The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 12, 2003
Filed:
Nov. 16, 2000
Christopher Alan Cloutier, Barrington, NH (US);
Gary Frank Fowler, Stafford, NH (US);
Michael Alexander Novick, New Durham, NH (US);
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, Heidelberg, DE;
Abstract
A folder in a signature-processing machine has a transfer cylinder and a folding cylinder. The two cylinders are mounted to be rotatable in relative counter-rotation at a substantially equal peripheral speed. They form a nip through which a signature is transported. The signature is taken up by the folding cylinder at a folding location between its leading edge and its trailing edge. In order to reduce the formation of dog-ears and crumpling when the signature tail is ripped away from the transfer cylinder, there is provided a fold-off guide at the exit side of said nip. In order to adapt for speed changes of the folder, and to allow for the fold-off guide to change its shape in synchronicity with each signature, the fold-off surface of the guide is movably disposed. The fold-off guide, in a simple embodiment, may be a flexible plate. In a dynamically varying embodiment, the fold-off guide may be cam or an eccentric with or without the intermediary of an endless belt which travels with the folding cylinder.