APPARATUS FOR FOLDING LONG WEBS OR SHEETS OF MATERIAL

• US 3,841,621 A
• Filed: 06/05/1973
• Issued: 10/15/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frank H. Brown
• Original Assignee: Frank H. Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Frank H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skogquist, Harland S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heinz, A. J.
• Application Number:
  US05/367,146
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 270/61F,69,73,79
• US Class Current: 493/8
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/20 Zig-zag folders B65H45/228 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 493/937 Textile

Abstract

A folding apparatus for folding long webs or sheets of material, includes a drive roller and an adjacent, spaced pinch roller on each of the opposite sides of the web, the drive roller and spaced pinch roller on each side of the web define a fold zone therebetween and means is positioned to direct a stream of air between the drive roller and spaced pinch roller on each side of the web to impinge air against opposite sides of the web, each pinch roller is movable into engagement with its associated drive roller to interrupt the flow of air therebetween and the pinch rollers are movable toward one another into engagement with opposite sides of the web, whereby air flowing between the other pinch roller and its associated drive roller deflects a portion of the web into the folding zone between the engaged pinch roller and drive roller to fold the web.

Claims

1. A folding apparatus for folding long webs or sheets of paper or other material, comprising a pair of opposed, parallel drive rollers for engaging opposite sides of a web of paper or the like to feed it between the drive rollers, a pinch roller near each drive roller and spaced closely adjacent thereto, said pinch rollers disposed in parallel, spaced apart, opposed relationship to one another on opposite sides of the web, each drive roller and associated pinch roller defining a folding zone therebetween into which said web of paper or the like is fed by said drive rollers, means adjacent the pinch roller and drive roller on each side of the web for directing a stream of air between the drive roller and pinch roller on each side of the web and against opposite sides of the web, and means connected with the pinch roller on each side of the web to move the pinch rollers in a predetermined sequence of operation against its associated drive roller to block the stream of air from impinging against a selected side of the web so that the stream of air impinging against the other side of the web deflects a portion of the web into the folding zone between the pinch roller and drive roller on said selected side, said pinch rollers movable toward one another to engage said web on opposite sides thereof to feed said deflected portion of said web between said drive roller and pinch roller on said selected side to effect folding of said web, said rollers actuatable to effect feeding of said web at various speeds and folding of the web at various intervals along its length and in alternate directions, as desired.

2. Folding apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said means connected with said pinch rollers to move said pinch rollers in said selected sequences of operation includes means to move the pinch rollers in a first direction into engagement with an adjacent drive roller to block the stream of air and to pinch the web therebetween, and means to move the pinch rollers in a second direction toward one another into engagement with opposite sides of the web to feed a portion of said web reversely into said folding zone.

3. Folding apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the means to move the pinch rollers in said first direction includes first solenoid means connected to the pinch rollers, and the means to move the pinch rollers in said second direction includes second solenoid means connected to the pinch rollers.

4. Folding apparatus as in claim 3, wherein first substantially vertically disposed roller actuating links are connected at the upper ends thereof to the opposite ends of each pinch roller and connected at the lower ends thereof to said first solenoid means, and first substantially horizontally disposed roller actuating links are connected at one of their ends to the opposite ends of each pinch roller and connected at the other ends thereof to said second solenoid means.

5. Folding apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said first and second solenoids comprise first and second rotary solenoids, and a shaft is connected with the first rotary solenoid and with the lower ends of said first vertically disposed roller actuating links, said shaft connected to said first rotary solenoid to be moved eccentricallY to thus impart longitudinal vertical movement to said first vertically disposed roller actuating links and thus to move the pinch roller supported thereby vertically, and a shaft is connected with the second rotary solenoid and with the other end of said first horizontally disposed roller actuating links, said shaft connecting to said second rotary solenoid to be moved eccentrically to thus impart longitudinal horizontal movement to said first horizontal roller actuating links and thus to move the pinch roller connected therewith horizontally.

6. Folding apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said first horizontally and vertically disposed roller actuating links at each end of each pinch roller comprise a portion of a parallelogram-type support linkage arrangement for each end of each said pinch roller, each said parallelogram-type linkage arrangement further including second vertically disposed roller actuating links pivotally connected at their upper ends with the other ends of said first horizontally disposed roller actuating links and second horizontally disposed roller actuating links pivotally connected at one of their ends with the lower ends of said first vertically disposed roller actuating links, and said second horizontal and vertical roller actuating links pivotally connected at their other ends to a common, fixed pivot.

7. Folding apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said rollers are yieldably supported on a frame means to enable said rollers to move apart relative to one another in the event paper becomes jammed between the rollers.

8. Folding apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said rollers are yieldably supported on a frame means to enable said rollers to move apart relative to one another in the event paper becomes jammed between the rollers.

9. Folding apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said means for directing a stream of air between the rollers on opposite sides of the web, includes an elongate nozzle adjacent each drive roller and its associated pinch roller, said nozzles each disposed to direct a flat, wide stream of air into the space between a drive roller and its associated pinch roller.

10. Folding apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said rollers are yieldably supported on a frame means to enable said rollers to move apart relative to one another in the event paper becomes jammed between the rollers.