Improvements in or applicable to Sheet Folding Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 31st Mar., 1897-Accepted, 15th May, 1897
We, HERBERT JAMES SALMON of Woodley Iron Works, near Stockport, in
the County of Chester, Engineer, JOHN CAPPER and JAMES DEAVILLE of the
same place, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, to be as
follows:-
In sheet folding machines the sheets when to have two folds only receive their
second fold in a vertical plane and are delivered by endless tapes and usually fall
promiscuously on to the floor.
Our invention consists in combining with the inachine a box similar to what is
known as a "packing box" or trough, which packing box or trough is placed at
an angle by preference so that the folded sheets as delivered in the vertical plane
fall into the box or trough into a space between the last sheet of the sheets packed
against each other in the box or trough, and a pusher worked to and fro by a
crank or cam on some convenient rotary part of the machine and connected
mechanism which gives the pusher a to and fro movement for each folded sheet
delivered, so that each twice folded sheet is received and retained and packed one
against the other in correct order.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.
Improvements in or applicable to Sheet Folding Machines.
We, HERBERT JAMES SALMON of Woodley Iron Works, near Stockport, in
the County of Chester, Engineer, JOHN CAPPER and JAMES DEAVILLE of the
same place, Engineers, 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 :-
In our sheet folding machines the sheets when to have two folds only, receive
their second fold in a vertical plane and are delivered by endless tapes and usually
fall promiscuously on to the floor.
Our invention consists in combining with the machine a box similar to what is
known as a "packing box" or trough, which packing box or trough is placed at
an angle by preference so that the folded sheets as delivered in the vertical plane,
fall into the box or trough into a space between the last sheet of the sheets packed
against each other in the box or trough, and a pusher worked to and fro by a
crank or cam on some convenient rotary part of the machine and connected
mechanism which gives the pusher a to and fro movement for each folded sheet
delivered, so that each twice folded sheet is received and retained and packed one
against the other in correct order.

page_text: g. 1, is a side elevation partly in section, and
Fig. 2, is a plan view partly in section, these two views showing so much of the
mechanism of a folding machine, as will be necessary to illustrate our invention.
a, are the side frames; b, one table hinged at 6, and 63, another table hinged
at 6, upon which the sheets to be folded are placed against gauges on the table
which are adjustable, or they are placed upon adjustable gauge points, which are
carried upon a vertical rod f, sliding, up and down in brackets secured to the
framing.
c, are the first folding rollers; c', the first folding knife carried on arms c², from
a cross shaft c³, in suitable bearings.
arm or shaft to which the weight e, is attached for counterbalancing the
knife; c, the arm to which the rod, is jointed, the lower end of which has a
stud c', for a bowl to be acted upon by the cam e8, on the cam shaft d.
f, is the cam on the same shaft d, for acting upon the how! on a stud f, in the
vertically sliding rod f, for the gauge points.
g, the treadle lever, the fulcrum of which is on a stud ', in the framing,
which treadle when depressed acts to arrest the first folding knife c', and gauge
points.
e, the first motion shaft; e, the fast and loose pulleys for the driving belt.
e', the spur wheel on the shaft e, gearing with one cb, on the cam shaft d,
extending across the machine.
d', is a bevel wheel on the cam shaft d, that gears with one d³, on the cam
shaft d³, in the lengthway of the machine in suitable bearings.
h, is the plate forming the stop plate for the sheet which has received the first
fold, this plate h, has a tooth rack h2, at each end to gear with a pinion ³, on a
cross shaft h, in suitable bearings which has a worm wheel ', at one end, in gear
with a worm h, on a vertical shaft h, in suitable bearings, the upper end of which
has a square for a key to rotate it and adjust the stop plate.
a³, is a vertical plate extending between the side frames against the face of
which the first folded sheet descends until it comes against the upper edge h', of
the stop.
i, are the vertical second folding rollers working in suitable bearings opposite
slot a', in the vertical table plate a³.
18, is the knife (see Fig. 2) for making the second fold, it is carried on an arın 4°
shown in Fig. 1, on a vertical shaft , in bearings on the framing.
a, is the face or plane surface through a slot a, in which the third fold (when
required) is made-, being the rollers for the third fold, and ', the knife.
m, are vertical rollers having their bearings in brackets a, secured to the
framing.
Between folding rollers i, and the rollers m, the endless tapes (not shown) work
for carrying the second folded sheet to or past the third folding rollers 1, there
being an adjustable stop (not shown) to arrest the sheet when to receive a third
fold.
Our present improvements only relate to delivering and packing of sheets after
the second fold, when the mechanism for the third and subsequently folded sheets
are put out of action.
All the mechanism hereinbefore referred to by letters of reference are ordinary
and well known, except the mechanism for arresting the movements of the first
folding knife and gauge points which are the subject of a prior application for
Letters Patent No. 13,680 of 1896.
Two brackets a, are secured to the framing, to which a plate n, is secured in an
inclined position by preference, as shown in Fig. 1.
On the plate n, the lower edge of a board n', rests, this board being perpendicular
to the face of the plate n.
This board n', at each end is secured to an angle bracket n', one side or arm of
which rests upon the upper face of the plate n, and this lower arm of the bracket
is slotted in its lengthway for a bolt passing through the slot and a hole in the

page_text: plate n, by which means the board n¹, can be adjusted in the direction of the
widthway of the plate to give the required space for the size of sheet to be folded,
and is then secured.
There is a rectangular frame p, the lower edge of which rests and can slide to
and fro upon the face of the plate n, in the direction of its lengthway for a few
inches.
There is a projection p', from the lower side of this frame p, that passes through
a slot ³, in the lengthway of the plate n, and to this projection pl, a plate or bar p³,
is secured by screws, which plate or bar is a little wider than the slot n³, to extend
across it.
To this plate or bar p³, one end of a rod p³, is jointed, the other end of which
is jointed to a bent lever p', having its fulcrum on a vertical stud po, in the
framing.
The lever p, is cranked downwards from its fulcrum and then horizontally, and
then vertically, and in this vertical part a stud , is secured for a bowl, which is
acted upon by a cam d', secured on the end of the cam shaft d.
This bowl on the lever, is kept against the cam d, by an helical spring p',
one end of which is secured to it, and the other to the bracket or framing, see
Fig. 2.
By this means the pusher frame p, receives the required to and fro motion, the
cam d, being shaped to give the movement to push the folded sheet delivered
along the trough and then return and wait for the next sheet delivered.
The frame p, is formed into a grid by a series of rods or bars p", passing across it,
and secured by screws to its sides.
The board n', comes within the frame p, there being slots n', in the direction of
the lengthway of the board to allow each cross bar p, free movement without
touching the slots in the board.
In the wood of the board between the slots n', in it, a space is cut to receive a
small bracket which is secured to the board by screws each of which small brackets'
carries the fulcrum n', of a small lever n, one end of wbich projects on the inner
side of the board n', the other or tail end on the outer side of the board, and to
the tail end of each lever one end of a small helical spring n', is attached, the
other end of each spring being secured to a pin or hook attached to the board or
to some other suitable fastening. These springs act to bring the end of each
lever, inside the board square to its face, as shown, in Figs. 1 and 2, where the
inside arm of each lever comes against the end of the slot in the board for it,
which thus forms a stop to its further movement in that direction but the
levers nº, are free to move subject to the resistance of the springs n', in the
opposite direction.
When the sheet is delivered into the trough the frame p, when it moves forward,
pushes the flat side of the sheet forward and the edge of the folded sheet past the
ends of these small levers nº, which give way in that direction, and when the edge
has passed clear of them, the springs n', bring the levers back to the normal
position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, where they act to prevent the sheet from falling
back into the space left in the trough into which the sheets are delivered by the
tapes. The series of small levers nº, act only for one side of the folded sheet, the
opposite side of the folded sheet is forced by the pusher p, past the edge of a thin
plate g, the edge of the sheet bending sufficiently until it has passed this plate.
This plate is secured upon one end of a rod g', the other end of which can slide
through a hole in the framing and when adjusted to the position required, the
rod q, is secured by a screw.
On that side of the thin plate q, opposite to the pusher p, an arm q², is made to
extend for a few inches in the direction of the lengthway of the trough, this arm
stands back a little from the edge of the plate q, to give space for the edge of the
plate to catch upon the last folded sheet which has been pushed into the trough,
this arm g², thus acting to keep the folded sheets packed into the trough against
the side formed by the board n².

page_text: In the trough there is a block of wood r, that fits against the bottom and the
board side of the trough, and keeps the folded sheets erect therein, as it has to be
-slided along the trough as the folded sheets are pushed or packed against each other
therein.
Fig. 3, is a detached elevation in the same plane as Fig. 1, and: Fig. 4, is an
end view illustrating a modification in which a crank pin (or excentric) is made
to give the to and fro movements to the pusher p, dispensing in this case with the
cam d', bent lever p, and helical spring p.
The cam shaft d', is extended, and a disc is secured upon it having a crank
pin do, for a bowl which fits into a vertical slot p8, in an arm p³, descending from
the bar p³, which bar to prevent lateral strain is or may be made to extend the
entire length of the plate n, in suitable guides secured to its underside.
The stroke of the crank pin do, is by preference a little more than that given by
the cam arrangement, so that when sufficiently far back to allow the folded sheet
to enter the space to be left for it in the trough, it goes a little further back, so
that in going from this position where it is back to its extreme movement in the
back direction and partly forward again, the time occupied therein gives sufficient
dwell or time to leave the full space open in the trough for the free admission of
the folded sheet into the space made for it in the trough.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The combination of a packing box or trough with folding machines to receive
and pack therein folded sheets delivered from the machine at the second fold
Eubstantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. The combination of packing box or trough mechanism with folding machines
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated by the
drawings.
3. The use of cranks or excentrics for actuating the pusher, substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 of the
drawings.
Dated this Thirtieth day of March 1907
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.