US3106505A

US3106505A - Web folding and sealing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3106505A
Application number: US54702A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lloyd F Plummer; Joseph R Hermann
Original assignee: Moore Business Forms Inc
Current assignee: Moore Business Forms Inc
Priority date: 1960-09-08
Filing date: 1960-09-08
Publication date: 1963-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 1980-10-08

Description

OGL 8, 1963 L. F. PLUMMER ETAL 3,106,505

WEB FOLDING AND SEALING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 8, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l @L ff:

u E A l a .--jfff -H z /25 M' i f7 .0

#M M q( WW'ATTORNEYS OC- 8, 1963 1 F. PLUMMER ETAL 3,106,505

WEB FOLDING AND SEALING APPARATUS Filed sep'i. 8, 1960 2 sheets-Sheet 2 'I Z5 T --f-TW J fa ATTORNEYS United States Patent O Delaware Filed Sept. 8, 19619, Ser. No. 54,7 02 Claims. (Cl. 156-461) This invention relates to a web folding and sealing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for forming a longitudinal fold in a paper web and heat sealing the back of the paper together to form laminated post cards.

Bills for services by utility and other companies are frequently in the form of post cards. In the past it has been customary to print a standard format on both the front and reverse sides of these post cards. The post cards were then run through a tabulating machine twice to Write the addressing information on the front of the post card. and the billing information on the reverse side of the post card. Such procedures necessitated two passes through the printing press and two passes through the tabulating machine. An obvious economy could be effected if it were possible to reduce the number of passes through the printing press and tabulating machine to one each.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide an apparatus for longitudinally folding and heat sealing a web of paper containing printed matter to form articles with printed matter on both sides thereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus which will form laminated post cards from a web of paper printed in the required format on the front side and coated with a heat sensitive or thermally active adhesive on the back side.

It is a further objective of this invention to provide an apparatus for folding and heat sealing a one-part form to make a web of laminated post cards.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention contemplates an apparatus for folding and sealing a paper web coated on one side with a heat sensitive adhesive and including a forming funnel, chute or guide for forming a longitudinal fold in the web to bring the adhesive coated halves together and a pair of heated platens for engaging opposite sides of the folded web to activate the adhesive. A -pair of driven rollers are provided for drawing the web through the forming chute and between the platens and for squeezing the web halves together to effect a final bond therebetween. A pin feed device is utilized as a guide to insure proper alignment of the folded web as it passes between the heated platens. A cam and lever device is also provided for separating the platens to facilitate easy threading of the machine.

Other objects, advances, and novel features of the invention will become readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of an apparatus embodying the principal features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view, partially in section, of the upper portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 and illustrating to advantage the path of the web through the folding and sealing apparatus of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is an end elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 and is taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the forming chute which elfects the longitudinal fold in the web;

ICC

FIGURE 6 is a section view, somewhat enlarged, taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line '7-7 of FIG. 2 and illustrating the adjustable nature of the pin feed device utilized to insure proper alignment of the folded web with respect to the heated platens. A

Attention now is directed to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate like parts throughout the several views and in particular to FIGS. l to 3 wherein is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention comprising a base supporting frame 1t?y having a forming funnel, chute or guide, generally designated by the reference numeral 11, mounted on the side thereof by means of brackets 12. The lower or entrance portion of the chute 11 is substantially flat while the upper corners are bent inwardly to dene overhanging portions which serve to guide and confine the edges of a web of paper passing therethrough. These overhanging portions are best illustrated in FIG. 6, and the lateral edge portions will be described presently in connection with the operation of the device.

Positioned adjacent the slot 14 and secured to the base 10 is a sheet metal guide 1S. The guide serves to guide a folded web emerging from the slot 14 around a right angle turn and onto a table or surface 19 forming the top of the base 1i). A pin feed type mechanism 20 is positioned Within a recess 21 formed in the surface 19. Pins 22 of the pin mechanism 20 project beyond the upper surface of the table 19 and are adapted to engage perforated or apertured edges formed on the web being folded and sealed.

A fixed heater platen 24 is secured within an opening in the base 10 with the upper surface thereof lying in the plane of the table 19. A movable heater platen 25 is pivotally mounted with respect to the base 10 by means of pivot arm 26 and pivot pin 28. The

platens

24 and 25 are adapted to be heated and thermostatically controlled in any suitable manner.

A cam 29 is pivotally mounted on the base 10 by means of a pivot pin 30 and is provided with a hand lever 31 which may be actuated to impart oscillatory movement to lthe cam 29. The movable platen 25 is provided with a pivotally mounted cam follower roller 32 which is so positioned as to be in rolling contact with an upper surface 34 of the cam 29. Thus, oscillatory movement of the cam 29 serves to raise and lower the movable platen 25 a limited distance due to the fact that the center of curvature of the vsurface 34 is displaced from the axis of the pivot pin 30. The movable platen 25 is also provided with an insulated handle 35 which may be utilized to pivot the platen 25 completely away from the platen 24 in order to facilitate cleaning of the platens.

A pair of pulling land se-

aling pressure rollers

36 and 38 are rotatably mounted on the frame 10 :adjacent to the right hand extremity of

platens

24 and 25 as viewed in FIG. 2. The

rollers

36 and 38 are preferably springloaded steel rollers. A motor 39 is provided for the purpose of driving the

rollers

36 and 38 to draw' the web of paper through the machine.

Operation which facilitate the formation of a longitudinal fold. The web 4t) has further been' provided with spaced, laterally directed perforations 42 which facilitate detaching the individual post cards when the forming and sealing operation has been completed. A standard format for both sides of the completed post card has been printed on the reverse side of the web 40 (as viewed in FIG. 2) in a single pass through Ia printing press. The addressing iand vbilling information for `both sides of the completed post card has also been written on the reverse side of the web 40 in a single pass through la tabulating machine. The edges of :the web 4t) are provided with spaced apertures 44 which are adapted to be engaged by pin feed mechanism 20. Thus prepared, the web 40 is ready for the operations to be performed by the apparatus of the present invention.

An end of the web 4() is iirst inserted into the lower end of the chute 11 so that the edges thereof `are engaged by the overhanging portions defined by the turned in edges 15 fand 16 of the chute 11. The end of the web 4i) is then moved upwardly until it emerges from the slot 14. The end of the web will then be folded along the longitudinal perforations 41 with the adhesive surfaces in abutting engagement and with both sets of apertures 44 coinciding. The end of the web is then pulled around the guide 18 and placed on the surface of the table 19 so that the -pins 22 of the pin feed mechanism 2t) engage the apertures 44 along the edge of the folded web 40. The mechanism 2t) serves to maintain the folded web in axial alignment with the

platens

24 and 25.

The hand lever 31 is then depressed to move the cam 29 in a counter-clockwise direction to elevate the follower roller 32 and hence the platen 25. The end of the folded web 40 is then slid between

platens

24 and 25 land into engagement with the

pull rollers

36 and 38, which are being driven' slowly by the motor 39. The lever 31 is then elevated to move the cam 29 in a clockwise direction and thus lower the platen 25 into proximity with the folded web 40. At this stage, the machine is threaded up and is ready for operation. Motor 39 is then brought up to operating speed to rotate the

rollers

36 and 38 and pull the web 40 through the machine. As the web 40 passes through the chute 11 it is folded along the perforations 41 as has :been previously described. The web 40 then passes over the guide 18 and into engagement with the pin feed mechanism which ialigns it with respect to the

.platens

24 and 25. As the web 40 passes between the

heated platens

24 and 25, the heat sensitive adhesive is activated. Close engagement between the platens 24 and and the `folded halves of the web 40 may serve to provide fat least some bonding or sealing between the folded halves of the web 40. As the web leaves the

platens

24 and 25, it passes between the pull rollers 36 fand 38. However, the preferred mode of :operation is to rely on the platens only for heating and to utilize the pull rollers 36 land 38 as pressure rollers for effecting the bond. The squeezing of the folded web 40 by the

rollers

36 and 38 serves to eliminate any `air bubbles and perfects the bond or seal between the adhesively joined halves.

After the web 40 has )been passed completely through the machine, the individual sections thereof may be de- -tached along the lateral perforation 42 to form completed post cards which are then ready for mailing. If desired, the edge of the post cards containing the apertures 44 can then be removed prior to mailing although this is not essential.

Although post icards are customarily made to :a standard size, upon occasion it might be desirable to make laminated cards `from webs of various widths. To do this it would simply be necessary to substitute a forming chute 11 of corresponding size. For this purpose, the brackets 12 could be made lin such a manner as to facilitate easy attachment and removal of chutes 11 or varying sizes. It would 'also `be necessary to provide for l lateral adjustment of the pin feed mechanism 20. For this purpose pin feed mechanism 2() is slidably mounted upon rods 45 (FIG. 7) and is provided with set screws 46 which may be used to lock the pin feed mechanism 20 in any of a plurality of lateral positions.

Thus it can be seen that an apparatus has been provided which will make laminated post card forms from a web of adhesively coated paper in a single operation'. The design of the present invention is such that the webs accommodated may be prepared with 'a single printing and a single tabulating operation. The apparatus of the present invention is also readily adaptable to the production of `forms of varying sizes by the simple expedient of substituting one element and making a minor adjustment in Ianother element.

It is to be understood that the above described embodiment is simply illustrative of the principal features of the invention. Numerous other embodiments could be readily devised by those skilled in the art containing the inventive concepts of the present invention and falling within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. An apparatus for the continuous longitudinal and central folding of a web of paper stock coated upon one side with a thermally active adhesive material and bondd ing of the resulting folded halves together, which apparatus comprises a supporting frame; a one-piece forming guide of rigid sheet materia-l carried by said frame and having a substantially flat entrance end portion of a width at least equal to the width of the initial or unfolded web and provided with inturned lateral edges throughout its length beneath which the margins of the entering web move, the guide itself having its opposite end portion doubled over to provide `a narrow exit slot of a length equal to substantially one-half of the Width of the entrance end of the guide and extending in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the entrance end portion, the intermediate portions of the guide curving gradually and symmetrically from one end to the other, the lateral edges of the guide arching inwardly toward each other from the entrance end to substantially meet at one end of the exit slot, the mid-portion of the substantially plantar entrance end `gradually troughing and narrowing toward the discharge end where it ultimately forms the other end of said exit slot; means for guiding the folded web from said exit slot along a surface of said supporting frame; a pair of heated platens between which said folded web is adapted to move whereby the thermally active adhesive is activated to initiate the sealing of the folded halves of the web together; and finally a pair of driven pressure rollers between which the folded heated web is passed, said rollers senving to apply final sealing pressure and acting as pull rollers pull the web past the platens.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim l in which the path of progress of the web through the platens and pull rollers is substantially horizontal, and in which said forming guide is disposed in a substantially vertical position with the entrance end lowermost, whereby the web may be fed upwardly from a source below the guide, and an arcuate guide plate is mounted on said frame adjacent the upper discharge end of the forming guide to guide the folded web through a change of course from the forming guide to the platens.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in -which a pin feed device is interposed `between the curved guide plate and the heating platens on the supporting frame, to engage within a series of openings provided in at least one margin of the folded web.

4. 'Ihe apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the path of progress of the web through the platens and pull rollers is substantially horizontal `and in which one of the platens is fixed to the frame `beneath the web and the other platen is pivoted at one of its ends to the frame to occupy a position above the web, a cam follower roller is carried by the upper platen, and a manually actuatable cam is pivoted to the frame to contact and displace said cam follower to raise said upper platen about its pivot point to pro-vide access ybetween the platens for threading the guide therethrough.

5. As an article of manufacture, a forming guide rfor doubling paper Webs, which comprises a funnel-like piece of rigid sheet material having a substantially flat entrance end portion of a width at least equal to the width of the initial or 'unfolded -Web to be folded and provided with inturned lateral edges throughout its length beneath which the margins of the entering Weib move, the guide itself having its opposite end portion doubled over to provide a narrow exit slot of a length equal to substantially one-'half of the Width of the entrance end of the [guide and extending in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the entrance end portion, the intermediate portions of the :guide curving gradually and symmetrically from one end (to the other, the lateral edges of the guide arching 6 inwardly toward each other from the entrance end to -substantially meet at one end of the exit slot, the mid-portion of the substantially planar entrance end gradually troughing and narrowing toward the discharge end |Where it ultimately forms the other end of said exit slot.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,410,622 Swift Mar. 28, 1922 1,962,257 lNordstrom June 12, 1934 2,145,334 Bergstein Jan. 31, 1939 2,264,707 Meyer Dec. 2, 1941 2,360,973 Pedersen Oct. 24, 1944 2,673,495 Hecker et al. Mar. 30, 1954 2,698,046 Finke Dec. 28, 1954 2,728,439 Murphy etal Dec. 27, 1955 2,956,799 Wassen Oct. 18, 1960` 3,006,800 Lasker et al. Oct. 30, 1961

Claims

1. AN APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS LONGITUDINAL AND CENTRAL FOLDING OF A WEB OF PAPER STOCK COATED UPON ONE SIDE WITH A THERMALLY ACTIVE ADHESIVE MATERIAL AND BONDING OF THE RESULTING FOLDED HALVES TOGEHER, WHICH OPPARATUS COMPRISES A SUPPORTING FRAME; A ONE-PIECE FORMING GUIDE OF RIGID SHEET MATERIAL CARRIED B Y SAID FRAME AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT ENTRANCE END PORTION OF A WIDTH AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF THE INITIAL OR UNFOLDED WEB AND PROVIDED WITH INTURNED LATERAL EDGES THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH BENEATH WHICH THE MARGINS OF THE ENTERING WEB MOVE, THE GUIDE ITSELF HAVING ITS OPPOSITE END PORTION DOUBLED OVER TO PROVIDE A NARROW EXIT SLOT OF A LENGTH EQUAL TO SUBSTANTIALLY ONE-HALF OF THE WIDTH OF THE ENTRANCE END OF THE GUIDE AND EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF THE ENTRANCE END PORTION, THE INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF THE GUIDE CURVING GRADUALLY AND SYMMETRICALLY FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER, THE LATERAL EDGES OF THE GUIDE ARCHING INWARDLY TOWARD EACH OTHER FROM THE ENTRANCE END TO SUBSTANTIALLY MEET AT ONE END OF THE EXIT SLOT, THE MID-PORTION OF THE SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR ENTRANCE END GRADUALLY TROUGHING AND NARROWING TOWARD THE DISCHARGE END WHERE IT ULTIMATELY FORMS THE OTHER END OF SAID EXIT SLOT; MEANS FOR GUIDING THE FOLDED WEB FROM SAID EXIT SLOT ALONG A SURFACE OF SAID SUPPORTING FRAME; A PAIR OF HEATED PLATENS BETWEEN WHICH SAID FOLDED WEB IS ADAPTED TO MOVE WHEREBY THE THERMALLY ACTIVE ADHESIVE IS ACTIVATED TO INITIATE THE SEALING OF THE FOLDED HALVES OF THE WEB TOGETHER; AND FINALLY A PAIR OF DRIVEN PRESSURE ROLLERS BETWEEN WHICH THE FOLDED HEATED WEB IS PASSED, SAID ROLLERS SERVING TO APPLY FINAL SEALING PRESSURE AND ACTING AS PULL ROLLERS PULL THE WEB PAST THE PLATENS.