Retracting tucker blade and brush for cylinder folder

• US 4,095,780 A
• Filed: 10/07/1976
• Issued: 06/20/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AM International Incorporated (Paragon Corporate Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tarburton, Robert Baxter, Gaspar, Richard Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heinz, A.
• Application Number:
  US05/730,355
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 270/70-77
• US Class Current: 493/430
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/20 Zig-zag folders B65H45/228 takes precedence

Abstract

The tucker blade of a high speed cylinder folder for zig-zag folding a flexible web is retracted into the cylinder immediately after inserting the web into its opposed gripper. As the tucker blade is retracted a brush is extended to push the web gently away from the cylinder and to press the folded edge of the web toward the zig-zag stack.

Claims

1. In apparatus for zig-zag folding a flexible web, including a pair of driven cylinders disposed in parallel adjacent relation and adapted to receive the web therebetween, cooperating tucker blade and gripper means on each cylinder and effective to fold and tuck the web alternately into the gripper means on alternate cylinders at longitudinally spaced intervals along the web in response to rotation of the cylinders, and stripper means cooperating with the gripper means for releasing and guiding the folded web from the gripper means and the cylinders, the improvement comprising:

(a) a compliant sweeper, and

(b) means mounting said sweeper at a cylinder surface near a tucker blade and means within that cylinder for cyclically moving the sweeper to an extended position extending beyond the cylinder surface for contacting the web after the tucker blade has tucked the web into its associated gripper means and for maintaining said sweeper in said position extending beyond the cylinder surface after the gripper means on that cylinder has released the web thereon, for continuing to contact the web to aid the separation of the web from the cylinder surface and to protect it from the tucker blade.

2. In a high speed cylinder type folder for folding a continuous web in zig-zag fashion, the folder including a pair of driven cylinders having outer cylindrical walls and being mounted with their axes of rotation in parallel adjacent relation, the walls defining a nip adapted to receive the web therebetween, grippers and tucker blades mounted lengthwise in the walls of each cylinder, each gripper on one cylinder being arranged in opposed cooperating relation with a blade on the other cylinder, and vice versa, whereby the blades alternately tuck the web into the grippers on alternate cylinders at longitudinally spaced intervals along the web in response to rotation of the cylinders, the grippers being controlled such that lengths of the web are pulled away from the nip and held by the grippers in contact with portions of the associated outer cylindrical walls of first one and then the other of the cylinders before release of the grippers, and stripper means operative to guide the folded web from the grippers and cylinders upon release of the grippers, the improvement comprising:

(a) tucker blade mounting means mounting each tucker blade for rotation on axes parallel to the axes of rotation of their respective cylinders and mounting each tucker blade for retracting and extending movement on said mounting means at the surfaces of their respective cylinders,

(b) means for rotating each tucker blade on its mounting means from a first position projecting beyond the surface of its respective cylinder when opposite the gripper means on the other cylinder to a second position retracted substantially flush with the surface of its respective cylinder when rotated beyond the position opposite the gripper means at its cylinder rotates, said tucker blade moving means further comprising a crank arm attached to each said tucker blade mounting means for rotating it and the tucker blade thereon as said crank arm is moved about the axis of rotation of its respective tucker blade mounting means, a cam raceway for each cylinder held in a stationary position about the respective cylinder axis of rotation, and follower means on each said crank arm engaging the respective said raceway for its cylinder for moving said crank arm as said follower means is pulled by said crank arm through said raceway during rotation of the respective cylinder, said raceway being shaped and positioned to move said crank arm and rotate said tucker blade on its mounting means to retract and remove the blade from possible contact with the web as the rotating cylinder carries the blade around the cylinder after tucking the web into the opposed cooperating gripper means, and

(c) a brush extending substantially from one end of the cylinder to the other and means mounting said brush at the cylinder surface near and parallel to the tucker blade on said tucker blade mounting means for moving the brush thereon to a position extending farther beyond the cylinder surface, when the tucker blade is moved to said retracted position, than the tucker blade extends when in said first position.

3. In apparatus for zig-zag folding a flexible web, including a pair of driven cylinders disposed in parallel adjacent relation and adapted to receive the web therebetween, cooperating tucker blade and gripper means on each cylinder and effective to fold and tuck the web alternately into the gripper means on alternate cylinders at longitudinally spaced intervals along the web in response to rotation of the cylinders, the stripper means cooperating with the gripper means for releasing and guiding the folded web from the gripper means and the cylinders, the improvement comprising:

(a) means mounting each tucker blade for retracting and extending movement at the surface of its respective cylinder,

(b) means for moving each tucker blade from a first position projecting beyond the surface of its respective cylinder for tucking a portion of the web into the gripper means on the other cylinder, to a second position retracted substantially flush with the surface of its respective cylinder as it moves with its respective rotating cylinder beyond a position adjacent the gripper means on the other cylinder, to retract and remove each blade from possible contact with the web as the rotating cylinders carry the blade around the cylinder after tucking the web into the cooperating gripper means,

(c) a compliant sweeper, and

(d) means mounting said sweeper at a cylinder surface near a tucker blade and means within that cylinder for cyclically moving the sweeper to an extended position extending beyond the cylinder surface for contacting the web when the tucker blade is moved to said retracted position and for maintaining said sweeper in said position extending beyond the cylinder surface after the gripper means on that cylinder has released the web thereon, for continuing to contact the web to aid the separation of the web from the cylinder surface and to protect it from the tucker blade.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said compliant sweeper is a brush which extends substantially from one end of the cylinder to the other substantially parallel to the tucker blade.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said brush is mounted on said tucker blade mounting means and is movable by said tucker blade moving means for moving the brush to said position extending beyond the cylinder surface when the tucker blade is moved to said retracted position.