US954142A - Folding-machine. - Google Patents

Description

H. C. SGHROEDER. FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED .TUNE 1, 1909. 954,142. Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

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ANDREW GRAHAM C0N Photo-LTNOGRAPHERS. wAsmNGIoN. D c

H.' G. SGHRUEDER.

FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION HLFDv JUNE 1, 1909.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

umluunuu immnmuu unmgmumlw x/wfm" I HooRAPHERs WASHINGTON D L H. C.y SCHREDER.

` FOLDING MAGHINE. APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 1, 1909.

954,142. Pateted Apr.5,1910.

` 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H. G. .SGHROEDBR FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1909.

954,142. Patend-Apr.-5,1910,

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

H. C'. SCHROEDER. l

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 1, 1909.

954,142. l 4 Patented Apr.5, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

NGYUN. D- C mw. W

" l UNITED sTATEs 4PATENT oEEioE.

HANS C. SCI-IROEDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR. TO THE G-OSS PRINTING- PRESS COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HANS C. SCHROEDER, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to folding machines, and particularly to that type of folding machines in which a fold is given to the sheet or web transverse the run thereof by means of a knife carried on a carrier and gripping-jaws on another carrier which engage the sheet between them over the knife to produce the fold and, receding from the iirst carrier, pull the sheet away from it, folded edge first, to some suitable delivery mechanism.

The object of myvinvention is to produce a new and improved mechanism by which this may be accomplished.

It has for a further purpose a new and improved form of gripping-jaws and the devices carrying them, which will render their grip upon the sheet over the foldingblade certain and sure, even with a number of thicknesses of paper.

It has for a further purpose a new and improved mechanism for operating the gripping-jaws and for coperating with them to seize the paper, move the same away from the carrier and deliver the same to suitable delivery mechanism.

It has for a further purpose the improvement of such mechanism in sundry particulars hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a side elevation with the frame removed to expose the parts; Fig. 2 is an end View, seen from the right in Fig. l, with some of the parts removed to expose the novel. features; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, being a section through the carrier which carries the knife and the delivery rollers and gripping-jaws; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail, being a view of the gear which is rotated by a curved rack to rotate the gripping-jaw-carrying rollers; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail, being an isometric view of the cam for opening and closing the gripping-jaws upon the foldingblade; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail, being an Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed .Tune 1, 1909.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.V serial No. 499,479.

isometric view of the cam for opening the gripping-jaws to deliver the paper; F igs. 7 to 10, inclusive, are diagrammatic views showing the sheet and vfolding mechanism in different positions; and Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modification. Referring to the drawings,11 indicates a folder-frame of any well-known form and construction. r

12-13 indicate cutting-cylinders pro-r vided with knives 14-15, which operate in the well-known way to sever transversely a web of paper passing down between them.

,The cutting-cylinders are operated by gears 16-17 mounted upon the shafts of the cut-` ting-cylinders and meshing together. Either one may be driven from any suitable source of power, as from the drive train of a printing-press (not shown).

18-19 indicate guides, which are mount-4 ed in the frame below the bite of the cuttingkcylinders 12-13 and which serve to direct the lead edge of the paper downwardto the folding mechanism hereinafter described.

20 indicates an idler-gear journaled in the framework and meshing with a gear 21 which is secured to the end of a shaft 22" journaled in the framework.

23 indicates a rotary carrier mounted on the shaft 22 and provided with suitable devices, as with grippers 24, for engaging the lead edge of the sheet and carrying it around with the carrier. The grippers are operated in any well-known manner, as by arms 25y and cam 26`to close upon the lead edge of the paper and to Open so as to free the lead edge of the paper at suitable intervals. They operate in the usual well-known manner.

27 indicates a folding blade, which is mounted in a block 28 in the carrier 23 and A projects beyond the surface toL form the crease of the fold and thrust the paper between the grippingjaws hereinafter described. The knife may be mounted in 32 indicates cams, which are suitably secured by keys, or in any other well-known manner, to the shaft 31.

33 indicates an idler-gear mounted in the framework and meshing with the gear 30 and with a gear 34 secured to the end of a shaft 35 journaled in the frame.

36 indicates cams keyed, or otherwise secured, to the shaft 35.

37 indicates a frame composed of two upright arms 38 and a cross-bar or shaft 39 connecting the arms 38 near their upper.

ends. The lower ends of the arms 38 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 35 by means of collars or hubs 40 which are preferably formed integral with said arms.

4l indicates links, which are pivotally connected at their inner ends with the arms 38 and at their outer ends are provided with a fork 42 which straddles the shaft 3l close to the inner faces of the cams 32. Intermediate the fork and the innei ends of the links 41, on each arm, is a roller 43 which bears upon the face of the cam 32.

44 indicates retractile-springs, which are secured at one end to the arms 38 and at the other end to suitable pins 45 secured to the framework. The springs operate to move the arms to the right in Fig. l and keep the rollers 43 constant-ly in engagement with the face of the cams 32,--yielding when the arms are thrust inward by the rise of the cams and moving the arms back toward their normal position-that is, to the right in Fig. 1-as the roller passes from the rise of the cam. It will be obvious from the above description that as the cams are rotated with the shaft 3l in the direction indicated by arrows in Fig. l the frame 37 will be swung back and forth about its pivot on the shaft 35.

46 indicates arms, which are pivotally mounted on the frame 37, one on each side, either by rotatably mounting them on the shaft or cross-bar 39 or by fixing them to the shaft 39 and allowing that to rotate in the frame 37, as may be desired.

47 indicates a roller, which is journaled by a suitable shaft or axle between the arms 46 near their outer ends. Upon one end of the Vshaft on which the roller 47 is mounted is provided a gear 48 which meshes with a curved rack 49 secured to the inside of one side of the frame l1. The teeth on the rack 49 are at least equal in number to the teeth on the gear 48 in order to give to the gear 48, and consequently to the roller 47, one complete revolution as the frame 37 swings to the left before the roller is lifted therefrom in the manner hereinafter described. rI`he roller 47 is provided at each end with a bearing flange 47 a, which is adapted to bear upon the margin of the sheet as hereinafter described. The roller 47 is cut away between the ianges 47a, as is best shown in Fig. 3, so as to form a recess 50 in Vwhich is mounted a. gripper-jaw 5l. The gripperjaw 51, extending across substantially from flange to flange, is pivoted at each end between the flanges within the recess 50 beyond the median line of the recess. 52 indicates spiral compression springs, which bear at their outer ends upon the under surface of the gripping-jaw 5l between its pivotal point and its outer end and, located in a suitable recess in the roller 47, bear at their other ends upon screw-threaded adjustingplugs 53 screw-threaded into the roller. The effect of the springs is to normally hold the jaw 5l yieldingly outward and substantially tangentially to the roller 47 at the pivotal point of the jaw. 54 indicates a similar roller provided at each end with bearing flanges 54a and having a cut-away portion 55 similar to the cut-away portion 5() in the roller 47. The roller 54 is journaled between arms 56, near their outer ends, which arms 56 are at their ends pivotally mounted upon the arms 46 so as to swing independently thereof. rlhe rollers 47 and 54 are geared together by gears 57-58 secured on the shafts of the rollers 47-54, whereby, when the roller 47 is rotated by the gear 48 traversing the rack 49, the other roller 54 will be also rotated,-the rollers both rotating in the direction indicated by arrows in Fig. 3.

59 indicates a gripping-jaw, which is pivoted in the recess 55 of the roller 54, and is in all respects identical in construction and mounting in the roller 54 with the gripping-jaw 5l of the roller 47.

60 indicates spiral springs, which are mounted in suitable openings in the roller 54 and bear at their outer ends upon the gripping-jaw 59 and at their inner ends upon screw-threaded adjusting-plugs 6l in the roller 54.

The function of the springs 52 and 60 is to normally hold the gripping- jaws 59 and 51 in yielding contact with each other, as is shown in Fig. 3 and in the diagrammatic figures, until opened by the cams hereinafter described.

The gear 48 is provided upon its outer periphery with a pin 62.

63 (see Figs. l and 5) indicates a cam having a cam-groove 64 and secured to the inner side of one side of the frame 1l adjacent to gear 48 and adapted to engage the pin or stud 62 on said gear in the manner hereinafter described.

65 indicates pins, which are pivotally mounted at one end upon arms 56a on the arms 56 and at the other end pass through a suitable opening in lugs 66 on the upper ends of the arms 38.

67 indicates spiral springs interposed between the lugs 66 and collars 68 on the pins 65. The springs operate by their expansion to rock the arms 56 downward and hold the -lOO rollers 47-54 normally in yielding contact action of springs 67 and separate the rollers,

as hereinafter described.

70 indicates rods, whose upper ends are pivotally connected with the arms 46 and whose lower ends are provided with a fork 71 closed at the bottom by a cross-piece 72, and which forks straddle the shaft 35, as is best shown in Fig. 1. Above the forks 71 the rods 70 are provided each with a roller which bears against the cam 36.

73 (see Fig. 1) indicates slide-blocks mounted between the forks 71 and curved upon their upper surface to conform to the periphery of the shaft 35.

74 indicates spiral compression springs, which are seated in the forks 71 between the cross-bar 72 and the blocks 73. The action of the springs is to normally tend to force the forks 7l down into the position shown in Fig. 1 and to keep the rollers 75 constantly in engagement with the surface of the cam 36. The rotation of the cam' 36 bearing upon the roller 75 will, as the rise of the cam encounters said rollers, move the rods 70 upward and lift the bars 46 and consequently the roller 474 and with it the roller 54 upward and free the gear 48 from the rack 49 in the manner hereinafter described,-the spring 74 forcing the arm downward again, when the surface of the cam permits, and therefore restoring the arms 46 and roller 47, and with it, of course, the arms 56 and roller 54, to normal position.

77 indicates a gu'ide mounted in the framework in suitable supports and serving to guide the sheet in the progress of its movement with the frame 37.

78 indicatesl curved guides, which are mounted on cross-bars 79, one upon each side of the machine. These guides are in the form of three-sided troughs, open each toward the center of the machine, and are adapted to receive theside margins of the folded sheet of paper delivered to them by the rollers 47 54, as hereinafter described, and to guide them to a delivery cylinder hereinafter described. To that end the curve of the guides is concentric with the shaft 35, and at-their lower ends they are substantially tangential to said delivery cylinder.

8() indicates cams, which are mounted upon the shaft or bar 79 in registry with the path of the rollers 69 and operate to lift the rollers slightly and consequently raise the bars 56 at the proper time to separate the rollers 47 and 54 and gripping-jaws 51-59 to free the paper as hereinafter described.

81 indicates a delivery-cylinder mounted upon a shaft 82 journaled in the framework of the machine and provided with grippers 83 operated by the usual cam 84 and rockarms 85 and spring 86 in the ordinary manner at suitable intervals ,to seize the lead edge ofthe sheet of paper, carry it around with the cylinder asuitable distance, and release it as hereinafter described. The cylinder 81 is rotated by means of a gear 87 on the shaft 82 meshing with an idler-gear 88 which meshes with the gear 34.

89 indicates rollers, which are mounted upon a shaft 90 and are driven by gears 91-92, which last meshes with the gear 34.

93 indicates tapes on the rollers 90, which travel in lthe direction indicated by the arrows and pass over other rollers (not shown).

94 indicates strippers, which are mounted upon a suitable bar 95 in the framework, and, bearing at their upper ends in the manner well known against the periphery of the delivery-cylinder 81, operate to strip the sheets therefrom when the folded edge is released by the grippers and to drop them upon the moving tapes 93. These strippers and moving tapes operate in the usual wellknown manner and need no further description here.

The operation of the mechanisms above described is as follows: The paper, which may be in the form of a web or superposed webs folded or unfolded longitudinally, passes down between the cutting-cylinders 12-13, and is directed by the guides 18 and 19 to the carrier 23, where the lead edge is seized by suitable devices, as by the grippers 24, and carried around with the carrier. Vhen the parts reach the position shown inV F ig. 1, the grippers 24 are being released, and the folding-blade 27, coming into operative relation with the gripping-jaws 5l and 59, which are yieldingly held together as above described, tucks the fold of the paper transversely between said gripping-jaws, which engage the paper between them over Athe folding-blade,-the movement of the frame 37 and of the parts carried thereby being such as to bring the said grippingjaws into operative relation with the knife at a time just previous to the position of the parts shown in F ig. 1, in which the parts are shown as having moved slightly beyond the initial gripping position. At this time the cutters 14--15 sever the sheet transversely. J ust at this moment the roller 43 is met by the rise of the rotating cam 32, and the links 41 are forced to the left, swinging the frame 37 to the left about its pivot on the shaft 35, and moving the frame 37 and consequently the gripping-jaws 51-59, which have engaged the fold of the sheet, away from the carrier 23, thus stripping the sheettherefrom as the movement to the left continues. As soon as this movement to the left begins,

the gear 48 is rotated by its being carried along the rack 49, thus rotating the roller 47 and with it the roller 54 in the direction indicated by arrows in Figs. l and 3. The gripping- jaws 51 and 59, continuously holding the sheet between them, are separated from one another at their pivotal ends by the rotation of the rollers 47 and 54, but are held together at the ends at which they engage the sheet of paper by the actionof the springs 52 and 60, thus rocking the gripping-jaws 51-59 relatively to each other as they move to the left with the swing of the frame 37, but guiding them closed upon the sheet of paper at their closing edge so that they assume positions successively substantially tangent to their respective rollers at or near their pivotal point. Several of these successive positions are shown in the diagrammatic Figs. 7 to 10. This movement of the gripping-jaws moves the lead edge of the sheet forward relatively to the rollers 47 and 54 so as to cause the bearing flanges 47:1-54a to bear upon the side margins of the sheet and, engaging the side margins between them, to forward the sheet.

As the movement of the frame to the left continues, the side margins of the sheet are directed into the guides 78 and, by the rotation of the rollers, the sheet is forwarded downward through these guides to the delivery cylinder, the rotation continuing until the rollers 69 meet the rise of the cams 80. This movement is so timed with relation to the direction of the delivery-cylinder 81 that, just as the grippers 83on said cylinder have come into engaging position and are closing upon the edge of the sheet, the rollers 69 meet the rise of the cam 8O and operate to slightly lift the arms 56 relatively to the arms 46 and separate the rollers and release the sheet. As the gear 48, as has been said above, has been given a complete rotation by its traverse along the rack 49, the gripping-jaws will, some time previously to the lifting of the rollers, have been separated from one another by the rotation of the rollers, so that the sheet is freed from the grip of the gripping-j aws some time before it is freed from the flanges of the rollers, which thus have continued to forward the sheet after it has been released from the gripping-jaws,-the gripping-jaws operating to seize the fold of the sheet, and by their rocking move the sheet forward to be engaged by the flanges of the rollers by which said gripping-j aws are carried. The grippers 83, seizing the sheet by its folded edge, carry it around with the cylinder until the folded edge meets the strippers 94, at which time the grippers 83, opening, release the folded sheet, and the strippers 94, stripping the folded sheet from the deliverycylinder, deliver it to the slow-moving tapes 93, by which it is carried along in the usual manner. Up to this time the rollers 75 have been riding the circular portion of the cams 36. At the moment, however, at which the rollers 47-54 are separated and the sheet released the rise of the cam 36 begins to operate upon the rollers 75. At the same time, the descending portion of the cam 32 comes in contact with the rollers 43 and, by means of springs 44, the frame 37 is rocked back toward its original position-that is, toward the carrier. At the same time, therefore, that the frame 87 is being moved back toward its original position, the rise of the cam 36, operating on the rods 70, raises the arms 46 and with them, of course, the roller 47 and roller 54 on its arms 56, freeing the gear 48 from the rack 49. As has been said, the movement of the frame 37 to the left gives the gear 48 one complete rotation, so that by its forward movement the rollers 47 are given one complete rotation and they are brought into their original position ready to bring the gripping-jaws 51-59 again into operative relation with the folding-blade. As soon as the frame 37 has been brought by the motion of the cam 32 to the limit of its motion to the right, the rollers 75 pass from the ride of the cam 36, and the rods 70, being brought downward by the springs 74, move the arms 46, and therefore the rollers 47 and 54, downward. As they pass downward on this movement, the jaws are in position to engage the knife, and just before the engagement of the knife the stud 62 on gear 48, entering the camgroove 64, is moved by the rise of the cam so as to rock the rollers 47-54 slightly backward and thus slightly opening the gripping- jaws 51 and 59 just at the moment that the folding-blade comes into operative relation therewith. It will thus be observed that the gripping-jaws at the time of their engagement by the folding-blade are traveling in the same general direction therewith and at substantially the same speed. As soon as the folding-blade 27 tucks the paper between the gripping-jaws, the stud 62 passes away from the rise of the cam-groove 64 and the jaws are immediately restored to their normal position, gripping the sheet of paper between them over the folding-blade. Thereupon the movement above described is repeated.

I have spoken in the above specification of a carrier on which the folding-blade is mounted, and have shown such a carrier as provided with grippers, or similar mechanism, for engaging the lead edge of a sheet of paper and carrying it around the carrier, and this is the form which I prefer. By the use of the word carrier, however, I do not intend to limit myself to a carrier provided with grippers, or similar appliances, for engaging the lead edge of a sheet of paper, as under certain circumstances the device will be entirely operative .if the carrier is not provided with such gripping or engaging devices for the edge of the paper and the sheet is allowed to move down directly from the guides without being carried around by the carrier. I have shown, also, the carrier vin the form of an ordinary rotating carrier cylinder, but I do not confine myself to a full cylinder, as it is obvious that a skeleton cylinder, or some other equivalent form, may be used. The word carrier, therefore, is to be understood as including not only a carrier which is adapted to engage the lead edge of a sheet of paper, but also any suitably-moving part which carries the foldingblade away in the form of a cylinder having grippers, or equivalent devices, or in any other suitable and usual form, with or without such engaging devices, adapted to carry the folding-blade to coperate with the gripping-jaws to produce a cross fold in a sheet of paper.

In Fig. 11 a modification of the mechanism above described as shown, differing from that already described mainly in the operation of the folding-blade and in the movement of the folding rollers toward and away from the carrier in the engaging and delivery of the sheet. In this ligure 12-13 represent the cutting-cylinders having knives 14-15 and driven by gears 16-17 in the manner above described.` 23 indicates the rotary carrier mounted on a shaft 22 and driven by a gear 21 meshing with an idlergear 20. 29 indicates an idler-gear meshing with the gear 30 on a shaft 31,-all operating in the same manner as above described. 37 indicates the swinging frame consisting of arms 38 and cross-bar shaft 39 mounted on the shaft 35. rack secured to the framework 11. 78 indicates the guides mounted on the cross-bar 79. 80 indicates the cams operating to open the rollers as above described. 81 indicates the delivery-cylinder having grippers 83 operated by arms 85 and springs 86 and cam 84. 93 indicates moving tapes on rollers 89 on Y shaft 90. 94 indicates strippers operating to strip the sheet from the delivery cylinder. All these parts are substantially the same in all respects as the parts correspondingly numbered and above described. rIhe links 41 are pivotally connected at their inner ends with the arms 38 and are provided at their outer ends with forks 42 which straddle the shaft 31. 43 indicates the rollers, which are carried by the links 41 between the forks 42 and the pivotal ends of the rods 41. 100 indicates a closed cam having a cam-groove 101, which, engaging the roller 43, moves the links 41 in and out so as to swing the frame 37 forward and back about its pivot upon the shaft 35 in the same manner as the corresponding parts operate as above described, except that the cam be- 49 indicates the curvedk ing. closed there is no necessity for the spring 44. In this structure, however, the folding-blade is differently operated. 102 indicates the folding-blade, which is mounted on an arm 103 on a rock-shaft 104 journaled in the carrier 23. The rock-shaft is operated by a cam 105 which bears upon a roller 106 on another arm 107 on the rockshaft 104. The cam 105 is almost entirely circular, but has a short depression 108 which operates by means of a spring 109 pulling on the arm 107 to compel the roller 106 to be depressed, thrusting the foldingblade 102 quickly. outward at the moment that the gripping- jaws 51 and 59 have been brought into operative position with relation to the blade by the swinging of the frame. The cam causes the blade to be instantly withdrawn as soon as it has tucked the paper between the gripping-jaws. The blade, therefore, in this movement does not normally extend beyond the periphery of the carrier 23, but is only thrust quickly out and immediately back again to tuck the paper in the gripping-jaws above described. In this modification the roller 47 is journaled directly on a suitable shaft between the arms 38 and carries the spring-seated grippingjaw 51. The roller 47 and the gripping-jaw 51 are in all respects like the similarly-numbered parts abovev described in the other iigures. The roller 54 is journaled by means of a suitable shaft in the outer end of arms 110a of bell-crank levers 110 which are pivotally mounted upon the upper ends of the arms 38 on the cross-bar or shaft 39 in the same manner as the arms 46 above described are mounted. The bell-crank levers 110 are provided with second shorter arms 110b which carry at their ends, pivotally connected therewith, pins 111 whose other' free ends pass through lugs 112 fastened upon the inner surface of the arms 38 and suitably recessed to permit the free passage through them of the pins 111. 113 indlcates spiral springs surrounding the pins 111 and bearing at one end upon the lugs 112 and at the other end upon the arms 110b of the bellcrank levers 110. The operation of the springs is to tend to force the arms 110b to the left in Fig. 1 and consequently to force the arms 110a downward so as to hold the flanges or the rollers 47 and 54 normally 1n yielding contact with each other. The rollers are geared together by gears on their shafts in the same manner as the rollersin the other forms above described. The roller 54 carries a gripping-jaw 59. The roller 54 and the gripping-jaw 59, like the roller47 and jaw 51, are constructed and the jaws are mounted upon the rollers in precisely the same manner as the corresponding parts in the other forml above described. 114 indicates a gear, which is fastened to the outer end of the shaft of the roller 47 in registry and in mesh with the rack 49, and like the gear 4:8 is of a circumference at least equal to the length of the curved rack S9-that is to say, the number of teeth on the gear 114 is at least equal to the number of the teet-h on the rack 19, so that by the swinging of the frame 37 to the left the rollers will be given one complete rotation in the direction indicated by arrows and in the same manner as the rollers in the other form above described. In the form shown the deliverycylinder 81 is driven by means of a gear S7 on its shaft S2 meshing with a train of idlergears 115-116 and 117, the last of which meshes with a gear 21 on the shaft 22 of the carrier 23. The tape rollers 89 are driven by means of a gear 11S on the shaft 90 meshing with an idler-gear 120, which in its turn meshes with the gear S7 on the shaft 82. This modified form of device operates as follows: The parts being in the position shown in said Fig. 11, in which the frame 37 is shown at the extreme of its movement to the right, the roller is dropped in the depression 108 of the cam 105 and, forcing the folding-blade 102 out, has tucked the paper between the jaws 51 and 59, which close upon the sheet, the blade being withdrawn almost instantly by the further rotation of the carrier 23. As soon as the jaws have seized the sheet, the rise of the cams 101, which are shaped exactly like the cams 32, except that they are closed instead of open, as above described, begins to act upon the rollers 43 to move the links 11 and consequently the frame 37 to the left, swinging it about its pivotal point on the shaft 35. The gear 114 traveling in the rack t9 iinmediately begins rotating the rollers, causing the folding-rollers to assume the same successive positions as were above described, whereby the jaws, rocking relatively to one another with the folded edge of a sheet of paper between them, move the sheet into engagement between the flanges on the rollers 4:7 and As the movement to the left progresses, the jaws are soon separated from one another by the rotation .of the rollers, as above described, and the rollers operate to forward the sheet. The swinging movement continuing, the edge of the sheet is delivered by the rollers into the guides 78 and down between them to the delivery-cylinder in the same manner as above described with the other forms of my invention. As soon as the grippers 83 on the delivery-cylinder 81 are in position to engage the edge of the sheet issuing between the guides 7S, the rollers 69 on the arms 110a meet the rise of the cam S0, lifting the arms a of the bellcrank levers 110 against the action of the spring 113, thereby slightly separating the rollers and freeing the paper from their grip. As soon as the sheet is thus delivered and released from the rollers, the backward a movement of the frame 37 begins, moved by the cam 101, and the gear 11-1, traversing the rack -19 in a reverse direction, rotates the rollers in a reverse direction, carrying, of course, with them the gripping-jaws. At the end of the movement the parts have been brought again into the position shown in Fig. 1 with the rollers in operative relation to the folding-blade and engaging the next succeeding sheet. It will be seen from the above description that this modiiied form operates in substantially the same way as the preferred forni above described, except for the operation of the folding-blade and also for the fact that the rollers are not lifted from the rack on their return movement, and the gear which operates the rollers in Contact with the rack during both the delivering and the return movement; and except for the momentary separation of the rollers to free the sheet at the end of their delivery movement, the rollers and the gripping-jaws simply travel on an arc toward and away from the carrier.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In a folding machine, in combination, a folding-blade, a pair of rollers, a grippingjaw pivotally carried by and spring-seated in each roller, means for reciprocating said rollers directly toward and away from said folding blade and moving said rollers into and out of operative relation therewith to cause said gripping-jaws to engage a sheet of paper between them and said foldingblade, and means for rotating said rollers.

2. In a folding machine, in combination, a folding-blade, a pair of rollers adapted to engage a sheet of paper, a gripping-jaw mounted on each of said rollers, means for holding said gripping-jaws in yielding engagement with each other during their operative movement, means for reciprocating said rollers direct-ly toward and away from said folding blade and moving said gripping-jaws into and out of operative relation therewith, and means for rotating said rollers and causing said gripping-jaws to move a sheet of paper into engagement with said rollers.

8. In a folding machine, in combination, a folding-blade, a pair of rollers adapted to engage a sheet of paper, a gripping-jaw pivotally carried by and spring-seated in each roller, means for reciprocating said rollers directly toward and away from said folding-blade and bringing said jaws into and out of operative relation therewith, and means for rotating said rollers and causing said gripping-jaws to move the sheet into engagement with said rollers.

et. In a folding machine, in combination, a folding-blade, a pair of rollers having flanges adapted to engage the side margins of a sheet of paper, a gripping-jaw pivotally carried by and spring-seated in leach roller, means for moving said rollers toward and away from said folding-blade to bring said jaws into operative relation with said folding-blade, and means for rotating said rollers and causing said gripping-jaws to move the sheet into engagement with said rollers.

5. In a folding machine, in combination, a folding-blade, a pair of rollers having flanges adapted to engage the side margins of a sheet of paper, a gripping-jaw pivotally carried by and spring-seated in each roller, means for opening and closing said gripping-jaws at suitable intervals, means for moving said rollers toward and away from said folding-blade to bring said jaws into and out of operative relation with said folding-blade, and means for rotating said rollers and rocking said gripping-jaws to move the sheet into engagement with said flanges.

6. In combination, a moving-carrier, a folding-blade thereon, a pair of foldingrollers adapted to engage a sheet of paper, a spring-seated gripping-jaw pivotally carried on each of said rollers, means for reciprocating said rollers directly toward and away from said carrier to bring the said gripping-jaws into and out of operative relation with said folding blade, and means forV rotating said rollers to rock said jaws relatively to each other and move the sheet of paper into engagement with said rollers.

7. In combination, a folding-blade, a pair of rollers adapted to engage a sheet of paper and each having a portion of its surface cut away, a gripping-jaw mounted in each of said rollers in said cut-away portion, means for normally holding said gripping-jaws in yielding engagement with each other during their operative movement, means for reciprocating said rollers directly toward and away from said folding blade to move said gripping-jaws into and out of operative engagement therewith, and means for rotating said rollers and causing said gripping-jaws to rock relatively to each other and forward a sheet of paper engaged between them into engagement with said rollers.

8. In a folding machine, in combination, a folding-blade, a pair of rollers adapted to engage a sheet of paper between them, each of said rollers having a recessed portion in its periphery, a gripping-jaw pivotally mounted on each roller in said recesses, springs mounted in said recesses and adapted to hold said gripping-jaws in yielding engagement with each other during their operative movement, means for reciprocating said rollers directly toward and away from said folding-blade and moving said gripping-jaws into and out of operative relation therewith, and means for rotating said rollers and, by said rotation, causing said gripping-jaws to rock relatively to each other while the sheet of paper is engaged between them and forward said sheet of paper into engagement with said rollers. Y

9. In a folding machine, in combination, a moving carrier, a folding-blade carried thereby, a pair of rollers having circumferential flanges adapted to engage a sheet of paper and having each a flattened portion on its periphery, a gripping-jaw pivoted in the flattened portion of each roller and having its free edge projecting beyond the periphery thereof, springs bearing on said gripping-j aws and adapted to normally hold them in yielding engagement during their operative movement, means for moving said rollers toward and away from said carrier to bring said gripping-jaws into and out of operative engagement therewith, and means for rotating said rollers and causing said gripping-jaws to rock relatively to eachy other while engaging a sheet of paper and deliver the same to said rollers.

10. In combination, a moving-carrier, a folding-blade thereon, a pair of foldingrollers adapted to engage a sheet of paper, a spring-seated gripping-j aw pivot-ally carried on each of said rollers, means for moving said rollers toward and away from said carrier and moving said gripping-jaws into and out of operative relation therewith, means for rotating said rollers and rocking said jaws relatively to each other to move the sheet of paper into engagement with said rollers, and means for giving to said rollers and gripping-jaws at the time of their operative engagement with said folding-blade a movement in substantially the same direction therewith.

11. In combination, a moving carrier, a folding-blade thereon, a pair of foldingrollers adapted to engage a sheet of paper, a spring-seated gripping-j aw pivotally carried on each of said rollers, means for moving said rollers toward and away from said carrier to move the said gripping-jaws into and out of operative relation with said folding-blade, means for rotating said rollers t0 rock said jaws relatively to each other and move the sheet of paper into engagement with said rollers, delivery mechanism, and guides adapted to receive the folded sheet from said rollers and direct the same to saidV delivery mechanism.

12. In combination, a moving-carrier, a folding-blade on said carrier, a pair of roll- Y ers adapted to engage a sheet of paper, a gripping-jaw pivotally carried by and spring-seated in each roller, means for moving said rollers in a path which causes the gripping-jaws to travel in the same direction with said folding-blade while in operative relation therewith, then backward away from said carrier, then upward and forward to their original position and into operative relation with said folding-blade,-

and means for rotating said rollers and causing said jaws to rock relatively to each other and bring the folded sheet into engagement with said rollers.

13. In combination, a moving-carrier, a folding-blade thereon, a swinging frame, means for swinging said frame toward and away from said carrier, arms pivotally mounted on said frame and carrying a circumferentially-flanged folding-roller, a gripping-jaw pivotally carried by and spring-seated on said iianged roller, a second pair of arms pivotally mounted on said first pair of arms, a second circumferentiallyflanged roller journaled on said second arms, means for holding` said rollers with their ianges in yielding engagement with each other, means for rotating said rollers and causing said gripping-j aws to rock relatively to each other and forward a sheet of paper into the grip of said flanged rollers, means for giving to said arms a movement independent of said swinging frame and causing said gripping-jaws, when brought by the movement of said swinging frame into operative relation with said folding-blade, to travel in the same general direction therewith, and means for temporarily separating said rollers at the end of their sheet-forwarding movement.

14. In combination, a moving-carrier, a

folding-blade thereon, a swinging frame, means for swinging said frame toward and away from said carrier, arms pivotally mounted on said frame and carrying a circumferentially flanged folding roller, a gripping-jaw pivotally carried by and spring-seated on said flanged roller, a second pair of arms pivotally mounted on said first pair of arms, a second circumferentiallyflanged roller ournaled on said second arms, means for holding said rollers with their lianges in yielding engagement with each other, means for rotating said rollers and causing said gripping-jaws to rock relatively to each other and forward a sheet of paper into the grip of said flanged rollers, means for giving to said arms a movement independent of said swinging frame and cause said gripping-jaws, when brought by the movement of said swinging frame into operative relation with said folding-blade, to travel in the same general direction therewith, means for temporarily separating said rollers at the end of their sheet-forwarding movement, delivery-mechanism, and guides adapted to receive the sheet from said rollers and direct it to said delivery-mechanism.

HANS C. SCHROEDER.

Titnesses C. E. PICKARD, WV. H. DE BUsK.

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