Paper folding apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for longitudinally folding a paper web moving longitudinally comprising; a folding device having entrance and exit ends and an elongated flat central portion lying along the path of the moving web, said device having transversely spaced-apart elongated channels, said channels having entrance channel portions disposed on opposite sides of the central portion and opening toward one another at said entrance end, said channels being longitudinally twisted approximately 180° along their length and folded over toward one another to overlie said central portion so that said channels open in opposite directions away from one another at said exit end and overlie said central portion to form exit channel portions which open toward one another at said exit end, said exit channel portions communicating with open portions of the twisted channels at the exit end so that the cross-sectional shape of the folding device at said exit end is generally like that of two U's positioned with their openings facing one another.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said folding device is formed in two longitudinal parts and including adjustment means for transversely adjusting said parts for properly aligning same with the web of paper.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 including guide means adjacent said entrance end between said entrance channels for guiding a paper web along said central portion from said entrance channels to the general area where said entrance channels are twisted and folded over.

Claim 5

Apparatus for folding a flat paper web to form binders for use in binding the edge of a stack of blueprints or the like, the binders being generally U-shaped and having double thickness leg portions, comprising: folding means for longitudinally folding a flat paper web to the shape of the binders as the paper web moves longitudinally through said folding means, image forming means for imparting a visual image to said paper web prior to passage of same through said folding means, a paper web supply roll positioned adjacent said image forming means on the same side thereof as said folding means and below said folding means, said paper web passing in a first direction from said supply roll to said image forming means and in an opposite second direction from said image forming means to said folding means, said paper web passing below and over said image forming means in passing from said supply roll to said folding means, and said paper web passing from said folding means in said first direction over the top of said image forming means to a takeup roll positioned generally below said supply roll, and wherein said folding means comprises a folding device having entrance and exit ends and an elongated flat central portion lying along the path of the moving web, said device having transversely spaced-apart elongated channels, said channels having entrance channel portions disposed on opposite sides of the central portion and opening toward one another at said entrance end, said channels being longitudinally twisted approximately 180° along their length and folded over toward one another to overlie said central portion so that said channels open in opposite directions away from one another at said exit end and overlie said central portion to form exit channel portions which open toward one another at said exit end, said exit channel portions communicating with open portions of the twisted channels at the exit end so that the cross-sectional shape of the folding device at said exit end is generally like that of two U's positioned with their openings facing one another.

Claim 6

Apparatus for folding a flat paper web to form binders for use in binding the edge of a stack of blueprints or the like, the binders being generally U-shaped and having double thickness leg portions, comprising: folding means for longitudinally folding a flat paper web to the shape of the binders as the paper web moves longitudinally through said folding means, image forming means for imparting a visual image to said paper web prior to passage of same through said folding means, a paper web supply roll positioned adjacent said image forming means on the same side thereof as said folding means and below said folding means, said paper web passing in a first direction from said supply roll to said image forming means and in an opposite second direction from said image forming means to said folding means, said paper web passing below and over said image forming means in passing from said supply roll to said folding means, and said paper web passing from said folding means in said first direction over the top of said image forming means to a takeup roll positioned generally below said supply roll, and wherein said folding means comprises a folding device having entrance and exit ends and an elongated flat central portion lying along the path of the moving web, said device having transversely spaced-apart elongated channels, said channels having entrance channel portions disposed on opposite sides of the central portion and opening toward one another at said entrance end, said channels being longitudinally twisted approximately 180° along their length and folded over toward one another to overlie said central portion so that said channels open in opposite directions away from one another at said exit end and overlie said central portion to form exit channel portions which open toward one another at said exit end, said exit channel portions communicating with open portions of the twisted channels at the exit end so that the cross-sectional shape of the folding device at said exit end is generally like that of two U's positioned with their openings facing one another.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said image forming means is part of a blueprint machine and said folding means is attached to said machine.

Claim 8

Apparatus for folding an elongated web of paper moving longitudinally comprising; first and second spaced folding devices through which a web of paper passes successively for imparting different longitudinal folds thereto, said first folding device having entrance and exit ends, said exit end having a width approximately one-half the width of said entrance end, said first folding device including a pair of spaced elongated channels having longitudinal openings positioned in facing opposed relationship at said entrance end and being positioned facing outwardly in opposite directions at said exit end, and said channels between said entrance and exit ends being twisted approximately 180° and transversely displaced, said second folding device being spaced after said first folding device to fold said web further.

Claim 9

Apparatus for folding an elongated web of paper moving longitudinally comprising; first and second spaced folding devices through which a web of paper passes successively for imparting different longitudinal folds thereto, said first folding device having entrance and exit ends, said exit end having a width approximately one-half the width of said entrance end, said first folding device including a pair of spaced elongated channels having longitudinal openings positioned in facing opposed relationship at said entrance end and being positioned facing outwardly in opposite directions at said exit end, and said channels between said entrance and exit ends being twisted approximately 180° and transversely displaced, said second folding device being spaced after said first folding device to fold said web further.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first folding device is positioned for longitudinal movement of a paper web therethrough in one direction and said second folding device is positioned for longitudinal movement of the paper web therethrough in an opposite direction.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 6 including guide means positioned between said channels adjacent said entrance end for guiding the web of paper through said channels.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 6 including adjustment means for transversely adjusting said channels for aligning same with the paper web.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said second folding device has second entrance and second exit ends and includes a pair of elongated second channels having second longitudinal openings positioned in facing opposed relationship at said second entrance end, one of said second channels from said second entrance end toward said second exit end being twisted 180° and transversely displaced in alignment with the other said second channel for positioning said second longitudinal openings in side-by-side relationship facing in the same direction at said second exit end.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 6 including image forming means for imparting a predetermined image to a paper web prior to passage thereof through said first folding device.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first folding device imparts a pair of transversely-spaced longitudinal folds to a paper web passing therethrough with such folds being positioned to locate the opposite longitudinal edges of the paper web facing one another at approximately the transverse midpoint of the paper web, and said second folding device imparts one longitudinal fold to the paper web at approximately the transverse midpoint thereof.