US1404636A - Machine for folding napkins, towels, and the like - Google Patents

Description

L. F. MUSTEE.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING NAPKINS, TOWELSI AND THE LIKE. APPLICMHON FILED 050.22. 1919.

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$2M Mme L. F. MUSTEE. MACHINE FOR FOLDING NA PKINS, TOWELS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22,19I9- 1,404,636. a t d an- 24, 1922.

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amewtoz 5&15 1 1 L. FMusZee UNITED STATES LAWRENCE F. MUSTEE, OF CLEVELAND,

OHIO, ASSIG-NGR TO JOSEPH H. MILLER.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING NAPKINS, TOWELS, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Application filed December 2 To 071 0. 54 m it may concern Be it known that T, LAJJRENCE F. Musician, a citizen of the l nited States, residing at Cleveland. in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Folding Napkins, Towels, and the like, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to machines for folding table-napkins. towels and other materials, and has for its principal object to provide an eflicient automatic machine, which is positive and quick in operation.

Another objectof the invention is to provide a folding machine, which is readily adjusted so that it may be set to fold articles of various sizes.

With the above and other objects in view as will be readily understood. the invention will be hereinafter fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the machine, and the novel features thereof will be distinctly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the several views of the drawings similar characters of reference are used to designate corresponding parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a folding machine constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine, taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the machine, looking at the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 1, i

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the 'machine, taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.

the operating shaft for turning over the folded towels, and

Figs. 15 and 16 are views of the co-operating parts on said shaft.

Referring to the drawings, the frame consists of a pair of suitable sides 1 and 2, which are connected by end tie- plates 3, 4 and 5, and a lower central tie-plate 6. A plate 7 forming a top is fixed to said frame, and extends from one end thereof for a Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

Serial No. 346,742.

short distance beyond its center. which is provided with a transverse slot 8. Supported between the sides 1 and 2 of the frame is a suitable conveyor 9 consisting of continuous belts 10 passing over rollers 11 and 12, which are carried by side pieces 13 and 14 connected by transverse pieces 15. Said conveyor supported as shown at 16 or in any suitable manner. Rotatably mounted in upright brackets 17 and 18 of the frame is the driving shaft 19. which is rotated any suitable means to operate the machine. A belt 20 passes around a pulley fixed to the driving shaft 19 and also around a pulley 22 fastened to the extending shaft 23 of the 'roller 12 for drivin said conveyor.

in folding a table-napkin, towel or other articles, the same as indicated by 24, is carried upon the conveyor toward the center of the machine, and its forward end is picked up by a transversely extending suction head 25. which travels longitudinally over the top plate 7 so as to draw said artiole to a central position over the transveise slot 8. The suction head 25 is supported by end plates 26 and 27, carried by roller wheels 28, which travel in longitudinal slots 29 and 30 in the sides 1 and 2 respectively of the frame. Pins 31 and 32 project laterally from the end plates 26 and 27 respecti.ely, and these pins are engaged by the bifurcated ends 33 and 34. forming a part of lever arms and 36, which are pivoted at 37 and 38 respectively to the sides of the frame. of the lever arms and 36, and as a consequence the travel of the suction head 25, said lever arms have slotted heads designated by 39. and the bifurcated ends 33 and 34- may be fixed thereto in various positions by means of a bolt 40. The lever arms 35 and 36 are rocked upon their pivots 37 and 38 by means of an eccentric 41, which is fixed to the driving shaft 19. Said eccentric actuates a connecting rod 42, which is pivoted to an arm 43 fixed to a rock shaft 44 supported in the sides of the frame, and to the projecting ends of said rock shaft are secured arms 45 and 46, which are connected by links 47 and 48 to said lever arms. The suction head 25 consists of a tube 49 havingclosed ends, and a fiat open side 50 across which are spaced bars 51. Branch tubes 52 and 53 extend from the tube 49 of e s t n h ad 2 t9 n pp to To allow for changing the throw which is connected a flexible pipe 55 leading to a suitable valve 56, which is adapted to control suction to said suction head. Said valve is connected with any suitable suction means as 57 by a pipe 58. For operating the valve 56, so that the suction will act to draw a towel to the suction head 25 or cut off the suction to release the same,

a rod 59 is pivoted at 60 to the valve and carries adjustable stops 61 and 62, which are adapted to be engaged by a block 63 fixed to the end plate 27 and slidably mounted upon said rod between said stops.

A-tthe same time that the suction head 25 is drawing the towel 24 in central position over the transverse slot 8, a similar suction head 64 is moving upwardly between a pair of guide plates 65 and 66 arranged at each side of said slot. The suction head 64 is slidably mounted at 67 and 68 upon vertical guide bars 69 and 70 fixed to the sides of the frame. This suction head is actuated from the rock shaft 44 by an arm 71 fastened thereto and pivoted at 72 to a vertical connecting rod 73 having its upper end pivoted to a lever bar 74, which is pivot-ally sup ported at one end by a shaft 75, carried by brackets 76 and 77 of the frame, while its other end is pivotally connected at 7 8 to said suction head. The guide plate 66 is provided with a vertical slot 79 to allow for movement ofthe lever bar 74. Branch pipes 80 and 81 extend from the suction head 64 to a central tube 82, which is slidably mounted in a fixed pipe 83' supported by the tie-plate 6 of the frame. At the lower end of the pipe 83 is a suitable valve 85 for controlling suction to the suction head 64 so that it will draw a towel folded once downwardly between the guide plates and 66 and release the same at the proper time. The valve 85 is connected by a pipe 86 to the suction means 57. For

operating the valve 85, a vertical rod 87 is pivoted thereto at 88, and a block 89 fastened to the tube 82 and in which the rod is slidably mounted, is adapted to engage adjustable stops 90 and 91 carried by said rod.

, When a towel is being drawn downwardly by the suction head 64 a similar suction head 92, which is arranged vertically, is moved inwardly toward the guide plate 65 between a pair of guide plates 93 and 94. The guide plate 65 is provided with a central vertical opening 95 to permit the drawing of a towel therethrough by the suction head 92. Said suction head is slidably supported at 96 and 97 upon guide rods 98 and 99, which are fixed at one end to the tie plates 3 and 4 respectively andtheir other ends are fastened to the uide plate 65. For actuating the suction head 92, a lever bar 100 is pivoted at 101 to .an arm 102 extending therefrom, and

its lower end is fixed to a rock-shaft 103 supported by brackets 104 and 105 of the frame. A lever arm 106 1s fixed to the rock-shaft 103,

and pivoted thereto at 107 is a reciprocating bar 108, which is provided with a head consisting of a pair of sides 109 and 110, bifurcated horizontally at 111 for receiving the driving shaft 19. A suitable cam 112 fixed to the driving shaft 19 between the sides 109 and 110 is adapted to engage the face 113 of the reciprocating bar 108, and thus move the suction head 92 inwardly. After the earn 112 has forced said suction head up to the guide plate 65, it moves beyond the face 118 and thus allows a spring 114, which is attached to the reciprocating bar 108 and the driving shaft 19, to force the reciprocating bar in the other direction and thereby withdraw the suction head 92. From the suction head 92 extends a tube'115 having a suitable valve 116 at its outer end for controlling the suction thereto, and said valve is connected by a flexible pipe 117 to the suction means 57. For operating the valve 116, so that the suction will act at the moment the suction head 92 is up against the guide plate 65 to draw a towel through the opening 95 and between the guide plates 93 and 94, and release the same when the suction head is at its outer position,

a bar 118 is supported at 119, and is provided withinturned ends 120 and 121, which are adapted to be engaged by the lever 122 of said valve as the suction head travels back and forth.

Themoment the suction head 92 releases the towel, which is now folded from end to end and from side to side, the latter slides down upon an inclined plate 123, having spaced arms 124 and 1.25, which are fixed to an operating shaft 126. Between said aims is a shelf 127 supported from the frame by brackets 128 and 129, and having depending bearings indicated by 130, in which one end of the shaft 126 is supported. The other end of said shaft is rotatably mounted in a bearing bracket 131 carried by a cross piece 132 of the frame, and fixed thereto is a disc'133. The plate 123 is turned in one direction by the shaft 126, to throw a towel upon the shelf 127 and then turned back to its original p0 sition for receiving another towel, by means of a pair of pins 184 and 185, which project from a sleeve 136 fixed to the driving shaft 19, engaging respectively suitably cams 187 and 138 projecting from the face of said disc.

In operation. a table-napkin, towel or other materials to be folded, as indicated by 24, is carried by the conveyor 9 until its forward end is under the tube 49 of the suction head 25. The valve 56 is open to cause said suction head to pick up the forward end of the towel and as the lever arms 35 and 86 are oscillated by theeccentric 41 of the driving shaft 19, they move the suction head, and this draws the towel longitudinally upon the top 7 of the frame until its center is over the transverse slot 8. At this moment, the block .68 carried by the plate 27 engages'the stop iiov 62 and closes the valve 56, which shuts oil the suction to the suction head 25, and causes it to release the towel. this time, the suction head 6%. which actuated by the eccentric i1 of the driving shaft. has moved up to the towel lying upon the top of the frame; and the block 89 carried by said suction head, by engaging the stop 91, has opened the valve to admit suction to said suction head for acting upon the towel. As said suction head moves downwardly, it draws the towel at its center through the transverse opening 8 and between the guide plates 65 and 66, thereby folding it from end to end. hen the suction head reaches its lowest position. suction is cut oil there-- from and the towel released by the block 89 having engaged the stop 90 and closed the valve 85. At the time the towel is released by the suction head 64, the cam 112 has forced the suction head 92 inwardly up to the guide plate 65, and the valve 11% has been opened by its stem 122 engaging the inturned end 120 of the bar 118 to cause the suction to act upon the towel. At this moment, said cam moves beyond the face 118, and this permits the spring lid to reciprocate the bar 108 in the opposite direction, thus moving said suction head outwardly and drawing the towel at its center through the vertical slot 95 of the guide plate 65 and between the guide plates 93 and 9%, thereby folding it from side to side. As the suction head 92 reaches the outward limit of its movement, the stem 122 of the valve 114 engages the int-urned end 121 of the bar 108 and closes said valve, thus cutting oii the suction and releasing the towel. Upon being released, the folded towel falls upon the inclined plate 123, which is thrown forward by the turning of the operating rod 126, by the pin 13% ot the driving shaft- 19 engaging the cam 137, to throw the towel upon the shelf 12?. Said plate is thrown back to its original inclined position by the pin 135 of the driving shaft engaging the cam 138.

Although the machine constructed as illustrated and described is capable 01" tolding table-napkins, towels and other materials, it will be understood that the details of construction may be changed within the scope of the claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, tie table top being provided with a slot, and suction means for drawing a piece of flexible material through said slot to fold said material, substantially as described.

2. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, and means for exerting suction pressure upon a piece of flexible material intermediate a pair of its opposite edges for drawing said material. through said slot to fold the material, substantially as described.

In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, and suction means for acting upon the surface of a piece of flexible material to draw it throu said slot for folding it, substantially oescribed.

4. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, means for positioning a piece oi: flexible material over said slot, and suction means for drawing said material through said slot to fold the material, substantially as described.

5. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, means for drawing a piece 01": flexible material through said slot to fold the material, plate arranged at a right angle to said table top, the plate having a slot, and suction means for drawing the folded material through the slot in said plate to fold said folded material, substantially as described.

6. In a'folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, a suction head for acting upon a piece of flexible material lying over said slot to draw it therethrough for folding it, means for moving the suction head to and from said slot, and means for controlling the suction to said suction head, substantially as described.

7. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, a suction head for acting upon a piece of flexible material lying over said slot to draw it therethrough for folding it, means for moving the suction head to and from said slot, means for admitting the suction to said suction head when it approaches said slot, and means for cutting off the suction when the suction head is at the other position of its travel, substantially as described.

S. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, a suction head for acting upon a piece of flexible material lying over said slot to draw it therethrough for folding it. a plate arranged at a right angle to said table top, the plate having a slot, a suction head for acting upon said folded material for drawing the same through the slot in said plate to fold it, means for moving said suction heads to and from said slot-s, means for admitting suction to said suction heads when at said slots, and means tor cutting oft the suction when the suction heads reach their other positions, substantially as described.

9. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, means for drawing a piece of flexible material upon the table top and over said slot, a suction head for drawing the material through said slot to fold the material, a plate arranged at a right angle to said table top, the plate having a slot, a suction head for acting upon said folded material for drawing the same through the slot in said plate to fold it, means for moving sa1d suction heads to and from said slots, means for admitting suction to said suction heads when at said slots, and means for cutting off the suction when the suction heads reach their other positions, substantially as described.

10. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a s ot, a suction head for drawing a piece of flexible material upon the table top and over said slot, a suction head for drawing said material throughsaid slot to fold the material, a plate arranged at a right angle to said table top, the plate having a s ot, a suction head for acting upon said folded material for drawing the same through the slot in said plate to fold it, means for reciprocating said suction heads,

means for admitting suction to said suction heads to act upon said material, and means for cutting off the suction to release said material, substantially as described. 7

11. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, a suction head for drawing a piece of flexible materialupon the table top and over said slot, means for actuating the suction head, means for changing the distance of travel of the suction head relative to said slot, and means for drawing said material through said slot to fold the material, substantially as described.

12. In a folding machine, the combination of a frame, the frame having spaced guiding means, and suction means for drawing a piece of flexible material at apoint intermediate of its opposite edges through said guiding means to fold the material, substantially as described.

13. v In a folding machine, the combination ofa table top, the table top having a slot, a suction head, the suction head being arranged to travel adjacent the table top, lever arms for moving the suction head, means for actuating the lever arms, means for admitting suction to said suction head to cause it to draw a piece of flexible material over said slot and for cutting off the suction thereto to release said material, and means for draw- 7 ing said material through said slot to fold the material, substantially as described.

14:. In a folding machine, the combination of a tabletop, the table top being provided with a slot, means for drawing a piece of flexible material upon the table top and over said slot, a suction head, the, suction head being slidably mounted, means for moving the suction head to and from said slot, means for admitting suction to said suction ll61 to cause it to draw a piece of flexible material through said slot to fold the material, and means for cutting off the suction to release the material, substantially as described.

15. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, means for drawing a piece of flexible material upon the table top and over said slot, means for drawing said material through said slot to fold the material, a plate arranged at a right angle to said table top, the plate having a slot, a suction head, the suction head being slidably mounted, means for moving the suction head to and from said slot in the plate, means for admitting suction to said suction head to cause it to draw said folded material through said slot in the plate to fold the material, and means for cutting off the suction to release the material, substantially as described. 7

16. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, a guide plate at each side of the slot, one of said guide plates being provided with a slot, 2. guide plate at each side of the slot in said guide plate, suction means for drawing a piece of flexible material over said slot in the table top, suction means for drawing said material through said slot in the table top and between said guide plates at each side thereof to fold the material, and suction means for drawing said folded material through the slot in said. guide plate and between the guide plates'at each side thereof to fold said folded material, substan tially as described.

17. In a folding machine, the combination of a table top, the table top being provided with a slot, a guide plate at each sideof the slot, one of said guide plates being provided with a slot, a guide plate at each side of the slot in said guide plate, suction means for drawing a piece of flexible material over said slot in the table top, suction means for drawing said material through said slot in the table top and between said guide plates at each side thereof to fold the material, means for drawing said folded material through the slot in said guide plate and between the guide plates at each side thereof to fold said LAWRENCE r. MUSTEE.

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