US564555A - dexter - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 13 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T'. C. DEXTER.y PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 564,555. Patented July 21, 1896.

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13 Sheets-Sheep 2.

(No M0551.)

T.U. DEXTER.

PAPERPOLDINGMACHINE.l

No. 554,555. Patented July 21, 1595.

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(No Model.) 13 Sheets-Sheet i3.

T. C. DEXTER. PAPEREOLDING MACHINE.

10.564,555. Patented July 21, 1896.

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13 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Patented July 21, 1896*.

T. C. DEXTER.

PAPER FOLDING MAGHINE.

(No Model.)

Wnesfaf- /Qf/f' (No Mode-1.) i3 Sheets-Sheet 6.

T. C. DEXTER. PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No'. 554,555. PatentdJuly 21, 1896.

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T. C. DEXTER.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE'. A No. 554,555. Patented July 21, 1895.

(No Model.) 13 sheets-sheet s.

T. C. DEXTER.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 564,555. Patented July 21, 1896.

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(No Model.) 13 Sheets-Sheet- 11..

' T. C. DEXTER.

PAPER PoLDING MACHINE.

No. 564,555'. Patented July 2l, 1896.

(No Model.) 13 Sheets-Sheet 12.

T. C. DEXTER.

' PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 564,555. Patented July 21, 1896.

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' (No Model.) 13 Sheets-Sheet 13.

T.C.-DBXTBR PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 554,555. 1 Patented Julyzl, 1896.

ffy/z wlTNEssEs: l l INVENTOR l BY n A ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEo TALBOT O. DEXTER, OF PEARL RIVER, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE DEXTER FOLDER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,555, dated July 21, 1896. Application filed August 172, 1895. Serial N0. 559,104. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t 71u07/ concer/t:

Bc it known that I, TALBOT O.VDEX.TER,

citizen of the United States, residing at Pearl River, in the county of Rockland and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My improved quadruple sixteenpage foldi the paper passes from the second-folding rollers it is severed into four folded stripsand conveyed into position above four pairs of third-folding rollers, which impart the final folding at right angles to the iirst and second folds and deliver the four folded signatures of sixteen pages each to four pairs of calendering-rollers,from which the signatures drop into the packing devices. If it is desired to produce two signatures of thirty-two pages4 instead of four of sixteen pages, the signatures from two pairs of the third-fold rollers are conveyed to the calendering-rollers below the other two pairs of third-fold rollers and follow and drop into the preceding signatures folded by said latter pairs of thirdfold rollers and form signatures of thirty-two pages.

It is a conceded fact that it is quite impracticable to make four folds in a single sheet of paper to get thirty-two-page signatures, owing to the thickness of the sheet and the tendency of the pages to be drawn out of shape by the very great strain they are subjected to in making the last fold. The common method of inserting by passing two partly-folded sheets, one over the other, into position above the last-fold rollers and folding both sheets at the same time, one into the other, is also very objectionable on account of the trouble in gaging the two sheets and because it is more difficult to fold them both at the same time. It will therefore be obvious that by my improved method of separately folding the two parts and afterward inserting one within the other I obviate the difficulties enumerated and produce a thirtytwo-page signature in a much simpler way.

To render the lateral adjustment of the sheet more accurate, I arrange my adjustable electrical registering device between the iirst and second folds at such a point that it will register the sheet at or very close to the extreme corner of the fold of the once-folded sheet, as the variation, if any, in the overlapping edges will scarcely be perceptible at the point of iirst fold. The construcaion and operation of this adjustable electrically-controlled register is quite important.

Another important feature of my invention is the location a-nd .construction of the splitting devices for severing the twice-folded sheet into four parts. I provide three cutting-disks which operate in conjunction with grooved sleeves mounted upon one of the second-fold rollers, the cutters and sleeves being adjustable to regulate the point of severance. I provide an essentially novel arrangement for operating the reciprocating .folding- 4knives which operate in conjunction with the pairs of third-fold rollers in order that they can be adjusted to the proper pointsY with relation to the cutters, the third-fold rollers and their knives being mounted upon adjustable carriages sliding upon the main frame. I provide an upper and lower packing-box, into which the folded signatures are delivered, the signatures for the lower packing-box being received first into a pivoted hopper, which is provided with a novel ejecting device and is adapted to throw the folded signatures into position in the lower packingbox. I also provide suitable means for simultaneously. and relatively adjusting the two packing-boxes, the pivoted hoppers, and their operating mechanisms, in order that they will properly cooperate with the devices for imparting the third folds to the signatures in any adjusted position.

My invention consists, further, of novel features of construction, and in order that IOO . enlarged detail plan view of the same.

my improvements will be iully understood I will first describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings and afterward point out with more particularity the novelty in the annexed claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a general plan view of my ilnproved folding-machine. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, looking at the packing-boxes and mechanism for imparting the third fold to the signatures. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine, looking at the right-hand side of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a side elevation oi the machine, looking at the left-hand side of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken on the line 5 5 of Figs. 1 and 2 and looking toward the right of the machine. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the packing-boxes and pivoted hoppers with their operating mechanism, looking toward the rear of the machine. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6 and looking toward the left-hand end of the machine. Fig. S is an enlarged detail plan, and Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation, of part of a machine, showing one of the severing devices and the electrically-operated lateral adjustment. Figs. 10 and 11 are, respectively, arear elevation and sectional side elevation of part of the mechanism, showing' the device for operating the third-fold knives. Fig. l2 is an enlarged detail longitudinal view taken through the thircLfold rollers and calendering-rollers, showing the mann er of inserting one sixteenpage signature into another for forming the signature of thirty-two pages. Fig. 13 is an Fig. 14: is a sectional representation oi the manner of inserting one signature into another for forming a signature of thirty-two pages. Fig. 15 is an enlarged detail view of part of the lateral registering device. Fig. 16 is a detail view showing means for elevati ng small wooden rollers out of operative position. Fig. 17 is an enlarged detail elevation of the pivoted paper-hopper and the paper-ejecting device. Fig. 18 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the cutting devices.

The frame of my machine comprises the side frames l and 2, the top front rail 3, the bottom front rail at, the central rail 5, the rear rail 6, and the packing-boXes-supporting rail 7, the rails 3, i, 5, 6, and 7 extending between the side frames 1 and 2, and being securely bolted to them and properly braced -to form a stout supporting-frame.

1() is a large tape pulley or roller j onrnaled in the bars 1l of the frame-pieces 1 and 2 at the forward end of the machine.

l2 is another tape-roller journaled at 13 in the frame-pieces 1 and 2, and l-it are a series of endless carrying-tapes, which pass over the rollers 10 and 12, around the guide-pulleys 15 and 16, and over the tightening-pulleys 17, which latter are journaled in the upper ends of the arms 18, pivoted at 19 to the brackets 20,and carrying tightening-weights 21 at their outer ends. In this manner the carrying-tapes are always held taut independently of each other and allowed to travel freely around the rollers for carrying the paper into the machine.

25 is a pulley-shaft journaled in the framepieces 1 and 2 parallel to the pulley 12, and provided at intervals along its length with tape-pulleys,'around which the endless carrying-tapes 26 pass. Tapes 26 also pass around the pulleys 28, supported in the forward ends of the arms 29,adj ustably secured to the crossbar 30, and over the guide-pulleys 27 and 32, which hold them up to their work. It will be observed that the tapes 14 extend from the forward end of the machine to the first-fold rollers, while the tapes 26 extend from the first-fold rollers to the end registering device.

are a series of rods having forward upturned ends 35iL and extending from front to rear of the machine, and are shorter rods extending from points adjacent to the front to the iirst-fold rollers. The rods 35V and are secured to the cross-slats 37, and are supported directly above the carrying-tapes 14: and 26, and serve to hold the paper on the tapes and prevent its buckling.

4t() is the end registering guide or blade, formed with lugs 41,which have screw-threaded openings through them for the reception of the adj Listing-screws 42, which are properly j ournaled above the carrying-tapes and have bevel-gear connection with the transverse shaft 4:4, having an operating handwheel 45. By rotating the hand-wheel the position of the end registering-blade 40 can be adjusted in a manner well understood.

is the first-fold knife,secured in the outer ends of the arms 51, which are keyed to the rock-shaft 52. The knife 50 is notched or slotted at its working edge for the reception of the rods 35 when the knife descends for creasing the paper and carrying it into the bite of the first-fold rollers 100 and 101, presently to be' described. The rockshaft 52 has keyed to one of its ends a crank-arm 58, having a roller journaled in its lower end which works on the face of the cam 59, keyed to the rotatable shaft 60.

54 is a crank-arm keyed to the shaft 52 inside of the arm 5S, and 53 is a rod secured to the outer end of the arm 5a and extending through an opening in lug 55 on the :front leg of frame-piece 2.

56 is a spiral spring surrounding the rod 53 and confined between the lug 55 and an adjustable collar 57, secured to the rod. The spring 56 assists the gravitatin g action of folding-knife 50 under the control of the cam 56.

and 6G are bars extending across the machine and supporting the plates 67, which extend parallel and form the slot or opening in which the folding-knife operates to form the crease for the first fold.

68 are slats extending to the rear and front from the bars 65 and 66 to assist the tapes l-L and 26 in supporting the sheet oli' paper.

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is an intermittently-rotatable shaft, carrying the three feed-rollers 71, which are adapted to operate in conjunction with the tape-roller 10 for feeding the paper into the The shaft 70 is journaled in the forward ends of the rock- arms 72 and 7 3,which are keyed to the rock-shaft 74. The arm 7 3 is extended beyond the rock-shaft 74 and provided with a roller 73a at its end, which operates on the face of cam 75, which is keyed to the shaft 60 just inside of side frame 1.

are feed-regulating lingers secured to brackets 81, keyed to the rock-shaft 82, which is provided with a spiral spring 84 for holding the fingers normally in lowered position, and a rock-arm 85, which is intermittently tripped by a finger or lug (not shown) carried by arm 7 3, by means of which the fingers are'intermittently raised. i

The mechanisms for operating the droprollers 71 and feed-regulating fingers 80 are so timed that the rollers 71 (which are held normally out of contact with the paper) will drop upon the edge of the paper for feeding the sheet to the machine the instant the fingers 80 are raised.

is a rotatable shaft j ournaled in the top bars of the frames 1 and 2 and carrying a pair of rollers 91, whose surfaces are in the plane with the tapes 14 and slats 68.

92 are retarding-rollers journaled in the ends of arms 93, which are adjustably keyed to the rock-shaft 94, which is provided with crank-arm 95, having roller 96, which works on the face of cam 97, keyed to the shaft 60. The shaft 90 is constantly rotated by suitable gearing between it and the constantly-rotating tape-roller 12. The rollers 92 areadapted to rest on the surface of the paper being fed into the machine for an instant before the forward end of the paper strikes the registering-blade 40, to slow up the movement of the paper and prevent its striking the blade 40 too quickly and buckling the paper. As soon as the end of the paper has registered against the blade 40 the folding-blade descends to make the first fold by passing the paper through the folding-rollers and 101, which are j ournaled in suitable bearings in the top bars of the side frame 4 100 is the positively-driven roller of the first-fold rollers, receiving its power from the large gear-wheel 102, keyed to the shaft 60. The roller 101 has spring-pressed journals for taking any unevenness in the paper.

105 and 106 are the second-fold rollers, supported in suitable journals in the plane slightly below the first-fold rollers and parallel thereto.

107 are carrying-tapes extending between the roller 100 and the roller 106 for conveying the paper into position for the second fold.

108 are a series of small wooden rollers j ournaled upon pivoted arms 109 and resting normally `on the tapes 107 for holding the paper in contact therewith. VThearms 109 are mounted upon a rock-shaft 109, which is normally in position to allow the rollers 108 to rotate in contact with the paper above the tapes to steady the feed and insure the sheets being pushed firmly against the end adjusting-gage. Keyed to the rock-shaft 109ZL is a crank-arm 109, which is pivotally connected to an extension 155a of the sliding rod 155, said sliding rod having bearing in a lug 156a attached to the side frame and carrying a spiral spring 156, which is confined between said lug and a collar on the rod and tends to hold the rollers 108 into operative position in contact with the tape with a yielding pressure. The end of rod 155 is pivoted to a crank-arm 154 keyed to a rock-shaft 154 having an operating crank-arm 154" which vis actuated by a cam on shaft G0, as shown in Fig. 16, for raising the rollers 108 during the intervals that the lateral register (controlled by the same cam and levers) operates.

Where a sheet of paper is to pass over a pair of rollers, and especially where you cannot have carrying-tapes in front of these rollers, it is necessary to use considerable energy on the rear of the sheet in order to insure of its being properly adjusted to the front gage. As soon as the sheet has touched the gage, however, these wheels have performed their work, and if allowed to rest on the paper while it is being drawn laterally by the electric registering device, would have a tendency to counteract the action of the friction-wheels of this registering device, therefore l have found it feasible for automatically lifting these wooden friction-rollers as the registering drop-roller descends upon the sheet. That is, when the registering device is in operation, drawing the sheet laterally, the wooden wheels will be elevated sufficiently to prevent their causing unnecessary friction to the surface of the sheet; but just as soon as the lateral register has completed its work said wooden wheels will be again dropped into operative position in readiness to operate upon the succeeding sheet.

110 is the edge registering-blade for the second fold, the first folded edge coming in contact with this blade for registering the paper. The blade 110 is supported and adjusted in the same manner as the registeringblade 40.

111 are supporting-rods supporting the inward portion of the paper before it receives its second fold. The inward ends of the rods 111 are curved slightly to conform to the surface of the roller 105.

It is of the utmost importance that the folds for the class of work executed by this machine should be very accurately made in the center margins of the sheets. l am enabled to accomplish this by my improved adjustable electrical register. It vwill be understood that the iirst-foldgage will regulate the sheet perfectly parallel with the first-fold rollers, and that is sufficient until it has reached its position at the second fold, as it is unimportant what position the sheet occu- IOO IIO

pies laterally for the first fold. It must now be registered laterally very perfectly in order to bring it in position for being separated and folded exactly in the center of the blank margins, the accuracy of both being determined by the side registering device.

The lateral registering of the sheet is usually accomplished by a suitable device supported a few inches (from three to ten inches) from the front-edge registering-blade before the sheet receives its first fold, and as the device has but a single thickness or one edge of the sheet to deal with, and its position is relatively the same as the lateral registering device on the feed which supplied the sheet to the printing-press, the result is perfectly satisfactory. lVhen, however, the sheet is registered laterally after it has been once folded, as in my present machine, (it being' desirable to laterally register the sheet as close as possible to the cutting devices and third-foldi n g rollers for the sake of accuracy,) the problem is a very different one, for it is a well-known fact that it is very difficult to get sheets of paper made so accurately that the edges are perfectly square and will register or be perfectly even when the sheet is once folded. As the edges of the sheet are, therefore, liable to project unevenly, it will be clear that a lateral adjustment would not be accurate if acted upon by the edge which projects farthest of the two uneven edges. T0 overcome this difficulty and provide a lateral register which will accurately register a sheet after it has been once folded, Iprovide an adjustable electrically controlled register mounted at the righthand side of the machine adjacent to the end registering-blade, and having a circuit-making lever which is adjustable on its supporting-bar to enable it to be adjusted to such a point that it will be acted upon by the extreme corner or edge of the once-folded sheet. In this case it would make little or no difference if the sheets were out of square, because the variation in the overlapping edges would not be perceptible at the point of fold.

Supported ad j aeent to the registerin g-bl ade 110, at the right-hand edge of the machine, is my improved electrically-operating lateral adjustment just referred to, which will now be more particularly described.

115 is a supporting guide-frame extending inwardly from the top rail of main side frame 1, and carrying the rotatable rod 116 and rotatable screw-threaded adjusting-rod 117.

118 is a movable carriage provided with a depending screw-threzuied lug 119, through which the rod 117 passes. 4

120 is a handewheel on the outer end of rod 117, by means of which the rod 117 can be prises a continuously-operating roller, an

electrically-controlled drop-roller adapted to cooperate with the continuouslyoperating roller, an electromagnetic device, and an adjustable registering-arm adapted to be operated upon by the extreme folded edge or corner of the once-folded paper for closing an electric circuit and lifting the drop-roller out of operative position. Means are also provided for supporting the roller in inoperative position for the intervals between the registering of sheets.

125 is the continuously rotating roller, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9,) said roller being mounted upon a short cross-shaft journaled in suitable bearings and receiving motion through suitable bevel-gearing with the rotatable shaft 116, which is rotated by gearwheel 126.

127 is a short arm loosely journaled upon a cross-shaft 128, supported in bearings 129 and having journaled in its forward bifur cated end the drop-roller 130, which is supported directly above roller 125 and coperates with it.

131 is a collar keyed to the short shaft 128, which supports arm 127 and formed with an integral lug 131, which is adapted to engage a similar lug or heel 1.27a projecting from the arrn 127, and by said engagement and the partial rotation of short shaft 128 hold the arm 127 and roller 130 in inoperative position.

132 is an armature-lever loosely journaled upon the shaft 128 and carrying at its free end the armature 133, and formed with the heel or lug 132, which is adapted to engage the end of an adjustable screw carried by the arm 127 and lift the roller 130 when the electromagnet is energized.

134 are the electromagnets.

135 is a square bar journaled at its ends between the brackets 13G and having keyed to it adjacent to one of the brackets an insulated contact-arm 137, which is adapted to contact with the point 138 and is connected with the circuit-wire 139.

140 is the other circuit-wire, the battery not being shown.

1111 is the laterally registering blade or arm, which has a square opening at its upper en d through which the pivoted square bar 135 passes for supporting it. A screw 142 clamps the arm 141 adjustably to the bar 135.

145 is a plate mounted on the carriage 118 and having its forward end conforming to the surface of the roller 105.

146 is a curved plate supported by bracket 147 above the plate 145. The ri ght-hand edge of the once-folded paper is adapted to pass over the second-fold rollers 105 and 1013, between the plates 115 and 146, and also between rollers 127 and 130.

150 is a rock-shaft suitably journaled in the carriage 118 and having bevel-gear 151, which meshes with a similar gear on. the short shaft 128.

152 is a rod pivoted to the rock-arm 153 of the shaft 150 and extending forwardly, where IOO IOS

TIO

it is pivoted to the upper end of the pivoted crank-arm 154, having a rearwardly-extending pivoted rod 155, carrying a spiral spring 156 and extending through an opening in a suitable lug attached to the side frame, said spring being confined between said lug and a collar on the rod. The crank arm or lever 154is keyed to a short rock-shaft 154 and has an arm 154:1 projecting from it, which is operated by a suitable cam on shaft 60, shaped to allow spring 156 to hold the roller 130 elevated from the surface of thevpaper after it has once been elevated by the electric device until the succeeding sheet reaches the position in which it must be registered, when the cam shifts the crank-arm 154 and rod 152 against the action-of the spring and allows roller 130 to again drop into engagement with the paper. 1t will be clear from the previous description that the action of the cam in releasing the roller 130 also raises the rollers 108.

160 is the second-folding knife, supported at the forward ends of the arms 161, which are keyed to the rock-shaft 162, which is intermittently oscillated in the usual way through rod 1626, which is connected to a crankarm on the shaft and a lever which is actuated by a cam on shaft 60.

165 are conveying-tapes passing around the second-fold roller 106 and around the adjustable pulleys 166 and guide-pulleys 167 for conveying the four severed sheets from the splitting device into position to be passed through the four pairs of third-fold rollers.

The rollers 166 and 167 are journaled upon an adjustable slide 168, which works in grooves in the sides of the carriage-frame piece 193, and are confined in any adjusted position by bolts 170. By this means the tapes 165 can be kept at the stretch.

For cutting the twice-folded sheet into four signatures I employ three cutting devices', one stationary cutting device in the center of the machine and two adjustable devices on opposite sides of the central one. Each cutting device comprises a serrated cutting disk, which operates in conjunction with grooves in the lower roller 105 of the second-folding pair. AA description of one of the devices will suffice for all, as they are identical with the exception that the central device is not cutting-disk 180. The arm 178 ts against one of the vertical faces of angle-bracket 177, and is formed with a longitudinal slot 178, in which engages a headed bolt 17 8b, adjustably threaded and seated in the bracket 177. The bracket 177 is adjustably mounted upon the slotted bar 181, so as to' be horizontally adjustable and held in any desired adjusted position by means of the screw-bolt 182.

lt will be observed that the cutter 180 can be adjusted to coperate with any one of the grooves 17 6 by simply loosening the bolts 182 and 17 8b and slipping the arm 178 (carrying cutter 180) down and shifting the bracket 17 7 horizontally to the proper position for the engagement of the cutter 180 with another groove. The bolt 182 is then tightened and the arm 178 shifted vertically and the bolt 17 8b tightened.

18S is a bar bolted or otherwise secured to a yoke engaging the outer end of the sleeve 175 and having a downwardly-projecting lug 184 at its outer end, in which engages an adjusting-screw 185. By means of the screw 185 the sleeves 17 5 can be adjusted longitudinally upon the reduced ends of the roller 105, and, by first lowering the bolts 182, the cutters 180 can be shifted upon their journalspindles 179 at the same time by reason of the engagement of the grooves 176 therewith.

'lhe arrangement of the cutters 180 in conjunction with the second-fold rollers isvery important, as the sheet is only allowed to travel a very few inches after being separated when it comes in contact with the last-fold adj listing-guides, or bythe time the rear edge is severed the forward edge is almost in contact with the adjustable guides.

In adjusting the cutting devices just described to suit a piece of work to be performed the outside cutters are iirst adjusted into engagement with the grooves nearest the desired lines of severance in the manner eX- plained, and then the final adjustments are,

accomplished through the screws 185. It is important to have the sleeves 175 cover as much of the reduced ends of roller 105 as possible, so as not to interfere with its folding action, and to accomplish this, and at the same time afford the necessary scope of adjustment, the sleeves are made long and provided with a number of grooves, into which the cutters can be adjusted, part of the adj nstment being accomplished by the movable cutters and part by the sleeves.

There are four pairs of third-fold rollers, supported at right angles to the iirst and second fold rollers and below the plane of the second-fold rollers. The tapes 165 convey the four severed pieces of the twice-folded sheet longitudinally above the third-fold rollers until the folded edges contact with the` adjustable guides 190, (two for each pair of third-fold rollers, arranged one on each side of the vertically-reciprocating knife,) at which moment the knives for passing the paper through the third-fold rollers descend and form the final creases in the four signatures.

191 is the driver, and 192 the driven thirdfold rollers, suitably j ournaled in the adjustable boxes or carriage side frames 193 and IOO IIO

195 are calendering-rollers, also journaled in the boxes orv cz'trriage-frames 193 and 19-:t i

and :receiving rotation from suitable gearing between them and the third-fold rollers. The purpose of these calender-rollers is to give the folded signatures an extra pressure w-hile they are in transit to the packing-boxes.

196 4are screwthreaded lugs depend-ing from the carriages 193 and 194, and 197 are screw-threaded shafts engaging the opening in said lugs and having bevel-gear connection 198 with the shaft 199, which extends at right angles to the shafts 197 and is provided at its outer end with an operating hand-wheel 200. By means of the screw-threaded shafts 197 `and the `operating mechanism the carriages193 191 and the rollers and their mechanism carried thereby can be adjusted to any desired position independently of each other to suit the different-sized sheets to be folded.

The folding-knives for creasing and startl ing the paper through the third-fold rollers have a reciprocating instead of an oscillatory movement and are operated by essentially novel and `effective devices, which are operl ated from a single cam, are independently adjustable, and permit the free and independent adjustment of the carriages carrying the third-fold rollers and calenders without necessitating their disengagement. This mechanism will now be described.

201 is the folding-knife, secured to the dovetailed reciprocating bar 202, which is dovetailed into the carriage 193. Extending up from 'and formed integral with the bar 202 are the lugs 203, between which is journaled a friction-roller 204.

205 'is a crank-arm keyed to the shaft 206 and having formed on its free end a curved blade or palm 207, which engages Vunder the roller 204.

208 is a rod formed with the right-angled head .209, having a roller 210 jo-urnaled in its bifurcated end, and with which the under face of the palm 207 engages. The upper edge of the bar 202 is cut out suffiiciently at y `completely-folded signatures before deliver- 202 to receive vthe rolle-r 210.

211 is a slot formed in the head 209, through which passes a piu 212, which is secured in the Varms 203 and guides and allows a slight movement of the rod 20S. The rod 20S extends down through an opening in a bracket 213 and has an 'adjustable collar 214 which connesa spiral spring 215 between it and the bracket 213. The tendency of the spring 215 is to hold the rod 20S in elevated position same time folding one into the other. means wl'lich l employ for accomplishing' this and the roller 210 in engagement with the under side of the palm 207, and thereby insure constant engagement between the palm and the roller 204. The spring 215 also receives the downward thrust imparted by the cranks 205 for reciprocating the knives and relieves the reciprocating frame from shock. The engagement of the palms 207 with rollers 201 raises the frame and knife to elevated position with the crank 205.

It will be observed that the broad palms 207 will allow for the independent adjustment of the carriages 193 and 194 and the crank-arms 205 on shaft 206, and `as the carriages carrying third-folding devices are adjusted toward and away from the center the outside palms should be longer than the inside ones. The crank-arms 205 are adjustably keyed to the shaft 206 by means of the integral heels 205, which rest in openings 206i formed in 'the boxes 206" and secured in adjusted position by means of screws 216. The boxes 206b are `also adjustably keyed to the shaft 206.

217 is a rock-arm keyed 'to `the right-hand end of the shaft 206, and 21S is a rod piivotcd to the upper end of rock-arm 217 and extending forwardly, where it is pivoted to the upper end of a pivotcd operating-lever 219 operated upon (at its lower end) by a cam 220 keyed to the shaft 60. The cam is so `shaped and timed that the knives will be reciprocated at the proper intervals.

220fb are scales secured to bar 221 of the main frame, and 222 are indexes secured to the carriage-frames 193 and adapted to register with said scales for-indicating the positions of the carriages, in order that they can be readily `adjusted to proper relative position.

When it is desired to produce four signatures of sixteen pages each, the folded `si gnatures are passed directly through the iirst, second, and third fold rollers and calendering-rollers (the first and second folds being parallel and the third folds at right ai'lgles thereto, and the sheet Vbeing laterally adjusted after the first fold and severed into four signatures after the second Afold) and into `the hoppers and fou-r separate packing-boxes, which will presently be described in a manner well understood. The two outer lsignatures drop directly into the upper packing-boxes, while the central onesdrop iirst into the hoppers and are thrown by them into the lower packing-boxes. Vhen, however, it isdesired to produce two signatures of thirty-two pages `eaclnl insert two of the four completely-folded sixteen-page signatures into the other two ing them to the packing devices. I consider this to be a veryimportant feature ol' my machine and far superior to and more accurate than the common method of inserting by passing two partly-folded sheets, one over the other, into position above thelast-fold rollers, through which both sheets are passed, at the The ICO IIO

result are clearly illustrated in Figs. 12, 13, and 14 of the drawings.

Passing around the roller 192 of one pair of third-fold rollers, the tightening-rollers 226, and one of the calendering-rollers 195 of an adjacent set of folding devices are the carrying-tapes 225, which convey one sixteen-page signature over into position to drop into another for forming a thirty-two-page signature. The rollers 226 are j ournaled upon crankarms 227, which are keyed to ashort shaft 228 journaled to the rails 5 and 6.

229 is a crank-arm, also keyed to the shaft 228 and having a weight 230 attached to its outer end to properly regulate the tension of the tapes 225 and hold them stretched. Vhen thel carriages 193 194 of the two adjacent sets of folding devices, which are paired together by the tapes 225, are adj usted closer together or farther apart to receive the severed folded pieces the weight 230 will take vup the slack or allow a greater length of the tapes 225.

231 are a pair of rollers journaled in the pivoted arms 232, which are pivoted to arms 233, the rollers 231 being adapted to rest upon the signatures carried by the tapes 225 over to the calendering-rollers to'be inserted into the previouslyfolded signature from the other third-fold rollers of the coupled sets of folding devices. The arms 233 are secured to rod 238, which is supported in the carriage 193 194 by plates 2382.

235 are arms pivoted upon the rod 236, which is supported by brackets 237 from the rod 238. J ournaled in the forward ends of the arms 235 is a friction-roller 239, formed with annular grooves 240 and adapted to rest on the tapes 225 just above one of the calendering-rollers 195, and having a gear 239a which gears with the cog geared to one of the calendering-rollers. The arms 235 have upwardly-extending ears 241, in which is journaled a small shaft 242, carrying a series of guide-fingers 243, which are curved at their lower ends to turn or guide the edge of the signature to be inserted down into thev bite of the calendering-rollers and also to guide the receiving-signature from the third-fold rollers to the calendering-rollers, thefriction-roller 239 serving to drive the signatures through the calender-rollers.

The process of inserting to form signatures of thirty-two pages is as follows: The full sheets of four sixteen-page signaturesare fed into the folder in the usual way vand receive the iirst, second, and third folds just the same as they Ado when they are to be delivered singly. The two signatures nearest the center of the machine, or directly over the hoppers, will, of course, reach their positions in the hoppers a little in advance of the signatures from the two outside third-fold rollers.

sume the form of the hoppers. Almost instantly the signatures from the sides will be dropped into the hoppers and inside of the preceding signatures of sixteen pages, and

thus by putting one sixteen-page signature into another produce signatures of thirty-two pages. As soon as one sixteen-page signature is dropped into the other the hoppers will be tilted forward, d epositing the thirty-two-page signatures into the packing-box, it being understood that the movement of the hopper into its inclined position will cause the sheets to slide from them into the boX.

I am aware that a machine has been constructed to produce two thirty-two-page signatures by cutting the main sheet into two parts and folding each half four times;y but in folding the paper four times there is a very objectionable draw in the sheets, caused by one thickness being un'severed, and l' therefore consider my arrangement for forming thirty-two-page signatures to be far better, as there are only three folds made.

The tapes 225 are thrown olf of the tightening-pulleys 226, when it is not desired to' insert one signature in another, and moved to one side, where a portion of each roll may be turned away to allow room for the tapes to be tied back out of the way. The guidefingers may be left in position at all times, but if desired they may be easily removed with theA friction-rollers by unbolting the plates 238, If desired, means for lifting the rollers out of operative position may be provided, and also springs may be employed to hold the friction-roller into operative contact and yet allow it to regulate itself to the thickness of the folded signature passing through it. Pivoted to the frame-piece 250, directly beneath the calendering-rollers 195, are hollow arms 251, provided with screws 252, adapted to clamp the extensible rods 253 and secure them to the arms or holders 251. The eXtensible guide-rods 253 assist in guiding the folded signatures into the pivoted hoppers or packing-boxes, and may be employed to engage the upper corners of the signatures to assist in supporting them as fast as they are put in place by the packers.

260 and 261 are parallel guide-frames supported from the rail 7 above and below.v

263, 264, 265,and 266 are the packing-boxes, formed with grooved guide-flanges 267 ,which engage the parallel guides 260 and lsupport the packing-boxes and allow them to be adjusted longitudinally-that is, transversely on the machine. Additional guides are also provided for properly supporting the packingboxes.'

268 are pivoted spring flaps or fingers, (two for each packing-box,) whichoperate in suitable openings in the sides of the packingboxes for allowing the folded vsignatures to pass in one direction under the action of the reciprocating packer and prevent them from moving back. p Y

269 are the movable ends of the packing- IOO IIO

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