Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Fold at edge
Patent
1994-03-03
1999-08-31
Ahmad, Nasser
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Fold at edge
283 34, 283106, 402 4, 428 77, 428 99, 428130, 428192, B32B 306
Patent
active
059451955
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to articles each comprising a sheet folded with a first set of concertina folds and so as to be transverse to these a second set of concertina folds. It also relates to improved apparatus and processes for producing such articles. Certain features or combinations of features of the apparatus and processes are thought to have independent value and the invention therefore extends to such features and combinations and to corresponding articles.
The present inventor has experimented to produce the first-mentioned articles with finishing of them, by attaching outer stiff portions to the folded sheet, being done by hand. In attempting to produce apparatus for carrying out this process and further steps of processing such articles, there have been encountered much inconsistency in production, very slow maximum speeds of production and various other snags.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
After some years of research, the inventor discovered that all of these faults could be attributed to incorrect or inadequate control of the folded sheet being processed and more particularly discovered a need to maintain the sheets folded during such processing or at least certain parts thereof.
Accordingly, one aspect of the invention provides apparatus as claimed in Feature 2 of the accompanying list of Features at the end of this description. It is thought that this can usefully be extended to apparatus as claimed in Feature 1. Particular stages at which it has been found advantageous to maintain the sheet folded are as defined in Features 3 and 4. The sheet may be maintained folded by various means including an air jet or a spring-loaded member but a particularly advantageous arrangement utilises guide means to bear against the folded sheet as defined in Feature 5, which means can also be used as an integral part of handling and positioning means of the apparatus. A much improved product is obtained by use of pinch rollers to consolidate the folds after the attaching step mentioned in Features 1 and 2. The folded sheets being processed may be handled in various ways in the apparatus but the particular apparatus defined in Feature 7 is, according to another aspect of the invention, particularly advantageous in utilising guide means, e.g. as aforesaid. Particularly neat, workable and efficient apparatus is obtained more progressively by each of the further combinations of features defined in Features 8 to 13. Feature 15 defines a particularly successful form of production apparatus. Apparatus according to another aspect of the invention, as defined in Feature 16, and a particularly successful embodiment thereof as defined further in Feature 17, can be used with the foregoing apparatus to improve the speed, consistency and handling of the apparatus aforesaid but could apparently be used in other contexts. Likewise, apparatus according to another aspect of the invention as defined in Feature 19 has been found to obviate snags arising from glue causing folds of the folded sheet to stick together, when used in the aforesaid apparatus but would appear to be useful in other contexts too. In apparatus for attaching elements together, e.g. by gluing, the relative positions of the elements is usually able to be varied within quite large tolerance. However, in the present case, it is found that the articles concerned, being produced in thousands, cannot be packed properly when so produced. Therefore, according to another aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus as defined in Feature 21, which is especially for use with the aforementioned apparatus but may have other applications. In producing the aforesaid articles, the apparatus can be much improved from the point of view of being able to repair or replace units thereof speedily with minimum downtime if it is embodied in apparatus according to another aspect of the invention as defined in Feature 23, and more successfully with the features defined in Features 24 and 25, but clearly may have other appli
REFERENCES:
patent: 4621442 (1986-11-01), Mack
patent: 4894106 (1990-01-01), Instance
patent: 5156898 (1992-10-01), McDonald
patent: 5358761 (1994-10-01), McDonald
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