Claims
- 1. Apparatus for forming a pleat in a flexible component spanning and joining first and second, spaced apart file folder components together at one side of the folder, said apparatus comprising:
stationary first and second creasing components and a third, stationary creasing component; the first and second creasing components being located to engage the flexible component in spaced apart locations between the file folder components on a first side of the flexible component; the third creasing component being positioned to engage the flexible component at a location between the locations of the first and second creasing components and on the opposite side of the flexible component from the first and second creasing components; and the apparatus further comprising an arrangement for moving the folder relative to the creasing components.
- 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the creasing components have flexible component-engageable edges so contoured that, as the folder is moved relative to the creasing components, the distances in the direction of travel of the folder between: (a) the edges of the first and second creasing components, and (b) the edge of the third creasing component so change that the flexible component is pushed into a space between the first and second creasing components and the flexible component is consequentially creased and folded by the first, second and third creasing components at the locations of the edges of those components.
- 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the distance between the first and second creasing components decreases in the direction of movement of the folder.
- 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 which comprises mechanism downstream from the creasing components for compressing the part of the folder where the flexible component is located to set the creases in flexible component made by the creasing components.
- 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 which has the capability of forming a pleat between first and second file folder components which are front and back file folder panels.
- 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 which has the capability of forming a pleat between first and second file folder components which are a front or back folder panel and an internal divider.
- 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 which has the capability of forming a pleat between first and second file folder components which are internal dividers.
- 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1:wherein the arrangement for moving the folder relative to the creasing components comprises a conveyor for moving said folder from a location upstream of the creasing components to said components with said folder in an orientation in which the first and second folder components are in a side-by-side relationship; and the apparatus comprises a plow for rotating one of the folder components into a parallel, spaced apart relationship with another of the folder components.
- 9. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 which comprises first and second stationary components for respectively supporting the first and second folder components in said parallel, spaced apart relationship.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a division of application Ser. No. 09/705,214 filed 2 Nov. 2000 for FILE FOLDERS. Application Ser. No. 09/705,214 is related to provisional application No. 60/163,143 filed 2 Nov. 1999. The benefit of the filing date of the provisional application has been claimed.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60163143 |
Nov 1999 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09705214 |
Nov 2000 |
US |
Child |
10815456 |
Mar 2004 |
US |