Folding machine

A machine for cross folding a length of sheet material having a lead end, the machine comprising:

• a) a sheet material conveyor having an upstream end, a downstream end, a conveyor path extending between such ends, a belt on the path and a belt drive for moving the belt downstream along the path;
• and
• b) a first sheet material cross folder on the path of the conveyor, the folder including,
• i) a clamp member including a first foot, a first clamp element, a first drive for moving the clamp element toward the foot to clamp the lead end of a length of sheet material moving downstream along the conveyor path on the belt against the foot and for moving the clamp element away from the foot, the clamp member being movable between a first position where the foot is located on the conveyor path and a second position located downstream from the first position and above the path, and
• ii) a rotary clamp member drive operable to rotate the clamp member from the first position to the second position so that the foot is initially moved downstream along the path with the belt and then is moved up and above the path to the second position;
• and
• c) a second sheet material cross folder, said second folder being spaced along said path from said first folder.

A machine as for cross folding a length of sheet material having a lead end, the machine comprising:

• a) a sheet material conveyor having an upstream end, a downstream end, a conveyor path extending between such ends, a belt on the path and a belt drive for moving the belt downstream along the path;
• b) a first sheet material cross folder on the path of the conveyor, the folder including,
• i) a clamp member including a first foot, a first clamp element, a first drive for moving the clamp element toward the foot to clamp the lead end of a length of sheet material moving downstream along the conveyor path on the belt against the foot and for moving the clamp element away from the foot, the clamp member being movable between a first position where the foot is located on the conveyor path and a second position located downstream from the first position and above the path, and
• ii) a rotary clamp member drive operable to rotate the clamp member from the first position to the second position so that the foot is initially moved downstream along the path with the belt and then is moved up and above the path to the second position;
• and
• c) a second sheet material cross folder located on the path of the conveyor downstream from the first sheet material cross folder and including a fold guide located immediately upstream of the second sheet material cross folder and spaced a distance above the belt for reducing the height of a lead fold formed in the sheet material as the lead fold is moved into the second sheet material cross folder.

The method of folding a length of sheet material into a bundle comprising the steps of:

• a) continuously feeding a length of sheet material having a lead end downstream along a path;
• b) rotating the lead end of the sheet material downstream and then above the path to position the lead end at a location above the path;
• c) holding the lead end in the location while feeding the material downstream along the path to form a new folded lead end of the sheet material;
• d) releasing the held lead end of the sheet material from the location and lowering the lead end back onto the path to reduce the length of the sheet material and form two plies of sheet material;
• e) feeding the shortened two-ply sheet material down the path;
• and
• f) repeating steps b, c, d and e to form a folded bundle having X plies and a length equal to 1/X times the initial length of the sheet material.

A machine for cross folding a length of sheet material having a lead end, the machine comprising:

• a) a sheet material conveyor having an upstream end, a downstream end, a conveyor path extending between such ends, a belt on the path and a belt drive for moving the belt downstream along the path;
• and
• b) a first sheet material cross folder on the path of the conveyor, the folder including,
• i) a clamp member including a first foot, a first clamp element, a first drive for moving the clamp element toward the foot to clamp the lead end of a length of sheet material moving downstream along the conveyor path on the belt against the foot and for moving the clamp element away from the foot, the clamp member being movable between a first position where the foot is located on the conveyor path and a second position located downstream from the first position and above the path,
• ii) a rotary clamp member drive operable to rotate the clamp member from the first position to the second position so that the foot is initially moved downstream along the path with the belt and then is moved up and above the path to the second position;
• and
• c) a tuck folder located at the downstream end of the conveyor path, said tuck folder adapted to receive a folded sheet material bundle discharged from the downstream end of the conveyor, said tuck folder including
• i) first folded sheet transfer means;
• ii) second folded sheet transfer means adjacent said first transfer means, said second transfer means for moving the folded sheet material bundle away from the conveyor in combination with the first transfer means, the first and second transfer means each having an upstream end near the conveyor downstream end, said upstream ends defining a tuck nip between said ends;
• iii) a tucker blade movable between a first position away from the tuck nip and a second position where the blade is located in the tuck nip;
• and
• iv) a tucker blade drive operable to move the blade from the first position to the second position so that as the tucker blade moves to the second position, the blade engages the folded sheet material bundle and moves the bundle into engagement with said first and second transfer means,
• v) said first folded sheet transfer means including a downstream end away from the upstream end, a first cross roller at the upstream end, a second cross roller at the downstream end, a continuous belt wrapped around the cross rollers with a lower belt run adjacent the second transfer means, and a first roller drive to rotate the cross rollers and move the lower belt run toward the downstream end of said first transfer means.

A machine for cross folding a length of sheet material having a lead end, the machine comprising:

• a) a sheet material conveyor having an upstream end, a downstream end, a conveyor path extending between such ends, a belt on the path and a belt drive for moving the belt downstream along the path;
• b) a first sheet material cross folder on the path of the conveyor, the folder including,
• i) a clamp member including a first foot, a first clamp element, a first drive for moving the clamp element toward the foot to clamp the lead end of a length of sheet material moving downstream along the conveyor path on the belt against the foot and for moving the clamp element away from the foot, the clamp member being movable between a first position where the foot is located on the conveyor path and a second position located downstream from the first position and above the path, and
• ii) a rotary clamp member drive operable to rotate the clamp member from the first position to the second position so that the foot is initially moved downstream along the path with the belt and then is moved up and above the path to the second position;
• and
• c) a first gravity hold down located on the conveyor path, downstream from the first cross folder for maintaining the sheet material on the belt as the sheet material moves downstream.

A machine for cross folding a length of sheet material having a lead end, said machine comprising:

• a) a frame;
• b) a sheet material conveyor on the frame, said sheet material conveyor having an upstream end, a downstream end, a conveyor path between said ends, a belt on the path and a belt drive for moving the belt toward the downstream end along the path;
• c) a first sheet material cross folder on the frame above the conveying path, the folder including:
• i) a clamp support located above the conveyor path,
• ii) a clamp on the clamp support for clamping the lead end of a length of sheet material moving along the conveyor path toward the downstream end of the conveyor, the clamp being movable from a first position located under the support and on the conveying path downstream along the path and then above the path to a second position located downstream from the first position and above the conveyor path, and
• iii) a drive for moving the clamp from the first position downstream and then above and away from the conveyor path to the second position.

A machine for cross folding a length of sheet material having a lead end, said machine comprising

• a) a frame;
• b) a sheet material conveyor on the frame, said sheet material conveyor having an upstream end, a downstream end, a conveyor path between said ends, a belt on the path and a belt drive for moving the belt toward the downstream end along the path;
• c) a first sheet material cross folder on the conveying path, the folder including:
• i) a clamp support located above the conveyor path,
• ii) a clamp on the clamp support for clamping the lead end of a length of sheet material moving along the conveyor path toward the downstream end of the conveyor, the clamp being movable downstream from a first position located under the support and on the conveying path to a second position located downstream from the first position and above the conveyor path, and
• iii) a drive for moving the clamp from the first position downstream and then above and away from the conveyor path to the second position, and
• d) a second sheet material cross folder located on the conveyor path downstream from the first sheet material cross folder, said second sheet material cross folder including a fold guide located immediately upstream of the second sheet material cross folder and spaced a distance above the belt for reducing the height of a lead fold formed in the sheet material as the lead fold is moved into second sheet material cross folder.