Abstract: In a folding device for flexible sheet material, a plurality of longitudinally in-line sheet contactor members (1a-23a), called contactors, are provided, each of which are controllably pivotally movable about a pivot axis (113) so as to collectively pivot a sheet (102) about its score line (110). The contactors are controlled so that they have a successive undulating wave action and are formed in sets including a sheet infeed set (121) and a sheet discharge set (123), with an intermediate set (122) disposed therebetween. All of the contactors in the various sets are arranged to have a fixed "at rest" position from which they move. Under the influence of a control device (1b-23b), the contactors individually and pivotally move through varying angles from their respective at rest positions to contact and fold the sheet. The incremental angular displacement of each contactor is such that the leading edge of a sheet progressing from one contactor station to the next downstream station will not be distorted.

Abstract: A control system is established wherein, when there is a flow of continuous web material (2), an identification phase is provided by increasing the torque signal to a pull roll motor (13) until slippage between the pull roll (12) and continuous web is created at a breakaway torque point, the value of which is measurable. The pull roll motor is then caused to be driven by a signal which creates a motor torque output which is of a value less than the breakaway torque point. Thus, no slippage can occur. As the motor is driven at the lower torque value, a calibration phase is entered wherein an encoder output of the pull roll is properly equated with that of a measuring wheel (9), this phase occuring at a time when there can be no slip between the web-roll interface. The identification-calibration process can be repeated as often as desired.

Abstract: A vacuum shingler for a plurality of sheets (9) traveling in succession through an upstream infeed nip (13) is provided with a vacuum modulating control which applies sheet slow-down forces primarily to only the tail ends of the sheets. In one embodiment, the control provides a substantially "on-off" vacuum operation, with the vacuum "off" when the leading end portion of the sheet is adjacent the vacuum plenum opening(s) (39), and with the vacuum "on" when the tail end portion of the sheet is adjacent the opening(s). In another embodiment, the control modulates the vacuum so that it is at a basically unshingling low or reduced level when the leading end portion of the sheet is adjacent the opening(s), and is at a substantially increased high level when the tail end portion of the sheet is adjacent the opening(s) so that basic shingling occurs.

Abstract: A machine frame mounts a pair of upper and lower girder-like box beams (10,11) of heavy construction. A plurality of upstream upper scoring assemblies (28) and a plurality of downstream upper slitting assemblies (30) are mounted on the upper box beam. The lower box beam (11) also supports a plurality of upstream lower scoring assemblies (29) and a plurality of downstream lower slitting assemblies (31). The assemblies include rotatably driven slitting or scoring blades (32, 33). The box beams extend transversely of a traveling web (2). The assemblies include a motor (50) connected to be driven along its beam, and an encoder (52), with all of the motors and encoders being electrically connected to a programmable computer (54). The computer may be pre-programmed with the position and spacing of all of the assemblies, so that upon the provision of a single input signal all of the motors simultaneously drive all of the assemblies to their desired position.

Abstract: A conveyor system wherein sheets (10) are conveyed from a cutter (9) or the like at a given speed, are increased in speed before passing through a vacuum conveyor shingling section (5), are slowed down at the shingling section and then normally proceed at the slowed-down speed to a stacker (8) which is adapted to stack a fixed number of sheets before discharging a stack. The sheets are basically handled in accordance with the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,276. To prevent scattering of the sheets during shingling due to high input conveyor speeds and the like, the vacuum conveyor shingling section (5) includes a second (or pre-shingling) conveyor (38) upstream of the original shingling conveyor (15). The pre-shingling conveyor operates at a relatively high rate of speed while the original shingling conveyor operates at a relatively low rate of speed (which nevertheless may be as high as the device of the patent) relative to the sheet input speed.

Abstract: A device for cutting successive sheets from a traveling web includes a pair of thin-walled knife-carrying cutting cylinders concentrically mounted over fixed supporting shafts. To prevent ringing of the shafts at high cutting frequencies, due to resonant frequency interference, each support shaft is formed by a body having an inperforate cylindrical wall. The cylindrical wall of the support shaft is closed at both ends to form an uninterrupted cylindrical cavity extending from end to end of the cylindrical wall. Furthermore, and to prevent poor cuts due to changes in the alignment of the cutting knives, the amplitude of vibrations occurring at the time of each cut is reduced. The cavity of the support shaft is filled with a flowable vibration damping material which is not firmly affixed to the cavity walls and thus forms no significant part of the mass of the support shaft.

Abstract: An anti-skew device is positioned between a stacker input nip and stacker in a shingled sheet conveying apparatus. A plurality of fingers are mounted along a transverse mounting element disposed between the nip and the stacker. The fingers are designed to normally hang downwardly, but some of them are raised upwardly as they are engaged by a sheet passing therebeneath, and rest on top of the moving shingled sheets. The transverse mounting element is longer than the width of the sheets and some of the fingers disposed outwardly of the sheets continue to hang down and provide an alignment guide to hold the longitudinal sheet edges against shifting or skewing. The downwardly hanging outer fingers are disposed adjacent the side edges of the formed stack to hold the upper sheets therein in alignment.

Abstract: A floating feed device is adapted to be engaged by the top sheet in a rising stack and to feed the sheet downstream. The mount for the feed device is articulated, and the device includes a vacuum chamber and horizontal drive rollers. A narrow slot is formed between a guide roller of the feed device and a gate which is disposed in the plane of a stack back-up plate and which is vertically movable in said plane. A control is provided to maintain the same slot width, no matter what the articulated position of said guide roller, by automatically adjusting the gate vertically with the guide roller. The feed device is caused to articulate about its mount upon engagement by a rising stack, and such articulation causes a resultant change in the speed of the stack lift drive.

Abstract: A splicer for use with machines which receive and handle a web of paper or other suitable material supplied in a continuous length. The paper is supplied from a pair of rolls and when one roll is exhausted, the other one is substituted. A movable splicer assembly is disposed adjacent a paper supply roll and which includes an idler roll, a paper stop device, a severing device and a splice sealing roll. When the assembly is disposed adjacent the nearly exhausted paper roll, the stop device is actuated to hold the outgoing web from moving, regardless of the existence or adequacy of a roll brake. When the assembly is disposed adjacent the spent roll, the stop device positively holds the paper for lead-edge cutting and trimming during set-up and to keep the paper in place until the splice is made. The splice sealing roll has provisions to guide a cutting tool for said lead-edge forming of the fresh web, and also for optimally locating the lead edge.

Abstract: A conveyor system wherein sheets are conveyed from a cutter or the like at a given speed, are increased in speed before passing through a diverter, are slowed down after passing through a shingling nip to thereby overlap them, and then normally proceed at the latter speed to a stacker which is adapted to stack a fixed number of sheets before discharging the stack. A sheet sensor is disposed upstream of the diverter to count the number of sheets and, when the requisite number of sheets have passed, triggers the cycle for ultimate discharge of all downstream sheets in a single stack. The first phase of the discharge cycle includes speeding up of the conveyor line downstream of the shingling nip to move the downstream sheets away from those upstream which will be disposed in the next succeeding stack.

Abstract: An elongated transverse paper preparation head is provided which has multiple sides. One side is exposed to the operator and the other two back sides form, with suitable guide members, a guide path for threading alternate leading edges of fresh web to the splicing nip area. A spring bar holds the fresh web to an idler roll upstream of the nip. The fresh web end section is laid across the exposed head side to which a vacuum is applied, and a double faced adhesive tape is applied along the edge portion's exposed face. The edge is then cut off via a knife slot. The fresh web end section is peeled from the exposed vacuumized side of the head and is manually fed along the guide path. Positive air pressure is applied between the said head back side and the web to cause the web and the adhesive portion to be forced away from the head to eliminate interference therebetween. The splicer nip roll axes are disposed in a common plane which has a bridging portion at the nip.

Abstract: A splicer for use with machines which receive and handle a web of paper or other suitable material supplied in a continuous length. The paper is supplied from a pair of rolls and when one roll is exhausted, the other one is substituted. A movable splicer assembly is disposed adjacent a paper supply roll and which includes an idler roll, a paper stop device, a severing device and a splice sealing roll. When the assembly is disposed adjacent the nearly exhausted paper roll, the stop device is actuated to hold the outgoing web from moving, regardless of the existence or adequacy of a roll brake. When the assembly is disposed adjacent the spent roll, the stop device positively holds the paper for lead-edge cutting and trimming during set-up and to keep the paper in place until the splice is made. The splice sealing roll has provisions to guide a cutting tool for said lead-edge forming of the fresh web, and also for optimally locating the lead edge.

Abstract: The edges of the upper portion of a stack of sheets are driven horizontally into the high friction periphery of a rotating roll which raises the edge portions from the stack in succession. The rotating roll is then pivoted about an external axis until it is supportingly disposed under the raised batch. A second roll or roller is then lowered onto the batch so that the raised edge portion is confined between it and the lower rotating roll. A nip is thereby formed and the entire batch of sheets is then driven therethrough for use downstream.