IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING PAPER, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomson King, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING
PAPER, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by
George Lauder, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America; Civil
Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomson King at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th October 1878.
JOHN THOMSON KING, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING PAPER, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR." [A com-
munication from abroad by George Lauder, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United
States of America, Civil Engineer.]
Heretofore in the construction of paper and like folding machines, so far as I am
aware, the sheet to be folded has been permitted to travel continuously past the
folding mechanism until the centre or the point or line of creasing or folding was
opposite the bite or grip of the folding mechanism, thereby delaying the action of
the folding knife or blade, and causing a direct strain to be put on the paper by
the necessarily quick stroke of the said folding knife or blade. The class of
machines in which this defect is most marked may be broadly stated to be those
wherein rolls and a reciprocating folding blade are employed.
To overcome the said objections, and obtain a folder which is capable of being
employed to fold a continuously fed web of paper, as, for instance, a web of paper
from a rotary printing press, the rotary folder was devised; that is to say, a folder
wherein two rolls, one provided with a tongue, and the other with a gripper, were
employed, the paper being creased by the blade of one roll, and pushed into the
¡Price 8d.]

page_text: SPP
carrying the sheet out of the line of feed, thus permitting a continuous feed, or the
folding of sheets severed from a web.
This last method, while theoretically correct, and apparently capable of per-
mitting the maximum speed to be obtained in folding, has serious defects when
is
practically-applied-;-namely, the-condition-of-the-web.as.it.comes from the press
such that it is easily torn or distorted if too great a strain is put thereon, and the
rotary folder," as it is now termed, cannot-be run at-the-maximum-speed without
liability of rupturing the sheets along the line of fold. In connection with the
said objection are the material ones, such as the complex nature of the machine,
the difficulty of keeping it in good running order, and the first cost of construction.
Now the object of my Invention is to so fold paper and provide machinery for
that purpose that newspapers or other sheets can be folded as rapidly as they can
be caused to issue from a rotary web printing machine. In carrying my Invention
into practice I proceed as follows:-
Two rollers, one of which is provided with a knife or equivalent device, perforates
the paper to be folded, the opposite roll being recessed or otherwise constructed to
act therewith. The said rolls may constitute the feed rolls as well as the cutting
In line with
mechanism, but if preferred independent feed rolls may be added.
the feed rolls are a pair of ordinary folding rolls driven at a greater surface speed
than the feed rolls, provided, if desired, with tapes, or fitted with bands to insure
their grip upon the sheet to be folded.
Opposite the bite of the folding rolls is arranged the folding blade operated by a
cam and spring or their equivalents. A cross bar or like device arranged in the
line of feed at a point beyond the bite of the folding rolls is operated to seize the
leading end of the paper, arrest its motion, and cause the sheet to bag opposite the
folding rollers. The said cross bar is preferably tipped with rubber, felt, or equiva-
lent substance to render its action more sure and perfect.
It frequently happens that paper will not feed with the precision required for
neat and accurate folding. In order to obviate this difficulty I provide belts or
bands with a series of cross bars placed equidistant apart the length of the sheet
to be folded, so as to seize the leading edge of the sheet and guide the same pro-
perly. The sheets after being folded may be laid on a table, or may be otherwise
disposed of.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:- -The web being fed to the cutters will
be perforated at regular intervals, and the leading end will advance until it passes
the bite of the folding rolls, when the stop will operate, arresting the motion of the
leading end of the sheet until the sheet bags. or sufficient slack is formed, at which
time the knife will commence to operate, carrying the slack or loose portion of the
sheet into the bite of the folding rolls, which by their superior speed will separate
the sheet from the web. Both the stop and knife are withdrawn at the same time,
so as not to obstruct either the continuous feed or the action of the folding
rolls.
In a modification of the above-described apparatus I combine folding fingers, or
the equivalents of the folding biades, with folding rolls, in such manner that the
travel of the sheet and the folding fingers and the folding rolls accomplish sub-
stantially the same result as though the sheet were caused to bag before the rolls.
In this modification one of the rolls is provided with folding fingers operated by
cams or like means, so as to have a reciprocating and swivelling or rocking motion
given to them.
The operation of the mechanism is as follows:-The leading edge of the sheet
having been carried by endless belts or other suitable means over the folding rolls
until the centre of the sheet is opposite the roll carrying the folding fingers, the
folding fingers are operated, so as to turn round until they are parallel to the axis
of the roll; they are then caused to clamp the paper to the roll. The rotation of
the roll draws the centre of the sheet between itself and the second folding roll, so

page_text: as to make the fold.
When the rolls have made a quarter of a revolution, and at
the instant that the paper at the line of doubling is entering between the said rolls,
the fingers are caused to turn at right angles to the axis of the roll, and are thus
withdrawn from between the fold. After being folded the sheet may be folded
again, or may be disposed of as desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Thomson King in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th April
1879.
A com
JOHN THOMSON KING, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING PAPER, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR."
munication from abroad by George Lauder, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United
States of America, Civil Engineer.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of devices embodying my Invention.
Fig. 2 is a view of the delivery end of the machine.
Fig. 3 is a top view.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing the folding blade. and gripper retracted or at
rest.
Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the preferred construction of belts and cross bars
for controlling the leading end of the sheet.
Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the operation of the folding mechanism, and arrest
of the leading end of the sheet to be folded, and the relative slack formed.
Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the sheet clamped by the gripper bar, and
bagged before the rollers with the folding blade partially advanced.
Fig. 8 is an end view of two folding rolls, one of said rolls provided with the
folding fingers.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation of one of the folding rolls.
Fig. 10 is detached view of the cam for operating the folding fingers.
Fig. 11 is a side view of the rolls and belt for controlling the leading end of the
web or sheet.
Fig. 12 is a top view of the same.
My Invention relates to devices for folding paper, &c., and to the method of
operating the same.
Heretofore in the construction of paper and like folding machines, so far as I am
aware, the sheet to be folded has been permitted to travel continuously past the
folding mechanism until the centre or the point or line of creasing or folding was
opposite the bite or grip of the folding mechanism, thereby delaying the action of
the knife or folding blade, and causing a direct strain to be put on the paper by
the necessarily quick stroke of the folding knife. The class of machines in which
this defect is most marked may be broadly stated to be those wherein rolls or tapes
and a reciprocating folding blade are employed.
To overcome said objections, and obtain a folder which could be employed to
fold a continuous web continuously fed, as, for instance, from a rotary press, the

page_text: סי
creased by the blade of one roll, and pushed into the gripper of the other roll along
the desired line of föld, the rotation of the latter roll carrying the sheet out of the
line of feed, thus permitting a continuous feed, or the folding of sheets severed
-from-a-web..
This last method while theoretically correct, and apparently capable of permitting
-the-maximum-speed-to-be attained-in-folding, has serious defects when practically
applied, namely, the condition of the web as it comes from the press is such that it
is easily torn or distorted if too great strain is put thereon, and "the rotary folder,"
as it is now termed, cannot be run at the maximum speed-without liability-of
rupturing the sheets along the line of fold. In connection with said objection are
other material ones, such as the complex nature of the machine, the difficulty of
keeping it in good running order, and the first cost of construction.
I will now proceed to specifically describe devices illustrating my Invention, so
that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply it.
In the Drawing A represents a suitable frame adapted to support the operative
parts of a machine. In said frame are journalled two rollers a, a, one of which is
provided with a knife or equivalent device b to perforate the paper, the opposite
roll being recessed or otherwise constructed to co-act therewith.
On the shaft of one of said rollers a, a, are cams m, n, for purposes herein-after
set forth, and a pulley o or equivalent means of transmitting power to the folding
roll. Said rolls may constitute the feed rolls as well as the cutting mechanism, as
in the present instance; but if preferred independent feed rolls (not shewn) may be
added. Journalled in the frame A in line with the feed of rolls a, a', are a pair of
ordinary folding rolls c, c', provided, if desired, with tapes, or fitted with bands d
(as shewn) to ensure their grip upon the sheet to be folded, one of said rolls being
driven preferably from the feed roll or cutter roll (as the case may be), and by
means of pulley 2 or other suitable mechanism, which will permit of said rolls being
driven at greater surface speed than the feed rolls.
Opposite the bite of the folding rolls is arranged the folding blade e secured to a
sliding frame f, to which motion is imparted through pivotted lever f' from the
cam m, and by means of spring s or its equivalent, such as a weight, &c.
g indicates a second slide arranged in the main frame A, which is also operated
from the feed roller by pivotted lever g¹ and cam n, said frame or slide co-acting
with a cross-bar h or equivalent device to seize the leading end of the sheet and
arrest its motion, so as to cause the sheet to bag opposite the folding rolls.
This bar is arranged in the line of feed at a point beyond the bite of the folding
rolls, and the slide or gripper is preferably tipped with rubber, felt, or equivalent
substance i to render its action more sure and perfect.
The elements above specified, or their equivalents, constitute the essentials of my
machine, but an additional feature, which I will now describe, may, in many
instances, be added with good result.
It will frequently happen that owing to the condition of the paper it will not
feed with the precision desired for neat and accurate folding. In order to obviate
this difficulty whenever it arises I provide belts or bands with a series of cross-
bars placed equidistant the length of the sheet to be folded, said bands being
provided with teeth, which gear with grooves formed in the rolls a, a¹, and in
pulleys p, p, thus preventing the slipping of the belts, and ensuring uniform travel
thereof, whereby the cross-bar of each set will register one with the other, and a
cross-bar of each set of belts will register just back of the cutter at each operation
thereof, so as to seize the leading end of the sheet and guide the same properly.
The best construction to give the desired strength and overcome tendency of the
belts to stretch will be found to be that shewn in detail, Fig. 5, that is to say, two
belts rivetted together, and the cross-bar let into the belts at its ends.
When the devices last described are omitted it will be advisable to arrange

page_text: guides or guide walls between the perforating and folding rolls to prevent the
deflection of the sheet.
Tindicates a table for the reception of the folded sheets, but in lieu thereof a
series of rolls, tapes, and folding blades of the ordinary construction, or any
approved form adapted to give the desired number of additional folds, may be
substituted.
So far as I am at present able to determine, to obtain the best results from the
mechanism specified the stop or gripper should be set somewhat beyond the axis or
journal of the distant folding roll. The distance between the feed or cutting rolls
and the bite of the folding rolls should exceed the length of half the sheet to be
folded, more or less. The cam of the stop or gripper should be abrupt, and set so
as to operate the stop when sufficient of the paper to be folded has passed the bite
of the folding rolls; and the knife should have a gradual forward movement, com-
mencing slightly later than the gripper or stop, so as to carry the paper into the
bite of the folding rolls without force, and a quick return movement, simultaneous
with the return movement of the stop or gripper, so as to present no obstruction
to the subsequent movement of the sheet through the folding rolls.
A. machine such as described, or its equivalent, will operate as follows:-The
web (or sheet) being fed to the cutters will be perforated at regular intervals
thereby, and the leading end will advance until it passes the bite of the folding
rolls, when the stop will operate, arresting the motion of the leading end of the
sheet until the sheet bags, or sufficient slack is formed, at which time the knife
will commence to operate, carrying the slack or loose portion of the sheet into the
bite of the folding rolls (whose superior speed will separate the sheet from the web),
both stop and knife withdrawing at the same time, and so as not to obstruct either
the continuous feed or the action of the folding rolls. This operation is repeated from
time to time at the instant the leading end of every sheet passes the stop. When
the belts and cross-bars are used the cross-bars will seize the leading end of each
sheet and carry it past the stop or gripper, operating the instant the cross-bar
passes the same, and the operation of the other mechanism being the same as before
specified.
Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 illustrate a method of combining folding fingers or equiva-
lents for the folding blade with the folding rolls, whereby the travel of the sheet
and the folding fingers with the folding rolls accomplishes substantially the same
result as though the sheet were caused to bag before the rolls.
In said Figures, 1 and 2 represent the folding rolls, one of which, preferably the
one next the feed, is provided with folding fingers 3. These folding fingers are
secured to shafts, rods, or bolts 4 movable in keepers 5 on the ends of the roll, and
each rod is actuated by fixed cams 6, 7, & 8, the rod or bolt 4 being held in contact.
with the cams by springs 6*. On each bolt 4 is a segment or tappet 9, by means
of which the rod or bolt 4 is turned at intervals when said tappet comes in contact
with cams 7 & 8.
The cams 6, 7, & 8 (shown fully in Fig. 10) are constructed as follows:-The
cam 6, which is the bottom of the groove, is so shaped as to lift the fingers 3 at
stated intervals by forcing up the bolt 4; the cam 7, which is set at one side of
cam 6, is equal to 1½ of a circle less; the tappet (9) is so set as to turn the rod or
bolt 4 and hold it in a certain position (i.e., with the finger 3 parallel to the axis
of the roll) during one-quarter revolution of the roll 1, and the cam 8, which is set
at the opposite side of cam 6, is so set as to turn the rod or bolt 4 in reverse
direction (or so as to bring the fingers 3 at an angle to the axis of the roll 1 or
tangential) after the roll has made its quarter revolution, and is extended to main-
tain the bolt in such position during three-fourths of the revolution of the roll, or
until cam 7 again strikes tappet 9.
10 represents pulleys placed just to the outside of the folding rolls 1, 2, which
pulleys carry belts or bands l, such as previously described, provided with cross-
bars placed equidistant the length of the sheet to be folded, said bands provided
with teeth, which gear with grooves in the pulleys.

page_text: The proper construction of these belts, and their relation to the folding rolls, is
Lolearly shown in Fige-4,-6,-&-7,-and-their-function-is-the-same.
The operation of these devices will be as follows:-The leading end of the sheet
or web having been caught by the bars ¹ (or springs) will be carried by the belts
over the folding rolls until the centre of the sheet is opposite the roll 1, or that roll
carrying the folding fingers. At the same instant the cam 7 gives the bolt 4 a
quarter turn, so as to bring the fingers 3 parallel to the axis of the roll, and the
cams 6 release the bolts, which are drawn down by the springs, so as to cause the
fingers to clamp the paper to the roll. The rotation of the roll (which should run
at higher surface-speed that-the-belts-which-control-the-sheet)-draws-the leading
end of the sheet from the clamp bars l, and at the same time separates the per-
forated sheet from the web.
The sheet thus carried by roll 1 is folded by the joint action of roll 2, as will be
readily understood by the mechanic. When the roll 1 has made its quarter
rotation, and at the instant the paper at the line of doubling is entering between
rolls 1 & 2 the cam 8 strikes the tappet 9, giving the bolt 5 a reverse quarter turn,
so as to bring the fingers 3 at right angles to the axis of the roll, and thus with-
draw them from the fold of the sheet.
If desired a third roll having clamping fingers may be employed in a similar
manner, as shown in English Patent of Duncan & Wilson, No. 3031, of 1870.
The paper having been given its first fold may be folded subsequently by similar
mechanism, or by any of the well-known mechanisms for that purpose.
The advantages of my Invention are the great speed at which the folding blade
can be operated successfully, and the avoidance of strain and non-liability to tear
the web during rapid folding.
I am aware that fixed stops have been employed for registering sheets to be
folded, and also that a sheet-controlling device adapted to intercept and temporarily
arrest the motion of succeeding sheets has heretofore been devised, and do not
claim devises arranged to so operate, because they simply register the sheet in one
instance, and in the other slow up its motion to the registering point, while in my
case a positive bagging of the sheet opposite the folding devices is required and
produced.
Having thus described the nature and advantages of my Invention, what I claim
and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,
1st. The method herein described of folding paper, which consists in arresting
the motion of the leading end of the sheet, so that the sheet shall swell or bag
opposite the bite of the folding rolls, and causing the folding blade to act upon the
paper during the time of feed, and while the end is thus held, substantially as
specified.
2nd. The combination in a folding machine of feeding mechanism for feeding a
perforated web mechanism, substantially as described, adapted to grip the leading
end of a sheet, and to cause the sheet to bag opposite the folding devices, folding
rolls, and a device or devices substantially as specified to enter the sheet between
the folding rolls while the end of the sheet is held by the gripper, substantially as
specified.
3rd. The combination in a folding machine of devices for perforating a web, or
dividing the same into sheets, devices substantially as described adapted to arrest
the travel of the leading end of a sheet, and to cause the sheet to swell or bag
opposite the folding rolls, and mechanism for entering the sheet between the folding
rolls, the whole constructed and adapted to operate substantially as set forth.
4th. The combination in a folding machine of feeding mechanism for feeding the
sheet, mechanism for controlling the leading end of the sheet, mechanism substan-
tially as described for arresting the leading end of the sheet to cause the sheet to
swell or bag opposite the folding rolls, folding rolls for folding the sheet, and
mechanism for carrying the slack or swell of the street into the bite of the folding
rolls while the sheet is thus held, the whole constructed and operating substantially
in the manner specified.

page_text: 5th. The combination with a folding roll of folding fingers adapted to seize the
sheet and hold or clamp it to the roll during a part of the revolution of the
roll.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomson King, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
J. T. KING. (L.S.)