WEB FOLDING APPARATUS

• US 3,834,689 A
• Filed: 04/07/1972
• Issued: 09/10/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles A. Lee, Horace N. Kemp, Warren R. Furbeck
• Original Assignee: Charles A. Lee, Horace N. Kemp, Warren R. Furbeck
• Inventors: Lee, Charles A., Furbeck, Warren R., Kemp, Horace N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Application Number:
  US05/242,189
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 270/40-44,5,66,86,93,94 93/14-20
• US Class Current: 270/41
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/22 Longitudinal folders, i.e. for folding moving sheet material parallel to the direction of movement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/221 incorporating folding triangles

Abstract

A machine for producing V-folds and then C-folds in each of a plurality of webs and for advancing the webs in a continuously moving stack. The V-folds are formed by directing the webs over generally triangular folding elements, while the C-folds are formed by advancing the V-folded webs along folding elements which are each provided with a pair of folding fingers of rectangular cross-section. The folding fingers have inwardly directed folding surfaces which converge in the direction of movement of the webs and engage separate longitudinal portions of the webs to produce the C-fold.

Claims

1. In apparatus for forming longitudinal folds in each of a plurality of webs and for advancing the webs in a continuously moving stack, in combination;

a series of folding elements, one for each of said webs, positioned along the path of said stack in spaced relationship with each other, each of the folding elements including an infeed portion having an infeed surface and a substantially flat outfeed portion having first and second outfeed surfaces on opposite sides of said outfeed portion, said first outfeed surface forming an oblique angle with the infeed surface, said infeed surface having an initial portion at least as wide as the web being fed to said folding element, said outfeed portion being substantially narrower than the initial portion of said infeed surface and substantially narrower than the web fed to the folding element, and the remaining portion of said infeed surface being tapered from the width of said initial portion to the width of said outfeed portion;

means affixed to the infeed portion of each of the folding elements for supporting the same adjacent said stack;

means for respectively drawing said webs over the infeed and first outfeed surfaces of the folding elements and into the stack so that substantially the entire width of the web is supported as it passes the initial portion of the infeed surface and, as the web passes the tapered portion of the infeed surface, separate longitudinal portions of the web adjacent the edges thereof become unsupported by the infeed surface and form surfaces in the interior of the oblique angle defined by the planes of said infeed and first outfeed surfaces;

a pair of folding fingers of substantially rectangular crosssection overlying the outfeed portion of each of the folding elements, said folding fingers having inwardly directed folding surfaces which converge in the direction of movement of said stack in position to engage the separate unsupported longitudinal edge portions of the corresponding web to turn said longitudinal portions over the outfeed portion and onto said second outfeed surface to form a fold of C-shaped crosssection; and

an integral mounting device affixed to the outfeed portion of each folding element for maintaining both of the folding fingers for the folding element in fixed relationship with each other and with said outfeed portion.

2. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which the mounting device and folding fingers for each of said folding elements comprises a one-piece casting.

3. In apparatus as defined in claim 1, the outfeed portion of each of said folding elements having a pair of rounded folding edges connecting said first and second outfeed surfaces parallel to the direction of movement of said stack.

4. In apparatus as defined in claim 3, the mounting device for each folding element comprising a single substantially flat plate member permanently affixed to both of the corresponding folding fingers;

and bolt means for securing the plate member to said outfeed portion.

5. In apparatus as defined in claim 3, the mounting device for each folding element comprising a single substantially flat plate member affixed to said outfeed portion, said plate defining a plurality of notches around its periphery;

means disposed in said notches for initially adjustably locating the folding fingers relative to said plate member; and

means for fixing the location of said folding fingers once they have been adjustably located.

6. In apparatus for forming longitudinal folds in each of a plurality of webs and for advancing the webs in a continuously moving stack, in combination:

a first group of folding elements, one for each web to be folded, positioned in spaced relationship with the path of the continuously moving stack;

means for respectively advancing said webs in unfolded condition along the folding elements in said first group, each of said folding elements forming a longitudinal median fold in the corresponding web;

a second group of folding elements, one for each of said webs, positioned along the path of said stack in spaced relationship with one another, each of the folding elements in said second group including an infeed portion having an infeed surface and a substantially flat outfeed portion having first and second outfeed surface on opposite sides of said outfeed portion, said first outfeed surface forming an oblique angle with the infeed surface, said infeed surface having an initial portion at least as wide as the web being fed to said folding element, said outfeed portion being substantially narrower than the initial portion of said infeed surface and substantially narrower than the web fed to the folding element, and the remaining portion of said infeed surface being taPered from the width of said initial portion to the width of said outfeed portion;

means affixed to the infeed portion of each of the folding elements in said second group for supporting the same adjacent said stack;

means for respectively drawing said webs over the infeed and first outfeed surfaces of the folding elements in said second group and into the stack so that substantially the entire width of the web is supported as it passes the initial portion of the infeed surface and, as the web passes the tapered portion of the infeed surface, separate longitudinal portions of the web adjacent the edges thereof become unsupported by the infeed surface and form surfaces in the interior of the oblique angle defined by the planes of said infeed and first outfeed surfaces;

a pair of folding fingers of substantially rectangular cross-section overlying the outfeed portion of each of the folding elements in said second group, said folding fingers having inwardly directed folding surfaces which converge in the direction of movement of said stack in position to engage the separate unsupported longitudinal edge portions of the corresponding web to turn said longitudinal portions over the outfeed portion and onto said second outfeed surface to form a fold of C-shaped cross-section; and

an integral mounting device affixed to the outfeed portion of each folding element in said second group for maintaining both of the folding fingers for the folding element in fixed relationship with each other and with said outfeed portion.