Folding machines

Claim 2

A machine for folding the cover of a magazine or the like and feeding the cover to a conveyor located therebeneath, comprising: a supply hopper for supplying sheets constituting the covers to be folded, an opposed pair of rotatable discs presenting a bight between which is fed the sheet to be folded; one of said discs having an unyieldable annulus and the other of said discs having a yieldable annulus opposed thereto whereby the two annuli impart a score line to a sheet fed therebetween; means to feed the sheets one by one to said bight; opposed flights of folder elements beneath the discs for progressively folding the sheet on the score line to form a folded sheet having a backbone; means to invert the scored sheet and deliver it to said opposed flights; and means to crease the backbone along its length to impart a finish fold and to feed the folded sheet to said conveyor.

Claim 3

A folding machine according to claim 1 wherein one of said discs is supported on an adjustable axis to vary the depth of the score line.

Claim 4

A folding machine according to claim 1 wherein one of said discs comprises a pair of separable members enabling either annulus to be housed therebetween.

Claim 5

A folding machine according to claim 1 wherein one of said discs is supported on an adjustable axis to vary the depth of the score line, and wherein one of said discs comprises a pair of separable members enabling either annulus to be housed therebetween.

Claim 6

A folding machine according to claim 1 wherein the means to crease the backbone and feed the folded sheet to the conveyor comprises a pair of opposed squeeze rollers presenting a bight between which is fed the backbone of the folded sheet, one of said rollers being supported on an adjustable axis to vary the squeeze intensity.

Claim 7

A folding machine according to claim 5 wherein one of said discs is supported on an adjustable axis to vary the depth of the score line.

Claim 8

A folding machine according to claim 5 wherein one of said discs comprises a pair of separable members enabling either annulus to be housed therebetween.

Claim 9

A folding machine according to claim 5 wherein one of said discs is supported on an adjustable axis to vary the depth of the score line, one of said discs comprising a pair of separable members enabling either annulus to be housed therebetween.

Claim 10

A folding machine according to claim 1 wherein the means to crease the backbone comprises a pair of opposed squeeze rollers presenting a bight between which is fed the backbone of the folded sheet, one of said rollers being supported on an adjustable axis to vary the squeeze intensity, said opposed flights comprising an opposed pair of spaced folder belts of endless form presenting complemental male and female members for bending the sheet on the score line, said folder belts delivering the sheet to said squeeze rollers and being convergent toward said squeeze rollers gradually to shape the backbone, means to vary the separation between the folder belts, said squeeze rollers being supported for rotation in a carriage, said carriage being adjustable to enable the squeeze rollers to be centered with respect to the delivery of the folder belts, and the means for inverting the scored sheet and delivering it to the folder belts comprising opposed feed wheels and tapes interposed between the discs and the folder belts.

Claim 11

A folding machine according to claim 9 wherein one of said discs is supported on an adjustable axis to vary the depth of the score line.

Claim 12

A folding machine according to claim 10 wherein one of said discs comprises a pair of separable members enabling either annulus to be housed therebetween.

Claim 13

A folding machine according to claim 9 wherein one of said discs is supported on an adjustable axis to vary the depth of the score line, one of said discs comprising a pair of separable members enabling either annulus to be housed therebetween.

Claim 14

In a machine for folding a sheet constituting the cover of a magazine or the like and for feeding the folded sheet onto a conveyor: an opposed pair of rotatable discs above the conveyor presenting opposed surfaces to impart a score line to the sheet and defining a bight between which is fed the sheet to be folded; means to invert the scored sheet and deliver it for folding; opposed members for receiving the so-delivered sheet and gradually and continuously folding the sheet along the score line to form a backbone; a pair of creasing rollers to which the folded sheet having the backbone is delivered, and said creasing rollers imparting a finish fold and delivering the creased cover to the conveyor.

Claim 15

In a machine for folding a sheet constituting the cover of a magazine or the like and for feeding the folded sheet onto a conveyor: an opposed pair of rotatable discs above the conveyor presenting opposed surfaces to impart a score line to the sheet and defining a bight between which is fed the sheet to be folded; means to invert the scored sheet and deliver it for folding; opposed members for receiving the so-delivered sheet and gradually and continuously folding the sheet along the score line to form a backbone; a pair of creasing rollers to which the folded sheet having the backbone is delivered, and said creasing rollers imparting a finish fold and delivering the creased cover to the conveyor.

Claim 16

A machine according to claim 13 in which the opposed members have interfitting V-shaped elements for making the fold and being separated to afford a bight into which the scored sheet is delivered, both of said opposed members being adjustable to vary both the attitude thereof and the spacing therebetween, and said creasing rollers being supported for vertical adjustment in unison to have the bight thereof aligned with the bight of the opposed members.

Claim 17

A machine according to claim 14 in which the conveyor is a saddle conveyor.