Improvements in Folding Paper on Letterpress Rotary Machines for Printing Various Sizes of Paper.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 1st Nov., 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Paper on Letterpress Rotary Machines for
Printing Various Sizes of Paper.
MARK SMITH, Printers Engineer, Manchester Guardian General Printing
Works, Blackfriars Street, Manchester, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
I use a reciprocating knife with a continuously revolving cylinder and mostly
for use on a rotary machine were various sizes of paper are printed and folded,
the paper being cut before passing through the printing cylinders. The paper
after being printed and once folded receives a second or first cross fold the knife
is timed (so that when the once folded paper reaches a stop) it forces the paper
through a slot into a gripper in a revolving cylinder. There is one cam action
to push the knife through a slot also another cam to move the knife in the same
direction as the revolving cylinder.
י
1
Improvements in Folding Paper on Letterpress Rotary Machines for
Printing Various Sizes of Paper.
I, MARK SMITH, of the Manchester Guardian' General Printing Works,
Blackfriars Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Printers' Engineer,
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 relates to the folding of paper in connection with letterpress
rotary machines for printing various sizes of paper, the folding apparatus being
an integrant of the printing machine, as may also be an apparatus for cutting
the paper into sheets before it is printed upon. From the printing cylinder the
sheets may be delivered to the folding mechanism either in the open condition
or already once folded.
I effect the folding, according to my present invention, by means of a knife
which has both a reciprocatory and an oscillatory motion imparted to it, and
which introduces the creased or partly folded paper into the gap of the folding
cylinder, where it is seized and folded by the grippers. The motions of the
knife are so timed that, when the paper has reached a stop, and its motion is
therefore momentarily arrested, the knife advances and lifts the paper, the

page_text: edge of the knife advancing in a direction to meet the approaching cylinder
gap. At the highest point of its lift the edge of the knife is close to the following
edge of the gap, and immediately upon its having reached this point, the
oscillatory motion of the knife commences, so that its edge exactly follows in
the gap. The path of the edge of the knife at once intersects the outer arc of
the gap and, as the mutual motion continues, the knife edge penetrates the gap
until it arrives at the line of centres of the cylinder and knife pivot, when the
reverse motion takes place and the knife leaves the gap. In the meantime
the grippers have seized the fold and now carry it forward for delivery in the
usual manner. The motions of the knife are caused by two cams one of which
produces its reciprocations and the other its oscillations. I will more particu-
larly describe my said invention with reference to the accompanying drawing
which shews a sectional elevation.
In this drawing there is also illustrated an auxiliary, folding cylinder which
may or may not be used according as it may or may not be desired to make a
second fold parallel with the fold made by the knife and cylinder already
herein before referred to.
The first, or main folding cylinder is denoted by the numeral 1, and the
auxiliary folding cylinder which may or may not be used, by the numeral 2.
The paper 1', arrives horizontally in a direction at right angles to the plane
of the section shewn by the drawing, being conducted in the usual manner by
endless tapes a a, and arrested by contact of the leading edge of each sheet
with a stop which is not shewn. Above the stationary position of the paper
there is mounted the rotary folding cylinder 1, and below it is the reciprocating
and oscillating knife b. The folding cylinder is provided with the usual
gripper and its accessories, and, if the auxiliary cylinder 2 is used, is also
provided with a folding knife d, both the gripper and the knife & being operated
and constructed as in existing machines. The knife b is fixed in a block or
holder e, which is suspended by short links from the ends of two parallel
arms f, on opposite sides of the apparatus, and mounted on the spindles g. On
this spindle there is also mounted the short arm, and the longer arm h, which
latter is free on the spindle g. The arms and are adjustably connected by
a bolt in and a short slot in h, through which the bolt passes. Hence the
relative angular positions of f and may be adjusted by means of the bolt in ..
The arm carries at its free end a friction bowl i, working in the groove of the
cam j, which rotates with its shaft k upon which there is also fixed the cam
having a long dwell and a short recess 1. On the cam there rides a second
friction bowl m carried upon the end of the arm pivotted and re curved at o.
This arm is slotted at n¹ to receive a block on the knife carrier, and since the
slot acts as a guide for the knife, it is curved with a centre at g.
Just above the plane of the paper, and on each side of the reciprocal path of
the knife, there are two bars PP, constituting between them a slot, the function
of which is to form the beginning of the fold in the paper over the rising knife.
These bars are held towards each other by a spring or springs in any convenient
manner, so that if, by accident, a crush of paper should accumulate over the
knife, the bars can give way.
Immediately upon the positioning of the paper to be folded, the arms hf,
and the knife b, are lifted by the cam j, into the positions shewn by the drawing,
the knife having lifted the paper which is thus partly folded by the bars PP.
At this, the highest part of its lift, there is a short dwell during which the
knife is held at the same height. Immediately after the commencement of
this dwell, the bowl m, enters the recess and thus permits motion in the swing
arm n to the right as originated by the spring q. The links on which the knife
carrier is suspended, being centred at o, this motion of the arm n carries the
point of the knife in the direction of the rotation of the cylinder within the
gripper slot, so that the gripper has time to obtain a good and firm hold. The
oscillatory motion during the dwell of the knife cam ; carries the edge of the

page_text: knife through an arc intersecting a corresponding arc of the gripper path, so
that by this oscillation in one direction, the point of the knife is caused to
penetrate the gripper path and to be withdrawn therefrom. As soon as the
edge of the knife has described the forward path, the cam 1, by its recess 1¹
commences to force the arm in the opposite direction and produce the return
stroke of the knife. But, at the same instant, the bowl i has rounded the dwell
on the cam and the knife consequently quickly lowers into the starting
position. The knife being now out of the way, a second or following sheet of
paper arrives and is folded in the same manner.
The auxiliary folding cylinder 2, is provided with the usual gripper r, and is
of the ordinary construction. When it is used, and assuming that the paper
arriving under the main cylinder, has already been once folded, the knife b
and cylinder fold it at right angles to the existing first fold. When the
cylinder has made about three fourths of a revolution, the knife d of the main
cylinder creases the folded paper and delivers the crease to the gripper r of the
cylinder 2, which has a diameter equal to the radius of the cylinder 1, and is
directly geared therewith. The gripper c of cylinder having released the
paper, it is seized, folded and carried round by the gripper, and finally delivered
to the endless tapes ss, between which and the guard s', it is delivered to the
tapes which convey it to the flyer which is not shewn on the drawing and
is of the ordinary construction. If the auxiliary folder is not to be used, the
twice folded paper is delivered from the main cylinder 1, to the endless tapes or
strings uu, which convey it to the endless tapes t t¹ hereinbefore described.
The endless tapes s, pass around the cylinder 2 and the rollers 3, 4, 5, returning
from the roller 5, direct to the cylinder 2. The tapes tt pass respectively around
the rollers 4 and 6, and corresponding rollers not shewn, at the flyer. The
endless tapes or strings u, pass around the cylinder 7, and the roller 6. The
cylinder is made to rotate synchronously with the cams jl by means of equal
toothed wheels on their shafts and the intermediate wheel 7, indicated by
broken lines only.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In combination with a continuously rotating paper folding cylinder of a
rotary printing machine, a reciprocating and oscillating knife constructed
arranged and operated substantially as and for the purpose herein before described
and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. Single folding apparatus for letterpress printing machines, constructed
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st Jars of Catalan 1 1900