SYSTEM FOR FOLDING NAPKINS

• US 3,689,061 A
• Filed: 07/02/1970
• Issued: 09/05/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: N/A
• Original Assignee: N/A
• Primary Examiner(s): Robert W. Michell
• Assistant Examiner(s): L. R. Oremland
• Application Number:
  US05/051,810
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 270/64-66,69,70-77
• US Class Current: 493/369
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/16 Rotary folders
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/30 Folding in combination with creasing, smoothing or application of adhesive folding or adhesive application in article or web delivering B65H37/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 493/937 Textile

Abstract

A system for folding napkins feeds a continuous web over a folding board for producing a longitudinal fold in the web, the web is then severed transversely to form discrete segments which are transversely folded and creased by a first vacuum folding roll, the crease occurring transversely at a location intermediate the first transverse fold and the opposite edge of the segment. A second vacuum folding roll rotating adjacent the first then lifts the creased segment from the first folding roll at a location adjacent the crease to fold the segment along the crease line and thereby form an eight-ply napkin.

Claims

1. Apparatus for transverse folding comprising a frame;

means on said frame for delivering a continuous web into a multiple folding path;

first roll means in said path for transversely severing said web into segments;

second roll means in said path including a first vacuum folding roll and a crease roll forming a nip with said first folding roll, said first folding roll coupling to the transverse midsection of each web segment and doubling each segment on itself while removing it from said first roll means and then feeding the double-over segment into said nip, one of said first folding roll and crease roll including a raised crease bar and the other including a hard rubber pad for backing the transverse mid-section of each segment whereby each doubled-over segment is creased at its transverse mid-section when it passes through said nip formed by said folding roll and said crease roll; and

third roll means in said path including a second vacuum folding roll coupling to each doubled-over segment on said first folding roll adjacent the crease formed in each segment for again doubling over each segment on itself about its transverse midsection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a fold board for continuously longitudinally folding said web and for delivering said folded web to said first-named means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said folding roll and crease roll defines an axially extending recess for receiving said crease bar and said pad respectively and wherein each of said bar and pad are secured to its associated roll by means of bolt means extending inwardly of said rolls in threaded apertures inclined relative to radial lines of said rolls for facilitating replacement of said pad and crease bar.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising first and second holder members receiving said crease roll, means for pivotally mounting the distal ends of said holder means to said frame, and adjustment means intermediate the ends of each of said holder means for locating said crease roll relative to said folding roll to adjust the pressure of the nip defined by said folding roll and said crease roll and the pressure exerted by said crease bar against said pad.

5. A method of forming a folded napkin comprising:

first forming a longitudinal fold in a web, then severing the web into individual segments and feeding it along a first curved path, then grasping each segment at its transverse mid-section and removing it from said first curved path into a second curved path diverging from the first curved path to form a first transverse fold, then pressing a crease bar against the transverse mid-section of each transversely folded segment while backing each segment with a yieldable pad and then grasping each creased segment adjacent the crease line and moving it to a third curved path divergent from the second curved path to form a second transverse fold in each segment.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said first grasping step includes applying suction to each segment at its transverse mid-section by a rotating folding roll and wrapping the trailing half of each section about said folding roll, said crease bar being applied to the concave surface of each segment.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said second grasping step includes applying suction to the convex surface of each segment on the first folding roll at a location immediately downstream of the crease line by a second rotating folding roll to wrap the trailing half of the transversely folded sections about said second folding roll.

8. A system for forming folded napkins from a continuous web comprising:

means for folding said web longitudinally, cutoff means including a rotating vacuum carrier roll for severing said web into individual segments and feeding them about said carrier rOll, a first vacuum folding roll including a plurality of vacuum conduits for securing the transverse mid-section of each segment as the carrier roll transports each segment to a predetermined position and removing the segments from said carrier roll to form a first transverse fold, a crease bar on said first folding roll for underlying the transverse mid-section of a transversely folded napkin carried thereby, a crease roll adjacent said first folding roll for exerting pressure on said napkin against said crease bar to form a crease in said napkin, and a second vacuum folding roll including a plurality of vacuum conduits for securing each segment adjacent said crease line and removing it from said first folding roll to form a second transverse fold in each segment about the crease line formed therein.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said crease roll also presses the first transverse fold in each segment, and further including holder means for adjusting the nip pressure and crease pressure exerted on each segment passing between said first folding roll and said crease roll.