US3640522A

US3640522A - Sheet folding apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3640522A
Application number: US18947A
Authority: US
Inventors: Peter Oelmann; Peter Weisshuhn
Original assignee: Johnson and Johnson
Current assignee: Johnson and Johnson
Priority date: 1970-03-12
Filing date: 1970-03-12
Publication date: 1972-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-08

Abstract

There is disclosed an apparatus for folding flexible material to form folded products such as dressings or surgical sponges at high production rate. The apparatus employs rotary drums to fold the flexible material in the longitudinal or machine direction and moving belts to fold the material in the lateral or cross machine direction. There are a number of rotary drums to cut and fold the material with transfer drums to move the material from one folding drum to the next.

Description

United States Patent Oelmann et a1.

[ Feb. 8, 1972 [54] SHEET FOLDING APPARATUS [72] inventors: Peter Oelmann, Mount Royal, Quebec; Peter Weisshulm Willowdale, Ontario,

both of Canada 3,116,921 1/1964 Geer et al. ..270/72 [73] Assignee: Johnson 8: Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ. pfimary Examiner Robe,-t w Mi Ma],- 12, Assistant ExafninerR. Dyer Attamey-Mrchael Q. Tatlow, Harold L. Wamerand Robert [21] Appl. No.: 18,947 L, Minier {s21 U.S.Cl. .170/72, 270/93 [571 ABSTRACT v [51] Int. Cl "B6511 45/16 There is disclosed an apparatus for fuming flexibie material to [58] Field 0 Search ..270/72, 61, 70, 71, 62, 63, form folded products Such as dressings or surgical Sponges at 270/64 50 high production rate. The apparatus employs rotary drums to 56 R i C ed fold the flexible material in the longitudinal or machine 1 e It direction and moving belts to fold the material in the lateral or UNITED STATES PATENTS cross machine direction. There are a number of rotary drums to cut and fold the material with transfer drums to move the Dellglanes et a1. R material from one folding drum to {he next 2,941,798 6/1960 Harless ..270l72 1,513,575 10/1924 Barber ..270/72 36 Claims, 47 Drawing Figures 3 /2/ 5 3 L i 362 D1 356 4 jd/ ,262 0 P 60 I 3 25/ 3 x 3 405 \X, 404 527 ,1 -4 1 F 514,0 3 4 g, a, -h. .v 400 /22 w I 1 r,@-.; fl1 Q 4/0 I 01",, P l v w, i l m! at Y f F s 7 1 I I L.7 J 379378, Q

Barber ..270/72 PAIENTEU EB 8 I972 SHEET 01 [1F FIG. 5

PAIENTEUFEB 8 1912 SHEET Uh 0F m v3 3s PAIENTEBFEB sum $340,522

sum 080F 15 PATENTEDFEB 8 I972 SHEET 10 0F FIG. 3/

V E i @r@ E SHEET 11 HF PAIENTEDFEB 8 I972 PAIENIEBFEB sum 3,40522 SHEET NW 15 PATENTEUFEB 81912 3.640.522 SHEET IMF 15 PATENTEDFEB 8I972 SHEET lSDF 15 SHEET FOLDING APPARATUS This invention relates to an apparatus.

More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus suitable for forming folded flexible material.

Various materials have to be folded for use in given fields from a single blank of the material. For example, in the manufacture of dressings, surgical sponges, etc., a web of suitable material is supplied in the form of a roll, which then has to be cut into individual blank portions, and folded one or more times to form a product having a suitable number of plies for the end use desired.

Several types of machines and methods are known for carrying out such an operation. For example, known in this art is a Granz machine operating on an essentially in line basis and briefly summarized, functions by continuously drawing web material from a supply thereby to present it to a pair of feed rolls where mechanical fingers grip the web. The fingers serve to intermittently draw a predetermined amount of the web through a knife arrangement to cut the web. At this point, the cut web is acted on by folding arms which serve to push the web into transverse folding stations to form one or more transverse folds. Thereafter the web is fed to a further station where depending on the type of product desired, further folding arms will cause one or more lateral folds in the product in a manner similar to that by which the transverse folds are made. Such in line operations as described above are essentially lineal operations and due to the nature of the apparatus inherently the speed is very slow.

There is a need for a faster machine capable of allowing higher outputs of production and at the same time, producing a product which is accurately folded. However, a higher production output, using a principle of folding material in a horizontal plane or by performing the folding operation over several intermittent steps is not desirable because of the problems associated with machinery design and the lineal speed which can be attained in such an operation.

With this invention, applicant has developed an apparatus for producing folded articles from flexible material which is capable of attaining a high production rate and while at the same time accurately preparing folded products.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a rotary system of folding articles which comprises, feeding means, first rotary means for receiving a sheet fed by said feeding means, and for rotating it about a fixed axis, said first rotary means including means for retaining said sheet in juxtaposition therewith, and leading and trailing folding means for folding leading and trailing portion of said sheet into juxtaposition with said sheet, means for rotating said first rotary means about said axis, means for actuating said leading and trailing folding means as said first rotary means rotates, transfer means for receiving said sheet from said first rotary means after said leading and trailing folding means have folded the leading and trailing portions of said sheet, second rotary means operating in conjunction with said transfer means whereby said transfer means is effective to present said sheet to said second rotary means from said first rotary means, means for rotating said second rotary means about a fixed axis, said second rotary means having means for retaining said folded sheet in juxtaposition therewith, and means for folding at least one portion of said sheet in overlapping relationship to the remainder of said sheet, and means for operating said apparatus in a time related sequence whereby said sheet is fed to said first rotary means, the leading and trailing portions of said sheet are folded onto the sheet during rotation of the first rotary means by said means for rotating it and thereafter the transfer means transfers the folded sheet from the first rotary means to the second rotary means with the folding means of the second rotary means subsequently folding at least one further portion of the sheet while the means for rotating the second rotary means rotates it.

In greater detail, the apparatus of this invention also ineludes means for feeding the blank to the rotary unit. The feeding means may be set up to feed individual precut sheets of material; however, in most cases, material will be fed to the operation from' a roll of material. To this end, the apparatus will include associated cutting means for cutting predetermined lengths of material to provide the blank for subsequent processes. Such an apparatus may include any suitable means for mounting a roll of material, and for feeding at least one layer of the material to subsequent operations.

it is also within the scope of this invention that the feeding means may include means for feeding and delivering two or more layers of different or identical material to the folding operation. This may be accomplished by having two different sources of material located more preferably in the same general plane, with guide means for combining the individual webs of the material in the direction of feeding prior to entry of the combined web to the folding operation. The combination of two or more different layers of material finds particular application in the manufacture of certain types of surgical sponges where for example an outer layer of gauze or nonwoven fabric is required which envelops an inner layer of absorbent material.

Depending on the material employed, it may be desirable to include, in certain cases, means for pretreating the material fed to the folding operation in order to make the material more readily obtain a subsequent fold. Thus, for example, when using certain types of flexible fabric material-cg, nonwoven fabrics, the binder used for the fabric and sometimes the material itself has a tendency to stiffen the fabric whereby folds are somewhat difficult to retain. This invention therefore contemplates that such fabrics may be pretreated by passing the fabrics through a source of humidity-cg, a steam bath, water spray or similar means, whereby the fabrics absorb sufficient moisture to render them flexible.

If a pretreatment stage is carried out, a saving of equipment and processing time can be effected by passing the fabric through the steam bath or water spray in tiers rather than passing the web through an elongated bath.

Again, depending on the type of end product desired, in certain instances, it is desirable to provide a product which has the side edges inwardly folded so as to avoid exposing cut" edges. To this end, the apparatus of this invention may include a side edge folding mechanism whereby the side edges of the material are in-folded for example, three-eighth or one-fourth of an inch. This may be carried out by passing the material being fed to the folding operation over folding fingers which inwardly turn the side edges into juxtaposition with the main body of the web. Again, depending on the type of material it may be desirable to press the folded side edges by subjecting them to the action of press rollers, for example to create a definite crease.

Where the material to be processed is provided in the form of a web forming a continuous source of material, suitable cutting means will have to be provided to supply predetermined lengths of material to the folding operations. The cutting of a continuous web can be accomplished by any suitable means; however, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a rotary cutting system is employed, preferably in conjunction with a metering system for metering a predetermined amount of material to be cut. The rotary cutting system, broadly stated, includes at least one cutting means, means for rotating said cutting means about an axis and means for rotating said cutting means in timed relationship to the feeding of the material to sever a predetermined amount of material.

Preferably, the rotary cutting system operates in time-related sequence to the rotary folding means as hereinafter describedpTo this end, the cutting means and the folding means may be so arranged whereby a predetermined amount of material, having been fed by the metering system, is fed to the rotary system where the material is cut and the rotary folding system assumes control of the cut material.

The rotary cutting system may include more than one cutting means. in a continuous high speed operation, the rotary cutting system will have two or more cutting knives, mounted on a rotating drum. The diameter of the drum and/or the means for rotating the drum will determine just how many knives are required for any given operation. In a preferred construction of the cutting means, the rotary drum includes housing means mounting a cutting knife and means for resiliently mounting said cutting knife of a length sufficient to cut the width of material presented to the cutting means.

The metering system preferably comprises means for advancing a predetermined amount of material from a supply thereof to the cutting means. Accordingly, the metering system may be adapted to receive a web of material from a supply thereof, and to control delivery of the amount of the web by a suitable governing action, i.e., a relative speed, imparted to the web. This governing action may be imparted by suitable driven rollers geared to feed the web at a predetermined speed.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, this invention also contemplates that a positioning device may be employed to position the web after feeding with respect to subsequent operations-e.g., cutting and folding, etc. To this end, the positioning device will receive the web as it is fed, and in turn permit the web to be fed to the first rotary means in a predetermined amount and once that amount has been so fed and positioned on the first rotary means, the web section may then be severed by the cutting means and control of the web section assumed by the first rotary means.

A preferred form of this alternative feature includes a rotatable roller over which the web material is adapted to pass, means for displacing the roller from a given position relative to the direction of feed of the web and with respect to the position of the first rotary means whereby displacement of the roller after the web has been fed to the first rotary means in a desired amount, positions that portion of the web on the first rotary means for subsequent operationse.g., cutting, folding, etc.

Referring now to the rotary system, and the first rotary means in greater detail, said system preferably comprises a rotatable drum rotatable about a fixed axis, folding means for folding the leading and trailing edges of the web and control means for retaining the web in juxtaposition with the surface of the rotating drum while the folding operations are being carried out.

Depending on the particular cutting arrangement used in the rotary cutting system, the first rotary means may include a portion of the cutting system complementary to that of the rotary cutter--thus, the latter may include the cutting knife as previously described above, with the complementary cutting members being located on the drum in a spaced manner so as to coincide with the action of the cutting system. In one embodiment, the complementary cutting system may include a cooperating cutting blade. In a further embodiment, the rotating drum may include a cutting base of hardened material.

The control means for controlling a severed portion of a web preferably comprises a vacuum system within the drum effective to retain the web. Preferably this vacuum system is operated in conjunction with supplementary means-e.g., clamping jaws. A suitable means may be provided for operat ing the clamping jaws for opening and closing as desired and when required. The vacuum system may be provided by any suitablemeans and transmitted to the surface of the drum by means of suitable apertures extending inwardly into a vacuum chamber. The folding means preferably comprises two substantially similar units, one adapted to fold the leading edge of the blank and the other the trailing edge. The folding means each comprise a folding bar adapted to act on the sheet of material to raise the leading (or trailing) edge and by a folding action to place the portion of the sheet thus lifted into juxtaposition with the main portion of the body. Each folding bar is preferably mounted beneath the surface of the drum, and is operative to meet and lift a portion of the sheet to fold that portion onto the main body of the sheet otherwise retained by a suitable retaining ntcans-e.g., vacuum preferably operating in conjunction with suitable clamp means, in juxtaposition with the surface of the drum. Each folding means may be operated by suitable means-cg, a cam system whereby the cam is actuated in response to movement of the drum about the axis.

The length of the material which is folded onto the main body of the sheet depends on the type of product required and of course will vary accordingly. The amount of material folded in terms of its length may be varied by varying the diameter of the first rotary means, by the spacing of the gripping means and the cutting means.

As mentioned above, the first rotary means preferably ineludes gripping means within the rotating drum to grip the sheet material to prevent movement of the material during the folding operation by the leading and trailing folding means. To this end, a cooperating tucking roller operating in conjunction with the rotary system may be employed to tuck an area of the sheet into clamp jaws mounted in the surface of the rotating drum, which serves to aid in retaining the material in position.

According to a preferred embodiment, guide means are preferably stationed between the metering and the positioning device if used and the cutting means whereby the sheet material is preferably placed into juxtaposition with the surface of the first rotating drum prior to it being cut. In this embodiment, where cooperating cutting means are included on the drum operating in conjunction with the cutter, the cutter will sever the desired length of material while the material is rotating about the drum. In this manner, each cut will sever a portion of the web which is maintained by suitable means, e. g., a vacuum, thereby forming the trailing edge of a previous cut sheet and the leading edge of the next sheet to be cut on the next stroke of the cutter. The leading and trailing folding means are preferably actuated while the sheet of material is being rotated about the axis on the surface of the drum. At the point where the folding operations are completed, a product is produced which has folded leading and trailing edges and optionally folded lateral edges.

In the next operation, the product is acted on to press the folds in the product by subjecting the product to the action of press rollers or other suitable means, should this operation be required for the particular type of material being used. Thus, this operation is only necessary insofar as the material being folded requires pressing to be thin enough to be subjected to additional operations. In a preferred embodiment this operation is carried out in conjunction with transfer means which transfer the sheet from the first rotary drum to the second rotary means, as hereinafter described. In this respect, the transfer means serves to transfer the sheet from the first rotary means to the second rotary means and preferably comprises a rotatable drum, means for rotating the drum about the fixed axis, and means for retaining a sheet received from the first rotary drum in juxtaposition with the transfer means and to present the sheet from the transfer means to the second rotary means.

The most preferred form of the transfer means is a rotatable drum, with suitable means being provided for rotating the drum. In the transfer means, the means for retaining the folded sheet as received from the first rotary drum in juxtaposition with the transfer drum, preferably comprises a vacuum source within the drum. This vacuum source may be created by any suitable means and may extend over a predetermined portion of the surface of the drum commensurate with the scope of the area of the product.

In a preferred embodiment, the transfer drum also includes pressurized air acting from the interior of the drum outwardly to aid in the transfer of the folded sheet to the second rotary means. This pressurized air is intermittently or continuously actuated at the point where it is desired to remove the folded sheet from the transfer drum.

As mentioned above, the pressing means desirably operates in conjunction with the transfer means. Thus, the pressing means may take the form of a rotatable roller mounted in operative relationship to the rotating transfer drum, with drive means provided for rotating the pressing roller and suitable drum means for mounting the pressing roller. The pressing roller may have an elongated octagonal shape if desired whereby the rotation of the pressing roller effectively presses only those portions of the sheet material which require pressing.

The second rotary means preferably comprises a rotating drum of a similar construction with respect to that described for the first rotary means. Thus, the second rotary means preferably includes means for retaining a folded sheet product transferred by said transfer means in juxtaposition with the surface of the drum and which means may comprise vacuum means within the drum. Secondary rotary means also includes folding means for folding the folded sheet received from the first rotary means whereby a further fold in the sheet is obtained to form a product having at least a two-ply thickness. Desirably, cooperating means operating in conjunction with the vacuum means is provided in the form of gripping means, which gripping means preferably comprises gripping jaws. In this embodiment, the gripping means may form a component of the folding means of the second rotary drum as hereinafter described. Operating in conjunction with the gripping means of the second rotary drum, the transfer drum may include complementary means for urging the sheet of folded material into contact with the gripping jaws during transfer of the folded sheet material to the second rotary means, and for accomplishing the folding action. Such complementary means may be in the form of a tucking mechanism-cg, a protruding blade.

With the above arrangement, folding of the product produced by the first rotary means can be accomplished as the folded sheet is transferred from this transfer drum to the second rotary drum if the transfer drum and the second rotary drum are so arranged as to be rotated in opposite directions as hereinafter described. It will be understood that such an arrangement constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention and that various types of folding arrangements may be provided for. In the preferred embodiment, the folding action taking place on the second rotary drum may fold the product in half, thus creating a product having at least two plies in at least a portion of its total areav As an alternate arrangement to the above, the second rotary drum may be provided with a folding arrangement similar to that of the first rotary drum whereby the same folding action may be accomplished.

The first rotary means, the transfer means and the second rotary means operate in time-related sequence and are preferably arranged in a spatial configuration whereby the transfer from the first rotary means of folded sheet to the second rotary means may be carried out without intermediate intermittent operations. To this end, the means for rotating each of these components of applicants invention are adapted to rotate the drums whereby the first and second rotary means are rotatable in the same direction with the transfer means being rotatable in the opposite direction. In this arrangement, a product will be produced in which all of the exposed transverse edges are located interiorly. It is to be understood, however, that the folds need not be located in this manner.

Production of a product with exposed edges will find use in various fields; however in the case of surgical sponges, for example, it is desirable that no exposed edges be exhibited in the product.

As an alternative embodiment, a rotatable roller or a stationary guide means may be located between the transfer drum to aid in controlling the sheet as it is being transferred from the transfer drum to the second rotary drum. More specifically, such means may be spatially arranged to control a portion of the sheet which forms the leading portion, after the cooperating clamping jaws and tucking mechanism of the second rotary drum and transfer drum respectively engage the sheet whereby the said means will operate to control the folding of the leading portion onto the body of the sheet as the sheet rotates injuxtaposition with the second rotary means.

Following this last folding operation, the apparatus may include means similar to that previously described to press the material further, should this be required-which depends on the type of material to be employed. If required, preferably the folded sheet product is transferred from the second rotary means to a further rotatable drum operating in conjunction with a rotatable pressing roller. To this end, the further rotatable drum may include vacuum or other suitable means for retaining the article in juxtaposition with its surface. in order to effect exchange of this sheet article to the further rotary drum, the second rotary means may be provided with a source of pressurized air and with suitable means for removing the vacuum at a predetermined point; while the further drum may be provided with a source of vacuum therein and/or with suitable clamping means.

The pressing roller serves to press the folded area created in the product by the folding means on the second rotary drum and like the first pressing means may operate solely on that portion of the product which requires pressing or may press the whole product. Suitable means should provide for rotating the'press roller at a predetermined speed commensurate with that of the cooperating rotating roller.

Any suitable discharge means may be used for removing the product from the second rotary drum or from the above mentioned further drum if the product required pressing. Such means may include a discharge roller operating in conjunction with the above-mentioned rotatable drum or the second rotary drum.

The discharge roller desirably employs a vacuum to obtain the transferred folded sheet in juxtaposition with the surface of the discharge roller with means for releasing the vacuum at a desired point thereby to discharge the folded product. Such means for releasing the vacuum may also operate in conjunction with auxiliary means for aiding in the discharge, which may comprise a further rotatable roller with a plurality of endless belts extending between the two rollers with the folded product being adapted to overlie the belts on the surface of the discharge roller. in this manner, the folded products may be positively displaced relative to the discharge roller. Whether the product is discharged from the second rotary means or the cooperating rotary drum used in conjunction with the pressing means, either may include pressurized air connected to the respective means or drum to aid in the transfer. The source of pressurized air may be provided by a suitable means connected to the interior of the drum.

While any suitable means for actuating the above-described components may be employed, in operating the individual components in time-related sequence, a preferred drive system includes the provision of a central drive means-cg, in the form of a rotatable shaft mounting gear wheels, the shaft being driven by an electric motor, with the shaft in turn driving various subassemblies through suitable gearing systems.

Should further thicknesses be desired in the product, this invention also provides a further apparatus assembly whereby the product obtained may be laterally folded. As used herein, the term lateral fold is a fold around a line extending in a longitudinal direction of the web. To this end, the apparatus may include a system of endless belts receiving and acting on the product discharged from the discharge roller. For example, where it is desired to double or triple, etc., the number of plies by means of lateral plies, two or more belts operate in conjunction with each other to receive the folded product discharged from the discharge drum. The width of each belt will depend largely on the relationship of the lateral folds desired in the product. If for example, it is desired to fold the product into three equal plies, the belts will each have a width approximately one third of the width of the product discharged from the discharge roller.

The product may be preferably conveyed on two of the belts with one third of the product not supported by the belts where after the belts are brought together into vertical alignment with suitable guiding means between the belts to depress the product and ensure that it folds over. In this manner, there will be obtained a product in which two thirds of the product is folded. By using a subsequent belt, the remaining flap can be brought into alignment with the previously folded portion thereby to provide a product folded laterally into three layers. Any suitable means for driving the endless belts may be provided, preferably the driving means is integrally associated with the central driving means of the rotary systems.

The apparatus of the present invention produces a product which may be folded laterally any number of desired times. Thus, if a product was desired in which only two lateral layers were provided, the above belt system may be employed whereby the product may be divided into half with two belts.

If a four ply laterally folded product is desired, then additional belts can be included to fold the product into four equal or unequal sections as required.

The apparatus of the present invention may include stacking means for receiving finished products to align a plurality of such products into a stack. The stacking means may be any conventional component, and may include counting means for stacking a predetermined number of products. Preferably, the stacking means will operate in conjunction with either the discharge roller or the lateral folding system.

While in the. above description, and as shown in the drawings, a single mechanism has been shown for each component, the present apparatus lends itself to duplexing whereby two side-by-side apparatuses, driven by the same drive system and mounted on the same frame, may be employed to produce twice the number of articles as a single apparatus.

In the apparatus of this invention, the lateral folding system described above may be located so that the lateral folding means would thus be located in advance of the feeding means. In one embodiment, the lateral folding means could replace the hem" folding mechanism which is employed to fold in the side edges to avoid having exposed cut edges.

When the product is subjected to lateral folding prior to it being cut by the rotary system, suitable means such as guide bars or rollers may be employed.

The present invention lends itself to the folding of various types of materials, particularly sheet material such as nonwoven fabrics, gauze, etc. As previously mentioned, more than one layer of material may be used in forming a folded product, such products being useful as surgical sponges, etc. To this end, the additional layers such as absorbent materials, will be juxtaposed with the basic layer during feeding, or prior to being fed, to the folding operations.

Having thus generally described the invention more particularly, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical product produced by the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank with the lateral edges folded inwardly;

FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically a folding operation;

FIG. 4 illustrates a further folding operation;

FIG. 5 shows a product with the leading and trailing edges folded inwardly;

FIG. 6 shows diagrammatically the transverse folding of the product;

FIGS. 7 and 7a are a top plan view of an apparatus according to the present invention;

FIGS. 8, 8a and 8c are vertical sections of the apparatus along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7 and 7a; showing the web being fed to a series of rollers in the machine and showing more particularly in FIG. 8, the manner in which the web is fed to the material folding device, while FIG. 8a shows particularly the drive of the rollers and FIG. 8c the belts which fold the product laterally as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 9 is a plan view along the line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a vertical section of the web taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 9 showing the initial width of the web of material;

FIG. 11 is a vertical section taken along the line 11-11 of FIG. 8 showing the first folding step of the web along its lateral edges;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 12-12 of FIG. 9 showing the lateral edge folding mechanism;

FIG. 13 is a vertical cross section along line 13-13 of FIG. 9 showing the pressing of the folded edges; FIG. 14 through 18 are on the same sheet as FIG.

FIG. 14 is a vertical section along line 14-14 of FIG. 7a showing the first lateral panel folding step;

FIG. 15 is a vertical cross section along line 15-15 of FIG. 7a showing the beginning of the second folding step;

FIG. 16 is a vertical section taken along the line 16-16 of FIG. 7a showing the beginning of the third folding step;

FIG. 17 is a vertical section taken along the line 17-17 of FIG. 7a showing the completely folded product;

FIG. 18 is a vertical section taken along the line 18-18 of FIG. 7a showing the product fully folded and being discharged towards the stacking unit;

FIG. 19 is a vertical cross section along the line 19-19 of FIG. 7 showing the different folding steps as the material passes from roll B to roll H;

FIG. 20 is a top plan view partly in cross section, along line 20-20 of FIG. 21, showing the positioning system;

FIG. 21 is a front elevation on the positioning system partly in cross section showing the drive of the positioning system;

FIG. 22 is a vertical cross section taken along the line 22- 22 of FIG. 20 showing how the positioning arm is mounted to the frame;

FIG. 23 is a vertical cross section taken along the line 23- 23 of FIG. 22 showing the flexible mounting between the lever arm and the positioning bracket;

FIG. 24 is a top plan view partly in section of the feeding roller adjacent roller B;

FIG. 25 is a fragmentary enlarged diametric cross section taken through the cutting roll A, pickup roll B and tucker roll C showing how the web is cut by roller A and roller B;

FIG. 26 is a top plan view of the cutting roller A;

FIG. 27 is a front elevation of the cutting roller A shown in FIG. 26 and mounted to the frame of machine;

FIG. 28 is a vertical cross section taken along the line 28- 28 of FIG. 26 showing the details of knife;

FIG. 29 is a vertical cross section taken along the line 29- 29 of FIG. 26 showing a three lobed cam;

FIG. 30 is an enlarged fragmentary diametric cross sectional view of roller B showing one of the tucking jaws, the web of material and the tucking blade of roll C;

FIG. 31 is an enlarged fragmentary diametric cross section of the rotary roll B showing the folding bars in operation folding the leading and trailing edge portions of the web of material;

FIG. 32 is a front elevation of the tucking roll C partly in section to show the assembly in detail.

FIG. 33 is a longitudinal cross section of roll B showing its general assembly;

FIG. 34 is a diametric cross section taken along the line 34-34 of FIG. 33;

FIG. 35 is an end elevation of roller B looking in the direction of line 35-35 on FIG. 33;

FIG. 36 is a diametric cross section taken on the line 36-36 of FIG. 33 showing the levers controlling the folding bars and the tuckingjaws;

FIG. 37 is an enlarged partial vertical cross section taken on the line 37-37 of FIG. 33 showing how the expandable band is connected to thejaw lever;

FIG. 38 is an end elevation looking in the direction of line 38-38 of FIG. 33;

FIG. 39 is an end elevation of the tucking roll D showing the cam arrangement which operates the tucking blade;

FIG. 40 is a diametric section along the line 40-40 of FIG. 39 showing the assembly of the tucker blade;

FIG. 41 is a diametric cross section along the line 41-41 of FIG. 39 showing the vacuum chamber of the assembly of roller D in detail;

FIG. 42 is an end elevation of the roll E showing the jaw operating mechanism;

Claims

1. An apparatus for folding a sheet of flexible material comprising: feeding means, first rotary means for receiving said sheet fed by said feeding means, and for rotating it about a fixed axis, said first rotary means including means for retaining said sheet in juxtaposition therewith, and leading and trailing folding means for folding leading and trailing portions of said sheet into juxtaposition with said sheet, means for rotating said first rotary means about said axis, means for actuating said leading and trailing folding means as said first rotary means rotates, transfer means for receiving said sheet from said first rotary means after said leading and trailing folding means have folded the leading and trailing folded portions of said sheet, second rotary means operating in conjunction with said transfer means whereby said transfer means is effective to present said sheet to said second rotary means from said first rotary means, means for rotating said second rotary means about a fixed axis, said second rotary means having means for retaining said folded sheet in juxtaposition therewith, and folding means for folding at least one portion of said sheet in overlapping relationship to the remainder of said sheet, and means for operating said apparatus in a time related sequence whereby when said sheet is fed to said first rotary means, the leading and trailing portions of said sheet are folded onto the sheet during rotation of the first rotary means by said means for rotating it and thereafter the transfer means transfers the folded sheet from the first rotary means to the second rotary means with the folding means of the second rotary means subsequently folding at least one further portion of the sheet while the means for rotating the second rotary means rotates it.

2. An apparatus for folding a sheet of flexible material to form a folded sheet product comprising means for feeding a web of material from a supply thereof, metering means for metering a predetermined length of said web, means for severing a metered portion of said web to form a sheet blank, first rotary means for receiving said sheet and rotating said sheet about a fixed axis, said first rotary means including means for retaining said sheet in juxtaposition with said rotary means, means for rotating said rotary means about said axis, and leading and trailing folding means for folding a portion of the leading and a portion of the trailing portions of said sheet into juxtaposition with the main body of said sheet, and means for actuating said folding means as said first rotary means rotates, second rotary means for receiving and retaining said folded sheet in juxtaposition therewith, means for rotating said second rotary means about a fixed axis, transfer means for transferring the folded sheet from said first rotary means to said second rotary means, said second rotary means having folding means, said last-mentioned folding means including means for transversely folding said folded sheet upon itself to form a multiple folded sheet product, and means for operating said metering means, said cutting means, said first and second rotary means, each of said folding means and said transfer means in time related sequence whereby said metering means meters a predetermined amount of web material, said cutting means severs said predetermined amount of material and each of said folding means folds portions of said sheet into juxtaposition with the main body of said sheet.

3. An apparatus of claim 2 wherein said apparatus includes means for creating a source of humidity, said means for feeding a web of material being adapted to pass said web through said source of humidity.

4. An apparatus of claim 2, wherein there is included means for feeding at least two separate webs of sheet material, and guiding means adapted to combine the webs of material into a single continuous length of juxtaposed material.

5. An apparatus for folding a sheet of flexible matErial to form a folded sheet product comprising means for feeding a web of material from a supply thereof, metering means for metering a predetermined amount of said material, rotary cutting means for severing a metered length of said web to form a sheet blank, first rotary means comprising a rotatable drum for receiving said cut sheet and rotating said sheet about a fixed axis, said first rotary means including means for retaining said sheet in juxtaposition with said drum, leading and trailing folding means for folding the leading and trailing edges of said sheet into juxtaposition with the main body of said sheet, said first rotary means further including gripping means for gripping said sheet while said sheet rotates about said axis, second rotary means comprising a rotatable drum, means for rotating said second rotary means about a fixed axis, transfer means comprising a rotatable drum, means for rotating said transfer means about a fixed axis for receiving a folded sheet from said first rotary means and for transferring the folded sheet to said second rotary means, said second rotary means including means for retaining a folded sheet in juxtaposition therewith, folding means associated with said second rotary means for folding a portion of said sheet into juxtaposition with the balance of said sheet, and means for operating said rotary means, said cutting means, said feeding means, all of said folding means and said transfer means in time-related sequence whereby said metering means meters a predetermined amount of web material, said cutting means severs said predetermined amount of material, said folding means folds the leading and trailing edges of said sheet into juxtaposition with the main body of said sheet and said third folding means folds the sheet material in sequence.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 which includes first pressing means for pressing a folded sheet produced by said first rotary means, said pressing means operating in conjunction with said transfer means.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes pressing means adapted to press a folded sheet produced by said second rotary means.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes first pressing means adapted to press a folded sheet produced by said first rotary means and said pressing means operating in conjunction with said transfer drum, said apparatus further including second pressing means for pressing a folded sheet produced by said second rotary means.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes first pressing means comprising a rotatable roller, means for rotating said roller in time relationship to the transfer drum, said apparatus further including second pressing means for pressing a folded sheet produced by said second rotary means and comprising a pair of rotatable rollers, means for rotating said rollers in timed relationship, one of said rollers including means for receiving a folded sheet produced by said second rotary means, and means for retaining the folded sheet in juxtaposition with said one roller.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes means for supplying a continuous length of web material to said feeding means, means for cutting a predetermined amount of said web, and means for presenting cut portions of said web to said first rotary means.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes means for feeding a continuous length of web material, cutting means subsequent to said feeding means to cut a predetermined amount of said material to form individual sheets, said cutting means comprising a rotatable roller having a first cooperating cutting component, means for rotating said rotatable roller, said rotatable roller being spaced from said first rotary means and rotating in time-related sequence therewith, second cooperating cutting means mounted on said first rotary means whereby said first and second cooperating cuttiNg components operate to cut a predetermined amount of said web material into individual sheets with said first rotary means assuming control of the cut sheets.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said first and second cutting components comprise cooperating cutting blades, each cutting blade being mounted in one of said rotatable cutting rollers and said first rotary means.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said rotating cutting roller and said first rotary means include a plurality of cooperating cutting blades, each pair of cooperating cutting blades being adapted to meet in operating relationship upon rotation of said cutting roller and said first rotary means.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said cooperating cutting components comprise at least one cutting blade mounted on saId rotating cutting roller and at least one rigid cutting surface on said first rotary means.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, including positioning means subsequent to said feeding means in the feeding direction of said web material, said positioning means including means for receiving said web material as said web material is advanced by said feed means, means for directing said web material to said first rotary means and means for intermittently halting the forward movement of said web material to said first rotary means.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, including positioning means in advance of said feeding means in the feeding direction of said web material, said positioning apparatus including means for receiving said web material as said web material is advanced by said feed means, means for directing said web material to said first rotary means and means for intermittently halting the forward movement of said web material to said first rotary means, said means for intermittently halting said web comprising at least one rotatable arm over which said web material passes in the feeding direction of said web material to said first rotary means, means for displacing said arm in a direction opposed to the feeding direction of said web material at a speed and to an extent sufficient to substantially halt movement of said web to said first rotary means, and means for operating said last-mentioned means for displacing said arm in time-related sequence to the rotation of said first rotary means whereby said web material is intermittently fed in predetermined amounts to said first rotary means.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said feed means comprises means for receiving and advancing a web of sheet material from a supply thereof, said means including a pair of spaced-apart rollers, at least one of said rollers having drive means for rotating said roller to advance said web at a predetermined speed.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes means folding the free side edges of a sheet or web of material.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes means for folding the free side edges of a web of sheet material as said web is being advanced in the feeding direction thereof, said means for folding said side edges including means for downwardly tucking a portion of the side edges of said web and placing said portions into juxtaposition with the main body of said web.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said transfer means comprises a rotatable drum mounted between said first and second rotary means, means for rotating said transfer drum in time-related sequence to the rotation of said first and second rotary means.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said transfer means comprises a rotatable drum, means for rotating said drum about a fixed axis in a direction reversed to the direction of rotation of said first and second rotary means, said transfer drum including a source of vacuum adapted to retain a folded sheet transferred from said first rotary means to said transfer drum.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said transfer means comprises a rotatable drum, means for rotating said drum about a fixed axis in a direction reversed to the direction of rotation of said first and second rotary means, said transfer drum including a source of vacuum adapted to retain a folded sheet transferred from said first rotary means to said transfer drum, said transfer drum further including means for causing removal of said vacuum at a predetermined point in the rotation of said transfer drum whereby said second rotary means assumes control of the folded sheet from said transfer drum, and means for aiding transfer of said folded sheet from said transfer drum to said second rotary means comprising a source of pressurized air adapted to displace said folded sheet from said transfer drum.

23. An apparatus, as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes supplementary transfer means operating in conjunction with said first transfer means, said supplementary transfer means comprising a rotatable roller located between said transfer roller and said second rotary means and being adapted to retain a portion of a folded sheet under positive control when said sheet is being transferred from said transfer means to said second rotary means.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said first rotary means comprises a rotatable drum rotatable about a fixed axis, said means for retaining said sheet in juxtaposition with said drum comprising a source of vacuum in said drum acting on said sheet to retain said sheet in juxtaposition with said drum, and means for removing said vacuum at a point during rotation of said drum whereby a folded sheet on said drum may be transferred to said transfer means.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said first rotary comprises a rotatable drum rotatable about a fixed axis, said means for retaining said sheet in juxtaposition with said drum comprising a source of vacuum in said drum acting on said sheet to retain said sheet in juxtaposition with said drum, and means for removing said vacuum at a point during rotation of said drum whereby a folded sheet on said drum may be transferred to said transfer means, said drum further including first gripping means adapted to receive and retain a portion of said sheet in juxtaposition with said drum together with said vacuum means, and second cooperating tucking means operating in conjunction with said gripping means to place a portion of said sheet in operative relationship to said gripping means.

26. An apparatus, as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for folding the leading and trailing portions of said sheet into juxtaposition with said sheet comprises a pair of spaced-apart folded bars mounted beneath the surface of said rotary means, and means for causing said bars to operate through a forward and return stroke to lift a portion of said sheet in juxtaposition with said rotary means onto the main body of the sheet.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said second rotary means comprises a rotatable drum, said means for retaining said folded sheet in juxtaposition with said second rotary means comprising a source of vacuum in said drum, and means for removing said vacuum at a predetermined point of rotation of said drum.

28. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said second rotary means comprises a rotatable drum, said means for retaining said folded sheet in juxtaposition with said second rotary means comprising a source of vacuum in said drum, and means for removing said vacuum at a predetermined point on rotation of said drum, said second rotary means further including a source of pressurized air operative to lift a folded sheet on said second rotary means, after said vacuum has been removed, to remove a folded sheet from said second rotary means, said second rotary means further including gripping means adapted to cooperate with said vacuum means in retaining said sheet in juxtaposition with said second rotary means, said gripping means operating in conjunction With tucking means located on said transfer roller whereby said tucking means is effective to place a portion of said sheet into gripping engagement with said gripping means when said sheet is being transferred from said transfer roller to said second rotary means, and means for releasing said sheet from engagement with said gripping means when said vacuum is removed.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the folding means of said second rotary means comprises first cooperating gripping means on said second rotary means, second cooperating complimentary means on said transfer means adapted to place a portion of the folded sheet at said transfer means into gripping engagement with said first gripping means of said second rotary means, said transfer means having means for rotating said transfer means about a fixed axis in a first direction, said means for rotating said second rotary means being adapted to rotate said second rotary means in a direction opposite to that of the rotating of said transfer means, whereby a portion of the sheet product transferred from said transfer means of said second rotary means is folded onto a further portion of the sheet.

30. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes means for receiving a folded product from said second rotary means and for discharging said product therefrom.

31. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes discharge means comprising a rotatable roller, means for rotating said roller in timed relationship to said second rotary means, said second rotary means including means for displacing a folded product thereon into operative relationship with said discharge roller and means associated with said discharge roller for retaining said folded product in juxtaposition therewith, said discharge roller including means for removing said folded product therefrom at a predetermined point upon rotation of said discharge roller.

32. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes a further rotatable roller operating in timed relationship to said second rotary means, said further roller comprising a rotatable drum, means associated with said rotatable drum for receiving and retaining a product associated with said second rotary means, a pressing roller spaced from said further rotatable roller, means for retaining said pressing roller in timed relationship to the rotation of said further roller, a discharge roller, said discharge roller being mounted in spaced relationship to said further roller and being adapted to receive a folded product from said further roller, means for rotating said discharge roller in relationship to said further roller, and means for retaining a folded product in juxtaposition with said discharge roller.

33. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes means for subjecting said sheet or web to a source of humidity.

34. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said apparatus including additional folding means for laterally folding the product, said additional folding means including means for dividing the product into at least two lateral portions, and means for placing the lateral portions into juxtaposition with each other.

35. An apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein means for laterally folding a product is located after said second rotary means.

36. An apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein the apparatus includes a discharge roller, said means for laterally folding a product operating in conjunction with said discharge roller.