Back to results
US 7,396,322 B2Granted
Informational item forming machine and method
AssigneeVijuk Equipment, Inc.
InventorsWilliam C. Neubauer, Roger Mattila, Ilija Ilijevski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming informational items such as outserts and booklets may include folding a sheet of paper having product information printed thereon by making a plurality of folds in the sheet of paper to form a first folded article; (b) making a fold in the first folded article to form a second folded article; (c) applying pressure at least about 30 psi and no greater than about 500 psi to the second folded article; and (d) making one or more folds in the second folded article to form an outsert using a third folding apparatus having a plurality of folding rollers having a nip therebetween and a movable blade member.
Claims10
A method of forming a closed informational item having information regarding a pharmaceutical product printed thereon, said method comprising:
- (a) folding a sheet of paper having product information printed thereon by making a plurality of folds in said sheet of paper to form a first article, said folds in said sheet of paper being parallel to each other and parallel to a first direction, said folds in said sheet of paper being made using a first folding apparatus having a plurality of folding rollers;
- (b) folding said first article by making a fold in said first article to form a folded article, said fold in said first article being parallel to a second direction, said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction, said fold in said first article being made using a second folding apparatus having a plurality of folding rollers;
- (c) folding a folded article produced as a result of at least the acts recited in paragraphs (a) and (b) by making a fold in said folded article to form a third article, said fold in said folded article being parallel to said second direction, said fold in said folded article being made using a third folding apparatus having a plurality of folding rollers having a nip therebetween and a movable member, said movable member making contact with a portion of said folded article and forcing said portion of said folded article towards said nip between said folding rollers of said third folding apparatus;
- (d) depositing an adhesive on a portion of said third article;
- and
- (e) folding said third article by making a final fold to form said closed informational item, said final fold being parallel to said second direction and being made so that said adhesive holds said closed informational item in a substantially closed position so that said closed informational item has no exposed unfolded exterior edges that lie in a direction parallel to said final fold, said final fold being made using a fourth folding apparatus having a plurality of folding rollers having a nip therebetween and a movable member, said movable member of said fourth folding apparatus making contact with a portion of said third article and forcing said portion of said third article towards said nip between said folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus.
3 more elements
An apparatus that forms informational items having information regarding a pharmaceutical product printed thereon, said apparatus comprising:
- a first folding apparatus that forms a first article from a sheet of paper having information regarding a pharmaceutical product printed thereon, said first folding apparatus having a plurality of folding rollers and forming said first article by making a plurality of folds in said sheet of paper, each of said folds being parallel to a first direction;
- a second folding apparatus operatively coupled to receive said first article, said second folding apparatus making a fold in said first article in a direction parallel to a second direction, said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction;
- a third folding apparatus that forms a folded article from an article that was processed by said second folding apparatus, said third folding apparatus forming a third article from said folded article by making a fold in said folded article in a direction parallel to said second direction, said third folding apparatus comprising:
- a first folding roller;
- a second folding roller disposed adjacent said first folding roller, said first and second folding rollers having a nip therebetween, said first and second folding rollers causing said fold in said folded article to be made when said folded article passes between said first and second folding rollers;
- and
- a movable member that makes contact with a portion of said folded article to force said portion of said folded article towards said nip between said first and second folding rollers;
- an adhesive applicator that applies adhesive to a portion of said third article;
- and
- a fourth folding apparatus operatively coupled to receive said third article, said fourth folding apparatus forming a closed informational item from said third article by making a final fold parallel to said second direction, said final fold being made so that said adhesive holds said informational item in a substantially closed position so that said informational item has no exposed unfolded exterior edges that lie in a direction parallel to said final fold, said fourth folding apparatus comprising:
- a first folding roller;
- a second folding roller disposed adjacent said first folding roller of said fourth folding apparatus, said first and second folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus having a nip therebetween, said first and second folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus causing said final fold to be made when said third article passes between said first and second folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus;
- a movable member that makes contact with a portion of said third article to force said portion of said third article towards said nip between said first and second folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus;
- a stop structure positioned so that a leading edge of said third article will make contact with said stop structure when said third article approaches said stop structure while traveling in a travel direction;
- a drive assembly coupled to said movable member of said fourth folding apparatus, said drive assembly causing said movable member of said fourth folding apparatus to make contact with a portion of said third article when a leading edge of said third article is in contact with said stop structure, said drive assembly causing said movable member of said fourth folding apparatus to force said portion of said third article towards said nip between said folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus;
- a retaining member associated with said stop structure, said retaining member occupying a position that is spaced from one of said folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus in a direction perpendicular to a plane passing through first and second axes of rotation of said folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus;
- and
- an adjustment mechanism operatively coupled to said retaining member, said adjustment mechanism allowing said position of said retaining member to be adjusted in said direction perpendicular to said plane passing through said first and second axes of rotation of said folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus.
15 more elements
An apparatus that forms informational items having information regarding a pharmaceutical product printed thereon, said apparatus comprising:
- a first folding apparatus that forms a first article from a sheet of paper having information regarding a pharmaceutical product printed thereon, said first folding apparatus having a plurality of folding rollers and forming said first article by making a plurality of folds in said sheet of paper, each of said folds being parallel to a first direction;
- a second folding apparatus operatively coupled to receive said first article, said second folding apparatus making a fold in said first article in a direction parallel to a second direction, said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction;
- a third folding apparatus that forms a folded article from an article that was processed by said second folding apparatus, said third folding apparatus forming a third article from said folded article by making a fold in said folded article in a direction parallel to said second direction, said third folding apparatus comprising:
- a first folding roller;
- a second folding roller disposed adjacent said first folding roller, said first and second folding rollers having a nip therebetween, said first and second folding rollers causing said fold in said folded article to be made when said folded article passes between said first and second folding rollers;
- and
- a movable member that makes contact with a portion of said folded article to force said portion of said folded article towards said nip between said first and second folding rollers;
- an adhesive applicator that applies adhesive to a portion of said third article;
- and
- a fourth folding apparatus operatively coupled to receive said third article, said fourth folding apparatus forming a closed informational item from said third article by making a final fold parallel to said second direction, said final fold being made so that said adhesive holds said informational item in a substantially closed position so that said informational item has no exposed unfolded exterior edges that lie in a direction parallel to said final fold, said fourth folding apparatus comprising:
- a first folding roller;
- a second folding roller disposed adjacent said first folding roller of said fourth folding apparatus, said first and second folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus having a nip therebetween, said first and second folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus causing said final fold to be made when said third article passes between said first and second folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus;
- and
- a movable member that makes contact with a portion of said third article to force said portion of said third article towards said nip between said first and second folding rollers of said fourth folding apparatus;
- and
- a pressing apparatus that is capable of applying a pressure of at least about 30 psi and no greater than about 500 psi to one of said articles, said pressing apparatus comprising:
- a pressing apparatus support structure;
- a first pressure roller rotatably supported by said pressing apparatus support structure;
- a second pressure roller rotatably supported by said pressing apparatus support structure, said second pressure roller being disposed adjacent said first pressure roller so that a nip is formed between said first and second pressure rollers;
- and
- an entry conveyor that is capable of conveying said one article to said nip between said first and second pressure rollers, said entry conveyor having an end that is disposed at an elevation that is substantially the same as an exit elevation of an upstream article processing apparatus so that said pressing apparatus can be positioned adjacent said upstream article processing apparatus with said end of said entry conveyor positioned to receive an article from said upstream article processing apparatus.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.