Automatic fortune cookie folding machine

Claim 2

A machine for folding flat circular wafers into the shape characteristic of fortune cookies comprising; a. means for folding a wafer once along one of its diameters so that a semicircularly shaped article is formed; b. two pair of pincer means constructed and arranged to grasp a once-folded wafer at opposite ends of the first fold line; c. a member having an edge arranged to extend away from the plane of a once-folded wafer which is grasped by said pairs of pincer means; and d. operating means to move said pairs of pincer means toward one another and toward said edge so that the midpoint of the firSt fold line is brought against said edge and, followingly, a second fold is made so the twice-folded wafer has the shape characteristic of a fortune cookie, said operating means being further operative to thence move said pincer means to release the twice-folded wafer.

Claim 3

A machine according to claim 1 wherein said operating means includes a shuttle on which said pairs of pincer means are carried, said shuttle being mounted for to-and-fro movement from the position whereat a once-folded wafer is initially grasped by said pairs of pincer means to a position whereat the twice-folded article is released by said pincer means.

Claim 4

A machine according to claim 1 further including a pair of juxtaposed endless belts that extent away from said location whereat the wafers are released by said pincer means, said pair of belts being constructed and arranged to grip the twice-folded wafers on edge therebetween as the wafers are released by said pincer means and to followingly carry the wafers to discharge.

Claim 5

A machine according to claim 3 further including drive means to drive said juxtaposed endless belts simultaneously to carry said twice-folded wafers to discharge.

Claim 6

A machine according to claim 3 wherein said juxtaposed endless belts are arranged relatively far apart whereat the wafers are released by said pincer means and are arranged to move progressively nearer one another as the wafers are carried to discharge.

Claim 7

A machine according to claim 1 wherein each said pairs of pincers means comprises two associated pincer members which are mounted side-by-side with their one ends pivotally connected to a common member and the other ends are jaws that are free for movement toward and away from one another.

Claim 8

A machine according to claim 6 wherein rotatable jaw pieces are connected to said free ends of said associated members to face one another.

Claim 9

A machine according to claim 6 wherein said operating means further includes a shuttle on which said pairs of pincer means are carried, said shuttle being mounted for to-and-fro movement from the position whereat a once-folded wafer is initially grasped by said pairs of pincer means to a position whereat the twice-folded article is released by said pincer means.

Claim 10

A machine according to claim 8 wherein said shuttle includes and carries shafts which fixedly extend therefrom in two divergent directions and wherein said common members are collars which are slidably associated with ones of said shafts and, further, wherein said operating means incluses means connected to said collars to selectively reciprocatively move the same along said shafts.

Claim 11

A machine according to claim 9 wherein said means that are connected to said collars includes linkages which travels with said shuttle.

Claim 12

A machine according to claim 10 wherein said operating means is constructed and arranged so that said pincer means are moved toward one another by said linkage at the same time that said shuttle is moved toward said release position.

Claim 13

A machine according to claim 11 further including a pair of juxtaposed endless belts that extend away from said location whereat the wafers are released by said pincer means, said pair of belts being constructed and arranged to grip the twice-folded wafers on edge therebetween as the wafers are released by said pincer means and to followingly carry the wafers to discharge.

Claim 14

A machine according to claim 12 wherein said pincer means are arranged to move in a direction transverse to the longitudinal center lines of said belts so that said jaws grasp the once-folded wafers at one side of said center lines and release the twice-folded wafers at the other side of said center lines.

Claim 15

A machine according to claim 12 wherein said member over whose edge the second fold is made is further constructed and arranged parallel to said endless belts so that a twice-folded wafer straddles and is supported by said edge as the twice-folded wafer travels to discharge between said endless belts.

Claim 18

A device according to claim 15 including gate means that define said slot-like opening, said means comprising a pair of pivotal plate members between which said slot is defined and means biasing said plate members to a position coplanar with said flat surface, said gate means being operable to swing apart to increase the width of said slot as said reciprocating means pressed a wafer therethrough.

Claim 19

A device according to claim 16 wherein said reciprocating means includes a plate-like plunger member disposed to pass on edge through said slot and a rib of tapering width that is disposed on said plunger member for progressively urging said gates apart as said plunger passes through said slot.

Claim 20

A device according to claim 17 further including a pair of juxtaposed endless belts that extend away from said location whereat the wafers are released by said pincer means, said pair of belts being constructed and arranged to grip the twice-folded wafers on edge therebetween as the wafers are released by said pincer means and to followingly carry the wafers to discharge.

Claim 21

A machine for folding flat circular wafers into the shape characteristic of fortune cookies comprising: a. a horizontally disposed turntable which is mounted for rotation about a spindle supported from a stationary frame, said turntable having a verticil of regularly spaced apertures formed through it with the center of the verticil being generally concentric with the spindle and each of said apertures being adapted to hold a flat wafer therein; b. indexing means operable to rotate said turntable at intervals through a preselected angle so that there are predetermined stations whereat each of said apertures pause; c. a flat member stationarily mounted beneath said turntable for supporting the wafers that lie in said apertures; said support having a slot-like opening formed therethrough in communication with and immediately below one of said predetermined stations, said slot-like opening being at least as long as said apertures are wide and narrow enough so that the flat wafers are supported thereover; d. a reciprocating means constructed and arranged to move to press wafer overlying said slot therethrough to make a first fold in the wafer along its diameter which is parallel to the length of said slot; and e. means constructed and arranged to form a second fold at the midpoint of the once-folded wafer so the twice-folded wafer has the shape characteristic of a fortune cookie.

Claim 22

A machine for folding flat circular wafers into the shape characteristic of fortune cookies comprising: a. a horizontally disposed turntable which is mounted for rotation about a spindle supported from a stationary frame, said turntable having a verticil of regularly spaced apertures formed through it with the center of the verticil being generally concentric with the spindle and each of said apertures being adapted to hold a flat wafer therein; b. indexing means operable to rotate said turntable at intervals through a preselected angle so that there are predetermined stations whereat each of said apertures pause; c. a flat member stationarily mounted beneath said turntable for supporting the wafers that lie in said apertures; said support having a slot-like opening formed therethrough in communication with and immediately below one of said predetermined stations, said slot-like opening being at least as long as said apertures are wide and narrow enough so that the flat wafers are supported thereover; d. a reciprocating means constructed and arranged to move to press wafer overlying said slot therethrough to make a first fold in the wafer along its diameter which is parallel to the length of said slot; and e. means constructed and arranged to form a second fold at the midpoint of the once-folded wafer so the twice-folded wafer has the shape characteristic of a fortune cookie.

Claim 23

A machine according to claim 19 wherein said second fold forming means comprises: a. two pairs of pincer means constructed and arranged to move to grasp a once-folded wafer at opposte ends of the first fold line; b. a membEr stationarily fixed to said frame having an edge which extends perpendicular to the plane of the once-folded wafer which is grasped by said pairs of pincer means; and c. operating means arranged to move said pairs of pincer means toward one another and toward said edge so that the midpoint of the first fold line is brought against said edge and followingly, the second fold is made over said edge, said operating means being further operative to move said pincer means to release the twice-folded wafer.

Claim 24

A machine according to claim 20 wherein said operating means includes a shuttle on which said pairs of pincer means are carried, said shuttle means being mounted for to-and-fro movement from the position whereat a once-folded wafer is initially grasped by said pairs of pincer means to a position whereat the twice-folded article is released by said pincer means.

Claim 25

A machine according to claim 21 further including a pair of parallel endless belts that extend away from said location whereat the wafers are released by said pincer means, said pair of belts being contructed and arranged to grip the twice-folded wafers on edge therebetween as the wafers are released by said pincer means and to followingly carry the the wafers to discharge.

Claim 26

A machine according to claim 19 including means for positioning wafers that lie on the surface of said turntable to fall into said apertures.

Claim 27

A machine according to claim 23 wherein said positioning means comprises an arm that is constructed and arranged to slide over the surface of said turntable, said arm having a generally concave edge that is arranged to guide an advancing wafer into position to fall into one of said apertures which move under said arm as said turntable is rotated.

Claim 28

A machine according to claim 19 wherein said support plate has a second, relatively large opening formed therethrough extending away from said first opening in the direction of turntable rotation for the disposal of wafers that failed to pass fully through said first opening.

Claim 29

In a machine for folding flat circular wafers into the shape characteristic of fortune cookies including a mechanism for folding a wafer once along one of its diameters so that a semicircularly shaped article is formed and a member having an edge against which the once-folded article is pressed to make a second fold, a mechanism for moving the once-folded article against said edge to make the second fold to achieve the characteristic fortune cookie shape comprising: a. two pairs of pincers constructed and arranged to grasp a once-folded wafer at opposte ends of the first fold line; operating means to move said parts of pincers toward one another and toward said edge so that the midpoint of the first fold line is pressed against said edge and, followingly, a second fold is made about said edge so the twice-folded wafer has the shape characteristic of a fortune cookie, said operating means being further operative to thence move said pincers to release the twice-folded wafer.

Claim 30

In a machine for folding flat circular wafers into the shape characteristic of fortune cookies including a mechanism for folding a wafer once along one of its diameters so that a semicircularly shaped article is formed and a member having an edge against which the once-folded article is pressed to make a second fold, a mechanism for moving the once-folded article against said edge to make the second fold to achieve the characteristic fortune cookie shape comprising: a. two pairs of pincers constructed and arranged to grasp a once-folded wafer at opposte ends of the first fold line; operating means to move said parts of pincers toward one another and toward said edge so that the midpoint of the first fold line is pressed against said edge and, followingly, a second fold is made about said edge so the twice-folded wafer has the shape characteristic of a fortune cookie, said operating means being further operative to thence move said pincers to release the twice-folded wafer.

Claim 31

In a machine according to claim 26, said operating means including a shuttle on which said pairs of pincers means are carried, said shuttle being mounted for to-and-fro movement from the position whereat a once-folded wafer is initially grasped by said pairs of pincer means to a position whereat the twice-folded article is released by said pincer means.

Claim 32

In a machine according to claim 27, a further discharge mechanism including a pair of juxtaposed endless belts that extend away from said location whereat the wafers are released by said pincer means, said pair of belts being constructed and arranged to grip the twice-folded wafers on edge therebetween as the wafers are released by said pincer means and to followingly carry the wafers to discharge.

Claim 33

In a machine according to claim 28, each pair of said pairs of pincer means comprising two associated pincer members which are mounted side-by-side with their one ends pivotally connected to a common mEmber and with their other ends being jaws that are free for movement toward and away from one another.

Claim 34

In a machine according to claim 29, said member over whose edge the second fold is made being further constructed and arranged parallel to said endless belts so that a twice-folded wafer straddles and is supported by said edge as the twice-folded wafer travels to discharge between said endless belts.

Claim 35

In a machine according to claim 28, said operating means including a contoured member arranged between each of said pairs of pincers to wedge the jaws of said pincers apart at preselected positions along the travel of said pairs.