US1348846A - Sheet-interfolding machine - Google Patents

Description

G. G. BROWN AND P. A. SCHUCHART.

SHEET INTERFOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28, I916.

1,348,846. Patented Aug. 10, 19200 2 F7 2 SHEETSSHEET I. M

G G. BROWN AND P. A. SCHUCHART.

SHEET INTERFOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-28,1916. I

Patented Aug. 10, 1920 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

O IIIIII:

.UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE.

' '7 GOU'VERNEUR G. BROWN, OF NEW YORK, AND PAUL A. SCHUGHART, OF ROCKVILLE cnm'na, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS r0 PAPER on NEW YORK.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

SERVICE COMPANY, A CORPORATION SHEET-INTERFOLDING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Application filed September 28, 1916. Serial No. 122.591.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe, Gonvnnnnun G. BROWN and PAUL A. SCHUOHART, citizens of the United States, residing at New York city, county of Kings, State of New York, and Rockville Center, county of .Queens, State of New York, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Interfolding Machines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet inter-folding machines.

The objection to such machines as heretofore known has been the difliculty in obtaining a satisfactory product in commercially I satisfactory quantities.

It is the object. of the present invention to provide a sheet interfolding machine that effectively cuts, feeds and interfolds the sheets and operates at such a high rate of speed as to turn out a satisfactory product in larger quantities than has heretofore been possible, and, further, one that delivers these interfolded sheets compressed and packed into a compact stack, thereby both improving the product and lowering the cost of production.

The following specification describes, and

. the accompanying drawings illustrate, a

preferred embodiment of the invention, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts vention.

' In the drawings Figure 1 is an end elevation of a sheet interfolding machine constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig.- 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig, 1, looking inthe directionof the arrow,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing in detail a portion of Fig.2, and

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing one of the friction rollers. Y

The invention includes means for transversely creasing and cutting a plurality of webs in such a mannerthat the sheets so formed when brought together overlap with the crease of one series alining-with the. ad-

joining edges of'the sheets of the opposite without departing from the in-' series. This may be accomplished by vari ous constructions... In the form of the inwith this cylinder is a smaller cylinder 10 rotated in the opposite direction by a shaft 11, the housing of which is also supported by the frame 9. The web feeds down between thesetwo cylinders to be cut and creased at their common tangential point. Carried by the large cylinder are four transversecreasing ribs 13 formed of suitable material and located on equally spaced radii which, as the cylinders rotate, enter transverse V-shaped recesses 14 formed in the small cylinder and filled with rubber, to crease the web as it is fed. The small cylinder also carries two cutting blades 12 located half way between the V-shaped recesses which enter cutting blocks '15 and located half way between the creasing ribs to cut the web, thereby forming sheets creased across the middle. There are four of these cutting blocks and four creasingribs on the large cylinder and two cutting blades and two creasing recesses on the small cylinder. The large cylinder rotates once for two revolutions of 'thesmaller one so that forevery revolution of the large cylinder, four creased sheets are cut from the web. J

The invention includes means for placing the web, while being fed 'to the cutters, under tension transversely as well as longitudinally, the; like. In constructions embodying the invention to the best advantage, this is at; tained by. means tending to pull the web from the middle outwardly. "Such means is capable of a variety of constructions. In

the present embodiment the friction rolls 6 are wound with some yielding material, such as felt, in two opposite spirals startin at the middle and spiraling toward each en As a result of this construction, the web is pressed out flat and kept under transdown under a friction roll 60 carried by the' large cylinder 80 in order to avoid wrinkling and 95 verse tension, and at the same time the course of the webv is not interfered with,

as the tensioning influence is equal toward each edge.

The invention includes means for coiiperating with the large cylinder to feed the sheets as far around the cylinder as desired,

I as for example, the bottom point of its path. -While this may be accomplished in various ways, in the exemplification shown, a plurality of endless feeding chains 16 (three being illustrated) are driven in the same direction as the cylinder and,'with the latter, feed the web ends and the sheets as they are received from the cutters. These chains pass over grooved idlers 17 located not far from the cutting point and they are held up against the cylinder by a second set of grooved idlers 18, as shown in Fig. 2.

Means are provided for coiiperating with arm 21 carrying a roller 22 which travels over a cam 23. This cam is so designed that, just after a out has been made in the web, the arm 21 is operated to rock the shaft 20 and throw out the fingers to coiiperate with the large cylinder in feeding the suc- .cessive web ends onward until they reach the chains 16. As the small cylinder continues to rotate the cam causes the fingers to be withdrawn within the cylinder. In order to hold the web ends against the large cylinder, between the cutting point and the point where the chains 16 take hold, in case the cam is not adjusted properly, and to prevent the web ends from following the withdrawing fingers due to the possible pres- I ence of static electricity, there isprovided a plurality of stationary guides 24, under which the successive web ends pass. order .to have the fingers operate atthe proper instant, in case, for example, the axis of the smaller cylinder is shiftedto accommodate different thicknesses of paper,

the camis made adjustable. Extending out '-from the cam is a lug 25 through which is threaded an arm 26 pivotally connected .to

the frame of the machine. Above and below the lug are nuts 27, and by unloosening these nuts to swin the arm 26 slightly, the cam position is a justed to retard or advance the actionof the fingers as desired.

Beyond the idlers 18 the feeding chains leave the large cylinder and pass over idlers 36 which direct the chains obliquely downward. Coiiperating with the chains 16 in a feeding the sheets onward, are a series of supplemental chains 29 passing over upper grooved idlers 30 and lower sprockets 31 driven as hereinafter described. The idlers 30 are located just above the idlers 36, so that the latter act on both sets of chains to change the direction of their common paths.

Means are provided for cofiperating with the chains 16 to feed the sheets from the time the cylinder leaves them until they reach the supplemental chains 29, thereby to prevent floating. While this may be accomplished by various constructions, that which is illustrated is similar. to the mechanism already described, and comprises a plurality of fingers 32 carried by a rock shaft 33 in the large cylinder, a suitable recess being provided therefor, the shaft having an arm 34 carrying a roller which travels on a cam 35. As there are four sheets cut for 28 serve to hold the sheets against the chains 16 andto prevent the sheets from following the fingers when thelatter are withdrawn.

Below the sprockets 31 are stationary triangular guides 37, at the points of which the chains 16 pass over sprockets 38 carried by cross-shafts 45 and 70, respectively, and then pass upward to the idlers 17, thus completing their cycle. Y

Means are provided for adjusting the tension of the chains 16 on their upward inactive course. Although capable of various constructions, the means illustrated include, for each chain, a tension pulley 39 suspended by arm 40 from a rock shaft 41. Mounted on this shaft are arms 42 having pivotal connection with rods 43 threaded through lugs 44 carriedon the main frame and locked in position by suitable nuts. By loosening the nuts and shifting the position of the rods 43, the tension pulleys 39 are raised or lowered to loosen or tighten the chain.

.The mechanism for cutting, creasing and feeding the other web is precisely similar to that above described, except for the relative position of, the cutting blades, creasers, I

seen that when the sheets are brought together at the point of the triangular guides 37, they are overlapped, the adjoining ends of two sheets of one set being alined with the crease of the sheet of the opposite set.

The invention includes means for interfolding these overlapped sheets and delivering them tofeeding and stacking apparatus. This may be done in various ways. In the embodiment illustrated, the overlapped sheets are taken from the two sets of chains 16 by 'two sets of feeding and interfolding chains 46 and 47, there being shown three chains in each set. These chains feed the sheets downward and at the sameltime oscillate, as hereinafter described, to interfold the same. The chains 46 and 47 are driven by sprockets on the shafts which drive the sprockets for the feed chains 16, 'so that there is no break in the feed as the sheets pass from one series of chains to the other. At their lower ends, the chains 47 pass over idlers carried by a cross-shaft, 48, and the chains 46 pass over idlers carried by a crossshaft 49. The shaft 49 is suspended from arms 50 and the shaft 42 by arms 51. To oscillate these chains, the shaft 48 is pivoted at each end in a link 52, which is eccentrically connected to a pinion 53 driven as hereinafter described. The arms 51 carry at their lower end an extension having aslot formed therein, in which the shaft 49 rides as the chains are swung to and fro; Located just below' the path of these swinging chains are two pair of sheet-receiving spirals 54. These spirals are of suitable spring material secured to vertical shafts 50, the shafts .of

each pair being rotated in opposite direc-- tions, as hereinafter described.

The interfolding of the sheets by the oscillating chains and the reception of the sheets by the spirals is clearly shown in Fig. 3, As

- ready to receive another unit.

' out the air sheets, the continued as they are the chains reach the end of one oscillating stroke and start back on the next they fold the outside sheet along its crease, thus causing it'to inclose the ends of the two opposite oscillation of the chains interfolding the sheets continuously as long fed. i-The spirals are so designed and so rotated that, as the oscillating'chains make a fold, the first coil advances and passes over the fold to hold the sheets, until, whenthe chains have returned to make another fold, the first unit is completely embraced between the coils and the top, coil is The invention includes-means for 'compressing and packing the interfolded sheets into a compact stack. While this may be' accomplished in various ways,'in the form shown, the spiral feeds are so constructed that the spaces between the coils gradually diminish so that the coils are closer and ward, thesegradually closing coils squeeze to the sides and complete and flatten the fold, each crease being wiped from the centertoward' the ends, thereby ,ually pressed together to make a compact meshing with a r 106. Pinned to this shaft, so as to be mid waybetween two of the preserving a true relation of the sheets;

This action of the coils serves to compress. the sheets, face to face, into a compact stack, and at the same time the stack is being made compact edgewise. It has been found that in interfolding machines the ends of the two interfolded sheets are not completely up into the crease of the overfolding sheet, so that the pack is wider and looser than is desirable. In the present exemplification of means for making the pack compact, the shafts of the spirals are constructed to act on the units edgewise to pack them together, and at the same time to so act without buckling of'the sheets and the like. Near the tops, these shafts are of a size to allow clearance for the sheets even in the slightly loose condition noted. -As shown clearly in the left hand spiral of Fig. 2, the shafts are constructed with a frusto-conical portion, so that the clearance gradually lessens and the edges of the sheets are acted on by the revolving shafts, so that the pack is gradstack.

As these interfolded sheets reach the bottom of the spirals, they drop out by gravity and pass down the curved chute 56 until they assume a vertical position and reach the delivery belt 57. It is ordinarily desirable, when starting the machine, either to fill the chute with past product or hold the newlydelivered sheets untilthe chute is filled, so that the units first delivered will not separate, It will be noted that, as long as the machine feeds the webs, there is an unbroken delivery of interfolded sheets, and this chain may be broken-at such points on the delivery belt as desired, merely by grasping a bundle of sheets and pulling-out the flap of the last sheet. It may be desirable to remove uniform bundles for use in dispensing apparatus and the like, and the invention includes means for marking the interfolded units in counted bundles of any desired size 'tOiudicate where the removal is to be made. While this may be accomplished in varipus ways, in the embodiment shown, on the end of shaft 74 which drives two of the spirals is a'bevel gear 101 meshing with a similar gear 102 on 'ashaft103 which-has at its opposite end 'a worm 104 gear 105 on a cross shaft spirals, as clearly appears in Fig. 1, 1s an arm 107 carrying at; its end a marking pad 108, which -is inke inany suitable manner. As the spirals re volve to feed the units downward, the arm 107 also revolves and at regular intervals brings the marking pad in contact with the edges of twd adjacent units, thus marking the end and beginning of a bundle. It is noted that the marker arm is driven at a fixed speed with respect to thevspiral units, 130

so that for every revolution of the marking arm, the spirals have rotated a given number of times, thus advancing a given number of sheet units. Consequently, the same number of units pass for each revolution of the arm and the same sized bundles are marked each time. The size of the bundles, that is to say the numberof sheet units be- .tween marks, is governed by the speed ratio of any desired size.

that it can be readily discovered if a few.

units become dislodged from a bundle after removal.

The various driven parts of the machine are operated as follows:

A main power shaft 58, which has its bearing in the main frame 9, carries at its hand small cylinder 10. The pinion 63 also \which drives the sprockets for left hand end a bevel gear 59 meshing with a similar gear 60 on an oblique shaft 61. The latter drives a bevel gear 62, on the shaft of which is a pinion 63 meshing with a large gear 64 on the shaft.8 of the right hand large cylinder 7. This large gear 64 in turn meshes with a pinion 65 on the shaft 11 of the right meshes with a pinion66 which drives a large gear similar to gear 64 on the shaft of the left hand large cylinder, this in turn driving apinion on the shaft of the lefthand small cylinder. The gear for the left hand large cylinder drives a pinion 67, on the shaft of which is a pinion 68 driving a gear 69 which meshes with a pinion on shaft 70. This shaft is the one, before referred to,

chains 16 and the chains 47. On this shaft 70 is also a gear driving a gear on shaft 45, which carries the sprockets for the right hand set-of chains 16 and the chains 46.

From the gear just mentioned on shaft 45,

f I a' train of gears 71 drives the shafts for the sprockets 31 of the supplemental chains 29. The main drive shaft 53 carries twogears 72 meshing with the pinions 53 which operate the links 52 for oscillating the swinging chains. The main drive shaft 53 also drives a chain 73 which drives a shaft 74. On this shaft "are two miter gears 75 which mesh with miter gears 76 on the shaft 55 of the two'spiral feeds shown in Fig. 1. Shaft 74,

which also carries a sprocket 77, drives a.

chain 78, which, through a sprocket, drives shaft 79-which carries two miter gears 80 miishinggwith miter gears 81 onthe shafts .creasing a plurality of webs and cutting the 55 of the other two spiral feeds. The delivery belt is driven in any suitable manner, and no further. description is necessary.

It is thought that the operation of the machine will be clear from the foregoing description. It is noted that, due to the general construction of the device, practically all of the parts are readily accessible. The large cylinders are separated by a substantial distance, the supporting frame is open at the ends and the greater part of the driving gearing is outside this frame, and the construction which permits the four cams to be adjusted also permits them to be moved out of the way to give access to the ends of the four cylinders. It is also noted that, due to the construction described, there is substantially no gap in the feed, there being a continuous hold on the web ends and sheets, thereby eliminating floating and its attendant disadvantages.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with apparatus for creasing a plurality of webs and cutting the webs into sheets and bringing the sheets together in overlapped relation, means for interfolding the sheets, and a plurality of rotating spring spirals for receiving said interfolded sheets and feeding. them away from the folding means.

2. In combination with apparatus for creasing a plurality of webs and cutting the webs into sheets and bringing the sheets together in overlapped relations, means for interfolding the sheets, and a plurality of spirals for receiving the interfolded sheets and feeding-them away from the folding means, some of the coils of said spirals being closer together than the others.

3. In combination with apparatus for creasing a plurality of webs and cutting the webs into sheets and bringing the sheets together in overlapped relation, means for interfoldmg the sheets, and a plurality of 4 spirals for receiving the interfolded sheets and feeding them away from the folding means, the coils of said spirals being closer together at the delivery end than at the receiving end.

4; In combination with apparatus for creasing a plurality of webs and cutting the webs into sheets and bringing the sheets together in overlapped relation, means for in-' terfolding the sheets, and a plurality of spirals for receiving the interfoldedsheets and feeding them away from the folders, the space between the coils of said spirals graduallydecreasing. t 5. In combination with apparatus for webs into sheets and bringing the sheetstogthei in overlapped relation, means for interfolding the sheets, and means for pressing each individual interfolded unit by a v wiping action, along the folded edge thereof.

6. In combination with apparatus for creasing a plurality of webs and .cutting the webs into sheets and brin ng the sheets together in overlapped re ation, means for interfolding the sheets, and means for pressing each individual interfolded unit, the

pressure being applied from the middle toward each end simultaneously.

7. In combination with apparatus for creasing a plurality of webs and cutting the fwebs into sheets and bringing the sheets togetherin overlapped relation, means for interfolding the sheets,'a nd means for press-' ing each individual interfolded unit with gradually increasing pressure.

8. In combination with apparatus for creasing a plurality of webs and cutting the webs into sheets and bringing the sheets together in overlapped relation, means for interfolding the sheets, and ineans for subjecting the interfolded sheets to pressure on the edges thereof.

9. In combination with 'ap aratus for creasinga plurality of webs and cutting the webs into sheets and bringing the sheets'together in overlapped relation, means for interfolding the sheets, and means for subjectlng the edges of the interfolded units to gradually increasing pressure.

10. In combination with apparatus for creasinga plurality of webs and cuttin the webs into sheets and bringing the s eets together in overlapped relation, means for interfolding the sheets, a lurality of spirals for receiving the inte olded sheets and feeding them away from the interfolding means, and means for subjecting the edges of the interfolded units to edgewise pressure while assing through said spirals.

-11. combination with apparatus for creasing a plurality of webs and cutting the webs into sheets and bringing the sheets together in overlapped relation, means for interfolding the sheets a plurality of frustoconical members, and means for feeding the interfolded sheets past said members, so as to come in contact therewith.

12. In combination with ap aratus for creasing a plurality of webs an cutting the webs into sheets and bringing the sheets together in overlapped relation,means for interfolding the sheets, *and a spirals for receiving the inter olded s eets and feeding the same away from the interfolding means, the shafts of said spirals each interfolding the sheets, means luralit of having a frusto-conical portion situatedto' interfolded units, a revolving marker for markin the edges of two adjacent units, and means 7 or revolving said marker at a given ratio to the speed of said spirals.

15. The combination w1th a plurality of rotating spirals for feeding sheets, of means,

operated at a given ratio with respect to the speed of said s irals, for marking said sheets to denote bun les of 'ven numerical size.

16. In a sheet inter olding machine, means for feeding the interfolded units in separated relatlon, a marker movable into a position to mark the interfolded units while in said feeding means, and means for operating said marker at a speed in a given ratio to the speed of said feeding means. I

17. In a sheet interfolding machine, two

open ended side frames, two cylinders spaced a substantial distance apart, over which the webs pass in opposite directions, two cylinders cooperating therewith to feed, cut and crease the web's, driving gears in alinement with said cylinders at one end thereof, cams in alinement with said cylinders at the other end, and means whereby said cams are movable out of the wayito give access to the ends of said 0 linder.

18. In com ination with apparatus for creasing a plurality of webs and cutting the webs into sheets and bringing the s eets together in overlapped relation means for for pressin the interfolded units along the edge thereo and means for applying pressure against the folded edges.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names.

GOUVERNEUR e. BROWN. PAUL A. SCHUOHABT.

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