel wheel 12 on the end of the rod 2. The fourth
pair of rolls is actuated as follows:-A bevel wheel p on the main
shaft F engages with a bevel pinion s on a horizontal shaft 3, on the
other end of which is secured a pinion 7, which drives the bevel wheel m;
this wheel engages with the toothed wheel on the rolls k. One of the
rolls in each set has its bearings in arbors, which are movable in one
direction, and these arbors are surrounded by helical springs, which press
the rolls together at all times and thereby keep up a frictional contact,
and thus always grasp and advance the paper through them. The

page_text: folding knives are actuated and made to enter the opening between the
rolls for forcing the paper between them as follows:-On the main
shaft F there is a cam x, which has a straight groove with the exception
of a portion from a¹ to 6', and this cam gives motion to the first knife as
follows: Pivoted to a bracket on the frame is a rocking shaft 14, one
end of which has a roll 8 working in the cam groove, and to the other is
attached a rod 4, and this rod connects at its upper end to the rocker
shaft 18 hung in brackets, and to which is attached a knife L, and at
each revolution of the main shaft the cam causes the knife to strike the
sheet at the proper time and force it between the rolls. On the main
shaft F there is another oam y, which has a straight groove, except a
portion from a¹ to 6', and this single cam operates the knives for the
second, third, and fourth sets of rolls as follows:-15 is a rocking arm on
a horizontal shaft, and one end of this arm has a roller q working in the
cam groove, and to the other end of the arm is connected a rod 5, which
rod connects with an arm on the rocking shaft which carries the knife M
for the second set of rolls. The knife for the third set of rolls is
operated as follows:-To the horizontal shaft is attached an arm which
carries a roll working in the cam groove which vibrates the shaft, and
on the shaft is secured an arm, to which is attached a rod 6, which rod
connects with the arm of a rocking shaft which carries the knife N for the
third pair of rolls. The knife for the fourth pair of rolls is operated as
follows: To a stud on the frame is pivoted a rocking shaft 16, one end
of which has a roll 10 working in the cam groove, and to the other is
connected a rod 7, which connects with the rocking shaft which carries
the knife O for the fourth pair of rolls. It will be observed that the cam
rolls which operate the second, third, and fourth set of knives are located
in the cam as follows:-That which operates the second knife is upon the
inside of the machine, and slightly below the axis of the main shaft;
that which works the third knife is on the outside, and slightly above
the axis of the shaft; and that which works the fourth knife is upon the
top of the cam, as plainly shown in Figures 1 and 2. The rock shafts to
which the knives are attached have their bearings in brackets secured to
the framework of the machine. The rods 4, 5, 6, and 7, which connect
with the rock shafts, are each formed of two pieces, and the end threaded
and connected by right and left hand nuts 20, which admit of ready and
perfect adjustment. The nippers which seize the sheet and carry it
forward over the first set of rolls are actuated as follows:-Working in
proper journals attached to the frame is a crank shaft 51, which is driven

page_text: by a bevel wheelt on the main shaft, which engages with a bevel
wheel on the crank shaft u. To this crank 51 is connected a rod V,
which is jointed to a stud in a slot 13 in the frame Z, and at each
revolution of the crank shaft the frame Z is vibrated. To the arms of
the frame Z are pivoted rods 23, 23, which are pivotted to the nipper
slides; these slides travel on horizontal bars 22 supported on brackets,
and the bars are provided with cells or reservoirs to contain oil for
properly lubricating the slides in their rapid travel. The slides are con-
nected together by a rod 54, to which rod are fastened the stationary
jaws of the nippers W. To this rod are screwed brackets, which support
a shaft, one end of which is surrounded by a coil spring; one end of the
spring is secured in the slide and the other in a collar upon the rod, and
by turning the collar any degree of tension may be obtained. On this
rod are secured the nippers W, which operate as follows:-On the end of
the rod 54, outside of the slide, is a curved arm, one end of which is
bent, as shewn in Figure 3. As the nipper slides are moved forward to
the front of the machine the bent lever slides up on a roller 27, which is
clamped to the slides 22 by a screw, and opens the nippers while a
locking bar 25 holds them open and ready to admit the edge of the sheet
as they are carried back. Attached to the slides 22 by a clamp screw is a
stop with a finger 26, which at the extreme backward movement of the
nipper rod strips the locking lever, so that the nippers seize the sheet
and carry it forward over the first pair of rolls. The frame Z has its
bearings in brackets secured to the framework of the machine, and the
arm 13 of the vibrating frame is slotted to receive a stud, and as the stud
is moved up and down the travel of the nippers is regulated.
I will now describe the packing apparatus. After the paper has
received the final fold it is directed by a curved metal guide 31 into a
box or trough 8 just in front of the packer 37, which operates by the
cam z on the main shaft F and rod 17, and moves forward with the
paper and presses it against the board 28. This board is held in place by
a spring 29, which embraces the side of the trough, and it gradually
moves back under the pressure of the packer as the number of papers
increase in the trough. On a rod secured to the side of the trough S are
arranged the spring fingers 30, 30, which yield to allow the paper to pass
them, and prevent it from dropping back into the trough.
The several parts of the machine are so arranged that it may be
readily adjusted for different sized sheets, the adjustable features con-

page_text: sisting, first, of the crank rod V, curved slot 13, which actuate the
frame Z, and rods 23, operating the nippers in such a manner that the
travel may be increased or diminished at pleasure, so that when the first
knife L is about to descend the sheet may be in proper position to allow
the first fold to be made in the proper place; second, of the back
board U of the feed table, against which the outer edge of the sheet is
placed, which is so adjusted that when the sheet is laid in position on
the table the margin between the columns of the paper where the second
fold is to be made shall coincide with a perpendicular plane passing
between the second set of rolls; third, of the adjustable riglet 38 and
gauge 40, the former serving to regulate the position of the third fold,
and the latter to prevent the paper from sliding down too far in the
trough; fourth, of the slots and screws in the trough R, by which the
paper is properly held to receive the final fold, and the trough so
adjusted that the fold shall be made in the centre of the sheet and at
right angles to the third fold.
The construction of the frame consisting of the parts A, A, B, C,
D, D, E, will be readily understood from an inspection of the
Drawings and a detail description thereof is considered unnecessary.
Motion is imparted to the machine by means of a belt upon the
pulley 49, which is fast to the shaft, and the said shaft has a pinion v,
which engages with a wheel wo on the main driving shaft F under the
feed board, and in reach of the operator is a level on which operates the
belt shipper 50 for starting and stopping the machine. The sheets being
laid on the feed board in the proper position with reference to the
gauges V, X, X, the sets of nippers W approach the sheet, and as the
lower jaw in each set passes under the edge of the sheet the adjustable
dog 26 on the bars strikes against the catch and releases the lever 25; the
movable jaw of each set of nippers then raising the edges of the sheet
above the gauges X, X, grips it between the two jaws; the nippers
moving back draw the sheet from the table over the rolls G, G, and
under the knife L. As the centre of the sheet approaches the line of
contact of the rolls G, G, the knife L begins to descend, and the
nippers are caused to release the sheet by the stop 27 striking against
the bent lever 24; the sheet is then forced down by the knife L, and
passing through the first rolls G, G, drops upon the inclined table P,
when it is acted upon by the knife M and rolls H, H. As the sheet
passes through the second set of the rolls the guide plate 32 directs it into

page_text: the trough Q of the third set of rolls, where it is acted upon by the
knife N and rolls I, which produce the third fold. From these rolls
it drops into the trough R, which holds it for the action of the knife O
and rolls K, K, which produce the fourth and last fold. As the paper
thus folded leaves the rolls it is directed by the curved guide into the
packing trough S in front of the packer, which carries it forward against
the board 28, when it is held by the fingers 30 and prevented from
dropping down in the trough.
The machine herein described and as represented in the Drawings is
a four-fold machine; when it is desired to make a fifth fold it will be
necessary to add another set of inclined rolls with their knife and another
trough, and for a six-fold machine two additional sets of rolls, knives,
and troughs will be necessary.
Having thus fully described the said improvements as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim,-
First. The combination with the rolls G and knife L of the nippers
and their operative mechanism, substantially as described.
Second. The combination with the nipper slides of the oil cavities or
reservoirs in the slide rods 22 for lubricating the nipper slides, sub-
stantially as described.
Third. The combination with the nippers of the slotted arm 13 for
adjusting the travel of the nippers, substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination with the feed board T and rolls G of the
adjustable back board U to guide the edge of the sheet to the rolls,
substantially as described.
Fifth. The combination with the feed board T and adjustable back
board U of the gauge X for securing perfect register of the sheets for
delivery to the rolls, substantially as described.
Sixth. The combination with the rolls G of the stripping wires 34
attached to the table and extending into grooves in the roll to strip the
paper from the roll, substantially as described.
Seventh. The combination with the first set of rolls G of the wires 33
to prevent the sheet from curling up, and to insure its proper delivery
upon the table P for the second fold, substantially as described.

page_text: Eighth. The combination with the third set of rolls I and trough Q of
the adjustable guide 40 for regulating the position of the twice-folded
sheet, substantially as described.
Ninth. The combination with the trough Q of the adjustable riglet 38
for adjusting the third fold of the sheet, substantially as described.
Tenth. The combination with the fourth set of rolls K and the
trough R of the adjustable mechanism for regulating the last fold of
the sheet, substantially as described.
Eleventh. The combination with the fourth set of rolls of the curved
guide 31 for delivering the sheet into the packing box, substantially as
described.
Twelfth. The combination with the knives and their operative
mechanism of the right and left nuts 20 for adjusting the knives,
substantially as described.
Thirteenth. The combination with the last set of rolls of the trough
and packing box 28 to receive and to pack the folded papers, sub-
stantially as described.
Fourteenth. The combination with the packing box 28 of the
fingers 30 to keep the folded papers in a vertical position, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)