Combination rotary and jaw folder for a printing press
AssigneeGoss Graphic Systems, Inc.
InventorCharles Tomczak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing press having a jaw mode assembly and a rotary mode assembly with a single folding cylinder adapted to feed either the jaw mode assembly or the rotary mode assembly is disclosed. A moving web of material is initially trained about the folding cylinder and cut into a signatures which are then temporarily held on the folding cylinder. A folding blade extends from the folding cylinder to initiate a fold in each signature and direct each signature to either the jaw mode assembly or the rotary mode assembly. The timing of the folding blade is coordinated and adjusted using an indexable spider assembly to feed either the jaw mode assembly or the rotary mode assembly.
Claims25
A printing press folder, comprising:
- a frame, a moving web of printed material being adapted to move relative to the frame and be cut into individual signatures;
- a folding cylinder mounted to the frame adapted to form the signatures, the folding cylinder including a folding blade adapted to extend radially therefrom to initiate a fold in each signature, the folding cylinder being configurable into either a rotary mode or a jaw mode;
- a jaw cylinder mounted to the frame and positioned proximate the folding cylinder, the jaw cylinder including a plurality of clamp assemblies extending radially therefrom, each clamp assembly being adapted to receive the folding blade and a signature therein when the folding cylinder is in the jaw mode, the jaw cylinder being adapted to complete the fold;
- and
- a rotary mode assembly mounted to the frame and positioned proximate the folding cylinder, the rotary mode assembly including a pair of second fold rollers divided by a nip, the nip being adapted to receive the folding blade and a signature therein when the folding cylinder is in the rotary mode, the rotary mode assembly being adapted to complete the fold.
A folding couple for a printing press comprising:
- a rotary mode assembly;
- a jaw mode assembly;
- and
- means for directing a fold in a signature to either the rotary mode assembly or the jaw mode assembly.
A method of producing folded signatures from a moving web of material comprising the steps of:
- cutting the moving web into signatures;
- creating a fold in the signature;
- and
- directing the fold to one of a rotary mode assembly and a jaw mode assembly, the rotary mode assembly and jaw mode assembly being provided on the same printing press.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.