PARTIAL FOLDING AND FOLDING APPARATUS FOR PAPER DOCUMENTS SUCH AS CARD CARRIERS

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for partially folding and/or folding paper documents, possibly consisting in one paper sheet to be used as paper carrier or substrate, or simply carrier, for one or more cards to be used in the direct mailing of said cards.

BACKGROUND

It is known that the direct mail is an important tool for businesses to communicate with customers, and then to satisfy the need to distribute cards, such as debit or credit cards, business cards, identification documents like ID cards or driving licenses, or membership cards as well to individuals by mail.

These cards may be personalized or sent in a single package combined with other inserts or mailer components, inserted in an envelope addressed to the appropriate recipient, all of which makes the preparation of such mailers very labor-intensive and demanding.

Here and hereinafter under the term “card” a substantially stiff card is meant, basically with rectangular shape, made of plastic or other plasticized material, possibly including identifying information, biometric data, pictures, alphanumerical characters, QR or bar codes, ICAO MRTD or eMRTD readable characters, RFID or NFC tags and magnetic strips.

This kind of card usually has a format defined according to ISO standard 7810, 7811, 7813, 7816, 14443 or a format A7, A8, B7, B8, C7, C8 according to ISO standard 216. This kind of card format can even be used for magnetic or optical memories, toy cards, collection cards, badges, access keys for smart locks etc. All these items fall within the definition of “card”.

It is understood that the cards, besides being stiff or generally stiffer than paper, may be considered to a certain extent fragile, or containing delicate parts.

Generally, such cards are mailed on a paper carrier being attached to the latter by means of glue, double-sided adhesive tape, or by framing into suitable notches as well. The recipient address can be printed on the paper carrier to be seen through a window of the envelope, or directly on the envelope itself. The carrier, and possibly the envelope, contain also identification data which may allow the safe coupling with the intended card only.

Then the paper carriers have an exposed area on which one or more cards are attached. The paper carriers generally have the format of an A4 or Letter sheet and, before being inserted in the related envelope, must be folded in two or three folds, in the latter case with a Z-like folding or a C-like folding.

Mail preparation and finishing systems increase efficiency by automating the printing, folding, and insertion processes. However, prior folder systems designed to fold carriers that have a rigid card attached to them have a propensity to dislodge or damage the card, misfold the carrier, or jam the machine. For example, this kind of system is known from US Patent No. 11,414,294 B2.

Further, in this kind of systems, some pieces of information written in the cards with projecting characters, may cause a sort of embossing in the paper carrier, which may preserve these pieces of information also when separated from the cards, thus violating elementary standards in terms of privacy.

Generally speaking, one of the most common folding techniques is known as pinch or nip roll folding. According to this technique, a carrier sheet is inserted between a pair of rollers rotating in opposite direction with the same peripheral speed, to capture the sheet and pull it inside a folding apparatus having a third roller having the center thereof vertically aligned with one of the other two rollers, with a surface contact therebetween.

A chute, i.e. any kind of device providing a carrier path, is provided to guide the sheet after the capturing rollers thereby the sheet is pushed until is running front edge is blocked against a stop wall. Hence, the sheet forms a sort of curved buckle which is then captured by the nip formed by the third roller and by the other roller in contact with it, these rollers acting as pinch rollers, i.e. exerting a pressure against the sheet divided in two folded portions, thereby forming a fold.

Through this process, along the fold line, the paper fibers break, making the fold almost permanent. The position of the stop wall can be changed to adjust the position of the fold, which is perpendicular to the feeding direction of the sheet.

However, the formation of permanent folds makes difficult the further processing of the sheet, i.e. attaching the cards to the carrier without the risk of dislodging them through the further enveloping operations.

US patent application No. 2004/089706A1 discloses an enveloping apparatus for distributing cards on paper carriers comprising a line for feeding paper carriers, resting on a plane, with weakening lines wherein they are perpendicular to the feeding direction.

International application No. WO2008/089706A1 discloses instead an enveloping apparatus for distributing cards on paper carriers wherein a carrier is folded both before and after the application of a card thereon, according to folding lines still parallel to the feeding direction.

International application No. WO2014068534A1 discloses enveloping apparatus for distributing cards on paper carriers wherein a carrier is folded and then rotated upside down to ease the insertion inside an envelope.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A technical problem underlying the present invention is to provide a partial folding and folding apparatus allowing to obviate the drawback mentioned with reference to the known art.

The above-mentioned problem then is solved by an apparatus as specified above.

According to the present invention, the partial folding and folding apparatus can be shortly mentioned as folding apparatus or folding system.

A partial or false fold is understood to be a fold wherein the paper fibers are not completely broken, and a paper sheet having partial folds naturally recovers its flat shape at the end of the partial folding process. Anyway, a partial fold determines a folding line, possibly having a certain fold orientation, around which it could be possible to easily fold the sheet again, by applying a gentle force.

Otherwise, with fold it is intended a complete fold wherein the paper fibers are broken to make the fold substantially permanent.

In this regard, the folding apparatus is meant to create fold or partial fold into a paper carrier, i.e. a paper sheet or a paper document made by one or few sheets grouped together.

According to the present invention, the folding apparatus comprises an inlet section receiving a carrier along a determined feeding direction. Then, the apparatus further comprises a triplet of parallel pinch rollers.

At least one pair of pinch rollers are meant to be rollers rotating in opposite direction so as to capture and advance a carrier between them. To this purpose, i.e. to provide the carrier with traction, the rollers are continuously in contact to each other, and they rotate to have exactly the same peripheral speed at the round surfaces thereof, to prevent any unwished stress on the carrier. Preferably, their round surfaces may have a high friction, e.g. being rubbered.

Consequently, a triplet of pinch rollers determines two pairs of pinch rollers, thus forming respective nips at the interface of the rollers, wherein the center pinch roller and the respective side pinch rollers are rotated in opposite directions to advance the carrier through and beyond the triplet, whatever which inlet nip thereof is active to let the carrier pass.

In several embodiments of the present invention, said side pinch rollers are symmetrically placed with respect to the center pinch roller and possibly to said feeding direction. Then, they are staggered further away from the inlet section to substantially form an isosceles triangle pattern having its apex oriented towards the inlet section.

Then, a tilting chute is provided to selectively guide the carrier to any of inlet nips formed at the interface of the center pinch rollers with one of said side pinch rollers respectively; inlet nips are those nips formed at the entrance side of the triplet of rollers, while the nips formed at the opposite side are used to create a fold or a partial fold, so as they are indicated as folding nips.

Further, an extraction chute is provided, positioned downstream said triplet, having an inlet mouth which is apt to receive the running front edge of the carrier.

This chute forms a carrier path beyond the triplet, with the inlet mouth substantially centered with respect to said triplet, i.e. positioned to receive the running front edge of the carrier from any of the nips facing it.

The folding apparatus further comprises a stop device having stop means positioned along said carrier path at a determined distance from said triplet, to selectively block the running front edge of the carrier.

It is understood that such a distance is chosen along with the format of the carrier, to produce folds or partial folds at a precise position of the carrier.

In preferred embodiments, said stop means can be moved and adjusted along the carrier path, to process different formats and/or to produce multiple folds in the carrier.

When the stop means are active, the running front edge of the carrier but the carrier is still subject to traction by the pinch rollers, hence a buckle is caused between the inlet mouth of the extraction chute and the active pinch rollers.

Since the inlet mouth is centered with the triplet, but the active nip is not, the buckle grows oriented towards the other nip of the triplet, i.e. a folding nip formed at the interface of the center pinch rollers with the other of said side pinch rollers.

When the buckle touches the folding nip, it becomes active, and the buckle is ingested into said folding nip thereby creating a fold or a partial fold.

Then, when ceasing the stopping action of the stopping means, the carrier is expelled from the triplet. In this connection, further dragging rollers may be provided downstream to extract the carrier along said extraction chute, i.e. at the side where the stop means are operated, and possibly to control the position of the carrier itself.

The main advantage of the apparatus according to the present invention lies in the fact of allowing the easy formation of folds in a carrier in any orientation, possibly making the carrier to be advanced back and forth.

Than, the carrier can be dragged away in a flat configuration, making simpler the formation of partial folds and the subsequent processing of the carrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described hereinafter according to a preferred embodiment thereof, provided by way of example and not with limitative purpose with reference to the enclosed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1A shows an axonometric view illustrating the folding of a card carrier in a Z-fold;

FIG. 1B shows an axonometric view illustrating the folding of a card carrier in a half-fold;

FIG. 2A shows an axonometric view of an embodiment of a folding apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2B shows an axonometric view of the folding apparatus of FIG. 2A in reverse;

FIG. 2C shows a side axonometric view of the folding apparatus of FIG. 2A, without the external chassis;

FIG. 2D shows a side view of the folding device inside the folding apparatus of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 is an exploded axonometric view highlighting five different details, or functional groups, of the folding apparatus of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 4 shows an axonometric view of a first functional group seen in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows an axonometric view of the first functional group of FIG. 4 in reverse;

FIG. 6A shows an axonometric partial view of a second functional group seen in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6B shows an axonometric partial view of the second functional group of FIG. 6B in a different working configuration;

FIG. 6C shows a side sectional partial view of the second functional group of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7A shows an axonometric complete view of a second functional group seen in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7B shows another axonometric partial view of the second functional group of FIG. 7A showing a different detail;

FIGS. 8A shows an axonometric view of a third functional group seen in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8B shows an axonometric view of the third functional group of FIG. 8A in reverse;

FIGS. 9A, 9B show side view of the third functional group of FIG. 8A in different working configurations respectively;

FIG. 9C shows a sectional side of the third functional group of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 9D show side view of a roller, i.e. a detail of the third functional group of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 10A shows an axonometric view of a first detail of an optional group seen in FIG. 3;

FIG. 10B shows an axonometric complete view in reverse of the optional group of FIG. 10A;

FIG. 10C shows a side view of a second detail of the optional group of FIG. 10B;

FIG. 10D shows a complete side view of the optional group of FIG. 10B, illustrating the operation thereof;

FIGS. 11A, 11B shows side schematic view of the core of the apparatus of FIG. 2A, illustrating the operation thereof; and

FIGS. 12A, 12B shows side schematic view of the core of the apparatus of FIG. 2A, illustrating the partial folding of a carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the figures, a partial folding and folding apparatus, shortly mentioned as folding apparatus, is designated as a whole with 100.

The apparatus 100 of the present invention is substantially provided for forming a partial or false fold through the breaking or weakening of the paper fibers of a carrier sheet, mentioned in the following simply as carrier and indicated with 500, intended to form a document 536 to which one card 530 or several cards are attached in a different apparatus and in a subsequent operation of a mail preparation process.

The partial fold, indicated with 520, is a folding line placed in a determined position along the carrier 500.

Since the carrier 500 is fed along a feeding direction 540, it is meant that the fold line 520 is orthogonal to the feeding direction. All the fold lines 520 are provided through a folding area 600 corresponding to the apparatus 100, to prepare the carrier for a folding operation following to the application of said cards 530, whereby the carrier can be easily fold not affecting the stability of the cards.

The apparatus can implement one or more folding schemes as seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, wherein a Z-fold (FIG. 1A) or a half-fold (FIG. 1B) are shown; a C-fold could be carried out as well.

In this connection, the apparatus 100 is functionally divided into two functional parts, shown in FIG. 2D: the main part or core 200 of the apparatus is shown in a dotted area of the drawing, and it is provided to carry out a partial or false fold, thereby the whole carrier 500 is never folded, closing two portions thereof in contact to each other. This kind of fold provides the overall document processing, including the application of cards 530 and the enveloping of the document, with remarkable advantages.

Further, the apparatus 100 comprises an optional folding group 300, shown in a dashed area of the drawing, which may be used to finally fold the carrier 500 exploiting the partial folds already formed within the carrier itself, i.e. overlapping the portions of the carrier 500 identified by the fold line thereof.

In the following, unless otherwise explicitly indicated, a fold line is meant to be the result of a partial folding step, involving the braking and/or the weakening of the paper fibers at the fold line, without permanently folding the sheet, insofar such a fold can be realized in a subsequent step, i.e. rotating the carrier portions divided by said fold line.

The apparatus 100 has a supporting frame comprising transverse bars 601 placed at the bottom of the frame, and side walls 602, so that the apparatus 100 has a substantially boxed shape, wherein an inlet section 603 is identified by the feeding direction 540 shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C.

The inlet section 603 is further identified by a pair of inlet rollers 201, 202 provided to make the carrier 500 advance along the feeding direction 540, i.e. to cause a traction pushing the carrier 500 forward according to the rotation direction of said rollers, and possibly pulling back it reversing the roller rotations.

The inlet rollers 201, 202 are driven by a first motor 220 having a respective first shaft driving a respective first drive wheel 605 toothed and engaged with a first transmission belt 215. The whole cinematic transmission will be detailed hereinafter.

The inlet rollers 201, 202, which are journaled in bearings mounted on the side walls 602, rotates in different direction to pull a carrier inside the apparatus 500, feeding it to a tilting chute 105 leading the carrier 500 to a folding device 400 (FIGS. 11A, 11B).

To this purpose, the tilting chute 105 has a funnel shaped first inlet mouth 106 to receive the front running edge of the carrier 500. At the mouth 106, the chute 105 has a fulcrum, thereby it can be tilted upwards or downwards, directing the front running edge of the carrier 500 either to an upper diverter 108 or to a lower diverter 109. The movement of the tilting chute 105 is operated by a tilt actuator 112 placed at one side wall 602 of the apparatus 100 (FIG. 2A); it can be moved in an upper position 110 and in a lower position 115, wherein the outlet of the tilting chute 105 corresponds to the upper diverter 108 and to a lower diverter 109 respectively (FIGS. 11A and 11B).

After the folding, the carrier 500 is led to an extraction section 450, placed in the middle of the apparatus 100, by an extraction chute 460. Then the apparatus 100 has an outlet section 465, opposite to the inlet section 603, where a bypass device may be arranged, to possibly reject wrongly folded carriers.

The extraction 450 is provided to cooperate with a fold device 400 and with the inlet section 603 to advance carriers 500 back and forth, as it will be detailed hereinafter.

The first motor 220, through the first transmission belt 215 and with the contribution of several first tensioning wheels 606 journaled with bearing in one side wall 602, drives a tail wheel 213 which is connected, at one end thereof, to a first inlet roller 201 of said inlet rollers 201, 202; at the opposite end, the first inlet roller 201 has a first pinion 208 engaged with a second pinion 210 with a 1:1 transmission ratio, connected to an end of a second inlet roller 202 of said inlet rollers 201, 202 which have the same diameter and which are rotated at the same rate in opposite directions.

The two inlet rollers 201, 202 are in contact with each other and are apt to receive and feed a carrier 500 inside the apparatus 100, to a folding device 400 having in turn a pair of outlet shafts 236, 239 driven the by a transmission belt 215 engaged with first auxiliary wheel 223 which is mounted on a clutch shaft 235.

A clutch unit 222 is provided, driven by said clutch shaft 235, which connects or disconnects the first motor 220 to a first outlet shaft 236 of said pair of outlet shaft 236, 239 (FIG. 4 and 5), which are journaled in bearings mounted non the side walls 602, like the clutch shaft 235.

The cinematic connection between said first outlet shaft 236 and the clutch unit 222 is provided by an auxiliary cinematic chain comprising a second auxiliary wheel 225, an auxiliary belt 226, an auxiliary tensioning wheel 221, and a third auxiliary wheel 234 directly connected to an end of the first outlet shaft 236. At the opposite end, the first outlet shaft 236 has a third pinion 237 engaged with a fourth pinion 238 with a 1:1 transmission ratio, which drives a second outlet shaft 239 of said pair of outlet shaft 236, 239.

Both the outlet shaft 236, 239 have respective upper and lower outlet rollers 240, 241 rotated in opposite direction to drag the carrier exiting the folding device 400: the outlet rollers 240, 241 have respective rubber surfaces in contact to each other to provide a dragging friction therebetween; then they are apt to capture the running front edge of the carrier 500, and the dragging operation is triggered by the clutch unit 222.

The outlet shafts 236, 239 and the outlet rollers 240, 241 are provided at the outlet section 465 to drag away the processed carriers 500 from the extraction area 450.

A second motor 250 is provided, having a respective second shaft driving a respective second drive wheel 604 toothed and engaged with a second transmission belt 251, conveniently toothed which in turn drives a second tail wheel 252 connected to the end of a center shaft 253 of the folding device 400, journaled in bearings mounted non the side walls 602.

A center pinch roller 254 is provided around the center shaft 253, having a predetermined diameter and a high friction rubbered surface. This roller 254 extends transverse to the path of the carrier 500 coming from the inlet rollers 201, 202, and parallel thereto.

On the opposite end thereof, the center shaft 253 has a center pinion 255 engaged with respective upper and lower side pinions 256, 258 with a 1:1 transmission ratio, connected to the respective ends of an upper and a lower side pinch rollers 231, 232, both having a predetermined diameters and a high friction rubbered surface.

Following to the above-described engagements, the center pinch roller 254 rotates in a direction opposing to the rotating direction of both the upper and the lower side pinch rollers 231, 232. Then, if the center pinch roller 254 rotates clockwise, the upper and the lower side pinch rollers 231, 232 rotate counterclockwise and vice-versa, depending upon the rotation imposed by the second motor 250 piloting them, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B.

The center and the side pinions 255, 256, 258 are all equal, and all the pinch rollers 231, 232, 254 of the folding device 400 have the same peripheral diameter, therefore, they always have the same peripheral speed, regardless the rotating direction.

It should be noted that both the first and the second motors 220, 250 are servomotors equipped with an electronic encoder driven feedback allowing them to rotate at a controlled rate forcing the inlet and the pinch rollers 201, 202, 231, 232 and 254 to rotate exactly at the same peripheral speed.

Since the distance between the inlet rollers 201, 202 and the pinch rollers 254, 231, 232 is shorter than the extension of the carrier 500, when they all drag the carrier 500, the resulting stress on the carrier 500 is nihil.

Then, the nip of the inlet rollers 201, 202 and the center axis of the center pinch roller 254 lying on one symmetry plane, which extends horizontally, while, when the side pinch rollers 231, 232 are both in contact with the center pinch roller 254, their position is perfectly symmetric with respect to the symmetry plane, i.e. their horizontal axes have the same distance from the symmetry plane, and they form another plane perpendicular to the symmetry plane.

Further, both the side pinch rollers 231, 232 are staggered with respect to the center pinch roller 254, located further away from the inlet rollers 201, 202, forming an isosceles triangle pattern.

The above-described pinch rollers 254, 231, 232 form a triplet of parallel pinch rollers apt to partially or completely fold the carrier 500.

pinch rollers 254, 231, 232 grip the carrier 500 in a manner such that the paper does not slide with respect to the surface of the rollers, but rather is advanced according to the rotation of the rollers. When the paper is between the rollers it is engaged by the rollers to prevent slippage. Such a consideration is worth to be said for all the pairs of rollers provided in the apparatus to advance the carriers.

However, both the side pinch rollers 231, 232 are movable with respect to the center pinch roller 254: the upper side pinch roller 231 is mounted on two respective upper side levers 261, 265, having their fulcrum centered on the center shaft 253; likewise, the lower side pinch roller 232 is mounted on two respective lower side levers 273, 276, having their fulcrum centered on the center shaft 253. Each lever 261, 265, 273, 276 is connected to a respective upper linear actuators 260, 264 and lower linear actuators 272, 274, all provided with appropriate electrical controls, allowing the side pinch rollers 231, 232 to be detached from the surface of the center pinch roller 254, at a predetermined distance of about 1 or few millimeters, continuing to rotate since, at this reduced distance, the teeth of the center and the side pinions 255, 256, 258 are still engaged.

Since the thickness of the carrier 500 falls in a range between 0.08 mm and 0.150 mm, when a side pinch roller is displaced from the center pinch roller 254, they cannot constrain and drag the carrier any longer.

A planar extraction chute 460 is placed between the pinch rollers 231, 232, 254 and the outlet rollers 240, 241, formed by a lower plate 472 provided to support the carrier 500 passing through the extraction chute 460.

On the lower plate 472, two upper plates 468, 470 are placed, forming the chute, i.e. an open channel 485, the upper plates being hinged thereby the first upper plate 468 of the two upper plates 468, 470 can be revolved, opening the chute, a hinge 478 being placed in the middle of the chute, perpendicular to the feeding direction 540. The plates are formed by longitudinal flat bars 481 separated by elongated openings 483 and extended from respective transverse inlet bars 462 and transverse outlet bars 463, having respective inlet and outlet side supports 464, 474 (FIG. 6A, 6B). The inlet bars 462 form a funnel shaped second inlet mouth 482; the upper inlet bar has a knob 476 to revolve the first upper plate 468.

The width of the elongated openings allows any roller of the folding device 400, i.e. the above mentioned upper and lower outlet rollers 240, 241, to drag the carrier 500. Further control rollers will be detailed hereinafter.

At the sides of the open channel 485, the chute 460 has respective side guides 335, 345, apt to level the carrier 500 if necessary, allowing to reestablish the parallelism between the two external sides of the carrier with respect to the feeding direction 540.

When the carrier is not present, the mutual position of the guides 335, 345 forms a space wider than the carrier 500, while the carrier 500 is present, and in particular when the carrier 500 is stopped inside the extraction chute, the guides 335, 345 are tightened, adjusting the carrier position.

In this regard, the extraction chute 460 is supported by a middle frame 490 (FIG. 7B). Each guide is controlled by a respective actuator 331, 341 having respective worm screws 332, 342, or a similar linear actuator for short distance adjustments along the distances 375, 378 between a median axis 348 and the guides 335, 345. The worm screws 332, 342 move respective side adjustment plates 333, 343 each connected to a respective side guide (FIG. 7B).

The middle frame 490 is composed by side frame plates 334, 344 linked by transverse rods 330, 331 fitted inside side collars 336, 346, resulting in a stiffened structure.

The folding device 400 has a control device 410 provided to stop and possibly return the carrier 500 along the feeding direction 540, placed between the outlet rollers 240, 241 and the pinch rollers 231, 232, 254, in a position closer to the mouth 482 of the extraction chute 460.

The control device 410 has a movable frame 420 formed by an upper beam 421 and a lower beam 422 connecting opposed and vertical side beams 423, resulting in a rectangular frame.

The side beams 423 have sliding side skids 376, 377 facing to each other, having a cavity to receive the side edges of the extraction chute 460. Hence the position of the control device 410 can be adjusted along the extension of the extraction chute 460 in response to different carrier format.

The upper beams support a third motor 351 driving a control third drive wheel 424 toothed and engaged with an endless third transmission belt 353 driving a control tail wheel 355 which is in turn connected to the end of an upper control shaft 357 journaled in bearings mounted on the side beams 423.

The opposite end of the upper control shaft 357 has a fifth pinion 358 engaging a sixth pinion with a 1:1 transmission ratio, in turn connected to the end of a lower control shaft 360 journaled in bearings mounted on the side beams 423, parallel to the upper control shaft 357.

The third motor 351 is a servomotor equipped with an electronic encoder driven feedback allowing the control shaft 357, 360 to rotate at a controlled rate, forcing control shaft to rotate at a precisely controlled rate.

Upper and lower control wheels 364, 362 are mounted on the control shafts 357, 360, forming several pairs of dragging control wheels in contact to each other (FIG. 8A), having the same diameter and a respective high friction rubber peripheral surface 391 in contact with each other. In view of the above, the upper and lower control wheels 364, 362 rotate in opposite direction at the same rate and peripheral speed.

Both the control wheels 364, 362 have, on the peripheral round surface 391 thereof, a flat segment 390 (FIG. 9D), having the same angular position on the control wheels of the same control shaft, and displaced of 180° on the control wheels of the other control shaft, thereby the flat segments 390 of upper and lower control wheels 362, 364 match each other at each rotation of the control wheels and, when this matching occurs, the carrier 500 is not dragged.

The control device 410 is positioned across the path of the carrier 500, from the pinch rollers 231, 232, 254 to the outlet rollers 240, 241, the pinch rollers 231, 232, 254 and the control wheels 364, 362 being rotated with the same peripheral speed controlled by the respective second and third motors 250, 351, thereby the carrier 500 can be dragged and controlled by them without any stress on it.

Therefore, also the flat segments 390 of the control wheels 362, 364 are always synchronized. A first optical sensor 371 is provided before the control wheels 364, 362, having a respective first line of sight 229 to detect the presence of the incoming front edge of carrier 500 at the control device 410.

Likewise, a second optical sensor 370 is provided after the control wheels 364, 362, having a respective second line of sight 239 to detect the release of rear edge of the carrier 500 from the control device 410. Both the optical sensors 370, 371 are mounted on the upper beam 421 of the movable frame 420.

In the control device 410, a stop device 430 is provided to stop the front running edge of the carrier 500 at the output of the control wheels 362, 364, mounted on the upper beam 421 of the movable frame 420. The stop device 430 has a control linear actuator 365 hanging from the upper beam 421, having a control rod 366 projecting toward the extraction chute 460, ending with a stop member 382 having projections apt to be inserted through the elongated openings 483 of the extraction chute, to intersect the path of the carrier 500 inside the extraction chute 460.

The stop member 382 sets a stop point whose position depends upon the position of the control device 410 along the extraction chute 460, determining the position of folds or partial folds along the carrier 500, produced by the pinch rollers 231, 232, 254.

As above-described, the tilting chute 105 is provided to direct the incoming carrier 500 either to the upper diverter 108 or to the lower diverter 109, having such a position to guide the running front edge of the carrier 500 either into an upper inlet nip, formed by the center pinch roller 254 and by the upper pinch roller 231, or into a lower inlet nip, formed by the center pinch roller 254 and by the lower pinch roller 232.

Then, the running front edge of the carrier 500 penetrates the second inlet mouth 482 of the extraction chute 460, until it meets the control wheels 362, 364 which drag the carrier 500 until the running front edge thereof is stopped by the stop member 382 and, when the carrier is blocked, the control wheels 362, 364 stop when they have their flat segment 390 facing the upper and the lower surface of the carrier 500, thereby the carrier 500 is no longer dragged by the control wheels 362, 364, while it is still pushed by one pair of said pinch rollers 231, 232254. Hence, the carrier 500 starts to form a buckle 810 at the opposite pair of said pinch rollers 231, 232254, until the buckle is captured into either a lower or an upper folding nip formed by said pinch rollers 231, 232254 in said opposite pair, i.e. a pair of pinch rollers 231, 232254 different from that having an active inlet nip providing a traction to the carrier 500.

This capture results in a fold into the carrier 500, at a distance from the front edge thereof depending upon the position of the stop member 382.

It is understood that such a position is set according to the carrier format and to the wished position of the fold. If multiple folds are required in the same carrier 500, i.e. folds having the same orientation in a C-fold configuration, the control device 410, or the stop device 430 alone, may be moved accordingly by a dedicated actuator. Otherwise, the apparatus 100 may include two or three, i.e. several control devices 410 along the extraction chute 460, or even two or three, i.e. several stop devices 430.

In any case, the carrier 500 could be moved back and forth, even returning said front edge at the inlet rollers 201, 202 to repeat the folding operation to achieve a C-fold, a Z-fold, a double oriented half fold, even three folds in fourths along the carrier.

Finally, when either the upper or the lower pinch roller 231, 232 providing the buckle 810 with an active folding nip are displaced at a short distance from the center pinch roller 254, a partial fold 814 is formed, and the carrier 500 can be straightened again, keeping such a straightening even after this folding operation, at the outlet of the apparatus 100.

After the folding process carried out by the folding device 400, the carrier 500 is released straight from the outlet rollers 240, 241 acting through the elongated openings 481 of the extraction chute 460.

FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate all the steps for having the carrier 500 provided with at least one partial fold. A flat carrier 500 is fed (a) through the inlet rollers 201, 202 (b),then it is diverted by tilting the tilting chute 105 into one of the upper and lower diverters 108, 109 (c), to have the running front edge of the carrier 500 directed through the nip of two pinch rollers 231, 254 and through the control rollers 364, 362 until it is blocked by the stop member 382 (d).

In this configuration, the control rollers 364, 362 are oriented to have the flat segment 390 thereof in contact with the carrier surface, while both the inlet rollers 210, 202 and the active pinch rollers 231, 254 push the carrier 500, forcing the formation of a buckle 810 which ingested inside the nip of the opposite pair of pinch rollers 232, 254 (e). In this step, one pinch roller 232 is spaced from the other 254, to create a partial fold 814.

Then, the stop member 384 is raised, allowing the carrier 500 to travel ahead, hence releasing the partial fold 814 (f) making it pass through the pinch rollers (g) and the control rollers 364, 372 (h).

Hence, the running front edge of the carrier 500 reaches (i) and passes through (j) the outlet rollers 240, 241, until the carrier is finally released by the folding device 400, while another carrier 500 is fed (k).

The above mentioned second optical sensor 370 check when the tail of the carrier 500 is advanced from the stop member 482 interference zone, while the first optical sensor 371, allowing to know whether the control rollers 364, 362 are synchronized to each other and with the stop member 482.

At the outlet mouth 461 of the extraction chute 460, the carrier may optionally enter the optional folding group 300, to receive further folding, i.e. to be released in a folded configuration.

The folding group 300 comprises a fourth motor 670 driving a fourth drive wheel 680 and a fourth endless transmission belt 671 engaged with a respective fourth tail wheel 681 which is integral to a first pinch roller 672 at one end thereof, having at the opposite end a seventh pinion 673 which is engaged to an eight pinion 674 in turn engaged to another nineth pinion 694, all having a 1:1 transmission ratio: The eighth and the nineth pinions 674, 694 are connected to respective ends of a second pinch roller 675 and a service roller 651, all these pinch rollers having the same outer diameter, and then being moved with the same peripheral speed. The first pinch roller 672 also rotates a first drive pulley 676 at the seventh pinion 673, the first drive pulley 676 driving an endless belt 677 engaged with a first tail pulley 678 connected to the end of an upper inlet roller 681 having a tenth pinion 695 at its opposite end, engaged with an eleventh pinion 696 piloting a lower inlet roller 683, the inlet rollers 681, 683 having a diameter equal to the pinch and service rollers 651, 672, 675.

Since the drive and the tail pulleys 676, 678 have the same diameter and a 1:1 transmission ratio, the inlet rollers 681, 683 and the pinch and service rollers 651, 672, 675 rotate all with the same peripheral speed, to avoid any stress to the carrier 500 entering the inlet rollers 681, 683 and then the pinch rollers 651, 672, 675 having a carrier guide between them.

According to the above arrangement, the carrier is guided into a folding chute 650 formed by superimposed plates 660, 661 and having a respective third inlet mouth 725.

Inside the folding chute 650 a movable stopper 669 is provided, which can translate along the chute extension to set a stop point in a position determined by the carrier format. The stopper 669 is composed by an elongated bar connected at the ends thereof to respective movable sliders 721 engaged with respective worm-shafts 722 supported at the side edges of the folding chute 650 by frame members 723 allowing worm-shafts 722 to rotate, driven by a respective tail gear 724 engaged with a fourth transmission belt 665, in turn dragged by a service motor 665 through a drive gear 726. A fine adjustment of the position of the cursor 721 can be operated by a threaded knob 730 acting on the worm-shafts 722.

In view of the above, the stopper 669 can be placed anywhere in the folding chute 650 along a working race 720.

This folding group 300 is operated by diverting a carrier 500, already provided with partial folds, through the inlet rollers 681, 683, then the running front edge of the carrier is ingested inside the nip formed by the service roller 651 with the second pinch roller 675, thereby it is entered inside the mouth 725 of the folding chute 650, until it stops blocked by the stopper 669.

Then, a further buckle 710 is formed by the carrier, to be ingested inside the nip formed by the first and the second pinch rollers 672, 675, thereby forming a permanent fold.

At the end of this process, the carrier 500 with a fold can be expelled by the apparatus 100.

All the cited motors are meant to be electric motors acting as servomotor equipped with an electronic encoder driven feedback allowing the shaft connected thereto to rotate at a controlled and precise rate. All these motors and all the sensors provided throughout the apparatus 100 refer to a control unit having a user interface.

Therefore, the folding apparatus 100 can be monitored and controlled via this user interface, which may be physically attached to the apparatus or may be located remotely. The user interface can be a touchscreen or other similar input device, and it can display parameters and operating conditions to an operator to control the functioning of the apparatus 100.

The user interface is associated with at least one processor that is configured to control all the scheduled operations of the apparatus 100. The user interface may employ software, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or combinations of any of these. Features implementing functions can also be physically located at various positions, including being distributed such that portions of functions are implemented at different physical locations.

Aspects of the present disclosure described herein, such as the speed and control of rollers, tilting chutes, and carrier guides, as described above, and the monitoring and controlling of various parameters, can be performed using any type of computing device, such as a computer or programmable logic controller (PLC), that includes a processor, e.g., a central processing unit, or any combination of computing devices where each device performs at least part of the process or method. In some embodiments, systems and methods described herein may be performed with a handheld device, e.g., a smart tablet, a smart phone, or a specialty device produced for the system.

To the above-described partial folding and folding apparatus a person skilled in the art, to satisfy additional and contingent needs, can introduce several additional modifications and variants, all however comprised within the protective scope of the present invention, as defined by the enclosed claims.