FOLDING APPARATUS

• US 3,784,187 A
• Filed: 12/29/1970
• Issued: 01/08/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shigenao Takayanagi, Toyoo Nimoda
• Original Assignee: Shigenao Takayanagi, Toyoo Nimoda
• Inventors: Takayanagi, Shigenao, Nimoda, Toyoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oremland, L. R.
• Application Number:
  US05/102,341
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 270/5,6,72,63,64,65,41,42,66
• US Class Current: 493/359
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/168 having changeable mode of operation
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/28 Folding in combination with cutting cutting machines B26D

Abstract

A web transferring, cutting and folding apparatus shiftable between two modes of operation for producing from a continuous web, either two streams of eight page sections or one stream of 16 page sections. In the first mode, two triangular formers double and redouble the web about its longitudinal axis. Then it is cut into single width, double length and finally single width, single length eight page sections which are alternately forwarded to separate streams. In the second mode, one triangular former doubles the web about its longitudinal axis. Then it is cut into double length, double width sections which are next folded into single length double width sections transversally and forwarded in one stream to a right angle folding unit which folds these sections about the longitudinal axis into single length, single width 16 page sections. In shifting between the two modes, most of the apparatus is relatively rotated 90* to alternatively utilize or by pass the one of the two triangular formers.

Claims

1. Apparatus for selectively manufacturing either two streams of eight page sections in a first mode of operation or one stream of 16 page sections in a second mode of operation, from a continuous web of paper, said apparatus comprising:

means for forwarding the web along a path;

a first triangular former positioned to intercept the web and double the web about the longituidnal axis thereof;

a second triangular former positioned downstream of the first triangular former and oriented at a substantial angular disparity with respect thereto to intercept the once doubled web, only when said apparatus is operating in the first mode thereof, for redoubling the once doubled web about the longitudinal axis thereof;

a rotating transfer roll contiguous with said path, downstream of said second triangular former, means on the rotating transfer roll for temporarily grasping the web, regardless of whether the web has been doubled once or twice, and for carrying what has been grasped, on the periphery thereof, throughout somewhat short of a complete revolution of the rotating transfer roll;

first serration means intermittently cooperable with the rotating transfer roll shortly downstream of where the web is grasped thereon by said grasping means, for transversally servicing the web, regardless of whether the web has been doubled once or twice, into segments each twice as long as the page sections to be produced;

second serration means, interMittently cooperable wtih the rotating transfer roll angularly downstream of where the web is served with the first serration means, for tranversally severing each of said segments into two eight page sections only when said apparatus is operating in the first mode thereof;

a rotating gripper cylinder contiguous with said path angularly downstream of where the second serration means severs each of the segments into two eight page sections when the apparatus is operating in the first mode thereof;

a first conveyor disposed to receive angularly trailing ones of said eight page sections from said second serration means;

means on said second serration means for removing said angularly trailing ones of said eight page sections from saie rotating transfer roll and for depositing the sections so removed with the first conveyor to provide one of said two streams of eight page sections;

a second conveyor disposed to receive angularly leading ones of said eight page sections from said gripper cylinder;

means on said rotation gripper cylinder for removing said angularly leading ones of said eight page sections from said rotating transfer roll and for depositing the sections so removed with the second conveyor to provide the other of said two streams of eight page sections;

means for withdrawing the second serration means from cooperation with the rotating transfer cylinder, so that when the apparatus is operating in the second mode thereof the once doubled web remains severed into segments each twice as long and twice as wide as the 16 page sections to be produced while being carried by the rotating transfer roll and the first conveyor is thus isolated from the rotating transfer roll and receives no sections;

transverse folding blade means on the rotating transfer roll, structured, positioned and operable only when the apparatus is operating in the second mode thereof to double-over each segment transversally while each segment is being carried by the rotating transfer roll to provide segments each as wide but still twice as long as the 16 page sections to be produced; and

right angle folding unit means associated with the second conveyor for doubling over each segment longitudinally to provide said 16 page segments from the last-mentioned segments transfered to the second conveyor from the rotating transfer roll by the rotating gripping cylinder; and

means for angularly shifting the orientation of the once doubled web with respect to the periphery of the transfer cylinder about the longitudinal axis of the web to accomodate said path to whether the second triangular former is to be used (in the first mode) or bypassed (in the second mode);

said rotating transfer roll, said first serration means, said second serration means, said rotating gripper cylinder, said first conveyor and said second conveyor all being mounted on said shifting means, whereby, but for extension and withdrawal of the second serration means and rendering said transverse folding blade means operative and inoperative, switching said apparatus from operating in said first mode to operating in said second mode, and vice versa is substantially accomplished by shifting said shifting means through the amount of said angular disparity.

2. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said angular disparity is 90* and the shifting means is constituted by a mobile housing shiftable through 900*.