US2538671A - Cloth folding machine - Google Patents

Description

R. G. CROWE CLOTH FOLDING MACHINE Jan. 16, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

Filed Oct. 17, 1947 INVENTOR. RICHARD 6. (ROWE NM N ATTOR/VEVS Jan. 16, 1951 R. s. CROWE CLOTH FOLDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 17, 1947 I WWMflWY Jan. 16, 1951 R. e. CROWE CLOTH FOLDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed 061;. .l7, 1947 INVENTOR. RICH/MPO G CFOWL 7 ATTORIVITYS Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTH FOLDING MACHINE Richard G. Crowe, Normandy, Mo.

Application October'll, 1947, Serial No. 780,493 4 Claims. (01. 270-40) This invention relates to folding machines for cloth and the like, and more particularly to a machine for folding heavy goods, such as canvas or waterproofed' fabric, whereby the goods is prepared for cutting to required lengths.

A main object of the invention is to provide-a novel and improved machine for folding web material such as cloth to reduced width prior'to cutting the material to desired lengths, as required by subseduent operations, said machine being very simple in construction, easy to operate, and providing a'great saving in time and labor in the handling of the material.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved machine for handling heavy cloth, such as canvas or waterproofed fabric, as well as lighter textile material's, said machine foldin the cloth to a width convenient to handle .for cutting the cloth to a desired length, the machine being inexpensive to construct, readily adjustable to change the size of the folds, and reliable in operation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the iollow-ing description and claims, and from the accc'mpanying drawings, "wherein: V 1

Figure 1 is a sideei'evationai view of a machine for foldin web material to desired width constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machineof.

Figure 1 but showing no cloth in the slat por tion of the machine.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional view, enlarged in scale, taken on line 3- -3 of Fi ure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged "longitudinal detail cross-sectional "view taken on line '4-4 of Figure 2. I

Figure '5 is an enlarged vertical transverse detail view taken on line'5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is. a top plan view similar to Figure 2, but showing the cloth passing entirely through the machine, wherebyit is folded to reduced width.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line I -1- of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a transverse cross-sectional detail view taken on line 8--8 of Figure 2, showing the pleating bars of the machine in end elevation.

Referring to the drawings, "H designates a generally rectangular table having vertical supporting legs 12 at its'respec'tive corners. Journaled in bearing brackets is secured to the legs lT2-at one end of the table is a transverse shaft M on which is wound the roll of cloth l5 which is to be folded to reduced width prior to cutting. Secured to the table at said end are pairs of up standing brackets I6, l6, ll, ll, I8, 18, and l9, H), in which are journaled the respective transverse free rollers 20, 2|, 22 and 23, around which the cloth from roll I5 is threaded, the cloth passing under the forward roller 23 adjacent the table surface, as shown in Figure 1.

Secured to the table forwardly adjacent roller 23 is a transverse plate member 24 and projecting vertically upwardly from each end portion of said plate member is a post member 25. Secured to the top ends of the post members 25 is a transverse plate member 26. Secured to the table forwardly of plate member 2a is a transverse plate member 21 and projecting upwardly from each end portion of plate member 21 are vertical post ber 29.

Secured to the transverse bottom plate members 2t and 2! between the respective end posts of said plate members are longitudinally-extending vertical slats 30, uniformly spaced in a transverse direction and substantially greater in height than half the height of the end posts, but substantially less than the full height of said end posts. The top edges of the slats 30 are inclined downwardly and rearwardly at their rear ends, as shown at 3|.

Adjustably secured to the transverse top plate members 26 and 29 and depending therefrom are longitudinally-extending vertical slats 32 which are spaced so as to lie in longitudinal vertical planes midway between the planes of the bot tom slats 30. The height of the slats 32 is substantially the same as that of the slats 3d and the rear bottom edges of the slats 32 are inclined up-' wardly, as shown at 33.

The rear end portions of the slats 32 are adjustably fastened to plate member 25 by bolts 34 threaded through plate elements 534 secured to plate member 26. The bolts 34 are locked in adjusted positions by wing nuts 35 which are tightened on the bolts 34 so as to bear on the plate elements 34'. The forward end portions of slats 32 are adjustably fastened to plate member 2?; by longer bolts 3'! threaded through plate elements 37' secured to plate member 29. The bolts 3'! are locked in adjusted positions by wing nuts 38 which are tightened on the bolts 34 so as to bear on the plate elements 31'. As shown in Figure 4, the bolts 34' and 37 are adjusted to provide a certain amount of vertical play for the rear and forward 3 end portions of the slats 32 so that said slats are free to move vertically within predetermined limits during the operation of the machine.

Secured on the forward portion of the table I l is a transverse frame or yoke 58 in which are journaled a pair of vertical rollers 5!, 4i similar to conventional Wringer rollers, said rollers being maintained in squeezing engagement with each other in the same manner as the wringer rollers of a conventional washing machine. A conventional release lever 22 is provided on the wringer roller unit ,6, whereby the clamping pressure on the rollers 3!, 4i may be released and the rollers may be separated if desired. The rollers are coupled together for simultaneous rotation in opposite directions by gears 43, 43 carried on their shafts, and the shaft of one of the rollers carries a bevel gear 4 3 at its lower end. Said shaft depends through an opening 45 formed in the table top. Secured beneath the table top is a bearing bracket at in which is journaled a transverse shaft 4? carrying abevel gear 68 which meshes with bevel gear d4. Said shaft also carries a pulley ts which is coupled by a belt 53 to the shaft of a motor 5| mounted beneath the table.

The wringer rollers ii, ii are substantially symmetrically spaced with respect to the longitudinal vertical central plane of the table and the slat assemblies.

In operation, cloth from roll I5 is passed through the feed rollers 28, 2!, 22 and 23 in the manner illustrated in Figure l, and is received between the inclined rear edge portions 3i and 33' of the respective slats 3G and 32. The cloth is first pulled manually through the slats, whereby it is longitudinally pleated, and the pleated cloth is fed between the wringer rollers ix, ii. The wringer rollers grip the pleated cloth, and when the motor 5! is energized, provide the required tension to pull the cloth through the pleating slats and 32 without further attention on the part of the operator.

The folded cloth which leaves the wringer rollers ti, ii is fed to a cutting table, not shown, where is out to desired lengths, as required by subsequent operations.

The pleating action is obtained by the weight of the floating upper slats 32 acting on the cloth between adjacent stationary slats 353, as well as by the fact that the slats are each substantially greater than half the height of the respective supporting posts 28, 28 and 25, 25. The folds defined by the pleats are completed by the transverse compression exerted thereon by the wringer rollers ll, ii as the converged pleats are drawn through said rollers, as shown in Figure 6. The resultant folded cloth is thereby reduced to a width convenient to handle and to cut to desired length.

The height of the slats and the number of slats employed may be varied in accordance with the width of the material to be folded.

While a specific embodiment of a machine for folding cloth or other web material has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine for forming longitudinal folds in a web fed longitudinally therethrough, said machine comprising a horizontally elongated support, a folding unit on said support comprising a lower set of longitudinally arranged parallelly spaced slats secured to rise from said support, an upper set of longitudinally arranged parallelly spaced slats supported to depend with their lower edges between and below the upper edges of the slats of the lower set, substantial portions of the upper edges of the lower slats and of the lower edges of the upper slats being rearwardly tapered to the rearward ends of the slats, and a pair of opposed vertical pressing rollers positioned on said support in'forwardly spaced relation to said folding unit for pressing the folds formed between the upper and, lower slats of said folding unit as the unfolded web is fed forwardly through said folding unit and the folded portion of the web emerging forwardly from said unit is fed between said pressing rollers, means supporting said upper slats comprising transverse elements supported above said support and extending transversely across the opposite ends of said lower setof slats, and vertically adjustable elements on each ofsaid transverse elements secured to longitudinally spaced portions of said upper slats;

2. A machine for forming longitudinal folds in a web fed longitudinally therethrough, said machine comprising a horizontally elongated support, a folding unit on said support comprising alower set of longitudinally arranged parallelly spaced slats secured to rise from said support, an upper set of longitudinally arranged parallelly spacedslats supported to depend with from said unit-is fed between said pressing rollers, means supporting said upper slats comprising:

transverse elementssupported above said support and extending. transversely across the opp0- site endsof said lower .set of slats, and vertically adjustable elements on each of said transversei elements secured tolongit-udinally spaced portions of said upper: slats, said vertically adiust able elements being adjustable to vary the penetration of said upper slats.;into the spaces between related "pairs ofsai'd lower slats andthereby vary the width of folds formed in the web.

3. A machine .for forming-longitudinalfolds in a web fed longitudinally therethrough, said machine comprising *a horizontally elongated support, a folding unit on said support comprisin'g-a lower set of longitudinally arranged parallelly spacedsla-tsgsec-ured to rise from said support,-'an upper 'set -of--longitudinally arranged parallelly spaced slats supported to depend withtheir'lower edges between and below the upper edges of the slats of the lower set, substantial portions of the upper edges-of the lower slats and of the lower edges of the upper slats being rearwardly tapered to 'the rearward ends of the slats, and a pair of opposed vertical pressing rollers positioned on saidsupport in forwardly spaced relation to said-folding unit for pressing the folds formed between the upper and lower slats of said f ol idir1g.- unit asthe unfolded web- 5 V is fed forwardly through said folding unit an the folded portion of the web emerging forwardly from said unit is fed between said pressing rollers, means supporting said upper slats comprising transverse elements supported above said support and extending transversely across the opposite ends of said lower set of slats, and vertically adjustable elements on each of said transverse elements secured to longitudinally spaced portions of said upper slats, said vertically adjustable elements on each of said transverse elements being individually adjustable to vary the inclination of the lower edges of said upper slats relative to said support, and to vary the depth of penetration of the upper slats into the spaces between related pairs of said lower slats, whereby to vary the width of individual folds formed by passage of said web forwardly through said folding unit.

4. A machine for forming longitudinal folds in a web fed longitudinally therethrough, said 1 machine comprising a horizontally elongated support, a folding unit on said support comprising a lower set of longitudinally arranged parallelly spaced slats secured to rise from said support, an upper set of longitudinally arranged parallelly spaced slats supported to depend with their lower edges between and below the upper edges of the slats of the lower set, substantial portions of the upper edges of the lower slats and of the lower edges of the upper slats being rearwardly tapered to the rearward ends of the slats, and a pair of opposed vertical pressing rollers positioned on said support in forwardly spaced relation to said folding unit for pressing the folds formed between the upper and lower slats of said folding unit as the unfolded web is fed forwardly through said folding unit and the folded portion of the web emerging forwardly from said unit is fed between said pressing rollers, means supporting said upper slats comprising transverse elements supported above said support and extending transversely across the opposite ends of said lower set of slats, and vertically adjustable elements on each of said transverse elements secured to longitudinally spaced portions of said upper slats, said vertically adjustable elements on each of said transverse elements being individually adjustable to vary the inclination of the lower edges of said upper slats relative to said support, and to vary the depth of penetration of the upper slats into the spaces between related pairs of said lower slats, whereby to vary the width of individual folds formed by passage of said web forwardly through said folding unit, said vertical adjustable elements having lost motion connection with said upp r slats providing for limited free vertical motion of said upper slats during the passage of the web through said folding unit.

RICHARD G. CROWE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 758,962 Friend May 3, 1904 813,593 Sexton Feb. 2'7, 1906 1,085,948 Smith Feb. 3, 1914 1,759,844 Gudge et al. May 27, 1930

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