On-the-fly cut sheet folder

Details On-the-fly cut sheet folder On-the-fly cut sheet folder

1996-06-13

2001-11-06

Scherbel, David A. (Department: 3723)

Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi

Bending

Folding

C493S438000, C493S441000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06312371

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an on-the-fly cut sheet folder.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,457 issued May 10, 1977 to Marin et al. describes an on-the-fly cut sheet folder. The folder comprises a scoring station to form two parallel score lines in a sheet fed therethrough so as to divide the sheet into a medial panel and two peripheral panels. From the scoring station, the sheet passes to a fold initiation station comprising a pinch feeding conveyor having ploughs on either side thereof. The ploughs fold one peripheral panel of the sheet down and the other peripheral panel up such that at the downstream end of the ploughs both peripheral panels make a 90 degree angle with the medial panel. At this stage, the sheet is transferred to a fold completing station comprising a series of progressively smaller pinch rollers for feeding the medial panel of the sheet. A twisted belt overlies these pinch rollers and is directed at a 90 degree angle to the pinch feed rollers at the upstream end of the fold completing station and is parallel to these pinch feed rollers at the downstream end of the fold completing station. A twisted belt also underlies these pinch rollers and is directed at a 90 degree angle to the pinch rollers at the upstream end of the fold completing station and is parallel to these pinch rollers at the downstream end of this station. The progressively smaller feeding pinch rollers terminate upstream of this downstream end of the fold completing station. With this arrangement, a sheet exiting the fold initiation station is taken up by the pinch feed rollers of the fold completing station and continues downstream. As the sheet does so, the upper and lower twisted belts progressively increase the fold of the peripheral panels with respect to the medial panel of the sheet such that at the downstream end of the fold completing station, the letter sheet is Z-folded.
It is expected that it may be difficult to control a sheet between the fold initiation station and the fold completing station so as to avoid paper jams. It any event, a simpler transfer arrangement would be of more economical manufacture.
The subject invention succeeds to overcome drawbacks of known on-the-fly cut sheet folders.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided an on-the-fly cut sheet folder, comprising: a pinch feeding conveyor for pinch feeding a medial portion of a cut sheet in order to feed said sheet in a downstream direction; a first plough extending along a first side of said pinch feeding conveyor for progressively folding a first peripheral panel of said sheet as said sheet is fed by said pinch feeding conveyor) a second plough extending along a second, opposite, side of said pinch feeding conveyor for progressively folding a second peripheral panel of said sheet as said sheet is fed by said pinch feeding conveyor; a folded sheet conveyor extending below and downstream of said pinch feeding conveyor for conveying sheets exiting from said pinch feeding conveyor; said first plough extending downstream of a downstream end of said pinch feeding conveyor and toward said folded sheet conveyor for assisting in guiding said sheet to said folded sheet conveyor; said second plough extending downstream of said downstream end of said pinch feeding conveyor and toward said folded sheet conveyor for assisting in guiding said sheet to said folded sheet conveyor.
Both the first and second ploughs extend downstream of a downstream end of the pinch feeding conveyor and bend downwardly toward the folded sheet conveyor for assisting in guiding a sheet onto the folded sheet conveyor.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2088805 (1937-08-01), Olm et al.
patent: 3642270 (1972-02-01), Patton, Jr.
patent: 4022457 (1977-05-01), Marin et al.
patent: 4508529 (1985-04-01), Feldkamper
patent: 4588393 (1986-05-01), Cogswell et al.
patent: 4721504 (1988-01-01), Cogswell et al.
patent: 5037365 (1991-08-01), Breton
patent: 5383836 (1995-01-01), Long
patent: 668412 (1988-12-01), None
patent: 4035106 (1992-05-01), None
patent: 1460487 (1977-01-01), None

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