US3067997A

US3067997A - Strip folding device

Info

Publication number: US3067997A
Application number: US53805A
Authority: US
Inventors: John D Gearheart
Original assignee: Clary Corp
Current assignee: Clary Corp
Priority date: 1960-09-02
Filing date: 1960-09-02
Publication date: 1962-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 1979-12-11
Also published as: GB947819A

Description

Dec. 11, 1962 J. n. GEARHEART STRIP FOLDING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2, 1960 2 L. II

HmWmHuunuU iiliiiil iii III [III "I I'M/alumna JOHN a sue/aver 7 A770A=WV FIE- l Dec. 11, 1962 J. D. GEARHEART 3,

STRIP FOLDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 2; 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 47 F /0/ I 44 a? 7 32 1 4.2 9/ I I /Y 40 42 a g5) I I I :7

, ye as 5 [AWE/V702 Dec. 11, 1962 J. D. GEARHEART 3,067,997

STRIP FOLDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 2, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 iliiliiiiiliiiilii I ATTOE/VE) United States Patent Ofi ice 3,067,997 Patented Dec. 11, 1962 3,067,997 STRIP FOLDING DEVICE John D. Gearheart, Baldwin Park, Calif., assignor to Clary Corporation, San Gabriel, Calif a corporation of California Filed Sept. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 53,805 8 Claims. (Cl. 27079) This invention relates to folding devices for strips of paper or the like and has particular reference to devices for folding strips in a fan-fold or accordion fashion. Quite often, paper strips used in ofiice machines such as bookkeepers, printers and the like are provided with uniformly spaced, perforated or otherwise weakened fold lines which, when the strip is fed downwardly by gravity into a container, assumes a fan-fold shape. That is, successive folds occur in reverse order so as to stack the various strip sections.

Although such gravity-fed, fan-folding arrangements work satisfactorily in general, they require that the container be so arranged that the strip is fed downwardly thereinto. This requires a definite arrangement of the container relative to the remainder of the equipment and also takes up considerable space. A further drawback to this equipment is found where the equipment is mounted on unstable vehicles, such as trucks, etc., which are subject to considerable acceleration forces and are often required to traverse uneven terrain where a rocking motion might cause the paper to become tangled or otherwise folded improperly. Further, such gravity-fed arrangements would be inoperative when used in space vehicles outside the influence of gravity.

Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to fan-fold a strip of paper or the like without resorting to gravity.

Another object is to provide a device for positively guiding a strip of paper or the like into a fan-folded shape.

Another object is to arrange a means whereby an accumulating device which operates at a constantly varying speed may accumulate paper being supplied at a constant rate of speed.

A further object is to provide a relatively simple and compact device for guiding a strip of paper or the like into a fan-folded shape.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention are accomplished will be readily understood on reference to the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation view of a machine embodying a preferred form of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FiG. 3 a sectional elevation view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the folding accumulator in an alternate position.

FIG. 4 shows an alternate means for driving the folding accumulator.

FIG. 5 shows a sample of a fan-fold type paper strip.

Generally speaking, a paper strip 11 (FIG. 1) is fed upwardly from a supply roll (not shown), beneath a spring pressure clip 12, between a type cylinder 13 and platen hammers 14, and under a second spring pressure clip 15. The clips 12 and 15 are effective to press the strip 11 against the surface of a hammer supporting block and thus exert a friction drag on the strip.

The paper strip used in this machine is of the well known fan-fold type, wherein the strip has been weakened at equal increments by perforating across the strip, as shown at 57 in FIG. 5, for ease of folding the strip in a fan-fold fashion.

The type cylinder 13 and hammers 14 may constitute upper position as illustrated in FIG. 1.

tor downwardly until the discs reach their lowermost posiany well known type of selective printer construction such as that disclosed and claimed in the US. patent to Witt et 211., No. 2,915,968, issued on December 8, 1959.

From the clip 15, the strip passes around a friction roller 16, through a first guide chute 17 to a feed sprocket 18. Sprocket pins 19 on the latter feed the strip 11 into a bubble or cavity 21 formed in a second guide chute or guide way 22 in preparation for being transferred to an accumulator assembly, generally indicated at 23.

The frictional roller 16 is comprised of a cylinder 24 having a pair of spaced bands 25 around its outer periphery, the bands having a slightly larger outer diameter than the feed sprocket 18, and being formed of a material such as rubber, etc., having suitable friction gripping characteristics. The cylinder 24 is mounted on a shaft 20 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings (not shown) in machine side frames 26 and 27 and is intermittently driven by means (not shown) in timed relationship with the type cylinder 13.

The feed sprocket 18 is mounted on a rotatable shaft 29 journalled'in bearings (not shown) in the machine side frames. The sprocket preferably has two rows of sprocket pins 19, said rows being positioned at opposite ends of the sprocket for engaging holes 31 in the paper strip 11 (FIG. 5).

The paper strip 11 generally is extended between the clip 15 and the sprocket 18, but during such time that the sprocket 18 is advancing the paper strip 11, said strip will become tensioned between said sprocket pins 19 and said clip 15 whereby said strip will contact the gripping bands 25 of the friction roller 16 and since the bands have a faster peripheral speed than the sprocket 18 it will advance the strip slightly ahead of the sprocket thereby relieving any tension between the strip and feed pins 19 to prevent tearing or enlarging of the holes 31.

The foregoing construction comprising the combined sprocket and overdriving friction roller for advancing a paper strip is disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Busch et al., Serial No. 788,969, filed on January 26, 1959.

The paper accumulator or carriage 23 comprises a frame member 32 which is movable in a reciprocating manner, being guided by a set of attached rollers 33 which ride in

grooves

34 and 35 formed in the respective side frames 26 and 27.

A- set of retaining or registering pins 37 rigidly project'- ing at right angles from the vertical plane of the member 32 pass through respective holes formed in a pressure pad or plate 38. The pins are aligned with certain desired holes 31 in the paper strip 11 thereby allowing the pins 37 to pass through the strip and end in respective grooves or detents 39 and 40 (FIG. 2) in an accumulator guide wall or track 41, whose plane extends parallel to the pad 38 and at right angles to the length of the guide chute 22.

The presser plate 38 is urged along the pins 37 toward the track plate by compression springs 42, there being one of the springs 42 surrounding each of the pins 37.

The drive means for the reciprocating accumulator member 32 comprises a pair of discs 43 mounted at opposite ends of a rotatable shaft 44. Such discs have loosely pinned thereto links 45, whose opposite ends are connected through couplings 46 to the member 32. The discs are driven by the shaft 20 through an endless belt 47 wrapped over pulleys 1-00 and 101 fastened on the shafts 2t) and 44, respectively.

At the beginning of a cycle, member 32 will be in its As the discs 43 begin to rotate, the links 45 will move the accumula- 3 tions, illustrated in FIG. 3, and as the discs continue to rotate, the links will return the accumulator back to its upper position.

An endless cog belt 51 is engaged with a gear wheel 52 of the roller 16 and also with a gear wheel 53.mounted on the'sprocket shaft 29 to drive the sprocket 18 in timed relation with the roller 16.

The strip is so arranged in the machine that when the accumulator is in its upper position a weakened portion 57 will be positioned at a point 58, so that as the accumulator starts its downward stroke, the strip will readily fold at such point and will move downwardly creasing the strip fold between a second guide wall or track 59 and a previous strip fold.

As the accumulator continues its downward movement, the crease along the perforated line will stiffen the strip already on the accumulator so that it will draw the strip out of the cavity 21 to be picked up and stacked on the pins 37.

As the lowermost pins 37 sweep past the throat of the chute 22, they will enter aligned holes 31 in the strip to positively drive the following section of the strip downwardly. When the accumulator reaches the end of its downward movement and begins its upward stroke the strip will again be creased as aforedescribed, and during the upward movement another section will be stacked onto the pins 37 of the accumulator.

The caviety 21 is provided in the chute 22 to compensate for the over-feed of the strip during respective intervals of time by the sprocket 18, resulting from the sprocket feeding the strip at a constant rate of speed while the accumulator is moving at a varying rate of speed resulting from the harmonic motion developed between the discs 43 and the accumulator 23.

During the initial movement of the accumulator from either end of its stroke, the paper strip will form a bow in the cavity 21 due to the fact that the sprocket 18 will at that time be traveling at a higher peripheral speed than the accumulator. However, during the mid portion of its stroke the accumulator will be traveling at a higher rate of speed and will therefore withdraw such bow from the cavity.

It should be noted that even though the accumulator moves at a constantly changing rate of speed, its driving means is so arranged that the total linear movement of the accumulator during any one of its cycles is equal to the linear feed of the strip by the sprocket 18 during that same cycle.

At the end of a machine operation, the operator may remove the accumulated strip by removing a pin 91 which passes through the side frames 26 and 27 and

tabs

92 and 93 of theplate 41 to thereby allow the plate 41 to pivot counterclockwise about pins 94 so as to enable access to the accumulated strip.

Shown in FIG. 4 is an alternate means of drive for the accumulator which eliminates the harmonic motion aforedescribed and therefore eliminates the necessity of the cavity 21. Such means comprise a pair of mutilated gears 95 and related racks 196, one set of which is shown in FIG. 4, wherein the gear 95 is mounted on the shaft 44 in place of the discs 43. The gear rack 196 straddles the gear 95 and is connected through the coupling 46 to the member 32. The rack is guided for vertical reciproeating movement by fixed pins 103 embraced by a slot 104 in the rack.

Duringthe beginning of a cycle, the gear 95 is rotated clockwise in the same manner as aforedescribed for the discs 43. As the gear rotates, teeth 96 thereofmesh with teeth 97 of the rack 196 thereby driving said rack and accumulator in a downward stroke.

The gear 95 is so made that it can only supply a driving force from the teeth 96 to the teeth 97 during the first half of its rotation to drive the rack to the bottom-of its sal we dwinsl e Second ha at s, t t o the teeth 96 will mesh with teeth 98 of the rack thereby re turning said rack to its upper position. As the shaft 44 continues to rotate, the reciprocating motion will be supplied to the accumulator thereby driving said accumulator 47 at constant rate of speed.

Although the invention has been described herein in detail and certain specific terms and languages have been used, it is to be understood that the present disclosure isillustrative rather than restrictive and that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is desired to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A strip folding device comprising means forming a guide way for a strip, a stationary guide wall extending in opposite directions from one end of said guide way, said guide wall extending rectilinearly, a fan-folding accumulator for receiving said strip from said guide way, means for reciprocating said accumulator along said guide wall and past said guide way whereby to form and accumulate folds of said strip, means on said accumulator for yieldably pressing accumulated folds of said strip against said guide wall, and means on said accumulator for retaining folds of said strip.

2. A strip folding device comprising means forming a guide way for a strip, a stationary guide wall extending in opposite directions from one end of said guide way, a fan-fold accumulator for receiving said strip from said guide way, means for reciprocating said accumulator along said guide wall and past said guide way whereby to form and accumulate folds of said strip, and means other than said reciprocating means for thrusting said strip through said guide way in time with said reciprocating means.

3. A strip folding device comprising means forming a guide way for a strip, means for feeding said strip at a predetermined rate through said stationary guide way, a guide wall extending in opposite directions and at right angles to said guide way at one end thereof, said guide wall extending rectilinearly, a fan-fold accumulator for receiving said strip from said guide way, means other than said feeding means for reciprocating said accumulator in time with said feeding means along said guide wall and past said guide way whereby to form and accumulate folds of said strip, means on said accumulator for yieldably pressing accumulated folds of said strip against said guide wall, and means for retaining accumulated folds on said accumulator.

4. A strip folding device comprising means forming a guide way, for a strip having perforations therealong, a track extending in one direction and at right angles from one end of said guide way, a second track extending in the opposite direction from said end of said guide way, afan-fold accumulator for receiving said strip from said guide way, means for reciprocating said accumulator along said tracks from a position aligned with one of said tracks to a position aligned with the other said tracks whereby to form and accumulate folds of said strip, a plurality of registering pins on said accumulator for receiving said perforations in said folds of said strip, a presser pad slideable on said pins, and spring means for urging said pad toward said tracks whereby to press accumulated folds of said strip against said tracks.

5. A strip folding device comprising a pair of rectilinearly extending coextensive stationary strip guide tracks defining an opening therebetween, means for guiding a strip into said opening, a fan-fold accumulator for receiving said strip, means for reciprocating said accumulator along said tracks and past said opening whereby to fold said strip in fan-fold fashion, and means on said accumulator for supporting and retaining the fan folded portions of said strip.

6. A strip folding device comprising a pair of coextensive strip guide tracks defining an opening therebetween, a chute for guiding a strip into said opening, means aces/e97 for thrusting said strip endwise through said chute at a constant rate of speed, a fan-folding accumulator for receiving said strip, means for reciprocating said accumulator at a constantly varying rate of speed along said tracks and past said opening whereby to fold said strip in fan-fold fashion, said chute having a cavity therein for accumulating overfeed of said strip at such time that said accumulator is moving at a slower rate of speed than said strip.

7. A strip folding device comprising means forming a guide Way for a strip having perforations therealong, a track extending in one direction and at right angles to one end of said guide way, a second track extending in the opposite direction from said end of said guide way, a fanfold accumulator for receiving said strip from said guide way, means for reciprocating said accumulator along said tracks from a position aligned with one of said tracks to a position aligned with the other of said tracks whereby to form and accumulate folds of said strip, a plurality of registering pins on said accumulator for receiving said perforations in said folds of said strip, a presser pad carried by said accumulator, spring means for urging said pad toward said tracks whereby to press accumulated folds of said strip against said tracks, and means for thrusting said strip endwise through said guide way.

8. A strip feeding device comprising means forming a guide way for a strip having perforations therealong, a

track extending in one direction and at right angles from one end of said guide way, a second track extending in the opposite direction from said end of said guide Way, a fan-fcld accumulator for receiving said strip from said guide way, means for thrusting said strip endwise at a constant rate of speed through said guide way, means for reciprocating said accumulator at a varying rate of speed along said tracks from a position aligned with one of said tracks to a position aligned with the other of said tracks whereby to form and accumulate folds of said strip, a plurality of registering pins on said accumulator for receiving said perforations in said folds of said strip, a presser pad carried by said accumulator, and spring means for urging said pad toward said tracks whereby to press accumulated folds of said strip against said track, said guide Way having a cavity therein for accumulating overfeed of said strip at such time that said accumulator is moving at a slower rate of speed than the portion of said strip being thrust through said guide way by said thrust ing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,440,209 Redman Apr. 20, 1948 2,685,357 Koreska Aug. 3, 1954 2.963.291 Norrholm Dec, 6, 1960