US 12,264,033 B2
Folding machine comprising a blade folder, and method for folding folded products by means of a blade folder
Frank Bahmer, Kleinwallstadt (DE); and Witali Richert, Bielefeld (DE)
Assigned to H+H GMBH & CO. KG, Bielefeld (DE)
Appl. No. 18/015,761
Filed by H+H GMBH & CO. KG, Bielefeld (DE)
PCT Filed Jun. 22, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/067017
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 12, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/012881, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 20, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 20185547 (EP), filed on Jul. 13, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0219781 A1, Jul. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. B65H 45/18 (2006.01); B65H 29/12 (2006.01); B65H 45/14 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 45/18 (2013.01) [B65H 29/12 (2013.01); B65H 45/147 (2013.01); B65H 2701/1932 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A folding machine comprising:
a buckle folding unit configured to fold a foldable product repeatedly in parallel in a first direction;
a first blade folding unit including
a first and a second folding roller, wherein the first folding roller has a first folding roller axis and the second folding roller has a second folding roller axis which is arranged spaced apart and parallel to the first folding roller axis, so that the first and the second folding roller axes define a first folding roller plane which comprises both the first and the second folding roller axes;
a first folding blade which is oriented and is movable in a first folding blade plane, wherein the first folding blade plane is oriented perpendicularly to the first folding roller plane and intersects the first folding roller plane in a first intersection line, wherein the first folding blade is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the first folding blade is arranged in the extended position closer to the first folding roller plane than in the retracted position;
wherein the first folding blade is arranged in the retracted position in or below a horizontal plane which comprises the first intersection line;
a second blade folding unit including
a third and a fourth folding roller, wherein the third folding roller has a third folding roller axis and the fourth folding roller has a fourth folding roller axis which is arranged spaced apart and parallel to the third folding roller axis, so that the third and the fourth folding roller axes define a second folding roller plane which comprises both the third and the fourth folding roller axis;
a second folding blade which is oriented and movable in a second folding blade plane, wherein the second folding blade plane is oriented perpendicularly to the second folding roller plane and intersects the second folding roller plane in a second intersection line, wherein the second folding blade is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the second folding blade is arranged in the extended position closer to the second folding roller plane than in the retracted position;
wherein the second folding blade is arranged in the retracted position above a horizontal plane which comprises the second intersection line;
wherein the first blade folding unit and the second blade folding unit are configured to fold the foldable product in a second direction perpendicularly to the first direction;
wherein the second blade folding unit is arranged such that the second blade folding unit undertakes a first folding action in the second direction, and the first blade folding unit is arranged downstream of the second blade folding unit to fold the foldable product once again in the second direction; and
wherein a further second blade folding unit is arranged downstream of the first blade folding unit to fold the foldable product once again in the second direction.