ACCORDION, FOLDING AND CUTTING APPARATUS
First Claim
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1. Thin sheet material folding and cutting apparatus comprising:
- means for reverse folding an indefinite length web of thin sheet material into a continuum of transverse crease connected panels of uniform length, the bight of a first crease open to a first direction and the bight of a second, successive crease open to a second direction;
planar support means reciprocable in a plane substantially parallel with said creases, said planar support means having a cutting edge for engaging a longitudinal element of a first transverse crease bight along the full length thereof;
a rolling pressure surface having a line of rolling contact for pressing said web against said cutting edge;
support structure for said rolling pressure surface, said support structure including guide means for confining said line of rolling contact to a plane parallel with said cutting edge;
pressure surface drive means secured to said support structure for driving said rolling pressure surface along said line of rolling contact; and
, transmission means to coordinate the engagement of said cutting edge with the bight of said first transverse crease from said first direction, to move said rolling pressure surface ans support structure therefor into rolling pressure surface engagement with a face of said web opposite from said cutting edge and to energize said drive means for transverse severance of said web.
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Abstract
Apparatus for forming accordion folds in a longitudinally traveling web of substantially uniform width and indefinite length including web cutting means disposed upstream or downstream of said folding apparatus.
45 Citations
6 Claims
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1. Thin sheet material folding and cutting apparatus comprising:
- means for reverse folding an indefinite length web of thin sheet material into a continuum of transverse crease connected panels of uniform length, the bight of a first crease open to a first direction and the bight of a second, successive crease open to a second direction;
planar support means reciprocable in a plane substantially parallel with said creases, said planar support means having a cutting edge for engaging a longitudinal element of a first transverse crease bight along the full length thereof;
a rolling pressure surface having a line of rolling contact for pressing said web against said cutting edge;
support structure for said rolling pressure surface, said support structure including guide means for confining said line of rolling contact to a plane parallel with said cutting edge;
pressure surface drive means secured to said support structure for driving said rolling pressure surface along said line of rolling contact; and
, transmission means to coordinate the engagement of said cutting edge with the bight of said first transverse crease from said first direction, to move said rolling pressure surface ans support structure therefor into rolling pressure surface engagement with a face of said web opposite from said cutting edge and to energize said drive means for transverse severance of said web.
- means for reverse folding an indefinite length web of thin sheet material into a continuum of transverse crease connected panels of uniform length, the bight of a first crease open to a first direction and the bight of a second, successive crease open to a second direction;
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2. Thin sheet material folding and cutting apparatus as described by claim 1 wherein said transmission means further comprises means to sequentially withdraw a first planar support means cutting edge and a first rolling pressure surface from said web engagement position and to engage said web along the bight of a second transverse between a second planar support means cutting edge and a second rolling pressure surface having support structure therefor.
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3. Thin sheet material folding and cutting apparatus as described by claim 1 wherein said pressure surface drive means comprises an endless tensile element driven about a planar periphery, a portion of said planar periphery being parallel with said planar support means cutting edge, said rolling pressure surface comprising a plurality of wheel elements secured to said tensile element for rotation about an axis disposed substantially perpendicular To said cutting edge.
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4. Apparatus for cutting, folding and interleaving sheets of thin material comprising:
- two web supply streams of thin sheet material having substantially uniform width and indefinite length;
web cutting means in each supply stream for cutting said stream into panels of uniform length, said two supply streams subsequently merging into a single stream comprising two parallel planar rows of said panels, said two cutting means being relatively synchronized whereby severed transverse edges of panels in one of said parallel planar rows align substantially midway between severed transverse edges of panels in said other row;
said single stream continuously entering the proximity between a pair of first sprocket means, each carrying one of a pair of endless chain assemblies operatively disposed around respective closed circuits, each of said chain assemblies comprising a plurality of chain links, each of said chain links having one of two distally opposite ends thereof pivotally joined at a pivot axis to one such end of respectively adjacent links;
tucker means and gripper means alternately secured around the periphery of each said chain assembly, each gripper means comprising gripping elements respectively secured to two adjacent chin links whereby two gripping elements cooperatively converge when traversing linear portions of said closed chain circuit to grasp the sheet material and open when traversing arcuate portions of said closed chain circuit, tucker means on one of said chain assemblies meshing with an open nip of gripper means on the other chain assembly and vice versa in the proximity between said first sprocket means to press a portion of said single stream into said open nip whereby a longitudinal half panel of one row is disposed between crease connected half panels of the other row and vice versa;
each of said chain assemblies following first mutually divergent paths from first sprocket means to withdraw said tucker means from closed nips of gripper means; and
, turning guide means respective to each chain assembly for directing same about a turning axis from said first divergent path to a second, different divergent path terminated by second sprocket means, said turning guide means including grip retaining means for supporting in a substantially common plane, the pivot axes of at least three pivot joints of two adjacent chain links respectively supporting two cooperating gripping elements while in arcuate traversal about said turning axis whereby said gripping elements remain closed throughout said traversal.
- two web supply streams of thin sheet material having substantially uniform width and indefinite length;
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5. Apparatus as described by claim 4 wherein said gripping elements comprise a bar element secured to each of said two adjacent chain links.
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6. Apparatus as described by claim 5 wherein each said turning guide means further comprising a rotatable element having a peripheral support surface for said respective chain assembly, said support surface having a depression therein synchronized to cooperate with that chain link pivot joint common to said two adjacent gripping element supporting links to accommodate a more proximate radial position of said common joint relative to said turning axis than the distally opposite joints of said adjacent gripping element supporting links.
Specification