GB1595018A

GB1595018A - Apparatus for folding heat sealing and detaching webs

Info

Publication number: GB1595018A
Application number: GB250656/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Moore Business Forms Ltd
Current assignee: Moore Business Forms Ltd
Priority date: 1978-05-19
Filing date: 1978-05-19
Publication date: 1981-08-05
Also published as: IT1103922B; FR2431983A1; IT7812856A0; FR2431983B1

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR FOLDING, HEAT SEALING AND DETACHING WEBS (71) We, MOORE BUSINESS FORMS LIMItED, a British company of 75179 Southwark Street London, SE1 OHY, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to apparatus for folding, heat-sealing and detaching continuous forms webs having equispaced feed apertures and cross perforations and having heat sensitive adhesives (synthetic resin adhesives set by heating) coated on predetermined portions of the web to be sealed into envelopes.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for processing continuous forms webs into envelopes.

According to the present invention apparatus for folding, heat sealing and detaching continuous forms webs having marginal equispaced feed apertures in opposite side margins thereof and heat responsive adhesive coated at predetermined portions of the web, comprises a folding frame, the folding frame including a first device for folding one side of the web in one direction about a longitudinal line of the web and a second device for folding the other side of the web in the opposite direction about a longitudinal line of the web and a U-shaped paper guide for directing the web towards the first folding device, heating means provided at the outfeed side of the folding frame for heat sealing and pressing together the heat responsive adhesive coated on the predetermined portions of the web and detaching means provided at the outfeed side of the heating means for detaching the sealed web into a multiplicity of unit forms.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a view illustrating the details of apparatus wherein a web of continuous forms is folded, heat sealed and detached, Fig. 2 shows the front side of the web and Fig. 3 shows the back side of the web by reversing Fig. 2 in the horizontal direction, Figs. 4, 5 & 6 show views of the web as it is being processed to form envelopes, and, Figs. 7, 8 & 9 show a modified apparatus corresponding to part of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 2 & 3 of the drawings there is shown a continuous forms web 1 having a series of equispaced marginal feed apertures 2 in opposite sides of the web, which apertures are engaged by feed sprocket means for feeding the web at its oppposite sides to a printer for printing purposes, or for applying the web to a folding and heat sealing means for transferring purposes. The web is further provided with two longitudinally extending fold lines 3 about which the web width is lengthwise folded equally in three.

The web is also provided with detaching lines of tear off perforations 4 at adequate lengthwise intervals at which individual forms each having a predetermined length are detached from the web, and further with longitudinal and transverse lines of tear off perforations 5 at which the sealed portions of an envelope formed from the individual length can be opened.

The web of continuous forms 1 mentioned above consists of 3 longitudinal portions A, B, and C divided by the two fold lines 3, wherein the portion A will be the face of a prospective envelope and the inner surfaces (back surfaces) of adjacent portions B and C internally sealed printed portions on which necessary information and correspondence are applied, or to which information and data are to be printed or copied. The portions B and C are longitudinally folded in two in an opposite direction to that in which the portion A is folded, so that the web is folded in a susbstantially S-shaped section with respect to the portion A along the seams 3, so that the portion C will be the back surface of the envelope.

The web of continuous forms 1 has on its front surface a front sealing means 6 which includes a heat responsive ahdesive coated in lines thereon surrounding an envelope area defined by four overlapping lines which con- tact each other when the web is folded about the first line 3, so that when the adhesive is set the portions B and C are secured together to form an envelope part. The same web 1 has on its back surface a back surface sealing means 7, as shown in Fig. 3 which includes a heat responsive adhesive coated in lines thereon surrounding an envelope area defined by four overlapping lines which contact each other when the web is folded in the opposite direction about the second line 3 whereby the portions A and B are secured together, so that the back surface of the portion A which will be in face to face surface with the portion B, so that together with the portions B and C already front sealed together an envelope with an enclosed sheet may be formed.

The apparatus according to this invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings. A paper guide 8 comprising a clip in the form of two parallel and closely adjacent arms of substantially U-shape, sometimes referred to as a trombone folder and which together with other folding devices to be hereinafter described form part of a folding frame, between which the webs of continuous forms 1 are passed and which is positioned downward for guiding the web of continuous forms 1 mentioned above as it is developed in a plane. A device for folding on side of the web comprising a pair of opposite paperfolding frames 9 and also being part of the folding frame and each having a U-shaped section are provided on the out feed side of the paper guide 8 in the direction of feed of the web for folding the web 1 guided from below along one folding line 3 in the lengthwise direction whereby the web is fed out of the folding device 9 with the portion A folded over on the adjacent portion B (that is, in Fig. 3 the portion A and the portion B are over lapped on their back surfaces so that the back sealing means contact each other). The paper guide 8 and the folding device 9 are provided with the device 9 vertically above the paper guide 8 with the paper guide 8 substantially at right angles to the folding device 9 whereby the longitudinal paper web is rotated through a right angle.

A single paper guide 8 and folding device 9, as mentioned above, are provided in an inclined relationsip of substantially or about right angles to guide the incoming web 1 while twisting the same substantially by a tight angle thereby to fold the web only once in a lengthwise direction along the lines 3.

For the web 1 to be folded in three portions an additional set of paper guide and folding device is required. As shown a paper guide 8 and a paper folding device 9, having the same structures as the paper guide 8 and the paper folding device 9 are respectively provided forward of the paper guide 8 and the folding device 9 for guiding the web 1 sequentially thereby to fold the web in three. If an additional fold is required a further set of paper guide and folding device is provided.

Provided at the outfeed side in the direction of feed of the web of the paper guides and folding devices 8, 81, 9, 91 are a pair of opposite rotatable cutter edges 11 thereby to cut off both side marginal portions 10 having feed apertures 2 now rendered irrelevant of the web. The web is fed to between a pair of oppositely disposed heating plates 12 of a heating means where the predetermined sealing portions 6 and 7 of the folded web in contact with one another are sealed by heating the heat responsive adhesive precoated thereon and, as required, with the aid of a pressing roller thereby to make continuous sealed envelope-shaped continuous forms webs 13 (Fig. 4 and 6c).

Forward of the heating means there are provided two pairs of rollers 14 and 15 with the outfeed rollers having a greater peripheral speed than the infeed rollers 14, for applying tension on the continuous forms web 13 in the lengthwise direction. Further, there are a pair of oppositely disposed pressing blades 16 provided so as to lightly abut against a surface of the tensioned web from above or below. The two pairs of rollers 14 and 15 and the pressing blades 16 constitue a positive detaching means. The frictional rollers 15 are rotated at a higher speed than the rollers 14 and, at the same time, the blades 16 have their tips pressed against the surface of the web 11 whereby the web 13 is along its transverse tear off perforations 4 cut off to separate envelope-shaped unit forms 17 of predetermined envelope length dimension. The unit forms 17 thus cut off are stacked in good order in a conventional receptacle. In Fig. 1, reference 18 denotes a pair of sprocket means which are engaged with the feed apertures 2 in the sides of the web 1 to guide the web 1 through a predetermined passage, and reference numeral 19 denotes guide rods disposed in position along the guide passage for the web 1.

Then, the operation of folding and stacking the web 1 will be described using the Fig. 1 device. The web 1 guided from the paper guide 8 to the folding device 9 is folded along a folding line 3. The portion A corresponding to 1/3 of the width of the web 1 is overlapped onto the portion B, i.e. folded and overlapped, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 4 and then passes through the paper folding devices 9. The cross section in which the web (shown in Fig. 4) is viewed in cross section is shown in Fig. 6(a).

The web 1 folded in the portion A is further guided to and passed through the paper guide 8 and the paper folding device 9 whereby the portion C of the folded web 1 is folded along another folding line 3 over the adjacent portion B, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 5. The section in which the web shown in Fig. 5 is viewed in cross section is shown in Fig. 6(b). In this way, the web 1 is folded in S-shaped section to form an envelope web in which the portions of C constitute the envelope and the portion B constitutes the insert.

The envelope web is then cut off from its marginal feed perforations 2 in which the feed apertures are provided, by the action of the cutter edges 11 and passed through the heating plates 12 of the heating means and pressing rollers provided as required whereby the web is heated, pressed and sealed at its front and back side sealing portions 6 and 7 on which the heat responsive adhesives are precoated to form an envelope-shaped web 13 as shown in Fig. 6(c). The web 13 then tensioned and detached by the detacher rolls 14 15 and pressing blades 6 at its detaching seams 4 to divide the web into wide envelope unit forms 14.

In a form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8 there is shown an alternative apparatus for longitudinally folding the web 1 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown a continuous web 1, similar to that in Figs. 2 and 3, is folded in a pack 21 on a stand 22. A folding frame 23 is disposed above the stand 22 and comprises a U-shaped trombone paper guide with the arms of the "U" being long and located adjacent one another. The paper guide is secured to a cross bar 24 on the folding frame. As more clearly shown on Fig. 8, a first folding device is mounted on one of the U-shaped arms of the trombone folder and comprises an extension bar 25 to which is attached a pair of locating fingers 26, which fingers extend parallel to one another. A locating knob 27 is positioned closely adjacent to the ends of the fingers and the knob is positioned at the end of a foot secured to the same arm of the trombone folder as the extension bar 25.

A third finger 28 which constitutes a second folding device is mounted on the end of the extension bar 25 and extends from the bar 25 in a direction parallel to the fingers 26. It is arranged that the web 1 is fed from the pack 21 in an upward direction and between the arms of the trombone folder. The web is positioned relative to the fingers 26, 28 and the knob 27 so that the longitudinal fold line 3 on the righthand side of the web, as shown in Fig. 7, is directed by the knob 27 between the ends of the fingers 26 (as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9), whereas the fold line 3 on the lefthand side of the web, as shown in Fig. 7, is directed around the end of the finger 28, whereby one side of the web is folded in one direction about the longitudinal fold line 3, wherein the other side of the web is folded in the other direction about the parallel longitudinal fold line 3. Having passed the folding frame the web is fed over the turner bar 29 and to the heat sealing and detacher means similar to that shown at the upper part of Fig. 1 where the web is folded heat sealed and detached into envelopes.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for folding, heat sealing and detaching continuous forms webs having marginal equispaced feed apertues in opposite side margins thereof and heat responsive adhesive coated at predetermined portions of the web comprising a folding frame, the folding frame including a first device for folding one side of the web in one direction about a longitudinal line of the web and a second device for folding the other side of the web in the opposite direction about a longitudinal line of the web and a U-shaped paper guide for directing the web towards the first folding device, heating means provided at the outfeed side of the folding frame for heat sealing and pressing together the heat responsive adhesive coated on the predetermined portions of the web and detaching means provided at the outfeed side of the heating means for detaching the sealed web into a multiplicity of unit forms.

2. Apparatus for folding, heat sealing and detaching continuous forms webs as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the U-shaped paper guide and the first folding device are located in planes at right angles to one an other and a further U-shaped paper guide is provided to direct the web towards the second folding device which further paper guide and folding device are located in opposite planes at right angles to one another, whereby the web is longitudinally folded into substantially S-shaped section.

3. Apparatus for folding, heat sealing and detaching continuous forms webs according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the first and second paper folding devices each comprises a pair of oppositely disposed locating plates.

4. Apparatus for folding, heat sealing and detaching continuous forms webs according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the detaching means comprises two pairs of rollers of which the outfeed rollers have a greater peripheral speed that the peripheral speed of the infeed rollers.

5. Apparatus for folding, heat sealing and detaching continuous forms webs as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first folding device comprises a pair of fingers on one side of the web and a locating knob on the other side of the web to direct a fold line between the pair of fingers as the web is fed.

6. Apparatus for folding, heat sealing and detaching continuous forms webs according to claim 5, wherein the second folding device

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. S-shaped section to form an envelope web in which the portions of C constitute the envelope and the portion B constitutes the insert. The envelope web is then cut off from its marginal feed perforations 2 in which the feed apertures are provided, by the action of the cutter edges 11 and passed through the heating plates 12 of the heating means and pressing rollers provided as required whereby the web is heated, pressed and sealed at its front and back side sealing portions 6 and 7 on which the heat responsive adhesives are precoated to form an envelope-shaped web 13 as shown in Fig. 6(c). The web 13 then tensioned and detached by the detacher rolls 14 15 and pressing blades 6 at its detaching seams 4 to divide the web into wide envelope unit forms 14. In a form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8 there is shown an alternative apparatus for longitudinally folding the web 1 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown a continuous web 1, similar to that in Figs. 2 and 3, is folded in a pack 21 on a stand 22. A folding frame 23 is disposed above the stand 22 and comprises a U-shaped trombone paper guide with the arms of the "U" being long and located adjacent one another. The paper guide is secured to a cross bar 24 on the folding frame. As more clearly shown on Fig. 8, a first folding device is mounted on one of the U-shaped arms of the trombone folder and comprises an extension bar 25 to which is attached a pair of locating fingers 26, which fingers extend parallel to one another. A locating knob 27 is positioned closely adjacent to the ends of the fingers and the knob is positioned at the end of a foot secured to the same arm of the trombone folder as the extension bar 25. A third finger 28 which constitutes a second folding device is mounted on the end of the extension bar 25 and extends from the bar 25 in a direction parallel to the fingers 26. It is arranged that the web 1 is fed from the pack 21 in an upward direction and between the arms of the trombone folder. The web is positioned relative to the fingers 26, 28 and the knob 27 so that the longitudinal fold line 3 on the righthand side of the web, as shown in Fig. 7, is directed by the knob 27 between the ends of the fingers 26 (as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9), whereas the fold line 3 on the lefthand side of the web, as shown in Fig. 7, is directed around the end of the finger 28, whereby one side of the web is folded in one direction about the longitudinal fold line 3, wherein the other side of the web is folded in the other direction about the parallel longitudinal fold line 3. Having passed the folding frame the web is fed over the turner bar 29 and to the heat sealing and detacher means similar to that shown at the upper part of Fig. 1 where the web is folded heat sealed and detached into envelopes. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus for folding, heat sealing and detaching continuous forms webs having marginal equispaced feed apertues in opposite side margins thereof and heat responsive adhesive coated at predetermined portions of the web comprising a folding frame, the folding frame including a first device for folding one side of the web in one direction about a longitudinal line of the web and a second device for folding the other side of the web in the opposite direction about a longitudinal line of the web and a U-shaped paper guide for directing the web towards the first folding device, heating means provided at the outfeed side of the folding frame for heat sealing and pressing together the heat responsive adhesive coated on the predetermined portions of the web and detaching means provided at the outfeed side of the heating means for detaching the sealed web into a multiplicity of unit forms.

comprises a finger around which a second fold line is directed.

7. Apparatus for folding, heat sealing and detaching continuous forms web substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.