Improvements in Folding Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
Improvements in Folding Machines.
I, FRANZ AUGUST BARTHEL, Manufacturor, of 21 Hospitalstrasse, Leipzig, in the
Kingdom of Saxony, 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 has for its object, to provide a convenient machine for folding paper
(or the like) into treble or quadruple leaves.
The construction and operation of the machine are hereinafter described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section showing the principal parts of the folding machine,
when at rest; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same;
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the machine in operation; Fig. 4 is a plan thereof;
Fig. 5 a front view ;
Fig. 6 shows the folding mechanism on a larger scale;
Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of a device for transporting the folded sheets ;
Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section of a folding machine adapted to be driven by
mechanical power; Fig. 10 is a plan, and Fig. 11 an end elevation thereof;
Figs. 12 and 13 are respectively a section and plan of the machine in the act of
folding;
Figs. 14 to 16 are detail views of the coupling devices, as they appear when
connected; while Figs. 17 to 19 show them disconnected.
The machine is constructed as follows:-
Upon a supporting plate or table A are mounted a pair of rollers C and B. The
roller B is driven either by hand or by engine power, or by means of pedal gear,
or in any other suitable manner. The roller is pressed against B, either by means
of a spring, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, or by any other suitable pressure device, and
is, accordingly, caused to turn on its axis by friction. Above the line of contact of
the rollers, there is arranged the sheet inserting device, being a blade of wood
sharpened or bevelled in the downward direction and held in the required position by
an arm E pivoted to the table.
To this arm a swinging motion is imparted through the medium of a link or draw
bar F and a treadle lever H, and when H is relieved of pressure, it is raised, either
by a spring a, or in any other convenient manner.
Below the rollers there is provided a shoot K, into which the folded sheets drop,
and within which, for the purpose of conveying the sheets further downwards, a
slide J is arranged, said slide being held back in the required position by weights G,
and provided with an inclined face b, which may be fitted with rollers, as shown in
Figs. 1 and 3.
The face 6 is adapted to be acted upon by the face or side-inclined at the same
angle of a block L, which may be adjusted and secured in position upon the draw
bar or link F by means of a set screw.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The sheet-inserting device D drives the sheet M-as it comes to be placed against
it-between the rollers B and C, upon the pedal lever H being depressed for the
purpose, as shown in Fig. 3; with the result, that the sheet receives a sharp and neat
fold, without any crease, such as is apt to make its appearance in folding paper in
treble or quadruple leaves by hand.

page_text: At the same time the slide J is advanced under the action of the descending
block L, for the purpose of transporting the sheet previously folded; then, upon the
release of the pedal H, such slide immediately resumes its rearmost position, and
allows the sheet which has been delivered by the downward motion of D and has been
passed between and folded by the rollers, to drop off.
In Figs. 7 to 19, Sheets II and III of the drawings, certain modified forms of the
invention are shown, the main features of which may be described as follows:-The
sheet feeder J is located in a channel K having an angle of inclination adjustable at
will, for which purpose there are provided adjusting slots k, fitted with suitable
retaining screws.
Motion is imparted to the sheet feeder J by the depression of a pedal bar F, as
shown in Fig. 7, through the medium of the bell-crank-lever W, the slotted arm é of
which engages with the pivoted connecting rod c.
As the sheet driver D'descends (see Fig. 8), the bell-crank-lever W is swung round,
whereby, through the medium of the slide J, the sheet last descended is conveyed to
the pile, so as to make room for the next sheet. In order that the sheet-driver may
be set in operation at will, and to allow the attendant sufficient time to adjust the
sheet in the proper situation for folding, the form of apparatus shown in Figs. 9 to 19,
Sheets II and III, may be adopted.
The machine is driven from a pedal, and through a shaft d, whereon are mounted a
fly-wheel d and a sheet feeding roller B. The shaft d may, however, be set in motion
by a driving belt. In addition to this, the said shaft & carries a belt pulley S, from
which the sheet-driver shaft g is operated. This last mentioned shaft is provided
with a pulley N, whereon is arranged one half of a coupling device or clutch P¹.
The said pulley N, together with its half coupling, is loose upon the shaft g.
The
counter part P2 of the clutch or coupling is adapted to slide upon the shaft g of the
sheet driver, and can be thrown into gear by means of the coupling fork h, or push
bar t.
The portion P³ of the clutch is provided with an arm », which, when P2 is turned
with the shaft g, swings along with it, and in so doing, sweeps past an incline Q,
whereby the piece P2 is shifted axially, so that the sheet driver is automatically
arrested.
The operator need only exert pressure upon the rod t for a brief space of time, so
that the sheet driver is set in rocking motion by the portion P of the coupling, the
extent of which motion, being limited by the arm p and incline Q.
The return movements of both the sheet driver D and half coupling P2 are effected
by means of a spring f, secured to the push bar t.
Instead of the pedal mechanism, suitable shafting may be provided for driving the
machine by engine power, which is preferable, since the operation of throwing the
sheet driving or inserting device into gear will, in that case, be the only one which
the attendant need perform by hand, so that the risk of his meeting with any injury
in working the machine is obviated.
-
The type of clutch or coupling to be employed in connection with this machine, as
well as the means for automatically throwing the mechanism out of gear, admit of a
wide range of variation.
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
I claim is
1. In a folding machine having a sheet driver adapted to be set in motion by a
pedal lever, and a sheet transporting device connected with the same, a sheet driving
lever E connected by a draw-bar F with an automatically rising pedal lever H, so
that the sheet driver D acts only, when the pedal lever is pressed down; an adjustable
driving block L mounted on the rod F; and a roller-faced transporting slide J
situated in the delivery shoot K, said driving block being caused to act on the said
slide J by the descent of the rod F, so that the folded sheets which have dropped
into the shoot K will be pushed out of the way, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. The device for throwing the sheet driver into and out of gear, comprising a
movable coupling sleeve P2 adapted to slide on the axle g of the sheet-driver and
provided with an arm p, and an inclined abutment or face Q adapted to act on the
arm p as the latter turns with the axle g and thereby to limit the motion of the sheet
driver, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 9 to 19.
3. The combination of roller axle d, with sheet driver axle b, and mechanism
adapted to set the axle b in motion from the axle d, substantially as described.
4. The combination of an adjustable delivery shoot K, with a sheet transporting
slide J, and a slotted bell-crank-lever W adapted to operate the said slide from the
pedal bar F, substantially as described.
1 1007
.FAIRFAX & WETTER,
37 and 39, Essex Street, Strand, London, Agents.