Sheet folding apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A folder operable in a first mode for forming a first fold in sheets cut from a web of material having an initial thickness to provide single-folded sheets having a double thickness portion thereof along a transport path of the sheets, and alternatively operable in a second mode for forming first and second folds in the sheets to provide double-folded sheets having a quadruple thickness portion thereof along a transport path of the sheets, wherein, the double thickness portion of the single-folded sheets has a doubled thickness of substantially twice the initial thickness, and the quadruple thickness portion of the double-folded sheets has a quadrupled thickness substantially four times the initial thickness of the web, the folder comprising:
- first, second and third folding rolls operatively mounted about substantially parallel respective axes of rotation defining respective surfaces thereof, and disposed relative to one another for defining a first nip between the surfaces of the first and second folding rolls, and a second nip between the surfaces of the second and third folding rolls; and
a control arrangement operatively connecting the first, second and third folding rolls for selectively directing the sheets along at least portions of the respective surfaces of each of the first and second rolls in the first mode of operation, during rotation of at least the first and second rolls about their respective axes of rotation, and for directing the sheets along respective portions of the surfaces of each of the first, second and third rolls in the second mode of operation, during rotation of the first, second and third rolls about their respective axes of rotation;
the control arrangement and rolls being operatively connected such that, in the first mode of operation, single thickness sheets are transferred from the surface of the first roll across the first nip to the surface of the second roll and folded a single time while at least partly attached to the surface of the second roll to form the single-folded sheets, with the single folded sheets being transported by the surface of the second roll to the transport path in such a manner that the single-folded sheets passing through the second nip remain on the second folding roll without transferring to the third folding roll in the first mode of operation;
the control arrangement and rolls being further operatively connected such that, in the second mode of operation, single thickness sheets are transferred from the surface of the first roll across the first nip to the surface of the second roll and folded a first time while at least partly attached to the surface of the second roll to form single-folded sheets, and then the single-folded sheets are directed through the second nip and folded a second time by interaction of the second and third rolls downstream of the second nip to form the double-folded sheets, with the double-folded sheets being transported by the surface of the second roll to the transport path.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In some embodiments of the present invention, a method and apparatus for folding sheets are disclosed in which single transverse folds are created by vacuum rolls in one operational mode and double transverse folds are created by vacuum rolls in another operational mode. The folder can have a low profile in which the axes of various elements and assemblies in the folder are located within height ranges relative to the height of a folding roll axis in the folder.
153 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A folder operable in a first mode for forming a first fold in sheets cut from a web of material having an initial thickness to provide single-folded sheets having a double thickness portion thereof along a transport path of the sheets, and alternatively operable in a second mode for forming first and second folds in the sheets to provide double-folded sheets having a quadruple thickness portion thereof along a transport path of the sheets, wherein, the double thickness portion of the single-folded sheets has a doubled thickness of substantially twice the initial thickness, and the quadruple thickness portion of the double-folded sheets has a quadrupled thickness substantially four times the initial thickness of the web, the folder comprising:
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first, second and third folding rolls operatively mounted about substantially parallel respective axes of rotation defining respective surfaces thereof, and disposed relative to one another for defining a first nip between the surfaces of the first and second folding rolls, and a second nip between the surfaces of the second and third folding rolls; and a control arrangement operatively connecting the first, second and third folding rolls for selectively directing the sheets along at least portions of the respective surfaces of each of the first and second rolls in the first mode of operation, during rotation of at least the first and second rolls about their respective axes of rotation, and for directing the sheets along respective portions of the surfaces of each of the first, second and third rolls in the second mode of operation, during rotation of the first, second and third rolls about their respective axes of rotation; the control arrangement and rolls being operatively connected such that, in the first mode of operation, single thickness sheets are transferred from the surface of the first roll across the first nip to the surface of the second roll and folded a single time while at least partly attached to the surface of the second roll to form the single-folded sheets, with the single folded sheets being transported by the surface of the second roll to the transport path in such a manner that the single-folded sheets passing through the second nip remain on the second folding roll without transferring to the third folding roll in the first mode of operation; the control arrangement and rolls being further operatively connected such that, in the second mode of operation, single thickness sheets are transferred from the surface of the first roll across the first nip to the surface of the second roll and folded a first time while at least partly attached to the surface of the second roll to form single-folded sheets, and then the single-folded sheets are directed through the second nip and folded a second time by interaction of the second and third rolls downstream of the second nip to form the double-folded sheets, with the double-folded sheets being transported by the surface of the second roll to the transport path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A folder operable in a first mode for forming a first fold in sheets cut from a web of material having an initial thickness to provide single-folded sheets having a double thickness portion thereof along a transport path of the sheets, and alternatively operable in a second mode for forming first and second folds in the sheets to provide double-folded sheets having a quadruple thickness portion thereof along a transport path of the sheets, wherein, the double thickness portion of the single-folded sheets has a doubled thickness of substantially twice the initial thickness, and the quadruple thickness portion of the double-folded sheets has a quadrupled thickness substantially four times the initial thickness of the web, the folder comprising:
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first, second and third folding rolls operatively mounted about substantially parallel respective axes of rotation defining respective surfaces thereof, and disposed relative to one another for defining a first nip between the surfaces of the first and second folding rolls, and a second nip between the surfaces of the second and third folding rolls; a control arrangement operatively connecting the first, second and third folding rolls for selectively directing the sheets along at least portions of the respective surfaces of each of the first and second rolls in the first mode of operation, during rotation of at least the first and second rolls about their respective axes of rotation, and for directing the sheets along respective portions of the surfaces of each of the first, second and third rolls in the second mode of operation, during rotation of the first, second and third rolls about their respective axes of rotation; a first valve operable to selectively supply vacuum to the surface of the second folding roll to draw the sheet of material to the second folding roll, in such a manner that the sheet is at least partially transferable from the first folding roll to the second folding roll to provide the sheet with the first fold; and a second valve operable to selectively supply vacuum to surface of the third folding roll to draw the sheet of material to the third folding roll, in such a manner that the sheet is at least partially transferable from the second folding roll to the third folding roll to provide the sheet with a second fold, the second valve being controllable to partly draw the sheet from the second roll, and then release the sheet in the second mode and to leave the sheet on the second roll in the first mode; the control arrangement, rolls and valves being operatively connected such that, in the first mode of operation, single thickness sheets are transferred from the surface of the first roll across the first nip to the surface of the second roll and folded a single time while at least partly attached to the surface of the second roll to form the single-folded sheets, with the single folded sheets being transported by the surface of the second roll to the transport path; the control arrangement, rolls and valves being further operatively connected such that, in the second mode of operation, single thickness sheets are transferred from the surface of the first roll across the first nip to the surface of the second roll and folded a first time while at least partly attached to the surface of the second roll to form single-folded sheets, and then the single-folded sheets are directed through the second nip and folded a second time by interaction of the second and third rolls downstream of the second nip to form the double-folded sheets, with the double-folded sheets being transported by the surface of the second roll to the transport path. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of operating a folder in a first mode for forming a first fold in sheets cut from a web of material having an initial thickness to provide single-folded sheets having a double thickness portion thereof along a transport path of the sheets, and alternatively in a second mode for forming first and second folds in the sheets to provide double-folded sheets having a quadruple thickness portion thereof along a transport path of the sheets, wherein, the double thickness portion of the single-folded sheets has a doubled thickness of substantially twice the initial thickness, and the quadruple thickness portion of the double-folded sheets has a quadrupled thickness substantially four times the initial thickness of the web, the method comprising:
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operatively mounting first, second and third folding rolls about substantially parallel respective axes of rotation, defining respective surfaces thereof, and disposed relative to one another for defining a first nip between the surfaces of the first and second folding rolls, and a second nip between the surfaces of the second and third folding rolls; operatively connecting a control arrangement to the first, second and third folding rolls for selectively directing the sheets along at least portions of the respective surfaces of each of the first and second rolls in the first mode of operation, during rotation of at least the first and second rolls about their respective axes of rotation, and for directing the sheets along respective portions of the surfaces of each of the first, second and third rolls in the second mode of operation, during rotation of the first, second and third rolls about their respective axes of rotation; the control arrangement and rolls being operatively connected such that, in the first mode of operation, single thickness sheets are transferred from the surface of the first roll across the first nip to the surface of the second roll and folded a single time while at least partly attached to the surface of the second roll to form the single-folded sheets, with the single folded sheets being transported by the surface of the second roll to the transport path; the control arrangement and rolls being further operatively connected such that, in the second mode of operation, single thickness sheets are transferred from the surface of the first roll across the first nip to the surface of the second roll and folded a first time while at least partly attached to the surface of the second roll to form single-folded sheets, and then the single-folded sheets are directed through the second nip and folded a second time by interaction of the second and third rolls downstream of the second nip to form the double-folded sheets, with the double-folded sheets being transported by the surface of the second roll to the transport path; and using the control arrangement to operate the folder to form and transport folded sheets to the transport path by; a) retaining sheets upon the surface of the first folding roll; b) advancing the sheets upon the surface of the first folding roll to the first nip; c) supplying vacuum to the surface of the second folding roll; d) transferring the sheets from the first folding roll to the second folding roll via the vacuum supplied to the surface of the second folding roll; e) folding each sheet between the first and second nips while transferring the sheets from the first folding roll to the second folding roll to form the single-folded sheets; f) advancing the single-folded folded sheets upon the surface of the second folding roll through the second nip; g) passing the single-folded sheets through the second nip between the second folding roll and the third folding roll, the single-folded sheets being partly retained on the second folding roll without; h) supplying vacuum to a surface of the third folding roll; i) drawing a portion of the single-folded sheets from the second folding roll to the third folding roll; j) releasing the portion of the single-folded sheets from the third folding roll while retaining a remaining portion of the single-folded sheet in contact with the surface of the second roll as the second roll continues to rotate about its axis to fold the single-folded sheets a second time and form the double-folded sheets. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of operating a folder in a first mode for forming a first fold in sheets cut from a web of material having an initial thickness to provide single-folded sheets having a double thickness portion thereof along a transport path of the sheets, and alternatively in a second mode for forming first and second folds in the sheets to provide double-folded sheets having a quadruple thickness portion thereof along a transport path of the sheets, wherein, the double thickness portion of the single-folded sheets has a doubled thickness of substantially twice the initial thickness, and the quadruple thickness portion of the double-folded sheets has a quadrupled thickness substantially four times the initial thickness of the web, the method comprising:
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operatively mounting first, second and third folding rolls about substantially parallel respective axes of rotation, defining respective surfaces thereof, and disposed relative to one another for defining a first nip between the surfaces of the first and second folding rolls, and a second nip between the surfaces of the second and third folding rolls; operatively connecting a control arrangement to the first, second and third folding rolls for selectively directing the sheets along at least portions of the respective surfaces of each of the first and second rolls in the first mode of operation, during rotation of at least the first and second rolls about their respective axes of rotation, and for directing the sheets along respective portions of the surfaces of each of the first, second and third rolls in the second mode of operation, during rotation of the first, second and third rolls about their respective axes of rotation; the control arrangement and rolls being operatively connected such that, in the first mode of operation, single thickness sheets are transferred from the surface of the first roll across the first nip to the surface of the second roll and folded a single time while at least partly attached to the surface of the second roll to form the single-folded sheets, with the single folded sheets being transported by the surface of the second roll to the transport path in such a manner that the single folded sheets passing through the second nip remain on the second folding roll without transferring to the third folding roll in the first mode of operation; the control arrangement and rolls being further operatively connected such that, in the second mode of operation, single thickness sheets are transferred from the surface of the first roll across the first nip to the surface of the second roll and folded a first time while at least partly attached to the surface of the second roll to form single-folded sheets, and then the single-folded sheets are directed through the second nip and folded a second time by interaction of the second and third rolls downstream of the second nip to form the double-folded sheets, with the double-folded sheets being transported by the surface of the second roll to the transport path; and using the control arrangement to operate the folder to form and transport folded sheets to the transport path. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification