IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER FOLDING MACHINERY
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Cundall of Thornton near Bradford in the county
of York Printing Machine Maker for an Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN
PAPER FOLDING MACHINERY
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Cundall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th September 1883.
ROBERT CUNDALL. of Thornton near Bradford, in the County of York, Printing
Machine Maker, "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER FOLDING MACHINERY,
The first part of my invention consists in constructing and arranging such
machines with two sets of self acting deliveries either of which can be employed
while the other is at rest so that one or other of such deliveries may be in use
when required, consequently a four fold machine can be employed as a three fold
machine.
For the purpose of carrying out my Invention when making a four fold machine
deliver three fold paper I extend the length of the three fold tapes beyond the
machine frame. A rocking shaft provided with a fork employed, which, receives
the folded paper, and transfers it onto a table.
The bottom of the fork is provided with a suitable stop piece or gauge which
determines the position of the folded paper previous to its being transferred onto
the table, whereby each fold of paper is placed thereon in exactly the same place.
A screw operated by ratchet wheel, and catch from any convenient part of the
machine for gradually lowering the table as each fold of paper is placed thereon,
so that the height of the upper surface of the paper is always the same, and when
a given number of folded sheets have been placed on the table, a bell or other
indicator is set in motion to arrest the attention of the workman.
To prevent the necessity of counting the folded sheets I arrange and employ
self acting mechanism for placing the said paper onto the table in tiers of equal
given numbers of, say twelve sheets, the tiers being placed one above the other,
but not with their edges in the same vertical line, and this I accomplish by
placing each alternate dozen sheets further on the table, than the other alternate
dozen. In carrying out this part of my Invention, I employ the same form of
Q.71

page_text: delivery apparatus as that already described, but in addition to and in combination
therewith I use a set of rising and falling fingers, or prongs which pass through
the prongs of the transferring fork, such prongs rising twelve times in succession
and then resting the same length of time, the effect of which is to cause twelve of
the papers to be placed further on the table at one time, than at another. The
rising prongs, which are attached to a vertical rod, are caused to rise and fall by
means of a cam, operated by ratchet wheel and catch.
My Invention also relates to the adjustable stops or gauges employed in paper
folding machines, my Improvements therein, consisting in causing them to be
moved back ward and forward for adjustment by means of two or more screws,
operated by bevil wheels, and cross shafts from a hand wheel, by which means the
gauge does not get on the twist as is now the case, but is always at right angles
with the paper, whereby the sheets are accurately folded.
Another part of my Invention has reference to the tapes upon which the paper
travels, the object of my Invention being, to prevent vibration or oscillation of
such tapes, and this I accomplish by placing bars or bearers under each length of
tape, by which means steadiness of the tapes obtained and vibration avoided

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Cundall in the Patent Office on the 25th March 1884.
ROBERT CUNDALL of Thornton, near Bradford in the County of York, Printing
Machine Maker, "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER FOLDING MACHINERY
"
The first part of my Invention consists in constructing and arranging such
machines with two or more sets of self-acting deliveries, either of which can be
employed while the other is at rest, so that one or other of such deliveries may be
in use when required consequently a four fold machine can be employed as a three
fold machine.
For the purpose of carrying out my Invention when making a four fold
machine deliver three fold paper I extend the length of the three fold tapes
beyond the machine frame. A rocking shaft provided with forks is employed
which receives the folded paper and transfers it on to a table.
The bottom of the fork is provided with a suitable stop piece, or gauge which
determines the position of the folded paper previous to its being transferred on to
the table, whereby each fold of paper is placed thereon in exactly the same place.
A screw operated by ratchet wheel and catch from any convenient part of the
machine for gradually lowering the table as each fold of paper is placed thereon,
so that the height of the upper surface of the paper is always the same, and when
a given number of folded sheets have been placed on the table a bell or other
indicator is set in motion to arrest the attention of the workman
Such being the nature of the first part of my Invention I will now proceed to
describe same more fully being assisted by the accompanying Sheets of Drawings
wherein Fig 1 is front view of one side of the machine, Fig 2 is part section of
opposite side of the machine, Fig 3 is plan view, Fig 4 is same end view as Fig. 1
partly in section, and Fig 5 front elevation showing the application of the new or
additional delivery. 1 is the main driving shaft of the machine, 2 a tappet shaft,
and 3 the travelling tapes which carry the paper to the various "strikers" for
folding.
In order to provide these machines with an additional delivery so as to adapt
them to deliver paper at more than one place, I extend the travelling tapes of such
as are required to deliver and in the drawings herewith I am showing a four fold
machine capable of delivering a paper folded three times, for this purpose the
tapes 3 are extended beyond the framework 4 passing over rollers 5 and 6. As
the paper is carried by the tapes to the end thereof it comes into contact with the
gauge stop piece or projection 7 on the bottom of the prongs or fork 8 forming
part of or attached to a rocking shaft 9 which shaft as each sheet of paper is
received on to the fork is caused to rock or oscillate, the motion of which transfers
the paper from the fork on to the descending table 10. It must be understood
that this stop piece is of considerable importance as by receiving the paper at a
regular point the fork is able to turn the paper over on to the table in one
uniform and regular order.
The shaft 9 receives its rocking motion by pinion 11 operated backward and
forward by segment 12 which segment is actuated by lever 13 working upon a
stud 14, the said lever being operated by cam 15 on tappet shaft 2. A spiral
spring 16 is employed to assist in drawing the segment down after having been
elevated by the lever 13.
In order to lower the table 10 gradually so that the upper surface of the paper
may always remain the same height notwithstanding the increasing number of
sheets placed thereon a boss or nut 17 is secured to the end of the table through
which boss or nut a screw 18 is passed, being supported by brackets 19 and 20,

page_text: At the foot of this screw is a ratchet wheel 21 (shown clearly in side and end
elevation Figures 4 and 5 and plan Figure 6.) in the teeth of which is a catch 22 secured
to the top of the lever arm 23 operated by rod 24, bell crank lever 25 and vertical
rod 26 from lever 27 operated at each revolution of the tappit shaft 2 by cam
thereon 28. It will therefore be seen that at each revolution of the tappit shaft
one sheet of paper will be fed on to the transferring fork 8 and to allow for the
increased thickness of the pile of paper placed on the table the screw 18 will be
operated by the levers and rods previously explained whereby the table will lower
equal to the thickness of each sheet of folded paper placed thereon, the speed at
which the table shall lower being easily determined and regulated by changing the
size of the ratchet wheel 21 or by other well known mechanical arrangements.
In order to raise the table more rapidly than it descended the upper part of the
screw shaft 18 is provided with a hand wheel 29 whereby the table after the catch
is disengaged from the wheel can be quickly raised. When the table has nearly
reached its lowest point of descent a finger 30 projecting from the screw 18 will
come into contact with the lever 31 connected to the bell 32 which it will ring to
arrest the attention of the workman so that he can stop the machine; if however
the machine continued to proceed the catch would come into contact with a wedged
shaped projection which would remove the said catch from the catch wheel and
thereby prevent any breakage which would arise if the machine continued to run
after the table has descended beyond a given point. Instead of lowering the table
by means of a screw, a rack and pinion may be employed at each side of the said
table the pinion wheels being operated by ratchet wheel and catch.
Although I have shown and described the application of an additional outside
delivery to deliver three fold paper on a four fold machine, it will be evident that
this additional outside delivery may be placed to deliver at any other part of the
machine; the principle object of my Invention being to make a machine deliver
paper by self-acting mechanism at two or more parts any of which can be used
when required independant of each other consequently making one muchine as
far as delivery is concerned answer the purpose of two or more machines. The
additional midway delivery must of course be in a higher position in the machine
than the original delivery consequently when the additional delivery is not
required, the "striker" operating on the extended tape is allowed to proceed in
the usual manner; but when the additional delivery is required to be in use the
"striker" is suspended by a pin or other simple means therefore the paper is not
bent or pushed between the next folding rollers but is carried forward along the
extended tapes and removed therefrom by the fork.
Secondly. To prevent the necessity of counting the folded sheets I arrange and
employ self-acting mechanism for placing the said paper on to the table in tiers
of equal given numbers of say-twelve sheets, the tiers being placed one above
the other, but not with their edges in the same vertical line, and this I accomplish
by placing each alternate dozen sheets further on the table than the other alternate
dozen.
In carrying out this part of my Invention I employ the same form of delivery
apparatus as that already described, but in addition to and in combination
therewith I use a reciprocating gauge or fingers which advance twelve times in
succession and then resting the same length of time; the effect of which is to
cause twelve of the papers to be placed further on the table at one time than at
another. The reciprocatory gauge or fingers are operated by means of cams,
actuated by ratchet wheel and catch.
This part of my Invention is shown in Fig. 5 and 2 and in detail Fig 8. The
reciprocatory or advancing gauge or fingers are marked 33 which in this case is
a lever working upon a fulcrum 34. The lower end of this lever is pressed by'
spring 35 against a rotary cam plate 36 which is provided with notches 37 made
or formed in the periphery of the said cam plate and it will be understood that
as the plate revolves the lower end of the lover 33 will enter the notches, causing
the other end to advance which it is timed to do just as each sheet of paper

page_text: reaches the end of the tape 3 such advanced movement pushing the paper. some
distance further crosswise on the tapes, but when the blank face of the cam plate 36
comes into contact with the lower end of the said lever 33 it remains stationary
consequently the position of the paper upon the tapes is not altered, therefore the
paper is transferred by the fork upon the table in the manner shown in Fig 8
whereby counting of the paper is unnecessary. The cam plate 36 can be changed
when required for a plate having a different number of notches the said cam plate
having an intermittent motion given to it by means of a rocking shaft 38 partly
shown in Fig 9 but more fully described and explained in the Specification of a
previous Patent granted to me in the Year 1881 N° 4303.
On this rocking shaft 38 is a segment 39 gearing with a rack 40 employed for
the purpose of lifting the rod 41 to receive each sheet of paper as it is dropped
into the box 42. In order therefore to give an intermittent motion to the
shaft 43 carrying the cam-plate 36 a ratchet wheel 44 (see Fig 9) is keyed on
the said shaft 43, which at each upward movement of the rod 41 the ratchet
wheel is caused to rotate a tooth or two according to arrangement by means of
the catch 45 taking into the teeth of the said ratchet wheel thereby giving to the
said shaft and the cam plate an intermittent motion.
Thirdly. My Invention also relates to the adjustable stops or gauges employed
in paper folding machines, my improvements therein consisting in causing them to
be moved backward and forward for adjustment by means of two or more screws
operated by bevil wheels and cross shafts from a hand wheel, by which means the
gauge does not get on the twist as is now the case, but is always at right angles
with the folding rollers whereby the sheets are accurately folded.
This part of my Invention is shown on Sheet 4 where 46 and 47 are plans of
two tables, the former having an adjustable gauge 48 which move backward and
forward through the slots shown by dark lines at 49. This gauge is fastened
to nuts 50 (see underneath view Fig 10) working upon screws 51 caused to rotate
by bevil wheels 52 from cross shaft 53 operated by hand wheel 54. It will be
seen that by turning the hand wheel 54 that the gauge 48 will be worked backward
and forward, exactly parallel and at right angles with the sides of the table.
55 is an adjustable finger capable of sliding upon the rod 56 which determines
the position of the paper in one direction. A guage or stop piece 57 is employed
in connection with the table 47, the said gauge being operated by nut 58 and
screw 59 as previously explained, a detailed plan and section of the plate being
shown in Fig 11 and 12..
By the use of gauges or stop pieces such as those just described, the paper
shown in position in dotted lines cannot get twisted, nor out of square, consequently
the sheets are acccurately folded which is a very desirable thing in folding
machines. Fig 13 is plan view, and Fig 14 end view of the parallel gauge
showing the said gauge as applied to some parts of the machine in connection
with the tapes.
Fourthly. Another part of my Invention has reference to the tapes upon which
the paper travels, the object of my Invention being to prevent vibration or
oscillation of such tapes and this I accomplish by placing bars or bearers under
each length of tape, by which means steadiness of the tapes is obtained and
vibration avoided
This part of my Invention cannot be clearly shown by Drawings as the tapes
cover the bars, or bearers, but I have shown a plan view of a set of bars in
Fig. 15 from which it will be understood that the tapes pass over and are supported
by the bars 60 consequently vibration of the said tapes is prevented.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same I declare that I claim,
can be
Firstly. The peculiar arrangement in a paper folding machine of two or more
self-acting delivery tables whereby differently folded sheets of paper
delivered direct on to separate tables in the manner substantially as herein shown
and described.

page_text: Secondly. The employment of a gradually descending table operated in the
manner substantially as herein shown and described, or means equivalent thereto,
whereby the upper surface of the paper or table is always the same height.
Thirdly. The means or method substantially as herein shown and described
whereby the folded paper is placed on to the table in tiers of equal number
whereby the counting of each separate sheet is rendered unnecessary.
Fourthly. The employment of the adjustable gauge 48 connected to two or
more screws, and operated in the manner, and for the purpose substantially as
herein shown and described. Fifthly. The employment of the bars or bearers 60
for the purpose of supporting the tapes, and preventing vibration in manner as
herein set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Robert Cundall have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty second day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight.
hundred and eighty four.