US2395983A

US2395983A - Folding machine

Info

Publication number: US2395983A
Application number: US451649A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clayton E Wyrick
Original assignee: Egry Register Co
Current assignee: Egry Register Co
Priority date: 1942-07-20
Filing date: 1942-07-20
Publication date: 1946-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 1963-03-05

Description

March 5,1946. c. E. WYRICK FOLDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20, 1942 all IIIIIIIWIIII March -5, 1946.- c. E. WYRICK FOLDING MACHINE Filed July 20. 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 -March 5, 1946. c, wy c 7 2,395,983

FOLDIN-G MACHINE Filed July 20, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 J'rwm CLRITON E. W YRICK,

4 TL 4 TL.

March 5, 1946. c. E. WYRICK FOLDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ill! llllN \lllllh llllllllll 1n Milli Filed July 20, 1942 um Jul. IIIIHI cLmroev ZNVYRICK,

March 5,1946.

0. E. WY RICK FOLDING MACH INE Filed'July 20, 1942 v6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

CLAYTON awvmcn, BY

March 5, 1946. c. E. WYRICK FOLDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed July 20, 1942 cmvrou E. wvmc K,

Patented Mar. 5, 1946 FOLDING MACHINE Clayton E. Wyrick, Miami, Fla., asslgnor to The n Egry Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio -Application July 20, 1942, Serial No. 451,649

4 Claims. (Cl. 270-39) This invention relates to a manifolding or a collating machine wherein a plurality of paper webs are assembled in adjacent relationship with the form faces printed upon the webs disposed in proper alignment with respect to one another so that the plurality of webs can be folded upon one another in an accordion fashion.

An object of the invention is to provide a manifolding or collating machine that is also adapted to fold the webs passing therethrough in accordion fashion in a manner that the folded web stack can be periodically removed from the machine without stopping operation of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an aligning mechanism for arranging a plurality of adjacent paper webs in proper aligned relationship in a manner that the paper webs can pass through the aligning mechanism in a vertical movement and thereafter are folded into an accordion type folded pack in a horizontal direction.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved aligning, creasing and folding machine for assembling a plurality of paper webs in adjacent relationship so that the operation of the machine will be continuous.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a machine having an aligning and creasing mechanism for assembling a plurality of paper webs that directs the movement of the web through the machine in a vertical arrangement, and wherein the assembled and creased paper webs are folded into an accordion pack upon changing the direction of movement of the webs through the machine from vertical to horizontal so that the machine can operate continuously and portions of the folded pack can be periodically removed from the machine without stopping the same.

It is another object of the invention to provide an aligning, creasing and folding machine wherein the aligned and creased assembled paper webs discharge from the creasing portion of the machine in a vertical arrangement, and wherein the assembled webs are folded in accordion fashion upon the longitudinal edge of the webs by directing the assembled webs transversely of the machine.

It is another object of the invention to provide an aligning, creasing and folding machine wherein the assembled webs discharge from the creasing apparatus of the machine in a vertical direction and the direction of travel of the webs is then altered so that they will be folded accordion fashion upon the longitudinal edge of-the assembled web and directed forwardly from the machine so that a portion of the folded web stack can be removed whenever desired without stopping the machine.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved form of manifolding, collating and folding machine wherein a plurality of paper webs are aligned and creased within one portion of the machine and are folded within a second portion of the machine so that the folded web pack is arranged in fan-fold or accordion fashion and is discharged upon a table adjacent the folding apparatus, the receiving surface of which moves with respect to the folding apparatus to receive the fan-folded pack at the rate discharged from the folding apparatus.

It is another object of the invention to provide a manifolding or collating machine adapted to receive a plurality of supply rolls of paper webs that are to be fed through the machine, and to provide braking mechanism to retard the rotation of thesupply rolls should the paper webs have the tendency to discharge from the supply rolls at a greater rate than they are being used with-, in the machine.

It is another object of the invention to provide 1 a paper handling machine having brakes upon the supply rolls that are actuated in response to the rate of discharge of the paper web from the supply roll.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receiving table for a-collating and folding machine that has the surface thereof composed of a plurality of segments carried by an endless chain or belt.

It is another object of the invention to provide a collating, creasing, aligning and folding machine wherein the assembled paper Webs are discharged from the creasing and aligning apparatus of the machine in a vertical direction, the direction of the webs then being altered for transfer through a folding apparatus, and an adjusting mechanism being provided between the creasing and aligning apparatus and the folding apparatus to centralize the position of the paper webs within the folding apparatus whenever the width of the paper webs being fed through the machine is changed.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the drawings and the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus that comprises the collating, aligning and creasing portion of the machine of this invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the machine. 1 I

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the folding apparatus for the machine taken along line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is'a plan cross-sectional view of the folding apparatus taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3; I

Figure 5'is a plan elevational view of the machine of this invention with the aligning and creasing apparatus removed to more clearly show the paper feeding mechanism and the location of the means for changing the direction of movement of the paper web through the machine.

Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the folding apparatus showing the manner in which a portion of the folded web stack can be removed from the apparatus.

Figure '7 is a side elevational view of the machine showing the braking mechanism applied to the paper web supply rolls.

Figure 8 is a perspective elevational view of the braking mechanism shown in Figure '7.

Figure 9 is an enlarged elevational view of the braking mechanism shown in Figure 7 to more clearly illustrate the parts thereof.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the device for actuating the brake shoe of the braking mechanism taken along line Ill-l0 of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the machine ofthis invention showing the folded pack being removed from the apparatus by means of a moving table.

Figure 12 is a front elevational view of a portion of the machine shown in Figure 11 with the folded web pack broken away to, illustrate the folding apparatus.

Figure 13 is a plan view of the table for receiving the folded Web pack.

Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of the table taken along line l4-l4 of Figure 13 showing the position of the segments of the table when supporting the web pack.

Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the table similar to that of Figure 14 but showing the segments of the table in position when disposed beneath the supporting plane for the web pack.

Figure 16 is a perspective elevational view, somewhat diagrammatic in form, to more clearly illustrate the apparatus for changing the direction of movement of the paperwebs into the folding apparatus of the machine of Figures 11 and 12.

vided transversely in the webs to crease the same at the perforation line and simultaneously align adjacent webs so that form faces printed upon the adjacent webs will be placed in juxtaposition.

The assembled webs B leave the aligning and creasing mechanism to enter the folding apparatus shown specifically in Figures 3 and 4. The web B is altered in its direction of travel between the discharge point of the creasing and aligning mechanism L and the entrance point of the folding apparatus M so that the discharge of the web from the folding apparatus will be horizontal with respect to the machine and either transversely thereof or forwardly thereof. Since the folded web stack is directed either transversely or forwardly of the machine, so that the stack can be supported by a suitable horizontal table that can be of any length, the machine can operate continuously and the folded web stack can be removed periodically from the machine without requiring that the machine shall be stopped during the unloading operation of the folded web stack.

Referring particularly to Figures 2 and 5, the feeding, aligning and creasing mechanism is disposed within a frame I. An electric motor H is carried by the frame 10 and has a cone pulley l3 carried upon the shaft thereof adapted to drive a cone pulley I4 by means of a belt IS. A belt l6 extends between the cone pulley l4 and the cone pulley I! supported upon a shaft I8 having a flat or V-pulley l9 thereon that has the belt 20 extending over a drive pulley 2| carried upon a drive shaft 22.

Endless chains 23 engage sprockets 24 carried upon the drive shaft 22 and extend over sprockets 25 secured to the shaft 26. As shown in Figur 1, the endless chains 23 and 23a are disposed adjacent one another so that the assembled web B can In this invention the collating, aligning and creasing mechanism of the machine, illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1, consists of a plurality of paper web supply rolls A having the paper webs B carried therefrom over guide rolls C. The paper webs B extend from the guide rolls C to the guide rolls D disposed above the feed or gripper rolls E and F. The gripper rolls E and F withdraw the paper webs B fro-m the sup-ply rolls and feed the samedownwardly to form a web loop G, the upper end of which extends over a guide roll H that transversely aligns the webs with respect to one another. The webs B then pass over the rolls J to separate the adjacent webs to supply air therebetween for a purpose to be hereinafter described. v

The assembled webs then pass through a slack producing mechanism K from which the assembled webs B pass to an aligning and creasing mechanism L. The aligning and creasing mechanism L is adapted to engage the assembled webs transversely thereof at perforation lines pr be fed therebetween. Aligning and creasing blades 21 are carried by the endless chains 23 and 23a. and are adapted to cooperate with spaced rollers 28, also carried by the endless chains 23 and 23a, to crease and align the paper webs when the aligning and creasing blades 21 extend between the rollers 28 as shown in the diagrammatic view of the aligning and creasing mechanism L.

The paper webs B are fed to the aligning and creasing mechanism through the slack producing mechanism K that is driven from a sprocket 29 secured upon the shaft 26 and an endless chain 30 extending over a sprocket 3| carried upon the end of the shaft 32 for the feed roll 33 of the slack producing mechanism K.

Th feed or gripper rolls E and F are knurled or serrated to grip the plurality of paper webs B to withdraw the webs from the supply rolls A. The feed roll E is driven by means of a, friction drive mechanism-consisting of a friction disc 34 secured upon the shaft 35 for the feed roll E and a friction wheel 36 carried upon a drive shaft 31 that extends from a gear reduction box 38 driven by a shaft 39 having a sprocket 40 in engagement with the endless chain 4| driven by a sprocket 42 carried upon the drive shaft 22. The friction wheel 36 is carried by a control mechanism 43 that changes the radial position of the friction wheel upon the face of the friction disc 34 so that the speed of'the-friction disc 34 can be changed and thus vary the rate at which the paper webs are withdrawn from the feed rolls A by means of the feed or gripper rolls E and F. This apparatus'is constructed and arranged so that the feed rolls normally supply slightly less than the actual quantity of material being moved through the aligning and creasing mechanism L so that the web loop G gradually shortens. The length of the web loop G changes the setting of the controlmechanism 43 so that it will increase the rate of withdrawal of the paper web from the feed rolls A when the web loop G has decreased in length a predetermined amount. Therefore, the rate of feed of the paper webs through the feed rolls E and F is automatically regulated to maintain the web loop G at a predetermined length.

The mechanism thus far described is adapted to withdraw paper webs from the supply rolls A, the paper webs being perforated at regular intervals transversely thereof, or provided with a line of weakness transversely thereof so that they will fold or crease more readily at predetermined spaced points along the length of the web. These prepared webs are drawn through the feed rolls and supplied to the slack producing mechanism K. When the creasing and aligning blades 21 of the creasing and aligning mechanism L are about to engage a pair of cooperating rollers 28 to crease the paper webs therebetween, there is required a certain amount of slack in the paper web between the'creasing and aligning mechanism L and the slack rolls E because at this instant there is required an increased length of paper web to absorb the movement of the web in the creasing operation. The slack roll 33 is provided with a recess therein that is adapted to be adjacent the opposing slack roll at the instant the aligning and creasing blade 21 enters the space between cooperating rollers 28 so that the paper web above the creasing and aligning mechanism L can move more rapidly with respect to the slack producing mechanism K. The weight of the web above the creasing and aligning mechanism L will cause a whipping action in the 'web to cause movement between adjacent paper webs and thus align the same across the edge of the aligning blades 21 to place adjacent form faces in juxtaposition. The assembled paper web, upon leaving the creasing and aligning mechanism L is ready to be folded into a fan-fold or accordian type of pack.

As shown in Figure 2, the creased and aligned webs B leave-the creasing and aligning mechanism L in a downward vertical direction. In order to provide for continuous operation of the machine it is then necessary to alter the course of movement of the assembled webs B so that they can be folded by the folding apparatus M and be discharged in a manner that their discharge will not be obstructed, whereby any length of web can be continuously folded by the foldingapparatus M and be discharged therefrom continuously or be removed in predetermined lengths without stopping the operation of the creasing and aligning portion of the machine. 7

As shown in Figure 2, the assembled webs B extend around a roller or rod 44 that is disposed upon an angle of 45 with respect to a transverse line of the paper web B, whereby the paper web B will be caused to turn at right angles and be discharged from the machine in a horizontal direction for entry into the folding apparatus M disposed adjacent a side of the frame ill of the machine.

The folding apparatus (see Figures 3 and 4) consists of a frame 45 having a pair of shafts 46 and 41 supported therein adapted to carry the rollers 48 and 49 respectively. The assembled paper webs B enter the folding apparatus M between the rollers 48 and 49 that are retained in frictional engagement with the assembled webs B l webs B from passing between the wheels 54, 55

by means of the spring 50, that continuously urges the arms in opposite direction, and thus urges the rollers 48 and 49 into adjacent relationship. A pair of shafts 52 and 53 are disposed within the frame Iii, and carry wheels 54 and 55 respectively, that have

endless belts

56 and 1 51 respectively extending betweenthe wheels 54 and 55 and the rollers 48 and-49 respectively. The endless belts 56 and 51 prevent the assembled and 48, 49.

The wheels 54, 55 are semi-cylindrical in con- I tour, or half-moon shaped, and are positioned with respect to the web pack being folded therebeneath that the surface of the wheels 54 and 55 engages the fold line in the assembled webs B to iron the same smoothly against the web pack the wheels 54 and 55 are adjustable with respect 10 secured to the end thereof.

to one another so that they can be spaced further apart or closer together than shown in the drawings. The shafts 52 and 53 of the wheels 54 and are carried in blocks and N that ride in slots 62 and 6212 respectively provided in the frame 45. Suitable means is provided for securing the blocks in position upon the frame 45.

To maintain edge alignment of the folded assem'bled webs B the plates 63 are provided adjacent opposite folded edges of the web pack. These plates are carried upon pins 64 and are pivoted thereto so that the fingers 65, extending between the wheels 54 and 55, may constantly engage the folded edges of the web pack. Springs 66 oppose outward movement of the aligning plates 63. and inward movement of the plates is prevented by means bf a stop 61 engaged by a pin 58 carried by the aligning plates 63.

The folding apparatus M is positioned adjacent one side of the frame [0 ofthe machine as shown in Figures 2 and 6. The folding apparatus is supported upon a bracket 59 secured to the frame It] in a manner that the assembled webs B will enter thefolding apparatus with the edge of the assembled webs extending vertically. The shaft 41 of the folding apparatus extends beyond the gear trains provided on one face of the frame of the folding apparatus and has a beveled gear The beveled gear Hiengages a similar beveled gear ll secured upon the end of the shaft 22 extending transversely from the frame I 0, whereby the folding apparatus M is driven synchronously with the web aligning and creasing mechanism L.

A table 12 is disposed adjacent the folding apparatus M upon which the folded web pack is adapted to be discharged from the folding apparatus. As shown in Figure 2, the assembled webs B leave the aligning and creasing mechanism L in a vertical direction. The assembled webs then pass around the angularly disposed rod 44 so that the assembled webs now move at right angles to the former direction of movement to enter the condition as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, so that the folded web pack stands upon the longitudinal edge of the assembled webs. The web pack discharges from the folding apparatus in a horizontal movement that is transverse to the frame I of the machine. By discharging the folded pack in this manner upon the horizontal table I2, any length of folded web pack can be discharged from the folding apparatus without stopping the machine. Therefore, the productive capacity of the machine is greatly increased.

An angle plate I5 is positioned upon an edge thereof against the face of the folded web pack being discharged from the folding apparatus M. The angle plate provides sufficient resistance to the movement of the web pack to retain the folds of the pack in adjacent relationship. If it should be desired to remove a section of the folded web pack, an angle plate 13a can be positioned between the folds of the web pack at any suitable position along the length of the pack to include as many forms as desired. A perforated edge of the web pack is then severed as shown at I5 to separate theweb pack between the angle plates I8 and 13a from the portion of the web pack that is discharging from the folding apparatus M. The portion of the web pack between the angle plates 18 and 18a can now be removed from adjacent relationship with respect to the folding apparatus M. This operation can be performed without stopping the operation of the machine which will therefore continuously align, crease and fold the assembled webs B. Such an arrangement is desirable because each time the machine is stopped to remove the folded webs, in packs of desiredsize, a certain production capacity is lost. Also starting and stopping of the machine often causes the webs to break and requiring that the webs shall be re-threaded through the machine, again losing production capacity. If the operation of the aligning, creasing and folding mechanism can be maintained continuously, these troubles are eliminated.

The supply rolls A" ar supported upon shafts 18 that are positioned within slots I'I provided in arms '18 extending from the frame I0. A brake wheel I9 is secured upon the end of each of the shafts 18.. A brake shoe 80 iscarried upon a U-shaped strap member 8| and is disposed adjacent the brake wheel 18. One end of the U- strap 8| extends through a slot 82 in a pin 88 the speed of rotation of the supply roll A. This operation will occur at any time during which the machine is in operation. However, this operation particularly valuable whenever the machine is stopped because the supply rolls A obtain a certain amount of momentum when the ma-' chine is operating that will permit the rolls A to coast after the feeding mechanism for the web has stopped operation, whereby considerable length of the web B will rest loosely within the machine. This is not a desirable condition when restarting the machine. Therefore, the operation of the brake when the machine is stopped, prevents the loose length of web within the machine at this time.

In Figures 11 to 16 there is shown an arrangement wherein the assembled webs'B are changed in their direction-of movement froma position of the machine and directed forwardly thereof secured to the arm 18 and is fastenedto a block 84 having a set screw .85 extending therethrough into engagement with the pin 8|. end of the U-strap 8I is provided with a flange 86 disposed at right angles to the U-strap 8I and rests upon a pin 81- having an eccentric shank portion 88 (see Fi ure 10) that is rotatably supported in a hole 89 provided in the arm 18.

The shank 88 has a reduced diameter portion 80 extending therefrom, that is threaded to receive a nut 9| that engages the shoulder 82 to retain the eccentric portion 88 within the hole 89. An arm 93 is secured upon the reduced diameter portion 80 and has a roller 94 adapted to engage the web B leaving the supply roll A. The web B is provided with a slack loop R therein to receive the roller 94.

If the web B should be discharged from the supply roll too rapidly, the slack loop B. would increase the-length thus permitting the arm 83 to fall and rotate the pin 81 upon the eccentric portion 88 to thereby lift the brake shoe 80 into engagement with the brake wheel I9, thus reducing The opposite instead of transversely as heretofore described. In this form of the apparatus, the aligning and creasing mechanism L is the same as heretofore described as well as all the feeding mechanism for directing the plurality of webs B into the aligning and creasing mechanism L. v

The assembled web's B leave the aligning and creasing mechanism L in a downward direction and pass over a roller I00 disposed at an angle of 45 transversely of the assembled webs B so that the webs will move at a right angle to their former direction of movement. The assembled webs B then pass around a vertical roller IM to again change their direction of movement at right angles to the former movement so that the webs will be directed forwardly with respect to the frame I0 of the machine, but with the plane of the webs extending vertically, The assembled webs B then enter the folding apparatus M for arranging the same into a folded web pack in the same manner as heretofore described.

The roller I00 is carried upon a frame I02 that has angle bars I08 and I04 extending therefrom into engagement with a rod I05 having a threaded portion I06 that engages a collar I01 secured to the angle bar I04, and is threaded upon the threaded ro'd I 08. The rod I05 is supported within arms I08 secured to the frame I0 and is provided with collars I08 engaging the arms I08 to frame I02 engages a guide member. Thus rotation of the rod I05 causes vertical movement of i theframe I02 to position the roller I00 with respect to the folding apparatus M so that the assembledwebs B passing thereover can be centered with respect to the folding apparatus M when the-width of the webs being fed through the machine is changed.

The mechanism of the folding apparatus M is the same as heretofore described but the source of power for actuating the same is derived from the aligning and creasing mechanism in a slightly different manner. The drive shaft 22 of the aligning and creasing mechanism is provided with a spur gear III that engages a spur gear H2 secured to a shaft I I3 supported upon brackets I I4 secured to the frame of the folding mechanism M. A beveled gear H5 is secured upon the shaft I I3 to engage the beveled gear I I6 provided on the end of the shaft 41 extending from the folding mechanismM. A suitable cover I" encloses the gear trains for the folding mecha nismM.

statuses The folding mechanism M is supported upon the frame II) of the machine by suitable brackets II8.

A table I20 is disposed adjacent the folding mechanism M. The table consists of a pair of endless chains I2I extending between sprockets I22 and I23 adjacent opposite sides of the folding apparatus M and extending forwardly thereof. A plurality of plates I24 are pivotally connected between the parallel adjacent chains I2I to interconnect the same. These plates I24 are provided with ears I25 adjacent opposite edges thereof adapted to be secured to a hinge pin I26 of the chains I2I. The plates are 'pivotally connected at spaced intervals along the chains I2I so that when in position as shown in Figure 14 the plates 24 will rest upon the upper face of the upper chain, and when the plates are disposed below the lower portion of the chain they are positioned in a vertical arrangement as shown in Figure 15, as the endless chains pass over the sprockets I22 and I23 the plates arrange themselves in their respective positions as shown in Figure 11 so that when they are above the upper chain the plates provide a smooth table adapted to receive the folded pack of webs that is being discharged from the folding apparatus M. The surface of the table I20 moves in the same direction of movement as the discharge of the folded pack from the folding apparatus M due to the frictional engagement of the pack upon the surface of the plates I24. By allowing the table I20 to move, the bottom edges of the folded pack are not damaged due to any sliding engagement with a table surface.

When it is desired to remove a pack of folded forms from the table I20 an angle plate I21 can be inserted between adjacent folded forms and the edge severed to permit removal of a predetermined number of folded forms in the same manner as previously described.

While the surface of the table I20 is preferably moved by the frictional engagement of the folded web forms being discharged from the folding apparatus M to perfectly synchronize the movement of the table surface with the movement of the web pack, yet the sprockets I22, I23 carrying the chains I2I can readily be connected to a suitable driving means for power driving the surface of the table I20. The driving connection can be made directly to the motor II for the machine or suitable power take-01f gears can be arranged between the sprockets I2I or I23 and any of the other rotating gears of the machine, it being necessary only to provide a proper gear ratio between the driving means and the sprockets to advance the table at the proper rate of speed for synchronizing the movement thereof with the discharge of the web pack from the folding apparatus M.

While the form of the apparatus disclosed here- I 1. A machine for folding a plurality of paper webs into a fan-folded pack including, means for collating and feeding a plurality of paper webs into adjacent relationship, means for creasing and aligning the adjacent webs to place forms printed thereon in superposed relationship and creasing the plurality of webs periodically to place the creases in the webs in a determined spaced relationship, said creasing and aligning means being positioned vertically to discharge the plurality of paper webs therefrom in a vertical plane, means engaged by the paper webs upon discharge from the creasing and aligning means for changing the direction of travel of the webs with regard to their direction of discharge from the creasing and aligning means to position the webs in a vertical plane edgewise thereof, folding means for receiving said webs in said vertical plane position for folding the webs on the creaselines thereof to form a fan-folded pack with the crease lines extending vertically, and means disposed adjacent said folding means to receive the folded web as discharged from the folding means positioned on a longitudinal edge thereof.

2. A machine for folding a plurality of paper webs into a fan-folded pack including, means for collating and feeding a pluralityof paper webs into adjacent relationship, means for creasing and aligning the adjacent webs to place forms printed thereon in superposed relationship and creasing the plurality of webs periodically to place the creases in the webs in a determined spaced relationship,-said creasing and aligning means being positioned vertically to discharge the plurality of paper webs therefrom in a vertical plane, means engaged by the paper webs upon discharge from the creasing and aligning means for changing the direction of travel of the webs 90 with regard to their direction of discharge from the creasing and aligning means to position the webs in a vertical plane edgewise thereof and to direct the webs in a horizontal direction for subsequent folding and stacking horizontally upon a longitudinal edge of the webs, folding means for receiving said webs in said vertical plane position for folding the webs alternately on the crease-lines thereof while retaining the webs vertically whereby to form a fanfolded pack having sheets thereof supported on a longitudinal edge thereof with the crease lines extending vertically, and means positioned adja v cent said folding means to receive the fan-folded pack as discharged therefrom and support the same upon the edges of the sheets.

3. A machine for folding a plurality *of paper webs into a fan-folded pack including, means for collating and feeding a plurality of paper webs into adjacent relationship, means for creasing and aligning the adjacent Webs to place forms printed thereon in superposed relationship and creasing the plurality of webs periodically to place the creases in the webs in a determined spaced relationship, said creasing and aligning means being positioned vertically to discharge the plurality of paper webs therefrom in a vertical plane, means engaged by the paper webs upon discharge from the creasing and aligning means for changing the direction of travel of the webs 90 with regard to their direction of discharge from the creasing and aligning means to position the webs in a vertical plane edgewise thereof, folding means for receiving said webs in said vertical plane position for folding the webs alternately on the now vertical crease-lines thereof while retaining the plane of the webs vertically whereby to form an edge supported fan-folded pack having sheets thereof disposed in vertical planes with the crease lines positioned vertically. and a movable horizontal table means disposed adjacent said folding means movable by the frictional engagement of the fan-folded pack spaced relationship, said creasing and aligning means being positioned'vertically to discharge the plurality of paper-webstherefrom in a vertical plane, means engaged by the paper webs upon discharge from the creasing and aligning means for changing the direction of travel of the webs 90 with regard to their directionof discharge from the creasing and aligning means to' position the webs in a vertical plane edgewise thereof, folding means for receiving said webs in said vertical plane position for folding the webs alternately on the now vertical crease-lines thereof while retaining the plane of the webs vertically wherebyto form an edge supported fanfolded pack having sheets-thereof disposed in vertical planes withthe'crease lines extending vertically, and a movable horizontal table means disposed adjacent said folding means consisting of a pair 'of endless belts having horizontally disposed sections extending therebetween for supporting the fan-folded pack as discharged from the folding means and movable therewith as discharged to prevent movement between the fanfolded pack and the table to thereby eliminate frictional movement of the pack over the table that would damage the edges of the pack.

CLAYTON E. WYRICK.