US 4,842,574 AGranted

Buckle chute folder having sheet squaring feature

OwnerNoel L. Noble, Edward A. Bluthardt +1inventors

InventorsNoel L. Noble, Edward A. Bluthardt, Jeffrey L. Goins

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Abstract

A table top buckle chute fold machine is disclosed in which improved and more reliable squaring of the paper to the folding rolls is accomplished by lightly driving an inserted sheet of paper with a friction roller against a selected one of several deflector assemblies. The deflector assemblies each include a deflector member spaced away from the rollers to direct the advancing edge of the paper inwardly so as to be abutted against the back of a recessed guide groove. An intermittently engaged drive roller causes the squared paper to be forcibly advanced against the groove, causing the sheet to buckle and be nipped between another pair of driven nip rollers, forming a first fold at the location determined by the location of the particular deflector assembly activated. A movable deflector back either routes the folded paper to an exit chute or to another abutment surface, causing buckling and nipping between another pair of nip rollers to optionally add a second fold to the already folded sheet of paper prior to exiting the machine.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A buckle fold machine of the type including a plurality of rollers mounted for rotation about axes parallel and adjacent to each other, means directing a leading edge of a sheet of paper introduced between a first set comprising a first pair of said rollers normally closely spaced to grip said sheet of paper, means driving said first set of rollers to be rotated to feed said introduced sheet;

a stop surface extending parallel to said rotational axis of said first set of rollers located to be contacted by said leading edge of said sheet to be buckled thereagainst, said plurality of rollers including a second set of rollers comprising a closely spaced pair of said rollers, said buckle so formed drawn between said second set of said rollers to be folded, and drive means for rotating said second sets of rollers, the improvement comprising:
squaring means for squaring said piece of paper to said first set of rollers, including an auxiliary light frictional drive means separate from said first set of rollers, acting on said sheet of paper introduced between said set of said rollers, said frictional drive means allowing lateral squaring movement of said sheet of paper after contacting said stop, said stop surface contacting said leading edge of said sheet of paper advanced by said light frictional drive tending to square said sheet of paper thereagainst;
and,
cam means periodically separating said first set of rollers gripping said sheet of paper to allow lateral movement therebetween to accommodate said squaring movement of said sheet.

1 more element

A buckle fold machine comprising:

a housing;
an elongated main drive roller mounted for rotation in said housing;
power means for rotating said main drive roller;
an idler roller mounted parallel to said main feed roller for free rotation and urged into light frictional engagement therewith to establish a frictional advance of a sheet of paper introduced therebetween;
a first feed roller mounted parallel and adjacent to said main and idler rollers;
means urging said feed roller towards said main feed roller;
drive means rotating said first feed roller in synchronism with said main drive roller;
cam means restraining movement of said feed roller so as to produce intermittent contact with said main drive roller;
at least one squaring surface defined by said housing tending to square a sheet of paper inserted between said drive roller and idler roller by frictional advance of the piece of paper;
a first nip roller mounted parallel and adjacent to said main drive roller;
means urging said nip roller into engagement with said main drive roller;
drive means rotating said nip roller in synchronism with said main drive roller;
primary stop surface means located to intercept said sheet of paper advanced by said feed roller and causing buckling thereof;
said nip roller and main drive roller located to draw said buckled piece of paper therebetween and produce a fold thereacross.

11 more elements

A buckle fold machine including a first pair of normally engaging opposed rollers;

means for rotating said first pair of rollers to advance a leading edge of a sheet of paper inserted therebetween;
at least one stop surface positioned to be approached by said inserted sheet to move against said at least one stop surface to thereby buckle said inserted piece of paper, a second pair of opposed rollers and drive means for rotating the same;
said buckle forming to be drawn between said second pair of opposed rollers to fold said sheet of paper, the improvement comprising a table surface disposed to receive said inserted piece of paper from said first pair of rollers with at least one groove recessed into said table surface extending transversely to the path of said inserted sheet and extending parallel to said leading edge of said inserted sheet and located so that said inserted sheet is driven to the location of said groove;
said at least one of said groove comprising said at least one stop surface and, at least one movable deflector means having a portion selectively movable into the path of said sheet of paper and located to deflect said leading edge into said at least one groove to cause said sheet of paper to be stopped by said groove and thereby buckled by continued advance caused by rotation of said first pair of rollers.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.