US2114124A - Sheet folding mechanism - Google Patents

Description

April12,l93&

A. J. HORTON SHEET FOLDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 26, 1936 -INVENTOR. Wm

m mwm Patented Apr. 12, 1938 2,114,124 SHEET FOLDING MECHANISM Albert J. Horton,

It. Hoe & 00., Inc., ration of New York White Plains, N. Y., assignor to New York, N. Y., a corpo- Applioation September 26, 1936, Serial No. 102,694

1'7 Claims.

This invention relates to folding mechanisms for folding the products from printing machines, and more particularly to the provision of means in a folding mechanism whereby the folding of 5 products will be more efficiently and conveniently accomplished.

This invention is particularly applicable to rotary folding mechanisms, wherein cooperating cylinders are rotated together and products of the printing machines are collected either singly or in groups and folded to form a signature, booklet or the like. Considerable diflioulty and inconvenience has been experienced in the use of folding mechanisms of this type, by the free edges of the grouped products flapping and folding over upon each other and themselves, forming what is termed dog-ears at corners of the folded product, due principally to the effect of the high speed at which printing machines are now operated.

In such folding products are generally directed from the collecting cylinder into the bite of a pair of cooperating folding rollers by a folding blade carried by the cylinder, adapted toengage the collected products intermediate their ends. These ends, while being rapidly fed toward and by the rollers, are free to flap, and in many instances abruptly whip or snap over from a substantially horizontal, oppositely directed position, to a vertically and closely adjacent one. This action causes the above mentioned difliculty.

If the approaching movement of these oppositely directed ends is controlled and, as they more closely approach each other, they are acted upon by a stream or streams of air properly directed, the above mentioned difficulties will be avoided and the ends will smoothly feed into and pass between the rollers without becoming folded over upon themselves or otherwise distorted.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved product folding mechanism for a printing or like machine.

Another object is to provide in a folding mechanism means to control the free ends of products as they are being folded from a collecting cylinder to prevent the folding over of these ends and the formation of so-called dog-ears.

Still another object is to provide in a folding mechanism of the above nature, means in association with the folding rollers to free ends of the products as they are being folded from a collecting cylinder and substantially pre- 55 vent any whipping or flapping thereof, and to insure smooth feeding into, and the folding rollers A further object is to provi passage between,

of the mechanism.

de in a product folding mechanism for a printing machine, provision in association with the folding off rollers to direct a stream or streams of air, or the like,

against the free end corners of the products being folded and, in addition to this provision,

to time the period of flow of the air to permit it only at desired intervals during the period products are passing by the-rollers.

It is also an object of this invention to provide,

of improved cona product folding mechanism struction, and which will be convenient,

serviceable and efficient in use.

between and being folded practical,

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

which will appear as invention resides in the description proceeds, the the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction. hereinafter described and claimed.

The preferred embodiment of illustrated in the accompanying in the invention is drawing, where- Figure 1 is a partial end view of .a portion of a folding mechanism showing the essential features of this invention applied thereto, other parts being omitted and V Figure 2 is a view and looking in the Figure l, certain for .the sake of clearness;

along the line indicated by, direction of the arrow 2 in parts being in section for a better understanding of the structure thereof.

The folding mechanism illustrated in the drawing will be understood to be a part of a printing machine and to which printed products orsheets are transmitted for collection and folding from the printing mechanism of also be understood that cooperate by the operation of w the cylinders H and I2 ell known means provided thereon, to receive printed products from the machine and collect them,

into groups upon the cylinder cooperation of a tucking or with a pair of rotating rollers. these products transversely.

if required, l2, and that the folding blade l3,

Hi and I5, fold It will be further understood that all operative parts of the printing machine and of the folding mechanism shown are, as is usual, driven in synchronism, preferably by gears or chains, one

and in the above drawing,

from the other,

driving connections have been indicated between some of the parts by dot and dash circles representing gears with their teeth omitted for the sake of clearness in representing other parts.

In this instance, the cylinders H and [2 are assumed to be driven in the usual manner by intermeshing gears secured to their respective shafts, one of which is driven by a driving part of the machine. A gear, indicated at H5, is driven from the gear (not shown) secured on a shaft l l of the cylinder l2 and drives the rollers l4 and I5 through gears, indicated at l8, l9, 2|, 22 and 23, the gears 22 and 23 being respectively mounted on shafts 24 and 25 of the rollers I 4 and I5, respectively, and the gears l9 and 2! being rotatably mounted on shafts 26 and 21 respectively, gear l8 drivingly connecting gears 16 and I9.

carried by the sheet collecting cylinder l2. Product guiding fingers 3| and 32 are provided to guide the folded products toward and between cooperating feeding rollers 33 and 34. The fingers 3| and 32 are disposed in circumferential grooves 35 formed in the respective rollers l4 and I5 and engage the folded products as they emerge from between these rollers and prevent them adhering thereto and being carried around the same.

The rollers I l and I5 are usually of sufiicient length to receive and fold a plurality of products disposed end to end, but for the purpose of this invention, only one end of these rollers is shown (see Figure 2). Near each end of each of the rollers M and I5, a short length is reduced in diameter to form a seat 31 for a split sleeve 38 which forms part of the roller and which is preferably slightly less in diameter than the other portions of the respective rollers I 4 or IE. Herein the separate portions of the split sleeves 38 are shown secured together by clamp screws 39 whereby the sleeves are firmly clamped upon the seat 37! and may be adjusted circumferentially thereabout. As illustrated in Figure 2, each end of the product is engaged for folding by a short length H of each roller at each products usually flap and form dog-ears.

To prevent the above noted tendency for the dog-ears, the split sleeves groove 43 which forms a chamber extending peripherally about the bearing 3?. The port-or ports 42 are angularly disposed in respect to the axis of the sleeve and extend from the chamber 43 to an end peripheral edge of the respective sleeve whereby air supplied under pressure to the chamber 43, in any suitable manner, will be directed against opposite sides of steady them as they approach each other to pass between the rollers M and I5, thereby preventing them whipping, flapping or otherwise tending to form dog-ears. The ports 42 are disposed relatively to the free end edges of the products by circumferential adjustment of the sleeves 38 about the bearing 37 soas to be in operative position when the loose free edges of the product are about to pass between the rollers l4 and I5 and, due to the timing action of the intermeshing driving gears above described, act upon each succeeding product or plurality thereof tucked between these rollers by the blade l3 from the cylinder [2.

Various means may be employed to supply air to the chamber 43 and preferably to supply the same only at the interval the port or ports 42 are in operative position to direct it against the product end. One method of supplying air to the chamber 43 is herein shown as comprising an inlet port 44 in connection with the chamber 43 and extending to the periphery of the sleeve 38 and a nozzle 45 adapted to closely fit the periphery of the sleeve 38 and having an outlet part 46 which flares peripherally about the sleeve to allow air to pass therefrom into the port 44, as the sleeve rotates relatively to the nozzle 45, slightly before and during the comparatively short interval the product ends are passing into the bite of the rollers M and I5. The nozzle 45 is shown supported upon a bracket 41 extending between side frames 38 of the machine and whereby the nozzle will be retained stationary with respect to the rotation of the rollers l4 and i5 and the sleeve 38. A supply pipe 69, fastened to the bracket 4! by a clamp 5|, is connected to the nozzle 45 and by connection with a source of air supply (not shown) supplies air thereto.

Obviously, if desired the rollers l4 and I5 may be provided with hollow shafts through which air may be led to the sleeves, suitable rotary connections being provided to conduct the air to the shafts, and allow it to be discharged at the proper times.

As above described, provision is herein disclosed constituted by the structure whereby a stream or streams of air may be directed against opposite sides of the loose free product ends to prevent the formation of dog-ears as the products are being folded. By the use of the mechanism disclosed herein, smooth feeding into, and passage between, folding rollers of a high speed folding mechanism, is insured.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and it will be further understood that each and every novel feature and combination present in or possessed by the mechanism herein disclosed forms a part of the invention included in this application.

What I claim is:

1. In a folding mechanism for a printing machine, a cylinder from which sheet-like products are directed, a pair of cooperating rotatable folding rollers to and between which the sheetinto the bite of the rollers.

2. In a folding mechanism chine, a cylinder from which are directed, a

for a printing masheet-like products means to direct a stream of air only against opposite side edges of the product ends as they pass into the bite of the cooperating rollers, and means arranged to connect said air directing means to a source of compressed air and to control the flow of air being directed by said directing means in timed relation with the movement of the product.

i. In a mechanism adapted to fold sheet-like products forwarded by a product collecting cylinder of a printing machine, a pair of folding rollers cooperating to fold the sheet-like products, and means to direct air only against the ends of the folding product as they approach a position adjacent to and in advance of said rollers, to prevent the trailing end edges of the product folding over upon themselves.

5. In a mechanism adapted to fold sheet-like products forwarded by a product collecting cylinder of a printing machine, a pair of folding rollers cooperating to fold the sheet-like products, means to direct air only against a side edge of the folding product adjacent to the product ends and to and in advance of said rollers to prevent the trailing edges of the product folding over upon themselves, and means to time the interval of flow of air through said directing means.

6. In a mechanism adapted to fold products forwarded by a product collecting cylinder of a printing machine, a pair of rotatable cooperating folding rollers, one having a portion reduced in diameter spaced from an end thereof, a sleeve member mounted on said portion for circumferential adjustment thereon and having an outlet port at its periphery, and means to connect the outlet port in said sleeve with a source of air under pressure.

'7. In a mechanism adapted to fold products forwarded by a product collecting cylinder of a printing machine, a pair of rotating cooperating folding rollers, each having a portion reduced in diameter spaced from each end thereof, a sleeve member on each of said portions, means to secure said sleeves to said portions for circumferential adjustment thereabout, each of said sleeves having an outlet port at its periphery, and means to connect the outlet port in said sleeve with a source of air under pressure.

8. In a mechanism adapted to fold products forwarded by a product collecting cylinder of a printing machine, a pair of rotating cooperating folding rollers, each having a portion reduced in diameter spaced from each end thereof, a sleeve member mounted on each of said portions for circumferential adjustment thereon, and having an outlet port at its periphery, and means to connect the outlet port to a source of compressed air, and being arranged to control the admission of the air to the outlet port in timed relation to the rotation of said rollers.

9. In a mechanism adapted to fold products from a printing machine, a pair of rotatable cooperating rollers, each having a portion reduced in diameter spaced from each end thereof, a

sleeve member secured on each of said portions and having an outlet port at its periphery, the outlet in each of said sleeves being angularly directed toward the end of the respective associated roller.

10. In a mechanism adapted to fold products from a printing machine, a pair of rotatable cooperating rollers, each having a portion reduced in diameter spaced from each end thereof, a sleeve member secured on each of said portions and having an outlet port at its periphery, the

outlet port in each of said sleeves being angularly directed toward the end of the respective associated roller, and means to connect the outlet port with a source of air under pressure.

11. In a mechanism adapted to fold products from a printing machine, a pair of rotatable cooperating rollers, each having a portion reduced in diameter spaced from each end thereof, a sleeve member secured on each of said portions and having an outlet port at its periphery, the outlet port in each of said sleeves being angularly directed toward the end of the respective associated roller, means to connect the outlet port in said sleeve with a source of air under pressure, and means to control the admission of air to the outlet port in timed relation with the rotation of the rollers.

12. In a mechanism adapted to fold products forwarded by a product printing machine, a pair of rotatable cooperating folding rollers, each having a portion reduced in diameter spaced from an end thereof, a sleeve member on each of said portions, means to secure said sleeves to said portions for circumferential adjustment thereabout, each of said sleeves having an outlet port at its periphery, the outlet port in each sleeve being angularly directed toward the end of the respective associated roller.

13. In a mechanism adapted to fold products forwarded by a product collecting cylinder of a printing machine, a pair of cooperating folding rollers, each having a portion reduced in diameter spaced from an end thereof, a sleeve member having an annular internal recess formed therein, and an outlet port connecting said recess to the periphery of said sleeve and being angularly directed toward the end of said roller, and means to connect said recess to a source of air under pressure.

14. In a mechanism adapted to fold sheet-like products out from a Web of paper, a pair of rollers between which the products pass, a duct adjacent an end of one of said rollers and having an outlet arranged to direct a stream of air only against a corner of the product while the product is passing between the rollers, and means through which air under pressure may be supplied to the duct.

15. In a sheet folding mechanism, a member from which sheets are directed, a pair of rotatable sheet folding rollers to and between which the sheets are received from said member, and means to direct streams of air angularly toward and against corners of the sheets as they pass from the member to the rollers.

16. In mechanism adapted to fold sheets cut from a web, a pair of rollers between which the sheets pass, a duct in the end of at least one of the rollers and having an angularly directed outlet arranged to direct a stream of air against a corner of one of the sheets as they move toward and between the rollers, and means to supply compressed air to the duct as the corner of the said sheet is adjacent the rollers.

1'7. In a sheet folding mechanism, a pair of cooperating rotatable rollers adapted to receive sheets therebetween and fold them, each of said rollers having an angularly disposed air outlet to direct air from the periphery and toward an end of the roller against a corner of a sheet being folded thereby, and means to supply air under pressure to said outlets.

ALBERT J. HORTON.

collecting cylinder of a

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