EP0154210B1 - Buckling folder - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an upset folding machine with four rollers running parallel to each other in a frame and driven by a common electric motor, which are arranged in such a way that their outer surfaces are in pairs in contact and form a feed point and two successive folding points, and each with a folding pocket in front of and behind the first folding point as well as with a feed table essentially aligned with the drawing-in point and with a housing enclosing at least the rollers and the folding pockets and having a discharge opening, the three rolls, which each form the drawing-in point and the second folding point in pairs, together with the feed table and the ejection opening on one side of a tangential plane leading through the first folding point and the further roller together with the two folding pockets and the drive motor on the other side of this tangential plane.

Upsizing machines of this type have long been known (DE-PS 856 442, DE-A-3 006 936 and US-A-2 706 115). In a known upset folding machine of this type, the folding pockets are formed by arcuately extending slots in sheet metal partitions, which are arranged at regular intervals from one another between two frame walls. The drive motor is arranged in recesses in these intermediate walls, which lie between the slots. The feed table lies above a folded goods shelf. The entire frame is completely open. There is no housing. Nevertheless, it is difficult to remove a paper jam in this known upset folding machine. The feed table and the folded goods storage area require a large amount of space, which means that the folding machine thus constructed takes up a lot of space when it is set up. In addition, in this known upset folding machine, it is necessary to align the individually entered paper sheets on a guide rail of the feed table, so that no skewed fold occurs. The feed table is therefore essential for perfect folding. Both the large space requirement and the difficult elimination of any malfunctions caused by paper jams or the like. are caused, make such an upset folding machine for folding the sometimes less extensive daily mail from an office, e.g. B. in the manner of a simple zigzag or angled fold, unsuitable.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide a compression folding machine of the type mentioned which is simple and inexpensive to produce, easy to use and constructed in a space-saving compact design such that it is set up at every office workstation and for folding individual letters, e.g. A4 or A5 format, which can consist of several sheets, is suitable. The machine should also work as quietly as possible and it should offer the possibility that malfunctions such. B. caused by paper jams between the folding rollers or in the folding pockets, can be easily remedied by untrained personnel.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the frame and a housing which completely surrounds the frame are each divided into two detachable parts in the region of the tangential plane of the first folding point, which parts can be opened and / or detachably connected to one another by joints and / or by self-retaining latching elements. This configuration has the advantage that the two frame and housing parts can be separated from one another in the region of the tangential plane of the first folding point, so that both the rollers and the folding pockets are accessible from the outside in their entire width and in the full height of the housing make so that misfolded, crumpled or otherwise malfunctioning paper sheets can be easily removed from the machine.

By means of the joint and / or the locking elements, the disassembly and in particular the reassembly of the two parts of the frame and the housing can be carried out very simply and easily.

In this case, the joint can be arranged in the vicinity of the housing base and have an articulation axis running parallel to the housing base or to the rollers, or it can be arranged on a side wall of the housing with a vertical articulation axis.

A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, both spatially and in terms of operation and also in terms of production technology, is achieved in that the two rollers forming the second fold point are mounted together in a frame part which can be folded away from the other two rollers.

This allows the roller frame, e.g. in the event of a paper jam, open it very easily so that all rollers are directly accessible.

If a separate housing part containing the dispensing opening is attached to the fold-away frame part, there is the further advantage that a separate opening of the housing is not necessary. The opening and closing of the housing and the device takes place together.

If the rollers in contact are in gear connection in a manner known per se, the roller which is mounted in the frame part in which the electric motor is also mounted can remain in gear connection with the electric motor, for example by means of a belt drive . When the two frame or housing parts are taken apart and put back together, the engagement between the gears of the two rollers forming the first fold point can be easily separated and restored.

If only two paper formats in e.g. A4 and A5 are to be folded with the same folding type with this upsetting folder, the folding pockets can be provided with fixed stops, which are set to a fold length of one third of the paper format DIN A4, and it is also easily possible to form the fold pockets instead of flat in order to achieve a construction that is as flat as possible. In order to be able to fold the DIN A5 paper format, i.e. the paper format that is subsequently smaller than the A4 format, onto the same fold format, ie in half, it is necessary to close one of the two fold pockets. This can be achieved in a known manner in that the folding pocket arranged behind the first folding point is provided on the inlet side with an externally adjustable flap which also serves as a guide plate for the second folding point.

Easy handling of a folding machine of the type according to the invention also means that the manually entered paper sheets are aligned before they are drawn in between the rollers, so that no skewed fold is produced.

In order to ensure this, it is provided in a further embodiment of the invention that the feed table or at least its end section facing the feed point is directed onto the lateral surface of one of the two rollers forming the feed point.

If a feed table is inserted into the housing at an angle from top to bottom, the orientation of the paper sheet inserted - it can also be a double sheet or a triple sheet - can be done automatically or with manual tutoring before the rollers are started. The rollers could be started in the simplest way with the aid of a switch which can be actuated by means of which the electric motor can be switched on and off manually.

For safety reasons and to avoid that the machine remains switched on for longer than is absolutely necessary, a further embodiment of the invention provides that a push button switch, e.g. in the form of a light barrier or the like. is arranged, which, in cooperation with an electrical or electronic timer, switches on the electric motor with a delay when applying folded material and switches it off again at the earliest after a working cycle.

To delay the switching off of the electric motor after the working cycle has been completed, there would also be the possibility of attaching a second push button in the area of the outlet path leading to the discharge opening, which switches off the electric motor when the folded folded material protrudes from the discharge opening.

While it is necessary with this type of alignment of the folded material on the outer surface of one of the two rollers forming the feed point, but at least it is advantageous to make the feed table so long in the infeed direction that the sheets of paper to be folded can rest at least almost over the entire surface, results from the provision of a motor-driven alignment device makes it possible to make the feed table very short in the feed direction, whereby a further space saving can be achieved. For this purpose, however, it is necessary that the motor-driven alignment device brings the fold material that has been input into contact with its leading transverse edge on the lateral surface of one of the two rollers forming the feed point before these rollers are set in rotation. To make this possible, a further embodiment of the invention provides that the motor shaft of the electric motor which can be switched on without delay by a push button arranged in the entry path defined by the feed table and which can be switched off again by a timer or by a second push button located in the exit path via a delayed response Clutch, e.g. a centrifugal clutch can be brought into gear connection with the rollers.

This configuration has the advantage that the electric motor driving the rollers can also be used to drive the alignment device.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the feed table is provided with a transport roller, the lateral surface of which protrudes piece by piece into the feed path and on which at least two balls of the pressure rollers, which are arranged at a distance from one another, rest loosely or resiliently and rotatably, and that this transport roller is in direct connection with the motor shaft of the electric motor that can be switched on without delay by the pushbutton switch, while the rollers are driven later by the electric motor via the time-delayed clutch.

In this way it can be ensured that, despite the common drive for the rollers and the transport roller, before the start of the folding material feed and the rollers causing the folding, the folding material is aligned safely and correctly on the still stationary surface of one of the two rollers forming the feed point.

• -daß zum Ein- und Ausschalten des Elektromotors in einer vom Anlegetisch bestimmten Einlaufbahn oder in deren Nähe wenigstens ein vom Falzgut oder manuell betätigbarer mechanischer Tastschalter angeordnet ist,
• - daß diesem Tastschalter ein vom magnetischen Streufeld des Elektromotors betätigter, während der Einschaltdauer des Elektromotors geschlossen gehaltener Schließschalter parallel geschaltet ist und
• - dass mit dem Tastschalter und dem Schließschalter gemeinsam ein Trennschalter in Reihe geschaltet ist, der von einer während eines Falzvorgangs einmal umlaufenden Nockenscheibe am Ende jedes Falzvorganges zum Abschalten des Elektromotors kurzzeitig geöffnet wird.

While it is possible to switch on the electric motor at the beginning of the folding process and to switch it off at the end of each folding process with a time delay, the use of electronic time switch elements is possible, but this entails an expensive circuit outlay, but provides a much simpler and cheaper embodiment of the invention.

• that at least one mechanical key switch, which can be actuated by the folded material or manually operated, is arranged in an infeed path determined by the feed table or in the vicinity thereof for switching the electric motor on and off,
• - That this key switch is operated by the stray magnetic field of the electric motor, kept closed during the on-time of the electric motor, and the closing switch is connected in parallel
• - That a disconnector is connected in series with the key switch and the closing switch, the one of a during a fold operation once revolving cam disc is briefly opened at the end of each folding process to switch off the electric motor.

In order to achieve the greatest possible safety factor here, it is provided in a further embodiment of the invention that the transport path between the transport roller running synchronously with the motor shaft and the intake point is at most the same size as the circumferential length of the transport roller; so that already after one revolution of the transport roller, the folded material with its running transverse edge comes to rest on the aligning surface of the roller, while the clutch couples at the earliest after about three full revolutions of the motor shaft.

A further embodiment of the invention which facilitates handling provides that the housing part provided with the delivery table is provided with a base arranged under the housing base, which forms an inclined plane which rises from the front side to the vicinity of the housing dividing line and falls behind it.

Such a base namely has the advantage that the two housing parts, which are hingedly connected to one another by a joint near the floor with a horizontal joint axis, can be opened more easily than if both housing parts are directly on a table surface with their continuously flat floor. Then it is necessary to lift the entire device off the table for the purpose of opening the housing.

To achieve a further saving in space, it is provided that the feed table has two plate sections which are connected to one another in an articulated manner, both of which can be pivoted relative to the housing in such a way that both plate sections can each be placed on the outside of a housing wall.

In this way, it is possible to reduce the space requirements to the length of the housing, even when the feed table is long, when the device is not in operation.

A configuration of the invention which particularly advantageously influences the handling of the edging folding machine consists in that the discharge opening above the feed table is arranged at a distance from the second folding point which corresponds approximately to half the final size of the goods to be folded and which is at least approximately completely bridged by a contact surface.

In this way, it is possible to set up the machine so that half of the finished folded material protrudes from the housing in the discharge opening and remains there so that it can be removed easily, does not fall down and does not fall out of the housing contour outstanding contact surface required.

• Fig. 1 eine Stauchfalzmaschine in geschnittener Seitenansicht
• Fig. 2 einen Teilabschnitt eines anderen Gehäuses der Stauchfalzmaschine in Seitenansicht,
• Fig. 3 die Stauchfalzmaschine mit dem Gehäuse der Fig. 2 in geschnittener Draufsicht,
• Fig. 4 die aufgeklappte Stauchfalzmaschine der Fig. 1 in gleichfalls geschnittener Seitenansicht,
• Fig. 5 das Gehäuse der Stauchfalzmaschine der Fig. 1 mit eingeklapptem Anlegetisch,
• Fig. 6 eine mit einer Ausrichtvorrichtung für das Falzgut ausgerüstete Stauchfalzmaschine in geschnittener Seitenansicht,
• Fig. 7 eine Fliehkraftkupplung im Schnitt,
• Fig. 8 einen Teilschnitt VIII-VIII aus Fig. 6,
• Fig. 9 die Stauchfalzmaschine der Fig. mit anderem Gehäuse und Anlegetisch in aufgeklapptem Zustand in geschnittener Seitenansicht,
• Fig. 10 eine frontseitige Teilansicht X aus Fig. 9;
• Fig. 11 einen Längsschnitt einer weiteren Ausführungsform der Stauchfalzmaschine in geschlossener Form;
• Fig. 12 die Stauchfalzmaschine der Fig. 11 in geöffneter Form;
• Fig. 13 die Stauchfalzmaschine der Fig. 11 in Frontansicht;
• Fig. 14 ein Schaltschema für die Antriebssteuerung.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. It shows:

• Fig. 1 is a compression folding machine in a sectional side view
• 2 shows a partial section of another housing of the upset folding machine in a side view,
• 3 shows the upset folding machine with the housing of FIG. 2 in a sectional plan view,
• 4 shows the upset folding machine of FIG. 1 in a likewise sectioned side view,
• 5 shows the housing of the upset folding machine of FIG. 1 with the feed table folded in,
• 6 shows an upset folding machine equipped with an alignment device for the folded material in a sectional side view,
• 7 is a centrifugal clutch in section,
• 8 shows a partial section VIII-VIII from FIG. 6,
• 9 shows the upset folding machine of FIG. 1 with a different housing and feed table in the unfolded state in a sectional side view,
• 10 is a partial front view X from FIG. 9;
• 11 shows a longitudinal section of a further embodiment of the upset folding machine in closed form;
• FIG. 12 shows the upset folding machine of FIG. 11 in the open form; FIG.
• FIG. 13 shows the upset folding machine of FIG. 11 in a front view; FIG.
• Fig. 14 is a circuit diagram for the drive control.

In the following description of the example, which comprises several different embodiments of an upset folding machine, the parts which are common to all the embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.

1 to 5 is equipped with a total of four rollers W1, W2, W3 and W4, which are arranged in a frame 5 parallel to each other so that their outer surfaces touch each other in pairs and a feed point E and a first and form a second fold point I and II. The frame 5 consists of two parts 5/1 and 5/2, each of which has pairs of vertical plates 11 and 12 or 13 and 14 which are connected to one another at a distance and run parallel to one another and run in pairs by horizontal pillars 7 and 8 or 9 and 10 whose contours are at least approximately matched to the inner shape of a housing 15 completely enclosing the frame. The boards 11 and 13 as well as 12 and 14, which are each aligned in the same vertical plane, rest with their vertical end edges 16 and 17 or 18 and 19 in a vertical parting plane 20 and are in the embodiment of FIG. 1 on the one hand, in the vicinity of the housing base 21, each hingedly connected to one another by two joints 22 and two latches 23. The joints 22 each consist of a tab 24 fastened to the board 13 or 14, which extends by a certain amount into the area of the board 11 or 12 and has a horizontal bore 25 there, into which a hole on the board 11 or 12 attached pivot pin 26 protrudes.

The latches 22 are each pivotable on a horizontal pin 27 of the board 13 or 14 in the vicinity of the cover wall 28 of the housing 15 stored and equipped with a locking pawl 29, each of which engages behind a locking pin 30 of the plate 11 or 12 in a form-fitting manner. The catch 29 is held in engagement with the catch pin 30 by a torsion spring 31. By means of a cam 33 protruding upwards through a slot opening 32 in the cover wall 28, the latch 22 can be pivoted downward and thus the latching connection between the latching pawl 29 and the latching pin 30 can be released. Instead of the joints 25, locking devices or latches could also be provided, which enable the two frame parts to be taken apart.

The housing 15 also consists of two parts 15/1 and 15/2, which are positively but releasably joined along a dividing line 34 such that they are about the common axis of the two joints 22 together with the frame parts 5/1 and 5 accommodated in them / 2 are hinged, as shown in Fig. 4.

The three rollers W1, W2 and W4, which each form the feed point E and the second fold point II in pairs, are one above the other in a vertical plane 35 running parallel to the parting plane 20 in the frame part 5/1, i. H. arranged between the plates 13 and 14 on one side also vertically extending tangential plane 20 'of the folding point I, while the further roller W3 on the other side of the tangential plane 20' at the level of the roller W2 in the plates 11 and 12, which is the other frame part 5/2 form, is mounted so that the two rollers W2 and W3 form the fold point I when the two frame parts 5/1 and 5/2 are joined together and locked together in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

In front of and behind the folding point I, a folding pocket 36 or 37 with a fixed end stop 38 or 39 is arranged in the frame part 5/2, both of which are curved to take up as little space as possible in the vertical direction. Between its end sections there is an electric motor 40, the motor shaft 41 of which is provided with a belt drive 42 which is connected by a drive belt 43 to a pulley 44 which is fastened on a shaft end 45 of the roller W3. As can be seen from Fig. 3, the opposite shaft end 46 of the roller W3 is provided with a gear 47 that is in engagement with a gear 48 of the roller W2. The rollers W1 and W4 are each equipped with gear wheels 48 and are in a positive rotary connection with the roller W2 through these gear wheels, so that all rollers W1 to W4 each rotate synchronously in the direction of the arrows shown. When the housing 15 is opened in the manner shown in FIG. 4, the tooth engagement between the gear 47 of the roller W3 and the gear 48 of the roller W2 is separated. When the housing is closed, these two gears 47, 48 come into engagement with one another again.

Since this folding machine is essentially intended to fold daily mail, i.e. paper sheets of the DIN A4 format in the manner of so-called wrap folds, the two stops 38 and 39 of the two folding pockets 36 and 37 are each arranged so that both folding pockets 36 and 37 are at least approximately have the same infeed depth for the folded goods, which corresponds to about a third of the length of the A4 format.

So that there is also the possibility of folding paper sheets of the format DIN A5 into the same folding format that arises when the DIN A4 format is folded, the folding pocket 37 arranged behind the folding point I is provided with a flap 49 at its inlet opening 37 ', which flap 49 shaft 50 extending parallel to the roller W3 is fastened. With the aid of this shaft 50, the flap 49 can be pivoted from the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1, in which it forms part of the open inlet opening 37 ', into the position shown in dash-dotted lines, in which it closes the folding pocket 37 and at the same time serves as a deflection plate for the folded material to the second fold point II. For this purpose, the shaft 50 is rotatably mounted in the two plates 11 and 12 of the frame part 5/2 and is extended outwards through the side wall 51 shown in side view in FIG. 2, where it can be understood with an adjusting button 52. With the help of the adjusting knob 52, the shaft 50 can be pivoted between the two markings A4 and A5 in the manner described above.

3, in which the second folding pocket 37 is only partially shown for reasons of clarity, the shaft 50 with the flap 49 and the adjusting button 52 is also not visible.

It should also be mentioned that the rollers W1, W2, W3 and W4 each have the same design and each consist of a metal core 53 and a rubber-like, elastic jacket 54.

As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, instead of the joints 22, which have a common horizontal hinge axis, the two housing parts 15/1 and 15/2 by means of hinges 55 and 56 which have a common vertical pivot axis 57 and the two side walls 51 and 51/1 articulated with each other, be provided. In this case, a single bolt 22 is sufficient on the opposite side, which locks the two boards 12 and 14 or the two side housing walls 51/2 and 51/3 together. On the other hand, it is necessary that the two frame parts 5/1 and 5/2 are firmly anchored in the housing parts 15/1 and 15/2, respectively. The advantage of these hinges 55 and 56 with the vertical pivot axis 57 compared to the joints 22 with the horizontal hinge axis is that the housing 15 does not need to be lifted from its footprint for the purpose of opening, as is required when opening according to FIG. 4 .

While the rear end wall 58 of the housing part 15/2 is flat and extends perpendicular to the bottom 21 of the entire housing 15, the front end wall 59 of the housing part 15/1 is triangularly shaped and provided with a lower section 59/1, which is below an approximately 50th ° slope angle a extends to the floor plane 60 and via an arch 61 below an angle β of approximately 120 ° merges into an upper wall section 59/2. This upper wall section 59/2 is provided with a window-like opening 62, through which a feed table 63 leads into the interior of the housing to the feed point E. The feed table 63 consists of a total of three parts, namely a plate 64 fixedly arranged inside the housing, a shorter plate section 65 adjoining the outside thereof and a further longer plate section 66 adjoining the plate section 65. The two plate sections 65 and 66 are connected to one another by joints 67 of side wall elements 68 in such a way that the plate section 66 can be folded up from the position of use shown in FIG. 1. In addition, the smaller plate section 65 is connected to the housing part 15/1 by means of joints 69, so that both plate sections 65 and 66 can be folded up in the manner shown in FIG. 5 in such a way that the plate section 65 is approximately vertical and the plate section 66 rests in an approximately horizontal position on the top wall 28 of the entire housing 15 when the upset folding machine is not in use. In the position of use of the feed table 63, the two plate sections 65 and 66 lie together with the plate 64 in an inclined plane, which is not directed directly onto the feed point E but at an inclination angle y of approximately 30 ° onto the lateral surface of the lower roller W1. As a result, paper sheets 70 placed manually on the feed table 63 can each align themselves with their leading transverse edge on the lateral surface of the roller W1, as long as it is still stationary. Whether the paper sheet 70 slides down over the inclined feed table 63 against the roller W3 and aligns itself automatically, or whether it is pushed down manually so that it aligns, is irrelevant and left to the operator. So that, on the one hand, the electric motor 40 is switched on automatically by placing a sheet of paper 70 on the feed table 63, a pushbutton switch 71 in the form of a reflection light barrier is arranged in the plate 64. On the other hand, so that there is enough time to align the sheet of paper 70 applied to the still stationary roller W1, the key switch 71 is provided with an electronic timer which ensures that the electric motor 40 relates to the point in time at which the key switch 71 is on the key Sheet of paper reacts to switch on with a delay of a few seconds. The electric motor, controlled by a further timer or by a second key switch, which is arranged behind the fold point 11, remains switched on for one working cycle.

The light beam emitted by the pushbutton switch 71 is reflected by a guide plate 72 arranged a short distance above the plate 64 as long as no sheet of paper 70 has been applied. This guide plate 72 has an upper section 73 which is bent slightly upwards and projects into the opening 62 and is provided in the vicinity of the roller W2 with a support plate 74 which extends approximately tangentially to the lateral surface of the roller W2. Between the end edge 75 of the guide plate 72 and the upper end edge 76 of the opening 62 there is a slit-shaped delivery opening 77 above which a further guide plate 78 is arranged, which guides the folding material 79 arriving in the exit direction from the folding point II to the delivery opening 77. The distance of the discharge opening 77 from the second fold point II is approximately half as long as the length of the folded fold material 79. The fold material 79 remains in the position shown in FIG. 1 on the end edge 75 of the plate 72 in which it is supported on the support plate 74 and protrudes about half from the wall section 59/2 that it remains lying can be removed comfortably. 6, 7 and 8 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 1 only in that a short feed table 63/1 with a motor-driven alignment device 80 in a different arrangement and another end wall 59/3 of a shorter housing part 15/3 are provided, the inner shape of the boards, in which the rollers W1, W2 and W4 are mounted, are adapted. In addition, two parallel guide plates 81 and 82 are provided between the second fold point II and the discharge opening 77 arranged in the end wall 59/3 above the feed table 63/1. The provision of the motor-driven alignment device 80 makes it possible to keep the feed table 63/1 very short and to arrange it in such a way that it does not lead into the housing to the feed point E but in a rising manner. It is also possible to design the feed table 63/1 as the feed table 63/2 of FIG. 9 in such a way that its front end edge ends in the plane of a footprint, as a result of which the folded material to be processed is moved from this footprint onto the feed table to the alignment device 80 can be pushed. The feed table 63/1 consists of a guide plate 84 leading through a slot opening 83, which is arranged in the lower region of the front end wall 59/3, at an inclination angle of approximately 15 °, the slightly bent end section 85 of which above the feed point E is directed to the outer surface of the roller W2. Outside the housing front wall 51/3, the guide plate 84 is provided with two side wall elements 86. A second guide plate 87 is arranged above the guide plate 84, running parallel to it and at a short distance within the housing. In the feed direction immediately behind the pushbutton switch 71 also provided here, a transport roller 88 is mounted, which protrudes piece by piece from below through the guide plate 84 into the feed path and on which at least two balls 89 lie loosely with their own weight, but which are stationary in the guide plate 87 vertical play and are held rotatably and which are at a distance from one another in the axial direction of the transport roller 88 which corresponds to at least half the length of the transport roller. The transport roller 88 and the balls 89 represent the alignment device 80 insofar as they immediately bring manually inserted paper sheets to the lateral surface of the roller W2 in such a way that the leading transverse edge of the relevant paper sheet is aligned with this lateral surface.

For this purpose, it is necessary that the roller W2, or all other rollers as well, are still stationary while the transport roller 88 is already rotating.

In order to be able to drive both the rollers W1 to W4 and the transport rollers 88 together with the electric motor 40, but to set them in rotation at different times, a clutch 90 in the form of a centrifugal clutch is arranged on the motor shaft 41/1 of the electric motor 40, as is a belt drive 91, which is fixed in rotation with a screw 92 on the motor shaft 41/1. Via a set drive belt 93, the belt drive 91 is in geared connection with a gear 94, which is rotatably mounted on a journal 95 near the parting plane 20 below the roller W3 on the outside of the board 12. This gear 94 is in engagement with a further gear 96, which is arranged just opposite on a bearing journal 97 of the circuit board 11/1 and is in gear connection via a drive belt 98 with a belt drive 99 which is fastened on a stub shaft 100 of the transport roller 88 . The provision of the two gear wheels 94 and 96, which represent a separable gear coupling, creates a direct gear connection between the motor shaft 41/1 and the transport roller 88, which, however, occurs when the two housing parts 15/2 and 15/3 are opened in FIG. 4 or in FIG. 9 easily separated and can easily be brought into engagement again when the two housing parts 15/3 and 15/2 are closed.

The clutch 90 consists of a disc 101 integrally formed on the belt drive 91, in which radially movable and diametrically opposite two centrifugal bodies 104 and 105 which are drawn radially inwards by tension springs 102 and 103 are mounted. These centrifugal bodies 104 and 105 are provided on their outer sides with friction linings 106 and 107 which, after reaching a certain rotational speed while overcoming the radially inward tensile forces 102 and 103, bear against the inner surface of a pot-like ring body 108. The ring body 108 is provided with a hub 109 designed as a belt drive, which is freely rotatably supported on the motor shaft 41/1 by means of a low-friction bearing 110 and is secured in the axial direction by means of a locking washer 110 '. This clutch 90 is set such that after the motor is switched on, after about three revolutions of the motor shaft 41/1 which is starting up, the ring body 108 is entrained by the abutting friction linings 106 and 107 of the two centrifugal bodies 104 and 105. The hub 109 is in direct gear connection with the belt pulley 44 of the roller W3 through the drive belt 43. As a result, the rollers W1, W2, W3 and W4 only start to rotate when a sheet of paper is inserted into the slot opening 83 after the motor shaft 49/1 and with it the transport roller 88 have made about three revolutions. Since the transport distance that the leading transverse edge of the paper sheet has to travel between the transport roller 88 and the outer surface of the roller 2 is smaller or at most the same size as or like the circumferential length of the transport roller 88, it is ensured that after one revolution of the transport roller at the latest 88 the alignment of the inserted paper sheet on the lateral surface of the roller W2 is finished before the roller W2 starts to rotate together with the other rollers W1, W3 and W4.

The folding process is the same in all embodiments. After the rollers W1, W2, W3 and W4 have started up, the aligned folding material is first passed through the feed point E into the folding pocket 36 until it stops at the stop 38. The folded material then passes through the folding point I to form the first fold, runs into the folding pocket 37 up to its stop 39 and is then passed to the output opening 77, from which it can then be removed manually, at the second folding point II, forming the second fold. This process takes place when the A4 paper format is folded in the manner of a wrap fold.

If a sheet of paper of the format DIN A5 is to be folded instead, the adjusting button 52 is first moved from the setting position A4 to the setting position A5, so that the flap 49 is in the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 1 and closes the second folding pocket 37. The folding material arriving from the folding pocket 36 through the first folding point I is then diverted directly to the second folding point II, from which it in turn reaches the discharge opening 77.

It is clear that these folding operations can only take place when the housing 15 or 15 'is closed.

If a paper jam inside the housing, e.g. occurs in a folding pocket or between two rollers, this can easily be remedied by opening the housing in one of the ways described above after appropriate actuation of the latch 23 and thereby exposing both the folding pockets and the rollers. After the cause of the fault is then eliminated in this simple manner and the housing 15 'is closed and locked again, the upset folding machine is ready for operation again.

In order also in the embodiments of FIGS. 1, 4 and 6, in which the joints 25 are arranged with their horizontal joint axes in the vicinity of the housing base 21, when opening in the manner shown in FIGS need to be lifted off a table, it is advantageous to arrange the housing part 15/1 or 15/3 in which the feed table 63 or 63/1 or 63/2 and the rollers W1, W2 and W4 are arranged, to be provided with a base 111, one from the front to the The inclined plane 112 rising and falling behind the housing dividing line 34 forms, as can be seen from FIG. 9. This base frame 111 can consist of two skirting boards 113 and 114 arranged at a distance from one another under the housing base 21. Through this inclined plane 112, the entire upset folding machine in its closed state receives an inclined position which increases from the front to the rear, but which has no adverse effect on the functioning, handling and operation, but rather has the advantage that the rear housing part 15 / 1 can be opened more easily, as can be seen in FIG. 9.

All embodiments of the upset folding machine described have the advantage of a compact, space-saving design in common and also ease of use and handling. The housing 15 or 15 ', which surrounds the rollers W1 to W4 as well as the folding pockets 36 and 37 on all sides, not only offers protection against accidental contact, but at the same time represents effective noise protection, with the possibility of still providing the noise protection property to improve by making the housing 15 or 15 'from a sound-absorbing material or lining the inside of the housing with a sound-absorbing material.

11, 12 and 13, a further embodiment of the upset folding machine according to the invention is shown in section or in front view, which also has an alignment device 80/1. This consists of the roller 88 seated on the shaft 100 and of a plurality of pressure rollers 89/1 which, instead of the balls 89, which are provided in the embodiment of FIG. 6, press the incoming folded material onto the roller 88 and cause it to be carried along. 11 to 13, too, all parts which have already been described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 10 are provided with the same reference numerals. In contrast to the above-described embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 10, this embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 has a fixed frame part 5/4, in which the rollers W1 and W3 are mounted in a stationary manner, while the other two rollers W2 and W4 are mounted in a movable frame part 5/3, which in turn is pivotally mounted on the shaft 100 by means of bearing brackets 24/1 of the two frame plates which form the movable frame part 5/3. In FIG. 11, which shows the closed, ready-to-use state of the upset folding machine, the roller W2 forms in the usual way on the one hand the feed point E with the roller W1 and on the other hand the first fold point of the I with the roller W3. Here, too, the dividing line lies in the tangential plane 20 '. Unfolded, the movable frame part 5/3 assumes the position shown in FIG. 12, so that both the folding pockets 36 and 37 and all four rollers are easily accessible. On this frame part 5/3, a movable housing part 15/4 is fastened, which also has the slot-like discharge opening 77/1 and which is additionally provided with a removable support part 77/2 for collecting the folded material 79.

It can be seen from the drawing that in this embodiment a much smaller frame part 5/3 and also a much smaller housing part 15/4 is arranged to be movable than in the previously described embodiments and that the opening of both the roller frame and the housing is simple Swiveling the movable 5/3 with the movable housing part 15/4 can be accomplished without the rest of the housing 15/5 having to be moved in any way. In the fixed frame part 5/4, a guide plate 84/1 is arranged between the alignment device 80/1 and the feed point E, which is also provided with an at least slightly angled end section 85, which guides the incoming folded material with its leading edge against the peripheral surface of the roller W2 , so that it can be aligned there, as described in connection with FIGS. 6 and 9. As indicated in FIG. 11, the folded material to be folded is introduced into the alignment device 80/1 through a slot-shaped feed opening 83/1. Here, an obliquely extending housing surface 84/1 of the fixed housing part 15/5 serves as a guide surface. In contrast to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 10, an undivided continuous housing base 21/1 is provided in this exemplary embodiment, on which the fixed housing part 15/5 is placed.

The shaft 100 with the roller 88 of the alignment device 80/1 is driven by the electric motor 40 in the same way as in the embodiment of FIGS. 6, and 8 or 9, although here there is the advantage that the entire alignment device 80/1 in fixed frame part 5/4 is mounted so that the two gears 94 and 96 can be omitted and the belt drive 99 of the shaft 100 can be directly connected to the belt drive 91 of the motor shaft 41/1 by a belt 98/1. A further simplification is also achieved in this way.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, a control device as shown schematically in FIG. 14 is used to control the electric motor 40 designed as a shaded-pole motor. The control device has two manually operated pushbuttons T1 and T2 connected in parallel, each of which is arranged laterally next to the slot-shaped feed opening 83/1 in the fixed housing part 15/5. These two pushbuttons T1 and T2 are connected in parallel with a further switch S1 in the form of a closing switch which is arranged in the vicinity of the iron yoke 40/1 of the electric motor 40 and is closed by a switching lever 120 as soon as the electric motor 40 is actuated by actuating one of the two pushbuttons T1 or T2 has been switched on. Due to the magnetic stray field, the switching lever 120 is attracted to the iron yoke 40/1 and the closing switch S1 is thereby closed. The button switch T1 or T2 can then again be opened. The motor remains switched on via switch S1. In series with the switches S1, T1 and T2 there is a disconnector T3 which is actuated by a cam disk 121. This cam disk 121 has a switching cam 122 of very short circumferential length and is driven in the clockwise direction of rotation via a friction clutch 123 directly by a shaft 124, for example the roller 1, in such a way that it performs a full revolution during a folding operation and thereby the isolating switch through its cam 122 T3 opens briefly. The coil 40/2 of the electric motor 40 is switched off by this brief opening of the isolating switch T3. As a result, the electromagnetic field breaks down and the closing switch S1 is opened immediately, which means that the motor remains switched off when the isolating switch T3 closes again after the switching cam 122 has slid past. It can be seen from FIG. 14 that the one winding end 125 of the coil 40/2 is connected to the fixed contacts of the pushbutton switches T1, T2 and the switch S1, while the other winding end 126 is connected directly to the current source 127. The movable contacts of the two pushbuttons T1 and T2 and the switch S1 are connected to the fixed contact of the disconnector T3, the movable contact of which is connected to the other pole of the current source 127.

This switching device works in the following way: If a sheet of paper to be folded is inserted with its front edge through the feed opening 83/1 to rest on the roller 88 or on the pressure rollers 89/1, then T1 or T2 to turn on the electric motor 40. The electromagnetic field that is currently being built up pulls the switching lever 120 and closes the switch S1, which remains in the self-holding position until the motor is switched off again by opening the disconnector T3 at the end of the folding process. In this embodiment, the motor shaft 41/1 is provided with a flywheel, not shown, in order to bring about a slower starting. E.g. 7 can be designed as a flywheel. This delayed start-up in conjunction with the centrifugal clutch 90 ensures that the sheet transported by the aligning device 80/1 with its front edge against the circumference of the roller W2 is aligned when the roller W2 is at a standstill before it starts to run and the folded-in material takes place. The cam disks 121 are also set in rotation by the folding rollers W1 to W4. The reduction ratio between the shaft 124 of the roller W1 and the cam disk 121 is selected such that the cam disk 121 has just completed a full revolution when the folding process has ended and has opened the isolating switch 3 for a short time and then closed it again. Here, too, the flywheel mentioned has the effect that the cam disk 121 does not stop immediately when the motor 40 is switched off when the disconnector T3 is opened, but rather that it continues to run through an angle of approximately 10 to 15 ° and only then comes to rest.

This control device described above has the advantage that no electronic components are required, which entails greater operational reliability, less susceptibility to faults and, in addition, reduced manufacturing costs.

Claims (15)

1. Buckling folder machine having four rolls extending parallel with one another in a frame and driven by a common electric motor, which are arranged in relation to one another in such a way that their circumferential surfaces are in contact by pairs and from an intake point and two successive folding stations, and having a folding pocket before and another behind the first folding station, also having a feed table aligned substantially with the intake point and having a housing enclosing at least the rolls and the folding pockets, which housing comprises a delivery opening, while the three rolls which respectively in pairs form the intake point and the second folding station are arranged in common with the feed table and the delivery opening on the one side of a tangential plane leading through the first folding station and the further roll is arranged together with the two folding pockets and the drive motor on the other side of this tangential plane, characterised in that the frame (5) and a housing (15, 15') completely enclosing the frame (5) are divided in the region of the tangential plane (20') of the first folding station (1) each into two separable parts (5/1, 5/2 and 15/1, 15/2, 15/3) which are connected with one another for hingeing open and/or release by joints (25, 55, 56) and/or by self-retaining catch elements (29, 30).

2. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that the two rolls (W2, W4) which together form the second folding station (11) are mounted common in a frame part (5/3) which can be hinged away from the other two rolls (W1, W2).

3. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 2, characterised in that a separate housing part (15/ 4) containing the delivery opening (77/1) is secured on the frame part (5/3) which can be hinged away.

4. Buckling folder machine according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the mutually contacting rolls (W1 and W2, W2 and W3, and W2 and W4) are each in gear connection through toothed wheels (47, 48).

5. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that the folding pockets (36, 37) provided with fixed stops (38. 39) are made at least partially in arcuate form.

6. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that the folding pocket (37) arranged behind the first folding station (I) is closable by means of a flap (49) adjustable from the exterior, which serves at the same time as guide plate to the second folding station (II).

7. Buckling folder machine according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the feed table (63, 63/1) or at least its end section (64, 85) facing the intake point (E) is directed to the circumferential surface of one of the two rolls (W1 or W2) forming the intake point (E).

8. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 1 or 7, characterised in that in an entry path defined by the feed table (63, 63/1, 63/2) a sensor switch (71), for example in the form of a light barrier or the like, is arranged which in co-operation with an electric or electronic time member switches on the electric motor (40) with delay on application of material for folding and switches it off again after a working cycle.

9. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 1 or 7, characterised in that the motor shaft (41/1) of the electric motor (40), which can be switched on without delay by a sensor switch (71) arranged in the entry path defined by the feed table (63/1) or can be switched off again by a second sensor switch situated in the exit path, is bringable into gear connection with the rolls (W1, W2, W3, W4) through a coupling (90), for example a centrifugal clutch, which responds with time delay.

10. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 9, characterised in that the feed table (63/1, 63/2) is provided with a conveyor roll (88) the circumferential surface of which extends piecewise into the intake path and on which, as presser means, at least two balls (89) or presser rolls (89/1) stationarily arranged with spacing from one another rest loosely or resiliently and rotatably, and in that this conveyor roll (88) is in direct gear connection with the motor shaft (41/1) of the electric motor (40), which can be switched on without delay by the sensor switch (71), while the rolls (W1 to W4) are driven by the electric motor (40) later in each case through the coupling (90) which responds with delay.

11. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 8, characterised in that the transport distance between the conveyor roll (88) and the intake point (E) is at most of the same magnitude as the circumferential length of the conveyor roll (88).

12. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 1 or 10, characterised in that at least one mechanical sensor switch (T1, T2) actuatable by the material for folding or manually is arranged in an entry path defined by a guide face (84/2) or in the vicinity thereof, for the switching on and off of the electric motor (40),

in that in parallel with this sensor switch (T1, T2) there is connected a closer switch (S1) actuated by the magnetic stray field of the electric motor (40) and held closed for the duration of switching on of the electric motor (4/7) and

in that in common with the sensor switch (T1, T2) and the closer switch (S1) a separator switch (T3) is connected in series which is briefly opened by a cam disc (121), rotating once during a folding action, at the end of each folding operation for switching off the electric motor.

13. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that the housing part (15/3) provided with the feed table (63/2) is provided with an under-frame (111) arranged beneath the housing floor (21), which under-frame forms an inclined plane (112) rising from the front side into the vicinity of the line (34) of separation of the housing (15') and then falling away thereafter.

14. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that the feed table (63) comprises two articulatedly interconnected plate sections (65, 66) which are both pivotable in relation to the housing (15) in such a way that the two plate sections (65, 66) are each externally applicable to a housing wall (59/2, 28).

15. Buckling folder machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that the delivery opening (77) is arranged above the feed table (63, 63/1, 63/2) at a distance from the second folding station (II) which corresponds approximately to half the final folded format and is bridged over at least approximately by a support surface (72, 82).

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