Rotary folding mechanism drive means

Claim 1

IN A FOLDING MECHANISM COMPRISING A FOLDING CYLINDER BODY, AN ECCENTRIC FOLDING BLADE CARRIER ROTATABLE THEREWITH, FOLDING BLADES HAVING SHAFTS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN THE CARRIER, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE CARRIER AND CYLINDER BODY IN TIMED RELATION AND AT EQUAL ANGULAR SPEEDS, A ROTATABLE SUN GEAR CONCENTRIC WITH THE CARRIER AND PLANET GEARING CARRIED BY THE CARRIER FOR DRIVING THE FOLDING BLADE SHAFTS FROM THE SUN GEAR, MEANS FOR HOLDING THE SUN GEAR STATIONARY FOR STRAIGHT RUN OPERATION OF THE MECHANISM AND MEANS FOR ROTATING THE SUN GEAR FOR A COLLECT RUN OPERATION, THE LAST SAID MEANS COMPRISING A UNI-DIRECTIONAL INDEXING DRIVE HAVING A PERIODICALLY VARYING SPEED IN TIMED RELATION TO THE CYLINDER AND CARRIER, THE CYCLE OF THE SAID SPEED VARIATION BEING ONE-THIRD OF TWO COMPLETE ROTATIONS OF THE CYLINDER AND CARRIER, THE SAID INDEXING DRIVE HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL DWELL TIMED TO A ROTATIONAL POSITION OF THE CARRIER WHERE A FOLDING BLADE SHAFT IS IN A STRAIGHT RUN FOLDING POSITION, WHEREBY A FOLDING BLADE OPERATIVE FOLDING MOVEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY LIKE THE STRAIGHT RUN MOVEMENT IS OBTAINED, BUT TAKES PLACE ONLY DURING ALTERNATE ROTATIONS OF THE CYLINDER AND CARRIER.