612,467. Fabrics, folding. PRESTON, J. E. May 24, 1946, No. 15786. [Class 42(ii)] [Also in Group XVI] A machine for folding and stacking sheets of paper or fabric articles such as sheets, towels, etc., is constructed with means for folding each edge of the article inwards towards a central section and then forming one or two transverse folds, and finally stacking the folded articles upwardly in a vertical receiver by a reciprocating pusher with means for displacing each folded article of a given number so as to form counted batches. The articles are placed by hand or fed from a machine on to feed bands 23 and are fed through the longitudinal folding plates 30, 31 by means of belts 11 which pass around the shaft of the first roller 13 of the transverse folders, and are driven faster than the bands 23. Prior to the action of the folders 30, 31 the article is creased by rollers 37, 41, along the lines of fold, and one edge of the article is folded over an insulatedly mounted metal plate 32, and the other edge over a plate 34 arranged above the plate 32. The first transverse fold is effected by a blade 57 which is actuated by energization of an electromagnet 67 to force the article between rollers 13, 58, and the once folded article either passes over a shoot 72 to the stacking mechanism, or is given a further fold by a blade 75 operated by an electromagnet 81 and passes over a shoot 85 to the stacker. The folded product is advanced by feed bands 73, 102 over a perforated stacker plate 93 which is raised by a rod 92, and lever 108 operated by a double cam 107 at each semirevolution of the shaft 106. The raising of stacker plate 93 forces the folded article past pivoted stops which retain it on descent of the plate, and guide posts 105 control the stack. The shaft 106 is driven by a half-revolution clutch, Fig. 11, comprising a freely mounted ratchet wheel 111 which alternately engages catches 116, 117, on an arm 118 fixed to shaft 106 when released from the action of a projection 121 on a lever 122 which is operated by the armature 124 of an electromagnet 125. A counting device operated by movement of the plate 83 displaces the stop 104, Fig. 7, which normally registers the articles on the stacker, and after a given count the stop 104 is depressed and the register is then effected by a stop 104a thus causing staggering of the article to indicate a counted batch. A device for counting the whole number of articles folded is also actuated by the stacking operation. The stacker delivers one product while the succeeding sheet receives its final fold, and at the end of a run the last article can be stacked independently of the folding apparatus under hand control. Electric control of the folding and stacking devices is obtained by means of electronic discharge valves A, B, C, D, Fig. 14, and relays 204, 207, 219, 221, which control the times of energization of the electromagnets in association with contacts 1, 2, which are put out of contact with the insulatedly mounted plate 32 upon passage of the article to be folded over the contacts. The currents are obtained from the secondaries 214, 215, 216 of a transformer, and potentiometers 219<1>, 220<1>, permit of adjustment of the voltages. Ganged switches 201, 202, 203 also permit variations of the circuits so as to vary the nature of the folds and so as to adjust the timing of the energization of the electromagnets 67, 81, 125 for articles of different lengths. The valves C, D act as delay valves and are normally biased at a potential beyond the value at which their plate valves become conductive. They are connected to capacitances 211, 212, 213 which commence to discharge under control of the feelers 1, 2. The rates of discharge control the timing of energization of the electromagnets and these can be varied by cutting out resistances or the condenser 212 by operating the gang switches, or by varying the position of the voltage dividers 219<1>, 220<1> in the charging circuit. A switch 81a may open the circuit of the magnet 81 when only one cross fold is desired.