Assembly for and method of gripping sheets of material in an interfolder

• US 7,329,221 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fabio Perini S.P.A. (Korber AG)
• Original Assignee: FPNA Acqusition Corporation
• Inventors: Haasl, Andrew L., White, Barton J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tawfik; Sameh H.
• Application Number:
  US10/953,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20050070418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 493/424, 493/428, 493/432, 493/431
• US Class Current: 493/428
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/54 Rotary gripping arms, i.e. integrated in a rotary element as for instance a cylinder, a disk or a turntable
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1924 Napkins or tissues, e.g. dressings, toweling, serviettes, kitchen paper and compresses
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/163 Details of folding jaws therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/165 Details of sheet gripping means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/24 Interfolding sheets, e.g. cigarette or toilet papers

Abstract

A folding machine includes a first folding roll with a series of the gripper assemblies and a series of tucker assemblies uniformly and alternately spaced to interact with a series of gripper and tucker assemblies of an adjacent second folding roll. The series of alternately spaced gripper and tucker assemblies interact to grip, carry, and release material in a manner so as to generate a folded stack of material, such as sheet material. Each of the gripper assemblies generally includes a rotatable blade, a shaft configured to rotate the blade, a spacer disposed between the blade and the shaft, and a bolt coupling the blade and the spacer to the shaft. A housing is configured with seals to retain lubricated bearings to provide rotation of the shaft of the gripper assembly and to prevent contamination of the bearings.

Claims

1. A folding machine for folding material, comprising:

a first rotating folding roll; and

a second rotating folding roll positioned adjacent to the first rotating folding roll,

wherein the first and second folding rolls each include a plurality of alternating tucker assemblies and gripper assemblies, wherein one of the plurality of gripper assemblies of one of the first and second folding rolls is positioned to interact with one of the plurality of tucker assemblies of the other folding roll for folding the material therebetween, and wherein at least one of the plurality of gripper assemblies comprises;

a blade;

a shaft configured to rotate the blade, wherein the shaft defines a pair of ends, and wherein each end of the shaft has a circular cross section;

a pair of spaced apart bearings carried by the roll and located one at each end of the shaft, wherein each bearing includes a series of bearing members that rotatably support the shaft on the roll, wherein the bearing members engage an outer surface defined by the circular cross section of the shaft at the ends of the shaft;

one or more mounting members interposed between the blade and the shaft;

wherein the shaft defines a circular cross section at the location of each mounting member, and wherein each mounting member includes an arcuate inner surface that engages a facing arcuate outer area of the shaft defined by the circular cross section of the shaft, wherein the shaft includes one or more transverse passages, each of which extends inwardly into the shaft from the arcuate outer area of the shaft at the location of each mounting member; and

a plurality of fasteners configured to couple the blade to the shaft, wherein each fastener extends through the blade and the mounting member into one of the transverse passages to secure the blade and the mounting member to the shaft.

2. The folding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein each transverse passage comprises a threaded counterbore configured to receive one of the fasteners.

3. The folding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein each end of the shaft is mounted in a housing assembly and wherein the series of bearing members comprise one or more needle bearings.

4. The folding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the shaft and the bearing members are comprised of a hardened-steel material, and wherein the housing assembly includes seals to prevent contaminants from reaching the bearing members.

5. The folding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein each mounting member comprises a spacer between the shaft and a flat surface defined by the blade, wherein the spacer includes an opening in alignment with one of the transverse passages in the shaft to receive one of the fasteners.

6. The folding machine as recited in claim 5, wherein each spacer includes a flat outer engagement area that engages the flat surface of the blade.