FOLDING MACHINE AND METHODS

• US 20150360901A1
• Filed: 06/11/2015
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.G. Bretting Manufacturing Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: C.G. Bretting Manufacturing Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Butterworth, Tad T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,862,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/365 for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/018 Holding the work by suction
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/14 by tensioning the work
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/17 Selective folding mode
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/33 Rotary suction means, e.g. roller, cylinder or drum
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1924 Napkins or tissues, e.g. dressings, toweling, serviettes, kitchen paper and compresses
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/162 with folding jaw cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/20 Zig-zag folders B65H45/228 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/24 Interfolding sheets, e.g. cigarette or toilet papers

Abstract

Folding machines and methods are provided. A folding machine that utilizes a direct transfer of sheets from a knife roll to a folding roll is provided. Sheet handling rolls are provided that incorporate movable vacuum ports to assist in transfer of a sheet from one roll to another roll.

Claims

1. A folding machine comprising:

a cutting arrangement including a knife roll receiving a continuous web of material, the cutting arrangement configured to sever the continuous web of material into a stream of individual sheets;

a folding arrangement including a first folding roll and a second folding roll adjacent the first folding roll, the first and second folding rolls being counter rotating and forming a folding nip therebetween, the first and second folding rolls configured to fold the sheets into a plurality of panels connected by at least one fold; and

the knife roll and the first folding roll forming a transfer nip therebetween with the sheets being directly transferred from the knife roll to the first folding roll.

2. The folding machine of claim 1, wherein the knife roll has a knife roll peripheral speed that is greater rate than a first folding roll peripheral speed.

3. The folding machine of claim 2, wherein the cutting arrangement and the folding arrangement are configured to switch between a three panel mode and a four panel mode;

in the three panel mode, each sheet is formed with three panels interconnected by two folds;

in the four panel mode, each sheet is formed with four panels interconnected by three folds.

4. The folding machine of claim 3, wherein the cutting arrangement and the folding arrangement are configured to switch between the three panel mode and the four panel mode by adjusting a ratio between the knife roll peripheral speed and the first folding roll peripheral speed.

5. The folding machine of claim 4, wherein the cutting arrangement and the folding arrangement are configured to switch between the three panel mode and the four panel mode by changing a number of knife blades of the knife roll that are active.

6. The folding machine of claim 1, wherein:

the knife roll includes a knife roll body carrying a movable vacuum port, the knife roll rotates about a knife roll axis of rotation; and

the first folding roll rotates about a first folding roll axis of rotation.

7-13. -13. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

22-23. -23. (canceled)

29. A method of folding a plurality of sheets formed from a single web of material using a folding machine including a cutting arrangement including a knife roll and a folding arrangement including a first folding roll and a second folding roll, the method comprising:

severing the single web of material into a plurality of sheets using the cutting arrangement;

transferring the sheets from the knife roll directly to the first folding roll; and

folding the sheets using the first and second folding rolls.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

overlapping adjacent sheets while transferring the sheets from the knife roll to the folding roll.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein overlapping adjacent sheets includes driving the knife roll and the first folding roll at different peripheral speeds.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of transferring the sheets includes transferring the sheets using a movable vacuum port.

33. A web handling roll arrangement comprising:

a roll body defining a roll body axis of rotation; and

a movable vacuum port member carried by the roll body, the movable vacuum port member including a first vacuum port being configured to provide a vacuum for adhering a web of material to the roll body as the roll body rotates about the roll body axis of rotation, the movable vacuum port member being movable relative to the roll body to transition the first vacuum port between first and second positions relative to the roll body.

34. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 33, wherein the first and second positions are at different radial locations relative to the roll body axis of rotation.

35. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 33, wherein the first and second positions are at different angular locations about the roll body axis of rotation.

37. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 33, wherein:

the movable vacuum port member is rotatably carried by the roll body for rotation about a movable vacuum port member axis of rotation relative to the roll body; and

the roll handling body is configured to rotate about the roll body axis of rotation in a first angular direction and the movable vacuum port member is configured to rotate, at least in part, in a second angular direction about the movable vacuum port member axis of rotation that is opposite the first angular direction.

39. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 33, further including:

a vacuum supply manifold positioned within the roll body;

a vacuum supply valve arrangement interposed between the vacuum supply manifold and the movable vacuum port member.

40. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 39, wherein movement of the movable vacuum port member relative to the roll body transitions the vacuum supply valve between open and closed states.

41. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 40, wherein the vacuum supply valve includes first and second sliding surfaces that each have openings, when the openings fluidly communicate the vacuum supply valve is in the open state and when the openings do not fluidly communicate the vacuum supply valve is in the closed state.

47. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 33, wherein:

when the movable vacuum port member moves to transition the first vacuum port between the first and second positions relative to the roll body, the first vacuum port passes through a third position having a different radial position than at least one of the first and second position; and

the third position is radially further from the roll body axis of rotation than the first and second positions such that as the movable vacuum port member moves to transition the first vacuum port from the first position to the second position the first vacuum port first moves radially outward as the first vacuum port approaches the third position and then moves radially inward as the first vacuum port moves away from the third position to the second position.

58. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 33, further comprising:

a second roll body defining a second roll body axis of rotation; and

a third vacuum port;

wherein;

the first and second roll bodies defining g a transfer therebetween proximate which, at a least a portion of, a web of material is transferred from the first roll body to the second roll body;

the web of material being transferred proximate the transfer nip from the first vacuum port to the third vacuum port; and

the first roll body rotates with a first peripheral speed and the second roll body rotates with a second peripheral speed different than the first peripheral speed, wherein the first vacuum port moves relative to the first roll body during transfer of the web to reduce a difference in speed between the first vacuum port and the third vacuum port during transfer of the web from the first roll body to the second roll body.

59. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 58, wherein the first peripheral speed is greater than the second peripheral speed and the first vacuum port moves relative to the first roll body in an opposite direction as the first roll body during transfer of the web from the first vacuum port to the third vacuum port.

61. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 59, wherein the first and third vacuum ports have speeds that are within 5% of each other during transfer of the web from the first vacuum port to the third vacuum port.

62. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 33, further comprising:

a second roll body defining a second roll body axis of rotation; and

a third vacuum port;

wherein;

the first and second roll bodies defining a transfer nip therebetween proximate which, at a least a portion of, a web of material is transferred from the first roll body to the second roll body;

the web of material being transferred proximate the transfer nip from the first vacuum port to the third vacuum port; and

the second roll body carries a web handling component that protrudes radially beyond an outer surface of the second roll body proximate the third vacuum port and the first movable vacuum port member protrudes radially beyond an outer surface of the first roll body, wherein the first movable vacuum port member is moved during transfer of the web from the first vacuum port to the third vacuum port such that the first movable vacuum port member does not contact the web handling component.

63. The web handling roll arrangement of claim 62, wherein the first vacuum port holds a leading end of the web and transfers the leading end of the web to the third vacuum port, wherein the leading end of the web is positioned proximate the web handling component carried by the second roll body after transfer.

36. (canceled)

14. The folding machine of claim 36, wherein:

the movable vacuum port is positioned adjacent a knife blade carried by the knife roll body and the movable vacuum port is located on a trailing side of the knife blade, the movable vacuum port configured to hold a leading end of a sheet as the leading end of the sheet is carried by the knife roll toward the transfer nip.

16. The folding machine of any one of claims 14, wherein the movable vacuum port is rotatably carried by the knife roll body.

17. The folding machine of claim 14, wherein the movable vacuum port transitions radially outward as the movable vacuum port approaches the transfer nip while holding the leading end of the sheet to the knife roll and transitions radially inward after the leading end of the sheet is transferred to the first folding roll.

19. The folding machine of claim 14, wherein the movable vacuum port is rotatably carried by the knife roll body for rotation about a movable vacuum port axis of rotation, the movable vacuum port being movable between a first position and a second position, the movable vacuum port being closer to the knife blade in the first position than in the second position.

20. The folding machine of claim 19, wherein a maximum radial position of the movable vacuum port is at an intermediate position between the first and second positions.

21. The folding machine of claim 20, wherein the vacuum port transitions from the first position to the second position as the leading end of the sheet is transferred from the knife roll to the folding roll.

24. The folding machine of claim 21, wherein the knife roll includes a second vacuum port positioned to hold an upstream portion of the sheet that is spaced from the leading end of the sheet, wherein the transition of the movable vacuum port from the first position to the second position causes a bubble to begin to form in a portion of the sheet between the movable vacuum port and the second vacuum port.

38. (canceled)

42-46. -46. (canceled)

48-57. -57. (canceled)

60. (canceled)

64-72. -72. (canceled)

73. A method of transferring a sheet of a web of material from a first web handling roll to a second web handling roll, the method comprising:

driving a first roll body of the first web handling roll at a first peripheral speed;

driving a second roll body of the second web handling roll at a second peripheral speed different than the first peripheral speed creating a speed difference therebetween;

holding a leading end of a sheet of a web of material with a first vacuum port of the first web handling roll;

transferring the leading end of the sheet from the first vacuum port to a second vacuum port of the second web handling roll proximate a transfer nip formed between the first and second web handling rolls; and

moving at least one of the first or second vacuum ports relative to the corresponding one of the first and second roll bodies while transferring the leading end of the sheet from the first vacuum port to the second vacuum port to reduce the speed difference.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein the step of moving the at least one of the first or second vacuum ports makes the speed difference zero.

75. A method of transferring a sheet of a web of material from a first web handling roll to a second web handling roll, the method comprising:

driving the first web handling roll at a first peripheral speed;

driving the second web handling roll at a second peripheral speed different than the first peripheral speed creating a speed difference therebetween;

holding a leading end of a sheet of a web of material with a movable vacuum port of a movable vacuum port member carried by a first roll body of the first web handling roll;

transferring the leading end of the sheet from the movable vacuum port to a second vacuum port that is part of the second web handling roll proximate a transfer nip formed between the first and second web handling rolls; and

moving the movable vacuum port member relative to the first roll body while transferring the leading end of the sheet from the movable vacuum port to the second vacuum port to reduce the speed difference between the first and second web handling rolls while the leading end of the sheet is transferred therebetween.

78. The method of claim 75, wherein moving the movable vacuum port member also controls turning on and off vacuum.

76-77. -77. (canceled)

79-116. -116. (canceled)