Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi – Bending – Folding
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-26
2003-12-16
Kim, Eugene (Department: 3721)
Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi
Bending
Folding
C271S016000, C271S019000, C493S416000, C493S421000, C493S424000, C493S442000, C493S461000, C493S419000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06663551
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a folding machine for folding one or more sheets of document into a folded piece and, more particularly, to a buckle chute.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Folding machines are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,233 (Beck et al.) discloses a method of folding a sheet by bulging a portion of the sheet and then folding the bulged portion through a roller nip. U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,965 (Marzullo) discloses a folding apparatus wherein a buckle chute is used for stopping a sheet, causing the sheet to enter a roller nip for folding. U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,131 (Gough) also discloses a folding apparatus having a buckle chute. In all folding machines having one or more buckle chutes, the sheet is allowed to enter into a channel of the buckle chute until the leading edge of the sheet is stopped by a stop. The leading edge stays in contact with the stop while the bulged portion is moved toward the roller nip for making a folded edge. If a number of folded edges are to be made on one sheet in a folding machine, it is required that the folding machine to have a number of buckle chutes, each corresponding to a folded edge. However, the number of folded edges can be the same as or smaller than the number of buckle chutes. For example, with a folding machine having three buckle chutes, it is possible to make a folded piece with one, two or three folded edges. When the number of folded edges is smaller than the number of buckle chutes on the folding machine, one or more of the buckle chutes on the folding machine must be blocked so that the sheet is prevented from entering the channel of those blocked buckle chutes. In the past, the buckle chutes to be blocked are removed from the folding machine so that a deflector can be installed in front of the channel of the buckle chute. The blocked buckle chutes are then put back on the folding machine. The installed deflector prevents the sheet from entering the channel of the corresponding buckle chute and directs the deflected sheet to the next buckle chute, if there is any.
Removing buckle chutes from a folding machine and re-installing them not only cause some downtime of the folding machine, but may also affect the alignment of the buckle chutes with other components of the folding machine as well.
Thus, it is advantageous and desirable to provide a buckle chute wherein a deflector can be put in place on a buckle chute when required without the need of taking the buckle chute from the folding machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a buckle chute has a front side, a back side, a left side and a right side for use in a folding apparatus having a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism for folding at least one sheet of paper having first and second lateral edges defining a width into a folded piece of the same width, and the first and the second lateral edges are adjacent the left and right sides of the buckle chute. The buckle chute is disposed between the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism. The buckle chute comprise:
an upper guide and a lower guide for forming a channel having an entry point on the front side of the buckle chute adjacent the first driving mechanism;
a deflector mechanism, disposed near the entry point of the channel and operable
in a first position for allowing a leading edge of said at least one sheet or the folded piece to enter to the channel while said at least one sheet or the folded piece is driven by the first driving mechanism toward the entry point of the buckle chute, or
in a second position for preventing the leading edge of said at least one sheet or the folded piece from entering the channel and further directing the leading edge toward the second driving mechanism; and
a stop, disposed in the channel between the front side and the back side, for stopping the leading edge of said at least one sheet or the folded piece entering the channel, when the deflector mechanism is operated in the first position, from advancing further into the channel toward the back side so as to cause said at least one sheet or the folded piece to buckle at a locality thereof outside the entry point of the channel toward the second driving mechanism for forming a folded edge at the buckled locality by the second driving mechanism as the first driving mechanism continues driving said at least one sheet or the folded piece toward the buckle chute, wherein the deflector mechanism comprises:
an elongated member having a left end and a right end adjacent to the respective sides of the buckle chute, the left end and the right end each having a mounting section with a mounting point defining a rotational axis of the elongated member, and
an extended section extended between the left end and the right end from the mounting section of each end and along the longitudinal axis, and
a mounting system, disposed near the entry point of the channel for pivotably mounting the elongated member at the mounting point at each end of the elongated member, allowing the elongated member to rotate about the rotational axis relative to the mounting system such that
when the deflector mechanism is operated in the second position, the extended section of the elongated member is caused to move toward the entry point of the channel, thereby blocking the entry point, and
when the deflector mechanism is operated in the first position, the extended section of the elongated member is caused to move away from the entry point of the channel, thereby unblocking the entry point.
According to the present invention, the mounting system comprises:
a left crank and a right crank, each disposed near the respective side of the buckle chute, each crank having a first portion with a first pivot point and a second portion with a second pivot point spaced from the first pivot point; and
a left mounting member and a right mounting member, each fixedly disposed near the respective side of the buckle chute adjacent to the entry point, for pivotably mounting the respective crank at the second pivot point thereof, allowing the first portion to move toward the front side or the back side of the buckle chute relative to the respective mounting member, and each end of the elongated member is pivotably mounted to the respective crank at the first pivot point such that the elongated member can be caused to rotate about the rotational axis relative to the cranks, wherein the elongated member is further fixedly mounted to the left and right cranks at the respective ends, each at a further mounting point at the first portion of the respective crank, spaced from the first pivot point and further away from the second pivot point such that
when the deflector mechanism is operated in the second position, the cranks are caused to move toward the front side of the buckle chute, forcing the extended section of the elongated member to move toward the entry point of the channel, and
when the deflector mechanism is operated in the first position, the cranks are caused to move toward the back side of the buckle chute, forcing the extended section of the elongated member to move away from the entry point of the channel.
According to the present invention, the left and right cranks are linked to an actuating mechanism capable of causing the left and right cranks to move toward the back side of the buckle chute when the deflector mechanism is operated in the first position and to move toward the front side of the buckle chute when the deflector mechanism is operated in the second position.
According to the present invention, the actuating mechanism comprises:
a left arm, disposed near the left end of the buckle chute, for pivotably mounting the left crank at the second portion thereof,
a right arm, disposed near the right end of the buckle chute, for pivotably mounting the right crank at the second portion thereof; and
a linking mechanism mechanically engaged with the arms for simultaneously moving the arms for causing the cranks to move toward the front side or the back side of th
Auerbach David R.
Wright William J.
Chaclas Angelo N.
Cummings Michael J.
Harmon Christopher R
Kim Eugene
Malandra, Jr. Charles R.
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