US2035553A - Creasing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

March 31, 1936. c KNQWLTQN 2,035,553

CREASING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 8, 1953 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JVVE/VTUR/ MC; I93 3 (hm/190mm 31, 1936. i Q Q KNQWLTONI 2,035,553

CREASING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z4 Fig. 5

AWE/V705 Wm. M

H EAMM I Patented Mar. 31, 1936 GREASING MECHANISM Cutler D. Knowlton, Beverly, Mass, assignor to Hoague-Sprague Corporation, Lynn, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 8, 1933, Serial No. 701,510'

26 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanisms for producing creases in such articles as blanks of pasteboard or the like from which box-parts or similar objects are to be formed.

7 In the preparation of blanks for setting up as boxes, the lines along which the various portions are folded are defined by creases. To permit ready folding without materially weakening the stock, the creasing pressure should be relatively heavy, and it is advantageous to separate the laminae of the pasteboard from one another along the crease-lines. This should be accomplished without rupturing said laminae and thus weakening the blank at the creases. It is a common practice in creasingmechanism to bring spaced folding blades into engagement with one side of the blank-material and an intermediate or male blade against the opposite side of said material, to cause the spaced blades to be forced toward each other to pinch the crease as a result of the resistance encountered as they move along the intermediate blade. Such an arrangement obviously strains the laminae by the inward thrust, the danger of breaking and weakening the stock increasing with increased effectiveness of the pinch. There is, further, ordinarily provided no way in which the time and degree of the pinching action may be controlled. It is an object of my invention to effect the formation of relatively flaccid creases along which the strength of the stock is maintained, readily controllable mechanism being provided for this purpose.

The above object I attain by the use of opposite movable supports, which may consist of rotatable rolls, one support carrying movable upon it spaced creasing members and the other an intermediate member arranged to enter between the spaced members. All these members travel under the influence of the supports with advancing material to act successively thereon and may be in the form ofblades. The spaced members are moved in a novel manner in predetermined time-relation in the operating cycle, as under the power of driving means for the creasing mechanism. Preferably they are engaged by actuating means movable independently of the creasing members by contact means rendered effective by the movement of one of the supports, this contact means being shown herein as a normally stationary member. With this arrangement, the engagement of the spaced outer members to pinch the stock is made positive, being independent in their action on the material being creased and without the introduction of operating movement tending to tension and break the laminae. To govern the material-receiving space between the outer members, the normal position of the actuating means may be varied; a variation in the extent of movement in the actuating means controls the force with which the stock is pinched; and an alteration in the time in the operating cycle at which the actuating means is moved determines the manner in which the spaced and intermediate members co-operate. The control of the extent and time of movement of the actuating means is best exercised through adjustment of the contact member. In the preferred form of the invention, one roll of a supporting pair carries the intermediate blade and the other the spaced blades. The actuating members are furnished by bars, and between the blades and bars are cam devices to communicate the movement of the bars to the blades. These cam devices may consist of angular depressions in the blades and bars, in which depressions are such contact members as balls. Movement is preferably imparted to the bars by a normally stationary head or contact member mounted upon the frame of the mechanism. Adjustments of this head with relation to the bars, to control the time and extent of bar-movement, are provided by variation in the position of the head-mounting upon the frame and the position of the head upon the mounting.

One only of several possible embodiments of my invention is shown in the accbmpanying drawings. Here, I

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved creasing mechanism;

Fig. 2, a broken section on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the contact-head and the adjacent portion of the lower creasing roll;

Fig. 4, an enlarged section on the line IVIV of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5, an enlarged sectional detail showing the creasing action.

At Ill appears portions of a frame, which may be that of a machine for forming box-blanks. This carries fixed bearings l2, 12 for the journals of a. lower cylindrical creasing roll l4. Adjustably spaced at It from the lower bearings are bearings I8, IS in which is journaled an upper cylindrical creasing roll 20. Between the two rolls the material to be creased travels. Springs 22 hold the roll 2|] normally in operating relation but permit it to yield to prevent breakage if clogging occurs. Spur-gearing 24 compels the rolls to rotate together. The upper roll has adjustably secured by slot-and-screw connections 26, upon a longitudinally extending flattened portion, an elongated mounting-block 28 (Fig. 4) This block is grooved parallel to the axis of the roll to receive a mounting-bar 30, and the bar has a longitudinal slot in which is clamped a thin male creasing blade 32.

The present invention is particularly concerned with the arrangement of the lower roll l4. It is longitudinally grooved to receive an extended mounting-block 34, secured in place by screws 36 passing through openings in the roll and threaded into the block. There is clearance both between the block and side-walls of the groove and between the screws and the walls of the rollopenings. This permits the creasing members mounted upon the block to be adjusted peripherally of the roll. The adjustment may conveniently be effected by pull-screws 3'! and pushscrews 38 (Fig. 1) engaging the roll and block in the customary manner near their ends. The block has a longitudinal groove, which, at its center, is provided with a rib 39 and, at its opposite sides, with parallel ways 40, 40 (Fig. 5). At each side of the rib, pivotally supported by the engagement of a reduced edge 42 with the juncture of the rib and adjacent bloclz-wall, is an outer creasing blade 44 extending transversely to the direction of advance of the material for the desired distance along the roll l4. At 46 each blade 44 projects outside the periphery of the roll and is provided with an edge similar to that at 42, but here serving to cooperate with one side of the blade 32 to pinch against it the material to be creased. Stop-blocks 48 (Fig. 2) secured to the mounting-block 34 at the ends of the rib 39 retain the blades 44 against longitudinal displacement. Outside each blade 44 is an actuating bar 50 arranged for limited longitudinal movement along one of the ways 40. The two bars are preferably attached to each other to move as a unit. At intervals along their lengths, screws 52 pass through counterbored openings in one bar and are threaded into the other, drawing the inner faces of the bars against the ends of spacing thimbles 54 surrounding the screws. These thimbles are received by elongated slots 56 in the blades 44 to permit the longitudinal movement of the bars. The opposite ends of the bars have between them connecting and spacing blocks 58 and 60, respectively, secured by screws 62. In each blade and the corresponding actuating bar are pairs of registering cam-depressions 64, shown as conical, and in each pair rests a connecting member in the form of a ball 66. Expansion-springs 68 are seated at their opposite extremities in alined recesses in the blades, holding said blades separated in their normal positions and forcing the inclined cam-walls of each blade-depression against the corresponding ball 66. The ball, in turn, is urged against the inclined walls of the bar-depression. The effect of this contact between the balls and walls of the depressions is to cam the connected bars 50, 50 to the left (Figs. 1 and 2) to the extent permitted by an adjusting stop-screw l threaded through a depending portion of the connecting block 58 and bearing against the adjacent end of the mounting-block 34. A set-screw l2, forcing a soft metal plug 14 against the screw ill maintains the adjustment. This determines the normal separation of the blades 44 and therefore the width of the space into which the material to be creased is forced by the blade 32.

To close the blades 44 upon the stock to effect the pinching of the crease, a contact member is provided for moving the blade-actuating bars 50 longitudinally and, through the cam-walls of the depressions 64 and the balls 66, forcing the engaging ends 46 of the blades toward each other by swinging said blades about their pivotal portions 42. This contact member is shown as a normally stationary head 1.6 having oppositely inclined surfaces l8, 18 (Fig. 3) lying in the path of similarly inclined surfaces upon the connecting block 66 of the bars. As the roll 14 rotates and the block 60 revolves, said block strikes the head and is forced to the right (Fig. 1) against the expansive force of the springs 68, which are holding the balls 66 seated in the cam-depressions 64. This shifts the bar-depressions correspondingly and, by urging their walls against the balls, and said balls against the walls of the blade-depressions, carries the blade-ends 46 toward each other and toward the intermediate blade 32 and the interposed stock. The period in the operating cycle at which the head acts to close the blades may be altered by mounting said head for adjustment in a generally peripheral direction in respect to the roll l4, though as illustrated the change of position is more exactly tangential. The head is carried by a block 86 bearing upon an inner surface of the frame and provided with two horizontal slots 82 through which pass screws 84 threaded into a yoke-piece 86 engaging an outer frame-surface. By loosening the screws and moving the block 85 to a new position, the action of the head may be made to occur in different angular positions of the roll and of the blades 44. The amount of pressure applied by the blades may be varied by adjusting the extent to which they approach each other. For this purpose, the head 75 has a shank 90 movable through an opening in its mounting-block 80 and splined therein to prevent rotation. An adjusting collar 92 is threaded upon the shank adjacent to the head and when turned in contact with the block 80 will shift the head toward the path of the contact-end of the block 60. To secure the head in position, a rod 94, movable vertically in an opening in the block 30 has a groove 96 through which the shank 90 passes. The upper extremity of the rod is threaded and has a nut 98 resting upon the block 80. By turning the nut, the rod may be drawn up and the head-shank locked by engagement with it of a wall of the groove.

To briefly outline the operation of the mechanism, the rolls i2 and H! are rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and the material to be creased, shown in B in Fig. 5, is advanced continuously between them. The blades 32 and 44, 44 therefore engage the material once for each operating cycle occurring during a complete revolution of said blades. As the blades 44, 44 approach the material they are spaced at the edges 46 to the maximum extent, this being determined by adjustment of the screw it. The edge of the blade 32 strikes the material and gradually forces it between spaced blades, thus producing a crease b (Fig. At a time fixed by the position peripherally of the roll of the block 88 carrying the head 16, the actuating unit 50, 56 will be moved to the right (Fig. 1), and, through the balls 66 and the walls of the depressions which contain them, will cam the blades 44, 44 toward the opposite sides of the blade 32, pinching the stock against the latter. This movement is effected wholly under the power of the mechanism, independently of the stock. By the adjustment of the head just mentioned, this action may occur as the stock and blade 32 are entering the space between the blades 44, when the depth of the crease has reached a maximum, or when the blade 32 is being withdrawn. Preferably, one of the two last-mentioned relations is established. If the maximum pressure is exerted just as the direction of relation between the blades is changing, as appears inFig. 5, no force will be applied inwardly along the walls of the crease, and, consequently, there will be no danger of straining the laminae of the material over the edge of the blade 32 and rupturing them. If it is desired to positively produce the opposite effect, or to set up stresses exerted outwardly along the intermediate blade to loosen and separate the layers from one another, a completion of the pinch is brought about after the blades 32 and it, 44 have passed the center. There is, at that time, a component of the applied force parallel to, and exerted outwardly along the opposite sides of the intermediate blade 32, tending to slip the layers over one another without encountering the resistance offered by the edge of the intermediate blade. The force with which the blades 44, 44 are pressed against the blade 32, and therefore the crease-setting and laminae-separating action, may be altered by adjustment of the contacthead by the collar 92.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 01" the United States is:

1. Creasing mechanism comprising opposite movable supports, an inner creasing member carried by one support, spaced outer creasing members movable upon the other support and each provided with a reduced edge for cooperation with the inner member, the creasing members traveling under the influence of the supports with advancing material to act successively thereon, an actuating member for the outer creasing members movable upon the support therewith, and means for moving the actuating member upon its support in predetermined time-relation in the operating cycle to force the reduced edge of each outer creasing member toward the inner creasing member toproduce a series of pinchcreases in the material.

2. Creasing mechanism comprising opposite movable supports, an inner creasing member carried by one support, spaced outer creasing members movable upon the other support and each provided with a reduced edge for cooperation with the inner member, the creasing members traveling under the influence of the supports with advancing material to act successively thereon, an actuating member for the outer creasing members movable upon the support therewith, means for moving the actuating member upon its support in predetermined time-relation in the operating cycle to force the reduced edge of each outer creasing member toward the inner creasing member to produce a series of pinch-creases in the material, and cam devices through which the movement of the actuating member is transmited to the outer creasing members.

3. Creasing mechanism comprising opposite movable supports, an inner creasing member carried by one support, spaced outer creasing members movable upon the other support and each provided with'a reduced edge for cooperation with the inner member, the creasing members traveling under the influence of the supports with advancing material to act successively thereon and being elongated transversely to the direction of advance, an actuating member for the outer creasing members movable upon the support therewith and longitudinally thereof, and means for reciprocating the actuating member upon its support in predetermined time-relation in the operating cycle to force the reduced edge of each outer creasing member toward the inner creasing member to produce a series of pinch-creases in the material.

4. Creasing mechanism comprising opposite relatively movable supports, a creasing member carried by one support, spaced creasing members movable upon the other support for cooperation with the member first mentioned, movable actuating means engaging the spaced creasing members, and means arranged to vary the normal position of the actuating means.

5. Creasing mechanism comprising opposite.

relatively movable supports, a creasing member carried by one support, spaced creasing members movable upon the other support for cooperation with the member first mentioned, movable actuating means engaging the spaced creasing members, and means arranged to vary the extent of movement of the actuating means.

6. Creasing mechanism comprising opposite relatively movable supports, a creasing member carried by one support, spaced creasing members movable upon the other support for co-operation with the member first mentioned, movable actuating means engaging the spaced creasing members, and means arranged to vary the time in the operating cycle at which the actuating means is moved.

'7. Creasing mechanism comprising opposite relatively movable supports, a creasing member carried by one sup-port, spaced creasing members movable upon the other support for co-operation with themember first mentioned, a movable actuating member engaging the spaced creasing members and mounted upon the support therewith, a normally stationary contact member for moving the actuating member, and means arranged to difierently position the contact member toward and from the actuating member.

8. Creasing mechanism comprising opposite relatively movable supports, a creasing member carried by one support, spaced creasing members movable upon the other support for co-operation with the member first mentioned, a movable actuating member engaging the spaced creasing members and mounted upon the support therewith, a normally stationary contact member for moving the actuating member, and means arranged to vary the time of engagement of the contact member with the actuating member.

9. In a creasing mechanism, opposite relatively movable supports, creasing blades carried by the supports, one of the blades being movable upon its support, a cam-bar movable upon the support with the movable blade to actuate said blade, and means movable by the mechanism in its operation for moving the bar upon the support.

10. In a creasing mechanism, opposite relatively movable supports, creasing blades carried by the supports, one of the blades being movable upon its support and provided with a cam-surface, and means movable upon the support and acting during the operating movement thereof upon the cam-surface of the blade.

11. In a creasing mechanism, opposite relatively movable supports, creasing blades carried by the supports, one of the blades being movable upon its support, a bar movable upon the support with the movable blade, the blade and bar being provided with opposite depressions, a connecting member lying in the depressions, and means for moving the bar.

12. In a creasing mechanism, opposite relatively movable supports, creasing blades carried by the supports, one of the blades being movable upon its support, a cam-bar movable upon the support with the movable blade to actuate said blade, and a normally stationary member contacting while at rest with one extremity of the bar to produce its actuating movement.

13. In a creasing mechanism, opposite relatively movable supports, creasing blades carried by the supports, one of the blades being movable upon its support, a cam-bar movable upon the support with the movable blade to actuate said blade, a normally stationary member contacting with one extremity of the bar, and means arranged to fix the contact member in different positions toward and from the bar.

14. In a creasing mechanism, opposite relatively movable supports, creasing blades carried by the supports, one of the blades being movable upon its support, a cam-bar movable upon the support with the movable blade to actuate said blade, a normally stationary member contacting with one extremity of the bar, and means arranged to fix the contact member in different positions along the path of the bar.

15. In a creasing mechanism, opposite movable supports, spaced creasing blades movable upon one support, an intermediate creasing blade carried by the other support and arranged to enter between the spaced blades, the blades traveling under the influence of the supports with advancing material to act successively thereon, and a member traveling with the spaced blades and movable to force them into creasing relation to the intermediate blade.

16. In a creasing mechanism, opposite movable supports, spaced creasing blades movable upon one support, an intermediate creasing blade carried by the other support and arranged to enter between the spaced blades, a spring for separating the spaced blades, and a member movable with the support for the spaced blades and as a conse-. quence of such movement forcing said blades into creasing relation to the intermediate blade.

17. In a creasing mechanism, opposite relatively movable supports, spaced creasing blades movable upon one support, an intermediate creasing blade carried by the other support and arranged to enter between the spaced blades, a spring for separating the spaced blades, a member movable upon the support with said spaced blades for forcing them into creasing relation to the intermediate blade, and a stop variably limiting the movement of the member under the influence of the spring.

18. In a creasing mechanism, opposite movable supports, spaced creasing blades movable upon one support, an intermediate creasing blade carried by the other support and arranged to enter between the spaced blades, a spring for separating the spaced blades, and a bar movable with the support outside each of the spaced blades and as a consequence of such movement forcing said blades simultaneously into creasing relation to the intermediate blade.

19. In a creasing mechanism, opposite relatively movable supports, spaced creasing blades movable upon one support, an intermediate creasing blade carried by the other support and arranged to enter between the spaced blades, a spring for separating the spaced blades, a bar movable upon the support outside each blade, and cam devices transmitting the movement of the bars to the spaced blades and including members positioned between said bars and blades.

20. Creasing mechanism comprising a frame, a pair of rolls rotatable thereon, an intermediate creasing blade carried by one roll, a pair of creasing blades pivoted upon the other roll for co-operation with the opposite sides of the intermediate blade, bars mounted to move together outside the pivoted blades, the pivoted blades and bars being provided with angular depressions arranged in registering pairs, a ball in each pair of depres sions, and means carried by the frame for moving the bars.

21. Creasing mechanism comprising a frame, a pair of rolls rotatable thereon, an intermediate creasing blade carried by one roll, a pair of creasing blades pivoted upon the other roll for co-operation with the opposite sides of the intermediate blade, bars mounted to move together outside the pivoted blades, the pivoted blades and bars being provided with angular depressions arranged in registering pairs, a ball in each pair of depressions, expansion-springs located between the pivoted blades, and means carried by the frame for moving the bars.

22. Creasing mechanism comprising a frame, a pair of rolls rotatable thereon, an intermediate creasing blade carried by one roll, a pair of creasing blades pivoted upon the other roll for co-cperation with the opposite sides of the intermediate blade, bars mounted to move together outside the pivoted blades, the pivoted blades and bars being provided with angular depressions arranged in registering pairs, a ball in each pair of depressions, expansion-springs located between the pivoted blades and exerting their force to both separate the blades and to move the bars longitudinally, and means for moving the bars against the force of the springs to produce the creasing action of the blades.

23. Creasing mechanism comprising a frame, a pair of rolls rotatable thereon, an intermediate creasing blade carried by one roll, a pair of creasing blades pivoted upon the other roll for cooperation with the opposite sides of the intermediate blade, bars mounted to move together outside the pivoted blades, cam devices transmitting the movement of the bars to the pivoted blades,

expansion-springs located between the pivoted blades and exerting their force to both separate the blades and move the bars longitudinally, means for moving the bars against the force of the springs to produce the creasing action of the blades, and an adjustable stop for the bars in their movement by the springs.

24. Creasing mechanism comprising a frame, a pair of rolls rotatable thereon, an intermediate creasing blade carried by one roll, a pair of creasing blades pivoted upon the other roll for co-operation with the opposite sides of the intermediate blade, bars mounted to move together outside the pivoted blades, cam devices transmitting the movement of the bars to the pivoted blades, and a head carried by the frame for contact with the connected bars.

25. Creasing mechanism comprising a frame, a pair of rolls rotatable thereon, an intermediate creasing blade carried by one roll, a pair of creasing blades pivoted upon the other roll for cooperation with the opposite sides of the intermediate blade, bars mounted to move together outside the pivoted blades, cam devices transmitting the movement of the bars to the pivoted blades, a mounting-block variable in position upon the frame adjacent to the path of one extremity of the connected bars, and a head carried by the block for contact with said bars.

26. Creasing mechanism comprising a frame, a pair of rolls rotatable thereon, an intermediate creasing blade carried by one roll, a pair of creasing blades pivoted upon the other roll for cooperation with the opposite sides of the intermediate blade, bars mounted to move together outside the pivoted blades, cam devices transmitting the movement of the bars to the pivoted 5 blades, a mounting-block variable in position upon the frame adjacent to the path of one extremity of the connected bars, and a head carried by the block for contact with said bars and being variable in position upon said block.

CUTLER D. KNOWLTON.

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