Improvements in Paper Folding Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Paper Folding Machines.
We, JOHN SAMUEL CUNDALL, ROBERT DINSDALE CUNDALL, and WILLIAM
DENTON CUNDALL, of the Firm of Robert Cundall and Sons Limited, of Shipley,
in the County of York, Machine Makers and Engineers do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for folding paper into two, three, four or
more fold. It is well know that when paper has been folded at right angles three
or four times, that between the said fold the paper is creased or puckered which
is objectionable and has hitherto been unavoidable when done by machine work.
The object of our invention in machine folded paper is to prevent these creases
or puckering of the paper within the seam, and this we accomplish by cutting or
severing the edges of the paper at a given part of the folding operation and this
wo effect by self-acting mechanism whilst the folded paper is passing through
the machine, care being taken to ensure the edges of the paper being severed a
short distance beyond the half of its width for the next fold.
According to one method we employ a pair of circular revolving cutters, one
of which is capable of being put into and out of touch with the paper by any
suitable arrangement of levers and cams. This movable cutter is brought into
action at the proper time and removed away again at the proper time by self
acting mechanism, the folded paper being arranged to pass between the said
outters the distance required. One of the said cutters is forced against the other
cutter to act like scissors, by a spiral or other form of spring, whilst the other
cutter revolves upon a shaft having a cam or angular side for forcing the cutter
into contact with the adjoining cutter which ensures the cutting edges eing
placed in the proper position for cutting.
According to another method of severing the paper, we employ a fixed horizontal
blade in combination with an upper angular blade which at the proper time is
made to descend and to sover the paper, and in order to vary the length of cut
in the said paper, the upper or angular blade is made to descend more or less
according to the length of cut to be made in the paper.
According to another method the paper is passed between a pair of rollers one
of which has a slit formed in it circumferentially, whilst the other roller has a
blade attached to it which severs the paper whilst passing between the said
rollers. The roller with the cutting blade upon it is made adjustable on its shaft
so that the length of cut can be varied according to the size of paper being folded.
According to another method of cutting the paper the rotary cutters may be
serrated at their cutting edge after the manner of a circular saw which severs
the paper when brought into contact with the said rotating or rovolving saws; or
the paper may be severed by stamping with a cutting die.
Dated his Lat day of A
1009

page_text: We, JOHN SAMUEL CUNDALL, ROBERT DINSDALE CUNDALL, and WILLIAM
DENTON CUNDALL, of the Firm of Robert Cundall and Sons, Limited, of Shipley,
in the County of York, Machine Makers, 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 machines for folding paper into two, three, four or
more fold.
6
It is well known that when paper has been folded at right angles three or four
times, that between the last fold or folds the paper is creased or puckered which
is objectionable and has hitherto been unavoidable when done by machine work. 1
The object of our invention in machine folded paper especially thick paper is
to prevent these creases or puckering of the paper within the seam or fold and
this we accomplish by cutting or severing the paper at a given part in the
folding operation and this we effect by self-acting mechanism whilst the folded
paper is passing through the machine care being taken to ensure the paper being
severed a short distance beyond the half of its width for the next fold.
In order that our said invention may be fully understood reference is hereafter
had to the annexed sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification, in
which:
Fig. 1 is sectional side elevation of so much of a paper folding machine as is
essential to shew the application of our improvements;
Fig. 2 is plan view of a portion of same;
Fig. 3 is transverse section taken on line 1, 2, of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is enlarged transverse section taken on line 3, 4, of Fig. 5;
Fig. 5 is elevation of l'ig. 4 looking in the direction of arrow 5 in same figure.
Fig. 6 is diagram of a sheet of paper shewing how the same is cut at a certain
stage of the folding of same.
Figs. 7 and 8 shew modifications of the means for cutting the paper.
In the drawings, letter a represents the frame-work of the machine, b, and c,
two pairs of nipping or folding rollers arranged at right angles and on different
planes, and d, d, the flanged rollers around which travel endless tapes d³, d³, for
conveying the paper from the rollers 6 to the rollers c, the said parts being
common to paper folding machines and forming no part of our invention.
Our improvements comprising means for cutting or partially severing paper
on the line of the next succeeding fold to be made, consist of a rotary cutter e
mounted on a stud el secured to or projecting from a bracket f placed loosely
on the roller d, or on the shaft of the said roller, so as to be free to turn thereon
but not to move laterally, said rotary cutter being formed integral with or
having secured thereto a pinion which gears with an intermediate wheel I also
carried on a stud g' on the bracket f and gearing with a toothed wheel h fast on
the roller d from which motion is communicated through said gearing to the
rotary cutter e and the latter rotated in the same direction as the roller d. "Formed
integral with the bracket f, or secured thereto, as shewn, is a depending finger or
arm whose free ond extends over and is adapted to be engaged by one end of a
iever pivoted on a shaft and carrying at its opposite end a friction bowl or

page_text: pulley which, by reason of the greater weight of the lever being on the other
side of the fulcrum ¹, is held in contact with a cam fast on any suitable rotary
Dart k¹ of the machine. At one side of cam k is a second cam or cam surface
against which rides a friction bowl or pulley m carried on the end of a lever m¹
fast on a shaft m² supported in bearings in brackets a', of which one only is shewn.
On the said shaft m is secured a second lever m³ whose upper end is suitably
enlarged or shaped and abuts against a boss or collar n¹ on the end of a shaft n
which is mounted in bearings in the framework a in a position in front of the
endless tapes and parallel with the roller d. The said shaft n is adapted to
be forced endwise in its bearings by the lever m³, as afterwards explained, against
the resistance of a strong spiral spring n surrounding said shaft and confined
between a collar n³ thereon and the boss or bearing n*.
Formed on or secured to the shaft n is a boss or collar o having a cutting edge o¹
on the right hand end thereof which, when the shaft is released and forced
endwise to the right by the spring, is brought linable with the centre of the
pair of nipping rollers c which are to give the next succeeding fold to the paper,
the rotary cutter e also being in line with the same centre so that the paper
shall be cut or severed exactly on the line of the fold to be given.
The boss or collar o and a second boss or collar o on shaft n serve to hold the
paper against the tapes while passing between the cutters.
The action of the parts is as follows:-
When a sheet of paper passes between the nipping rollers and onto the tapes d³,
the cam & is timed to present its longer radii to the bowl and to move the lever i
on its centre from the position shewn in dotted line to that shewn in full line
in Fig. 1 whereby the arm f' is forced upwardly and moves the bracket f ou
its centre from the position shewn in full line in Fig. 4 to that shewn in dotted
line in same figure and in full line in Fig. 3, thus bringing the rotary cutter e into
the path of the approaching paper in readiness for cutting same, and so as to
overlap the cutting edge o¹ on the part o. Immediately following this movement,
the cam presents its shorter radii to the bowl m whereupon the levers m³, m³,
move by their own weight from the position shewn in full line to that shewn in
dotted line in Fig. 1, being assisted in this movement by the action of spring n³
which acts the moment pressure is removed off the end of the shaft n and
forces said shaft endwise to the right until the cutting edgo o abuts against the
overlapping portion of the rotary outter e as indicated in dotted line in Figs. 1, 2
and 5, so that they shall act together like scissors, this being accomplished before
the paper reaches the cutters, or about the same time.
The shaft is driven in the direction indicated by the arrows by toothed
wheels from shaft or roller which derives its motion from spur wheel the
cutter o and cutter e being thus rotated in the same direction at the point of
contact and severing the paper as it travels down with the tapes d until the
shorter radii of cam k end longer radii of cam 7 are presented again to the respec-
tive bowls and m, when the rotary cutter e is swung by bracket clear of the
paper by the descent of the finger or arm f', and the shaft » forced endwise in
its bearings by lever n³, to place the cutter a little to one side as shewn in
full line in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the remaining portion of the paper then passing
forward uncut. The shaft n is forced endwise in the manner set forth in order
that when the rotary cutter e has been moved into position for cutting, the
cutter shall then be forced up to and maintained in close contact with the
cutter e. The extent to which the paper is cut slightly exceeds the half of
the width of the sheet or folded sheet of paper presented as will be understood by
reference to Fig. 6 where r represents a sheet of paper which has been folded by
rollers balong the lower edge s, s, and which is next to be folded by rollers c
along the line t, t.
To prevent puckering or creasing of the paper along the folds when the sheet
has been folded the requisite number of times, it is necessary to partially cut
through the paper along the line t, t, and therefore the cutters are situated

page_text: intermediate of the two pairs of folding rollers b and c, and act in a line coincident
with the meeting line of the rollers c. The canis & and are timed to hold the
cutters in operative engagement for a period equal to the time it takes the paper
to travel a little over half way between them and, therefore, such paper is cut or
severed along line t, t, from the lower edges to a point just beyond the
iine u, u, along which the last fold, or the fold next succeeding that along line t, t,
18 to be made.
We have shown the outter applied at only one point in the folding of the paper,
but it will be understood that they can be applied at a point in advance of or
subsequent to any fold of the paper, and that, if necessary, the paper may be cut
more than once during folding operation, additional cutters being employed' and
the operative parts arranged to suit the positions occupied by the additional
outters.
In Figs. 7 and 8 we shew modifications of the means for cutting or severing
the paper which may be employed in lieu of the rotary cutters above described.
In Fig. 7 the cutters comprise a bottom horizontal fixed cutter or blade e and
an upper movable angular blade c' which, at the proper time by means of cam and
connections, is made to descend and sever the paper a distance corresponding to
or slightly exceeding the length of the blade e by limiting the downward move-
ment of said blade, the length of cut can be shortened.
In Fig. 8 we cause the paper to travel between a pair of rollers ", t³, one of
which has a slit or groove formed in it circumferentially, whilst the other
roller has a blade c attached to it which, as it revolves with the roller, severs
the paper whilst passing between said rollers. The cutting blade may be inter-
changeable with other outting blades for varying the length of cut, or said blade
or roller may be adjustable, so that same can be made to act sooner or later.
The diameter of the rollers v, v, are preferably so proportioned that the knife
or blade e will cut through the paper from the front edge to a little over half way,
and they are so timed that the said knife or blade is brought into position for
cutting just as the paper reaches the rollers. We may employ other modifications
in the construction, arrangement and operation of the cutters for partially severing
the paper during the folding operation without departing from the principal
features of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:―
Firstly. In paper folding machines, the application and employment, in con-
junction with nipping or folding rollers, of mechanism such as rotary cutters,
knives, blades, cutting surfaces or their equivalents for severing paper along
part of the line on which such paper will next be folded in the manner and for
the purposes substantially as herein shewn and described.
Secondly. In paper folding machines, the application and employment of
rotary cutters such as e and o' driven positively together with the means for
moving same into and out of engagement at the proper time substantially as
herein shewn and described.
Thirdly. In paper folding machines, the combination, with a fixed blade or
knife, of a moveable blade or knife adapted to descend upon the fixed blade at
the proper time and to sever or cut the paper passing between same like a pair
of scissors, substantially as set forth and shewn at Fig. 7.
Fourthly. In paper folding machines, the combination of two rollers one of
which carries a knife or cutting blade which at each revolution enters a slit or
groove in the neighbouring roller and severs the paper passing between said
rollers substantially as set forth and shewn at Fig. 8.
Fifthly. The general arrangement, combination, and operation of the parts

page_text: comprising our improved mechanism for cutting or partially severing paper prior
to any given fold, substantially as herein shewn and described.
Dated this 17th day of Santambor 1907
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, l'atent Agents.