Method and apparatus for adjusting fold roller gaps

A folder, comprising:

• one or more fold rollers mounted in fixed positions;
• an adjustable nip roller, the adjustable nip roller positioned adjacent to the one or more fold rollers to form a nip having a nip spacing, the adjustable nip roller being mounted on a nip axis shaft, the nip axis shaft being mounted so as to be linearly movable to adjust the nip spacing;
• an adjustment mechanism for moving the nip axis shaft to adjust the nip spacing;
• the nip adjustment mechanism including:
• a bearing block cam follower on which the nip axis shaft is fixedly mounted and supported, the bearing block cam follower being linearly movable to move the nip axis shaft closer and farther from the one or more fold rollers;
• an eccentric cam in operative contact with the bearing block cam follower;
• and
• whereby rotation of the eccentric cam on the eccentric cam axis will drive the bearing block cam follower in its linear motion to adjust the nip spacing;
• wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises bearing block eccentric followers and corresponding eccentric cams at both ends of the nip axis shaft, and wherein the corresponding eccentric cams share a common cam shaft that extends parallel to the nip axis shaft, and whereby rotation of the common cam shaft causes both sides of the nip axis shaft to be adjusted by a same spacing.

A folder, comprising;

• one or more fold rollers mounted in fixed positions;
• an adjustable nip roller, the adjustable nip roller positioned adjacent to the one or more fold rollers to form a nip having a nip spacing, the adjustable nip roller being mounted on a nip axis shaft, the nip axis shaft being mounted so as to be linearly movable to adjust the nip spacing;
• an adjustment mechanism for moving the nip axis shaft to adjust the nip spacing;
• the nip adjustment mechanism including:
• a bearing block cam follower on which the nip axis shaft is fixedly mounted and supported, the bearing block cam follower being linearly movable to move the nip axis shaft closer and farther from the one or more fold rollers;
• an eccentric cam in operative contact with the bearing block cam follower;
• and whereby rotation of the eccentric cam on the eccentric cam axis will drive the bearing block cam follower in its linear motion to adjust the nip spacing;
• and
• a single chain that turns the one or more fold rollers and the adjustable nip roller, and whereby adjustment of the adjustable nip roller changes a length of the single chain needed to turn the rollers, the adjustment mechanism further comprising an automatic tensioner that automatically adjusts tension on the single chain to account for movement of the adjustable nip roller.

A method of adjusting nip spacing in a collation folding device the collation folding device comprising:

• one or more fold rollers mounted in fixed positions:
• an adjustable nip roller, the nip roller positioned adjacent to the one or more fold rollers to form a nip having a nip spacing, and the adjustable nip roller being mounted on a nip axis shaft, the nip axis shaft being mounted so as to be linearly movable to adjust the nip spacing;
• the method comprising:
• using an adjustment mechanism to move the nip axis shaft to adjust the nip spacing;
• wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a bearing block cam follower on which the nip axis shaft is fixedly mounted and supported, the bearing block cam follower being linearly movable to move the nip axis shaft closer and farther from the one or more fold rollers and an eccentric cam in operative contact with the bearing block cam follower;
• and whereby rotation of the eccentric cam on the eccentric cam axis drives the bearing block cam follower in its linear motion to adjust the nip spacing,
• wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises bearing block eccentric followers and corresponding eccentric cams at both ends of the nip axis shaft, and wherein the corresponding eccentric cams share a common cam shaft that extends parallel to the nip axis shaft, and including the step of simultaneously causing both sides of the nip axis shaft to be adjusted by a same spacing by rotating the common cam shaft.

A method of adjusting nip spacing in a collation folding device the collation folding device comprising:

• one or more fold rollers mounted in fixed positions;
• an adjustable nip roller, the nip roller positioned adjacent to the one or more fold rollers to form a nip having a nip spacing, and the adjustable nip roller being mounted on a nip axis shaft, the nip axis shaft being mounted so as to be linearly movable to adjust the nip spacing;
• the method comprising:
• using an adjustment mechanism to move the nip axis shaft to adjust the nip spacing;
• wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a bearing block cam follower on which the nip axis shaft is fixedly mounted and supported, the bearing block cam follower being linearly movable to move the nip axis shaft closer and farther from the one or more fold rollers and an eccentric cam in operative contact with the bearing block cam follower;
• and whereby rotation of the eccentric cam on the eccentric cam axis drives the bearing block cam follower in its linear motion to adjust the nip spacing;
• wherein a single chain turns the one or more fold rollers and the adjustable nip roller, and whereby adjustment of the adjustable nip roller changes a length of the single chain needed to turn the rollers, and including a step of using an automatic tensioner to automatically adjust tension on the single chain to account for movement of the adjustable nip roller.