US1811964A

US1811964A - Letter folding machine

Info

Publication number: US1811964A
Application number: US392598A
Authority: US
Inventors: Roy N Pierson; Charles H Carlson
Original assignee: American Multigraph Co
Current assignee: American Multigraph Co
Priority date: 1929-09-14
Filing date: 1929-09-14
Publication date: 1931-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 1948-06-30

Description

June 30, 1931. R. N. PIERsoN ET-AL 1,811,964

LETTER FOLDING MACHINE Filed sept. 14. 1929 s sheets-sheet 1 j 64 #i441 n s c62 Z4?, z` i i 57 I l rj 1 4'2* 6? l y/ y 55 5,2: ,Il u j: 546/2 l l 30 I4;V l 1 s; A* 2O y V 5@ J3 61 -4764 143061 3a 63 f o ,25% 1 y 59 ay I jj 4 j 43 4 fl] U55- jg: l

v o 0 l w 5;? 1 Vi, jj n5g 34 4 l J4 37; ,7\ l 46 j@ o Jl/\l 33 y 44 l l 64:5 @39M 44, 36 45 Uw/Z026 June 30, l931 v R. N. PIERsoN T AL 1,811,964

LETTER FOLDING MACHINE June 30, 1931. R, N, P|ER5QN ET AL y 1,811,964

LETTER FOLDING MACHINE Filed sept. 14. 1929 3 Sheets-sheet 3 @15,9 /lZL/. i: y"

s j? la Iiv l'lJaIll a 2/ l l I jjg i? c I j-76a j? I I I l l I I A Y I l' (lj S19 y 3 s I 4;/

1&9. f

Patented June 30, 1931 UNITEDl STATES PATENT oFFlcE l ROY N. PIERSON AND CHARLES H.v CARLSON, OF`MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AS-

SIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN MULTIG-RAPH CO., OF;'I'ILlVlINGr-` i TON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DFLAVARE LETTER- FOLDING l MACHINE Application led September 14, 1929. Serial No. 392,598.

action and has certain novel devices of an` adjustable or rearrangeable character, whereby, sheets may be folded once to form two plies or twice to form three plies and, whereby, sheets of different width and length may be folded in the manner just indicated.

A commercial form of the machine is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the same line as Fig. 2 but with some parts broken away and others removed and the parts shown being on a larger scale than in Fig. 2; I

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing 3 parts found in the vicinity of the line marked 4 4 on Fig. 3, some of the parts being broken away;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation with some parts broken away showing the folding roller mountings and immediately-associated parts, the parts being on the same scale as in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a detail of one of the roller journals some parts being sectioned on the line o 6 6 of Fig. 5 and some parts being shown in full;

Fig. 7 isv a detaill in section taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3, some parts being brokenl away; U5V Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing in detail one of the gauge plates;

Fig. 9 is an end elevation 'of the gauge plates shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a Viewr in section showing a paper sheet such as a letter sheet folded twice or into three ply, the thickness` of the paper,

of course, being exaggerated and 1 Fig. 11 is a section on the lline 11-11 of Fig.3. A Y

The various parts of the machine are mounted on a frame made up chiefly of laterally spaced cast side plates 11 connected by various ties hereinafter noted and includ-V ing -a horizontally disposed feed table 12. The folding operation is performed by four co-operating rollers, to wit: a fcentral roller 13, an'- upper roller 14, a lower'rollerV 15 and a rear roiler 16. Theserollers are preferably provided with rubber faces or exterior portions andthe shafts 14a, 15a, and 16a of rollers 14, 15 and 16 are journaledin movable bearings 17 that are movable in slots 18 and are spring-pressed toward theaxis of the central roller 13 by coiled springs 19. The shaft 1,3a of central roller 13 projects at one end and is provided with-a` small -pulley 20 and `a relatively large pulley 21. By the springs 19, rollers 14, 15 and 16 are yieldingly held in frictional contact with roller 13 so that when the latter is driven allof the rollers will be driven. A belt 22 runs over large pulley 21 and over as mall pulley l23 carried by the shaft 24 of a small electric motor 25, the casing'of whichis secured to a bracket 26 pivoted to the frame work at 27 in such manner that proper tension on the-belt 22 may be maintained by adjustments of said bracket and-motor;

In Fig. 3 a sheet of paper under the process of being folded marked Y is indicated by full linesand a second stage in the folding operation isindicated 'by dotted lines .marked Y.

It'shouldbe noted thatthe feed table 12 is iny such a horizontal plane that the sheets fed therefrom will be directed between the rollers 13 and 14; From between the rollers 13 and 14 the sheet lY is fed into the curved'lower extremity of an upper inclined-guide'way 28 that is formed between vertically spaced upper and

lower plates

29 and 30. The

plates

29 and 30 are preferably of quite thin sheet metal secured at their side edges to extensions 11a of the frame side plates 11. When the sheet Y is stopped in its upward and `rearward movement in--gude'way 28, it will be ward and rearward movement, it will be again buckled and then fed forward between the rollers 13 and 15 and onto a sort of inclined deck which, as shown, is made up 'of laterally spaced

inclined bars

34 and 35 that are suitably secured at their lower endsto a receivingtable 36 which, in-turn, is mountedfon the base and frame.

Overlying the

inclined bars

34 and 35 is an inclined deflecting plate 37 pivotally mounted on and frictionally held inset adjustment-s to brackets 38 secured on the side frames 11. Mounted adjacent to the receiving end of the table 36 and working between the lower ends of the bars 34 and beyond the delivery ends of the latter, is a` rotary packer. This packer, as shown, is inthe form of a roller 39 having radially lprojected packer arms 40.l The shaft 41 of the above noted packer is shown as journaled inbearing brackets 42 secured on the base plate 43 rigidly secured to the lower port-ions'of the side frames 11. At oneend shaft 41 is provided withv a pulley 44 over whichand the pulley 2O ofcentral roller 13 runs a belt 45s@ that the packer isv driven from said centrall roller. In Fig. the-letter sheet is shown as folded three ply and in Fig. 2 a plurality of pack of these folded sheets is shown as located on the re-` ceiving table 36 and pressed against a follower bracket 46 that is slidably mounted on saidreceiving table.

Stop devices of the novelV construction are appliedin connection with the inclined runways formed in the one instance between the plates 29 and 30L and inthe other instance between the

plates

32 and 33 butl as both of (lll these stop devices are alike, the description of the one will answer for the description: ofV the other. The upper plates 29 andl 30 are provided-with longitudinally extended relatively wide slots 47 while the

lower plates

32 and 33` are provided with underlying relatively narrow slotsf48, see'particularly Figs. 1'and7. Thenumeral49 indicates a plurality 1 of stop arms connected by a cross barv 50 so that it forms asort of stop bracket'with aplurality of freeend stop surfacesl that are concentricV to guide-pins 52 that project laterally from the free gends of said arms;

The slots 47 in upper plates 29 and 3O`are through the lower plates 432 and 33.Y The up per ends of arms 49 are pivotally connected by short bolts 53 to the free end portion of a yoke-like arm 54 that is pivotally connected to lugs 55, in the one instance on the upper end of the upper plate 29 and in the other instance on the lower end of plate-32. Thumb nuts 56 applied to the ends of the bolts 53 serve to frictionally lock the stop arms'49 in various'different set adjustments.

For properly guiding the letter sheets to the folding rollers there is provided a pair of laterally adjustable gauge bars 57 which, as shown, have very thin inwardly projecting flanges 58 that rest closely on the feed table 12 and on which'the edges of the sheet Y are adapted to rest. These gauge bars 57- are adjustably secured to a cross bar 59 bymeans of clamping screws 60 and co-operating lugs 61 arranged as best shown in Fig. 3.

As an important feature'there is provided a fold cut-out device or means whereby the machine may be used to produce but a single fold in a sheet. For the support of two or more cam-acting cut-out deflectors, a transverse rod 63 is extended parallel to and just at the rear of the upper roller 14 and is secured at its ends to the frame side plates 11. rFliese deflectors 62 are slidably mounted on rod 63 and are provided with set screws 64 by means of which they may be secured'either in operative positionsindicated by dotted lines in Figzl or in inoperative positions indicated by full lines in F-i-g. 1. The top surfaces of deflectors 62 are curved so kas to lie close to but not in frictional contact with roller 14. At their lower ends deflectors -62 are formed with concave extensions 62a that are concentric to the rol-ler 13-but are spaced therefrom so as' to leave adownward passage for the sheet Y. i

Operation For first' illustration it willbe assumed that the sheet Y is to be folded twice or three ply asshown in Fig. 10, and hence, that the cutout deflectors 62 are adjusted to the outer ends of rod 63, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, so that they will be out of the line ,of movement ofthe sheet Y as it passes from between the rollers 13 and 14. In this adjustment the sheet Y will pass from rollers 13 and 14'up into the rst guideway 28 until its upper edge strikes the eccentric end surfaces of-I arms '49 whereuponvthe sheet willbe buckled and fed double downward between-rollers 13 and' 16. From rollers 13 and 16 the once doubled sheet will be fed downward into second guideway 31 until it strikes the end surfacesof lower arms 49 whereupon the sheet will be againr range of action of the rotating packer 4() by which the sheets will be accumulated in a pack on receiving table 36 and fed forward against the movable follower bracket 46. It will, of course, be understood that the upper and lower stop arms 49 will be adjusted so that the sheets will be folded just at the desired places, and which matter of folding is usually determined by the size of the sheet and the six/.e of the envelopes into which they are to be inserted. Here it is important to note that the end surfaces 51 which are concentric to stop pins 52 always presents stop surfaces for the sheets that are approximately at right angles to the sheets regardless of the various adjustments of the stop devices.

Vihen it is desired to give the sheets Y but one fold, cut-out defiectors 62 are adjusted` to the dotted line positions in Fig. 1 where they will be within the path of movement of the sheets and in such adjustments the front end of sheet Y as it moves from between rollers 13 and 14 will strike against the curved deecting surfaces 62a and without being folded at this point will be turned directly downward between rollers 13 and 16 and from thence will pass into the lower guideway 31 until its advanced edge strikes the stop surfaces 51 of the lower arms 49 and thereupon the sheets will be buckled and fed double forward between rollers 13 and 15. This operation, as is evident, will give the sheets but one fold and the once folded sheet will be delivered downward and packed onto Vthe receiving table 36 by an operation previously described.

In actual practice, this machine has been found highly efficient for the purposes had in view.

Vhat we claim is:

1. A folding machine comprising a group of folding rollers arranged as a central roller, an upper roller, a lower roller and a rear roller, a sheet guideway normally receiving the sheet from between said central and upper roller and having a stop forv causing the said sheet to buckle downward between said central and rear roller, and lower sheet guideway receiving the sheet from between said central and rear roller and having a stop for causing said sheet to buckle between said central and lower roller, an inclined deck receiving the folded sheet from between said central and lower roller, a receiving table, and a packer operative on the folded sheets delivered from said deck and serving to pack the same on said receiving table.

2. A folding machine comprising'a group of folding rollers arranged as a central roller, an upper roller, a lower roller and a rear roller, a sheet guideway normally receiving the sheetfrom between said central and upper roller and having a stop for causing the said sheet to buckle downward between said central and rear roller, and lower sheet guidewayy receiving the sheet from between'said central and rear roller and having a'stop for causing said sheet to buckle between said centra-l and lower roller, and fold cut-out deflecting means c omprisinga cross rod at the rear of said upper roller, and a'plurality of camacting deflectors slidably mounted on said cross rod to and'from operative positions and serving, 'when in operative positions, todirect the sheet from between said central and upper roller directly downward, without folding, between said central and rear roller and from thence'into said sheetguideway and from thence buckled and fed forward between said central'and lower roller.

3. The structure defined-in claim 2 in which the 'stops co-operating with said sheet guidewaysare independently adjustable forpproducing different width folds in the two folding actions. j

4. The structure defined in claim 2 in further combination with a feed table aligned with the contacting' -portions between said central and upper roller, and'. laterally adjustable gauge bars applied on the upp surface ofsaid table, said slidable cut-out devices being rendered inoperative when adjusted laterally outward of' said gauge bars.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination with an adjustable deflecting plate located above said packer and serving to direct the folded sheets downward and subject to the action of said packer.

6. The combination with a group of folding rollers and a sheet guideway receiving the sheet from between the first two acting rollers and directing the same between the next acting rollers in buckled condition for folding, of an adjustable sheet-stopping device co-operating with said sheet guideway and comprising a pair of pivotally connected members one of which members is pivoted to a fixed support and the free end of the other of which members is projected through said guideway for adjustments longitudinally thereof.

7. The combination with a group of folding rollers and a lsheet guideway receiving the sheet from between the iirst two acting rollers and directing the same between the next acting rollers in buckled condition for folding,'of an adjustable sheet-stopping device co-operating with said sheet guideway and comprising a pair of pivotally connected members one of which members is pivoted to a fixed support and the free end of the other of which members is projected through said guideway for adjustments longitudinally thereof,.the free end of said second member having a sliding pivotal connection with said guideway and having a stop surface that is concentric with said sliding pivot.

8. The combination with a group of folding rollers and a sheet guideway receiving the sheet from between the first two acting rollers and'directing. the same-between, the next act-- ing rollers in buckled condition, for folding,A

of an adjustable sheet-stopping device cooperating with saidsheet guideway and comprising a pair of pivotally connected members one of which members is pivoted'to a( fixed support and the free end of the other of which members is projected through said guideway for adjustments longitudinally thereof, said sheet guideway. being-formed between slightly spaced upper and loWeI,V

sheet-s having aligned longitudinally extended relatively wide and narrow slots, and the free end portion of said stop-acting member I- having lateral projections affording a sliding pivotal connection between said member and lowerplate, said pin being insertable through thefslotof said upper plate but not through the slot. of the lower'plate, the free end of Said stop member having a stop surface that is concentric to said pivot-forming lateral projection and extending downward through the slots of said lower plate.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa,-

ROY N. PIERSON. CHARLES H. CARLSON.

tures.