Web folding apparatus

• US 4,070,014 A
• Filed: 07/28/1975
• Issued: 01/24/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kawanoe ZOKI Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kawanoe ZOKI Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Takahashi, Shokichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heinz, A.
• Application Number:
  US05/599,420
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 270/39-40, 270/79, 270/70-77
• US Class Current: 270/39.09
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/24 Interfolding sheets, e.g. cigarette or toilet papers

Abstract

An improved apparatus is disclosed, by which two individually transversely cut web pieces, successively supplied from two different sources, are each attracted by suction onto the surface of either of a pair of suction rolls disposed parallel and rotated in opposing directions, at a first point of rotation of the rolls, and carried from said first point to a point at which the two rolls are in mating relation; at this mating point of rolls, the two cut web pieces each carried by either roll are put together or overlapped and carried by the other roll to a further point of rotation of said other roll, lower to the rolls, at which they are peeled off the roll surface and folded double by either of a pair of folding bars individually operatively associated with either roll, whereby the successively supplied cut webs are folded double in an intermeshing manner and piled below the rolls. In the disclosed embodiment, two webs from two different supply sources are transversely cut with a phase difference with respect to the rotation of two suction rolls, whereby each successive pair of the folded web pieces are folded individually on opposing directions.

Claims

1. Apparatus for folding cut pieces of web material supplied in pairs comprising a pair of rotatable suction rolls each having at least one circumferential groove transitioning into at least one axially oriented land portion and a pair of web peeling and folding means each operatively associated with said groove of either roll, said circumferential groove dividing the surface of said roll into circumferentially extending land portions which merge with said axial land portion,

said suction rolls each having web delivering openings provided therein substantially along a generating line thereof running on said axial land portion and web folding openings provided substantially along an axial line thereof running across said groove,

said web delivering openings and said web folding openings being circumferentially spaced with respect to each other so when the pair of rolls are rotated in opposing directions the web delivering openings of either roll and the web folding openings of the other roll come substantially into mating relation at a first point of rotation of the rolls,

said web delivering openings of either roll providing means applying suction to said cut piece of the material web continuously from a point of rotation of the roll at which they receive thereon said cut web piece to said first point of rotation of rolls,

said web folding openings of the other roll providing means applying suction to the cut web piece continuously from said first point of rotation to a further point of rotation of the roll at which the cut pieces of the web are peeled off the roll surface and folded by one of said pair of web peeling and folding means.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said web delivering openings are in communication with a source of suction of a relatively low degree through a suction conduit provided longitudinally through the rolls, and said web folding openings are in communication with a source of suction of a relatively higher degree than the suction provided by the web delivering opening through a suction conduit extending longitudinally through the rolls.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said suction rolls individually have at least one circumferential groove transitioning into two land portions, said web delivering openings being formed in rows each substantially along a generating line of the roll running along either of said two land portions, said web folding openings being formed in rows extending between said rows of web delivering openings and parallel thereto.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said suction rolls individually have at least one circumferential groove interrupted by three land portions, said web delivering openings being formed in rows individually substantially along a generating line of the roll running along each of said three land portions, said web folding openings being formed in rows extending between each adjacent pair of said rows of web delivering openings and parallel thereto.

5. A web folding apparatus comprising a pair of suction rolls each having at least one circumferential groove transitioning into at least one axially oriented land portion, a pair of web peeling and folding means each operatively associated with said groove of either roll said circumferential groove dividing the surface of said roll into circumferentially extending land portions which merge with said axial land portion, and two cutter rolls mounted for rotation adjacent said suction rolls each cutter roll having at least one cutter knife mounted thereon to cut a continuous web material transversely upon its engagement with said axial land portion of the suction roll,

said suction rolls each having web delivering openings provided therein substantially along a generating line thereof running along said axial land portion and web folding openings provided substantially along an axial line thereof running across said groove,

said web delivering openings and said web folding openings being circumferentially spaced with respect to each other so that when the pair of suction rolls are rotated in opposing directions the web delivering openings of either roll and the web folding openings of the other roll come substantially into mating relation at a first point of rotation of the suction rolls,

means in said web delivering openings of either roll applying suction to the web continuously from appreciably ahead of a point at which said continuous web is cut by the engagement of said cutter knife on the cutter roll and said land portion of the suction roll to said first point of rotation of the rolls,

means in said folding openings of the other roll applying suction to each pair of cut pieces of the web continuously from said first point to a further point of rotation of said rolls at which said cut piece of the web is peeled off the roll surface and folded by one of said pair of web peeling and folding means.

6. The web folding apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pair of cutter rolls individually have more than two cutter knives, said cutter rolls having a phase difference with respect to the disposition of said cutter knives.

7. In a web folding apparatus including two pairs of feed rolls for feeding into said apparatus two runs of web material supplied from different supply sources and means for longitudinally slitting said two runs of the web material, the improvement comprising:

two cutter rolls each cutter roll having three cutter knives mounted thereon in a circumferentially evenly spaced disposition;

two suction rolls rotatably mounted adjacent said cutter rolls, each suction roll having at least one circumferential groove transitioning into three separate axially oriented land portions individually engageable with the corresponding one of said three cutter knives to transversely cut the continuous runs of the web;

said circumferential groove dividing the surface of said roll into circumferentially extending land portions which merge with the separate axial land portions and

at least a pair of web peeling and folding means operatively associated with said groove;

said suction rolls each having rows of web delivering openings each formed substantially along a generating line of the roll running along each of said axial land portions and rows of web folding openings circumferentially spaced about said roll between each adjacent pair of said rows of web delivering openings and parallel thereto;

said web delivering openings and said web folding openings positioned on said suction rolls so that at a first point of rotation of the suction rolls at which said suction rolls come into contacting relation to each other, the web delivering openings of either suction roll and the web delivering openings of the other suction roll come substantially into mating relation, and the web folding openings of either suction roll, and the web folding openings of the other suction roll come substantially into mating relation;

said web delivering openings of either roll providing means carrying the web from appreciably ahead of a point at which the continuous web is cut to said first point of rotation of the rolls;

said latter openings of the other roll carrying the cut piece of the web carried by either roll as well as that carried by said other roll from said first point of rotation of the rolls to near the location at which said pair of web peeling and folding means enter said grooves;

said web peeling and folding means urging the cut web pieces outwardly and radially from said suction roll to the two cut pieces of the web carried by either suction roll from the roll and fold them double.