US3762698A - Drive connection between a printing press and a fanfolding machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A drive connection between a printing press and a fanfolding machine includes a gear connection in a shaft drive allowing advancement or retardation of one section of the shaft with respect to the other. The printing press directly drives the paper feeding portion of the fanfolding machine whereas the timing drive coupling is interposed between the printing press drive and the fold and feeding mechanisms of the fanfolding machine.

Description

United States Patent Thomas Oct. 2, 1973 {54] DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN A 3,563,104 2/1971 SChuSter 74/395 RI SS N A FANFOLDING 2,334,074 ll/l943 Coy 74/675 X MACHINE [75] Inventor: Charles D. Thomas, Hamburg, NY.

[73] Assignee: F. M. Biggar, Jr., Hamburg, NY.

[22] Filed: Dec. 29, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 213,512

[52] [1.8. CI 270/20, 74/395, 74/675, 270/39, 270/61 F, 270/73, 270/79 [51] Int. Cl B4lf 13/56 [58] Field of Search 270/1, 5, 6, 8, 20, 270/39, 79, 61 F, 73; 74/395, 675

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,499,643 3/1970 Biggar, .Ir 270/79 Primary Examinen-Robert W. Michel] Assistant Examiner-L. R. Oremland Att0rney-John P. Snyder et al.

57 ABSTRACT A drive connection between a printing press and a fanfolding machine includes a gear connection in a shaft drive allowing advancement 0r retardation of one section of the shaft with respect to the other. The printing press directly drives the paper feeding portion of the fanfolding machine whereas the timing drive coupling is interposed between the printing press drive and the fold and feeding mechanisms of the fanfolding machine.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENIEUUCT 2 191a SHEET 10F 2 FIG. 2

PAIENTED 2|973 SHEET 2 BF 2 DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN A PRINTING PRESS AND A FANFOLDING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In prior U. 8. Pat. No. 3,499,643, a fanfolding machine is disclosed for accepting paper from a printing press and to fold this paper at predetermined spaced transverse lines along the length of the web received from the printing press. Because of the requirement for initial set up in any event and to allow for different lengths of fold, it was necessary to make provision for adjustment in the timing between the paper feed and the folding apparatus. These adjustments being normally effected by conventional means were time consuming and required that the folding machine as well as the press be shut down during such timing operations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a drive connection and power train arrangement between a printing press and the fan folding machine incorporates a fixed drive between the printing press and the paper feeding portion of the fanfolding machine whereby irrespective of any variations of the speed of the printing press, the fanfolding machine is always feeding paper at the proper rate with respect thereto whereby neither too much tension is developed between the two machines nor does a loop between them develop. In order to accommodate for the proper timing of the folding mecha nism with respect to the paper received from the press, even while the press and fanfolding machine are operating, one shaft of the machine is in effect in two sections relatively movable rotationally with respect to each other and adjustable coupling means joins these sections.

The adjustable coupling features irreversible worm drive connections and an electric motor to effect such drive, the electric motor being carried by one shaft section and coupled through the worm drive or drives through the other section. Suitable slip rings are utilized to carry the current to the drive motor.-

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relevant portion of the drive interconnection;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view partly in section illustratingthe drive section; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar .to FIG. 2 but taken at right angles thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to FIG. 1, reference character in dicates a shaft coming from the printing press and effecting the main drive to the fanfolding machine. This shaft 10 is often assembled as a take off extending in the direction of the web feed from the press and therefore is coupled through a gear box 12 to change the direction of drive to the perpendicularly extending take off shaft 14. The shaft 14 is provided with a sprocket or pulley 16 which is coupled to a similar member 18 on the intermediate shaft 20 through the medium of a chain or suitable link belt or the like 22. Thus, the shaft 20 is driven in fixed speed relation with the shaft 10. The shaft 20 is provided with a pulley or the like 24 coupled through the drive element 26 to the pulley or the like 28 of the paper feed shaft 30 for the fanfolding machine. The shaft 30 has a feed roll 32 affixed thereto and a pinch roll 34 is associated therewith as is conventional. Again, the drive between the shaft 10 and the shaft 30 or pinch roll 32 is fixed and is adjusted by the proper number of teeth or the like on the various elements l6, 18, 24 and 28 so that the feed roll 32 feeds the paper to the folding mechanism at the same rate as the paper issues from the printing press.

The intermediate shaft 20 is provided with a further pulley or like member 36 so as to drive, through the belt or the like 38, the pulley or the like 40 on the oscillator shaft 42 of the fanfolding machine. The shaft 42 carries the wheel 44 having the centric 46 thereon which is linked to the oscillator folding mechanism such as that of the aforesaid U. S. Pat. No. 3,499,643. The coupling means according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 generally by the reference character 48 and will hereinafter be described in detail in conjunction with FIGS. 2 and 3. It will be appreciated that all of the elements shown in FIG. 1 starting from the gear box 12 will be located on the fanfolding machine and will form a part thereof.

In FIG. 2, a portion of the intermediate shaft 20 is shown and will be seen to be in effect in two sections, the section 50 which receives the member 40 (not shown in FIG. 2) but which is illustrated as including a keyway 52 for receiving such member in nonrotatable relation thereto. The other section of the intermediate shaft is indicated by the reference character 54 and as will hereinafter be described with greater particularity, these two sections are relatively rotatable with respect to each other. The section 50 is rigid with the hub 56 of a worm wheel 58 whereas the section 54 has an assembly bolted thereto which includes the counterweight 60 and, on the opposite side of the shaft therefrom, the driving motor 62. Thus, whereas the worm wheel 58 rotates with the shaft section 50, the motor 62 and counterweight 60 are fixed to and rotate with the shaft section 54. The motor 62 is provided with an output shaft 62 which has a worm 64 fixed thereto and which engages with a worm wheel 66. The worm wheel 66 is fixed to a shaft 68 bushed or otherwise suitably journaled in a body portion 70 of the assembly bolted to the fixed shaft 64 and which carries the counterweight 60 and motor 62.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the other end of the shaft 58 carries a worm 72 which is in mesh with the aforementioned worm wheel 58. Because of the irreversible nature of the drive connectionseffected by the worms 64 and 72 and their corresponding worm wheels 56 and 58, it will be appreciated that for all practical purposes, forgetting the motor 62 for the moment, the shaft sections 50 and 54 are rigidly coupled together. At the same time, the two worm-wormwheel connections effect a very high ration of reduction between the motor shaft 62 and the shaft section 50.

The motor 62 is reversible and the shaft section 54 carries a slip ring assembly 74 wired to the motor 62 for establishing connections for relative reverse rotations thereof and the brush block 76 which is fixed to the machine frame carries a number of brushes cooperating with the slip ring assembly 74 so that two finger depressible switches located on the machine frame, one for one direction of rotation and the other for the other direction of rotation, may simply be actuated by the operator of the machine to effect any incremental rotation between the shaft sections 50 and 54 as may be necessary or desirable all while the machine is operating. Thus, extreme precise and accurate timing of the oscillator folding mechanism may be effected which is particularly important for machines when folding computer paper having fixed cross perforations thereon at which the fold must be effected.

What is claimed is:

l. A drive connection for use between a printing press having an output shaft driven in selected relation to the speed of paper issuing from the press and a fanfolding machine having a paper drive roll and a rotary crank member for effecting oscillation of the folding mechanism thereof, said drive connection comprising in combination:

means for driving said paper drive roll in fixed phase drive relation to said output shaft whereby the fanfolding machine handles the paper at the same speed as does the printing press; and

timing means for driving said rotary crank member in selected phase relation with respect to said output shaft and said paper drive roll, said timing means comprising first and second shaft sections and means for effecting relative rotation between said shaft sections while the printing press and fanfolding machine are running, said means for effecting relative rotation including an electrical motor mounted for rotation with one of said shaft sections and having a motor shaft, worm gear reduction means connecting said motor shaft with the other shaft section, and slip ring means on said one shaft section for energizing said motor while the press and folding machine are running.

2. A drive connection as defined in claim 1 wherein said slip ring means is effective to energize said motor for selective operation in either direction of rotation.

3. A drive connection as defined in claim 2 wherein worm gear reduction means comprises a worm on said motor shaft, an intermediate shaft, a worm wheel on said intermediate shaft and meshing with said worm, a second worm on said intermediate shaft, and a second worm wheel on said other shaft section and meshing with said second worm.

Claims (3)

1. A drive connection for use betWeen a printing press having an output shaft driven in selected relation to the speed of paper issuing from the press and a fanfolding machine having a paper drive roll and a rotary crank member for effecting oscillation of the folding mechanism thereof, said drive connection comprising in combination: means for driving said paper drive roll in fixed phase drive relation to said output shaft whereby the fanfolding machine handles the paper at the same speed as does the printing press; and timing means for driving said rotary crank member in selected phase relation with respect to said output shaft and said paper drive roll, said timing means comprising first and second shaft sections and means for effecting relative rotation between said shaft sections while the printing press and fanfolding machine are running, said means for effecting relative rotation including an electrical motor mounted for rotation with one of said shaft sections and having a motor shaft, worm gear reduction means connecting said motor shaft with the other shaft section, and slip ring means on said one shaft section for energizing said motor while the press and folding machine are running.

2. A drive connection as defined in claim 1 wherein said slip ring means is effective to energize said motor for selective operation in either direction of rotation.

3. A drive connection as defined in claim 2 wherein worm gear reduction means comprises a worm on said motor shaft, an intermediate shaft, a worm wheel on said intermediate shaft and meshing with said worm, a second worm on said intermediate shaft, and a second worm wheel on said other shaft section and meshing with said second worm.

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