CA1052956A - Adhesive edge binding and jogging machine - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A paper-cardboard intermix platform with triple traverse barriers and 2 escapements, fastened to a tilt vibratory jogger across which there are 3 dashpot feeds with intermittent strokes pushing against a 2-piece lateral barrier fastened to a stationary frame. Moving up and down the 2-piece lateral barrier and passing under an electronic latex applicator is a picker-gripper mechanism stroked on a carriage sliding on a T-bar attached to the frame which delivers the product to a holdback gate to clear the barrier channel for the next automatic cycle.

Description

lOS2956 SPECIFICATION
,-, This invention relates to an automatic machine for the combination of printed business forms and backing board, and the application of latex to hold the combination together as a pad.
It is common in the present operation of business form suppliers, that all form sheets produced on an offset press for padding are printed on bond paper and held by one edge of each sheet to the same edges of other sheets and an edge of backing board by a series of hand worked operations: e.g. as the printed 10 forms come from the presses on skids, the operator 'lifts' about ~3 a 9" stack and sets it flat sheet area down on a table. Using a 'counting fork' he removes 25, 50, 75 or 100 sheets from the top of the stack and begins making a combined stack by adding a backing board each 'count' until a sizable number have been piled up. Lifting a convenient handling load off the stack, about 9"
or so, he carries the 'lift' to set the edges on a flat deck jogger. Taking time to control the alignment of this edge, he then compresses the 'lift' with his armpower, lifts and turns it ~ over to one right angled edge and again holds and jogs for ¦ 20 alignment of the new edge. Care must be taken in handling or the alignment of either edge can be lost. The stack is again lifted and carried back to the table to be weighted down for the next operation. Latex is then paintbrushed on one perpendicular j surface of edges and when all pads are connected together, the stack3 is left to dry. Next, the operator scans the stack and finding the backboard dividers, he inserts a sharp knife, cuts through the latex connector as many times as there are pads in the stack, till each pad is separated and so it goes to packing and shipping.
! I have found that this manpower fatigue can be removed by ~ 30 using a vibratory angle jogger to align the loads that will jog ". . - ~ , -.

- -` lOS2956 continuously till the machine stop buttons are contacted. Using a separate frame structure that does not touch the jogger to restrict the vibrations, business forms can be moved across the jogger platform by air cylinder dashpots and intermixed by sliding down a stationary lateral barrier using a vacuum hold manifold and a picker-vise mechanism on a T-bar and carriage. The single pad is ribbon latexed while passing through a light sensor and taken away from the barrier passage to a holdback gate till a stacked load is complete.
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention:
Figure 1 is a .15% actual, right side view of the basic .3J elements of the machine and essential detail including the latex applicato0 and holdback identification. -' Figure 2 is a .15% actual, left side view of the open side of the platform including the three traverse barriers, three cable dashpots and fences, the unload gate, the control and wiring panels; plus a 30% actual of the pad pusher and holdbacks.
Figure 3 is a .15% actual, front view showing the sectioning of the platform, the isolation frame, the solenoids, and the T-bar position; plus a 30% actual of the latex applicator , mounting.
Figure 4 is a .30% actual, plan view and full size detail of the T-bar and carriage, the supporting of the lateral barrier ~ and the stroke cylin~er attachment.
j Figure 5 is a full size, plan and front view of the vacuum manifold and the picker-gripper housing.
Figure 6 is the schematic layout of the electric circuit.
The basic elements of the machine illustrated in Figure 1, comprises an enclosed rectangular box on four casters 1 to house a small air compressor 2 safety valved to 90 lb. pressure, and a vacuum pump 3 with an output of 28 lb., both motor driven. On its own casters behind the box sits a ceramic lined latex pressure if~ 2.

--- lOSZ956 ; tank 4 and on the top of the box is a rated impulse electric vibrator 5 with four rubber mountings attached to an aluminum bar base 6 with four additional rubber feet. These are the basic components, the specific use of the machine is in the design of the details numbered from 7 to 55.
Fastened to the vibrator angle bracket 5 outlined in Fig.3 ~ is a 3/8" x 12" wide, four sectioned Polyethylene plate 7 out of ;~ which rises 3 thermoplastic traverse barriers at 90 degrees, ~ two 53~" high and one 4 3/4" high, to jog the loads into a 2 ,¦ 10 plane edge alignment. Traverse barrier 8 has a gap of .040" at s, the lateral side controlled by the thermoplastic slide escapement bar 9 and actuated by a reverse action cylinder 10 which is internally spring returned to trail up the exitting backboard and restrict the next board from escaping, then, spring in to close off the escapement.
Centre traverse barrier 11 is set 3/4" distant from 15, Fig.5 on which the paper load rides and drops down .130" to the thermoplastic slide escapement bar 12. Slide 12 opens the closure when its angle is pushed back by the upward travel of 20 bar 52, Fig.5, and picker 53; then, when bar 52 moves away on the next cycle, two springs 13, Fig.5, cause slide 12 to trail up the last form of the pad escaping and spring in to lateral barrier 15 to close off the escapement. Barrier-gate 14, Fig.2 for the 'finished' pads is a tilt slide plate across the lower platform, under which is attached a 5" stroke cylinder manually switched to hold up or hold down to permit 'finished' load removal.
; Down the right side of the isolation frame 22 in Fig.3, runs a centre split lateral barrier 15, see actual Fig.4, made of two 30 Polyethylene rectangular plates performing as a stationary sur-face against which the two upper dashpots 16 and 17, Fis.2, inter-{~ mittently push, and away from which, the lower dashpot 18 intermit-tently traps the 'unload' pads. Dashpot feed 16 is a 3~" and 17 : . .

lOS2956 lS a 10" double acting 1" bore cable cylinder set on a time delay to move the paper load over to the escapement, hold the load for 'picking' and release the pad for the push stroke of the master cylinder. Dashpot 18 is a double acting 1" bore cable cylinder with a 10" stroke on a time delay to allow the pad pusher to move in on the cylinder air cushion which is regulator controlled to 15 lbs. to trap the 'unload' stack against the holdbacks.
-' Each dashpot has a holding fence made of .060" sheet 10 aluminum anodized for sealing. The 3~" fence 19 is set parallel to the lateral barrier surface; the 10" centre fence 20 is off- -parallel to the lateral surface 7 degrees to ascertain that ~i~ jogging alignment is not hindered after clamping even though pressure is only exerted ~" up from the 11 barrier when the load is trapped for the pickers.
~ Holding fence 21 in the 'unload' station is a reverse action J to the other in-feeding fences, for the air cushion within the cylinder on the off/on control of the solenoid and time delay, is overcome by the greater pressure of the pad pusher cylinders 20 and it is driven back to perform the function of trapping against the holdbacks rather than feeding to the barrier.
` The fixed isolation frame 22 is a 35 degree structure of 3/8" x 1~" aluminum bar fastened to-the box top at a setting of ~" clearance from any point of proximity to the jogger platform.
The bottom crossbars and five uprights are welded so that the two struts rising on the left side Fig.2 and three struts on the right side are rigid. The left side uprights provide anchorage for the control panel 23 and wiring chassis 24, and support the left latching bracket 25 for the hinged gate. The right side 30 uprights provide unting support for bar 26 holding four air solenoids and one vacuum solenoid, but primarily they locate T-bar 27, Fig.4.
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The lateral barrier is fitted into an aluminum frame Fig.4 consisting of two 3/8" x 3" x 7~" endplates 27A into which are s, set two 1/8" x 1" x 36" angle aluminum tie bars 27B and 27C to hold the Polyethylene barrier strips rigid. The T-bar 27 attached to the endplates is a ~" x 2" x 353;~" hardened aluminum T-section providing a straightedge for the lateral carriage movement. Both carriages 28 and 28A are fabricated from two 3/16" x 1 5/16" x 23~" aluminum channel pieces bridged by two 35"
square x 19~" aluminum bars 28B and 28C to make one unit that can 10 be pushed and pulled by a 1 1/8" bore x 15" stroke, double acting cylinder 29 attached to the underside of the T-bar by two brackets 30 and 30A; the bearing pads 31 are 12 in number and are made of "~ fluorocarbon; the twelve stainless steel set screws 32 have thermoplastic tips for bearing surfaces.
The pad pusher plate 33 Fig.2, is a thermoplastic cutout rectangle ~" x 2~" x 73~" moved by two miniature ~" bore 1" stroke '1 cylinders 34, spring returned, each mounted on a separate bracket ~-35 on top of the lateral barrier angle support, adjustable for push/pull discrepancies. The pusher plate face is set .030"
20 below the lateral surface and when signalled by the microswitch, push the newly latexed pad out 1" from the barrier and beyond the four holdbacks 36 Fig.2, then delay for 2 seconds on a timer.
The holdbacks are installed to prevent the increasing load ~ from falling back into the 1" takeoff area and blocking the :~ passage of the next pad. The two lower holdbacks are spring latches that depress when passed over and extend at the extremity .
of the pusher plate travel. The two top holdbacks are fluoro-carbon slides actuated by two miniature ~" stroke 3~" bore cylinders 37 microswitch controlled and set at 45 degrees to lift 30 away from the wet latex on the pad being pushed, and close again ' on spring return after a 1 second time delay.
The 30 degree, two piece aluminum bracket 38 positioning ' the latex valve 39 is adjustable by both vertical and horizontal 5.

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- lOSZ956 slots. The control of the application comes from a light source reflector 40 positioned in the lateral barrier ~" beyond the point . of escapement slide 12 Fig.l. When the pad is drawn through the escapement it crosses the reflective scanner line and a signal is sent through the relay to the latex valve to open the pressure and apply a ribbon of .004 - .005" th~kness x pad width to the pad edge passing under it. Note that the ribbon thickness is constant but the width can be changed by clipping on to the valve 'out' port 41, a nozzle inserted with fluorocarbon made to ` 10 specified dimensions. While under the scanner, the application of latex is exactl~ the same as the pad variations for, as the instant of reflection ceases the closeoff is made. The latex is ~ pressurized at 35-40 lbs. in the ceramic lined three gallon tank ¦ 4, Fig.l, all fittings in the pressure lid are quick release ~ -couplings for refilling and restart, hoses and nozzles are fluorocarbon inserted and maintenance free, needing only to be washed out with water at a tap connection when removed from the l-unit.
3 There are 2 action sub-assemblies oach having motion on the 20 T-bar by attachment to the carriage 28 moving up and down the lateral barrier. The vacuum manifold 42, Fig.5, is made of thermo-plastic and is a dual outlet piping vacuum pull to the two cups 43 moving forward ~" on a cylinder rod out of a 3/4" bore cylinder 44 within a slide housing 45 at the top end of the carriage; it moves the backing board down the inside surface of the lateral barrier. The vacuum pump 3, Fig.l, supplies energy through solenoid V2, Fig.6, and connections 46, Fig.5, to hold and release at microswitch signal.
The picker-gripper housing 47 is made of thermoplastic and 30 mounted on the front end of the carriage 28. The mechanism is actuated by a ~" stroke 3/4" bore cylinder 48. The cylinder rod pushes a fluorocarbon slide with an angled edge 49, which, when ~ ~i, 6.

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lO5Z956 extended moves a thermoplastic gripper slide 50 as the moving jaw of a vise returned by two springs 51.
The action when impulsed by solenoid valve A2, Fig.6, is to push the 30 degree upper wedge down upon the 60 degree wedge end of the clamp slide and thrust the 'hold' end against the pad.
The adjustable picker bar 52 is hardened aluminum angled at 45 degrees on the end contacting the escapement slide 12 and has a hardened steel picker insert with smooth radius and polished to prevent paper digging damage to the forms. The stroke cylinder . A
29 having completed the 'pull' to the top of the lateral barrier, imbeds the picker into the load at the required 'count' setting and the picker becomes the load ledge. As the pad is set up, the ` 45 degree angle of 52 has pushed the 12 barrier slide back and holds it there. It is imperative that the ledge point of 12 and the 90 degree and ledge of the picker 53 be precisely aligned within .002". The pad ledge of the picker stops on a time delay of approximately 2 seconds to allow the intermittent dashpot 17 to exhaust the feed pressure before the moving jaw 50 is actuated, and before the 'push' stroke of 29 begins.
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When the push/pull 15" cylinder goes into the 'push' stroke, the 45 degree angle of the picker bar moves off the escapb nt slide 45 degrees and the pad moves through the escapement. The ~` 12 slide point spring pressures the exitting pad to restrict an excess of paper escape and the pad movement down the lateral barrier makes an opening for the backing board coming at the same speed into the opening to be released to jog into position .030"
before reaching the 12 ledge.
The air system consists of seven intermittent air-electric solenoids 54, six of which give motion and air supply check to all ~ 30 the cylinders, the seventh giving vacuum control of the backing ; board. All motion is microswitch controlled and in addition, feed dashpots 16 and 17 Fig.l have limit switches installed to 105~956 shut off the machine when just over a single pad thickness remains, and unload dashpot 18 has a limit switch to shut off the machine when the stacker is full.
The electric circuit giving the whole sequential mechanism motion is defined in the legend of the wiring diagram Fig.6 with connections made of single strand wire, terminal blocks and spade connectors. The control panel has 7 illuminated switches identified as; a button for power into the main circuit; a button for power into the vacuum pump motor; an off/on button for the air compressor; an automatic cycle button; a jog button ` to provide single cycle for setup etc.; a complete stop button;
~, a vibrator power button; and also, a vibrator rate control module with a fuse for overload.
Flow of a bundle through the device is as follows:
~ hen the vibratory jogger, the air system and vacuum pump are turned on, the upper barrier 8 is manually loaded with 120 ; ' 5 cardboards and the centre barrier 11 is manually loaded with 2000 bond paper sheets, the automatic cycle will progressively ;~ make the pad formation in this manner: Solenoid A2 is open to ~ -apply pressure to the dashpots holding the cardboard and bond paper loads. Solenoid A5 then opens the 'pull' port of cylinder 29 for the carriage to travel up the T-bar and imbed the picker into the load on escapement 12 to count out a pad thickness.
When a spring loaded plunger mounted on the vacuum manifold reaches microswitch V2, solenoid V2 opens the vacuum lines to the manifold suction cups. Another plunger on the vacuum manifold 1 triggers the A2 microswitch and a Dl-2 second time delay becomes operative. During the interval of 2 seconds solenoid A3 (a) permits cylinder 44 Fig.5 to move the vacuum manifold forward to hold a single cardboard at escapement 9, (b) actuate cylinder ' 48 to move the clamp wedge in to grip the pad picked off on escapement 12.
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As the ingoing vacuum manifold triggers microswitch 3, the D2-3 second time delay becomes operative (a) to prevent the movement of the stroke cylinder 29 while the dashpots are re-leasing their pressure, ~b) permit solenoid A4 to move reverse cylinder 10 to pull back escapement slide 9 to microswitch 4, and spring return slide 9 to trail up the backboard when cylinder ~-~ 29 moves. As the time delay expires, the speed control of solenoid A5 (a) moves the carriage units on cylinder 29, and the backboard is vacuum 'pulled' through the escapement into the . .~ .
10 passage left by the moving pad, then released at the level of escapement slide 12 to jog with the bond paper, and (b) 'gripper' pull the pad through escapement 12.
As the pad passes through escapement 12 about ~", the ;
leading edge sets up the reflective scanner RS 40 to open latex valve 39 and turn on ribbon applicator 41. The pad is 'pulled' ~, by gripper 50-52 through the 15" stroke of cylinder 29, until the trailing edge of the pad sets up the cutoff signal. Micro-switch 10 can also stop the ribbon applicator in emergencies.
~i Now latexed, the pad approaches barrier-gate 14 in the takeoff 20 passage behind the holdbacks. A spring tripper attached to the picker-gripper end of the carriage pushes microswitch 5, then (a) solenoid V2 closes off the vacuum to free the backboard to jog onto escapement 9, while (b) solenoid A2 in tandem, releases s ,~, . .
~ gripper cylinder 48 to free the latexed pad to jog onto barrier--~ gate 14 and (c) release the vacuum manifold cylinder 44 to ~ return on the cylinder spring.
Y The 52-53 picker travels ~" into a cutout in the barrier-~ gate and contacts microswitch 6, in turn solenoid 6 activates 'A~ two cylinders 37 Fig.2, pulling back two slides 36 set on a 45 30 degree angle to clear the pad height and hold in retraction on a D2-2 second time delay to allow the takeoff pusher time to deliver the new pad to the stack. Within the 2 second delay, ~,~
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~OSZ956 microswitch 7 opens solenoid 7 to pressure the two cylinders 34 to move the new pad beyond the holdbacks 36. Moving the pad in depresses the two bottom holdbacks 36A, moving past them and leaving the pad, allows spring back to the hold position. On return contact with microswitch 8, the cylinder springs of 37 return the top slides 36 so that the four holdbacks are in stack holding position. Slides 36 contact microswitch 9 on their return, and on expiry of the D2-2 second delay, solenoid 7 closes and the cylinder springs return the pad pusher 33 Fig.2 to the lateral barrier 15 pocket. When the pusher plate return contacts microswitch 10, (a) solenoid A2 applies pressure against dashpot fences 16 and 17 and, (b) solenoid A5 starts the 'pull' stroke of cylinder 29 and moves the carriage up the T-bar to begin a new cycle. ~-~
Note: When the barrier-gate 14 has filled to touch the ; machine shutoff microswitch, manual unloading is necessary. --Proceed as follows: Flip the manual air reverse toggle on cable cylinder 18. This performs (a) the depressurizing of the fence behind the load and (b) the pulling down of the barrier-gate by actuating the vertical latching cylinder 55 to permit removal of the stack of finished pads for packing. Re-set the manual ; toggle switch to return to fence pressure and to return the barrier-gate for automatic cycle.
This same sequential mechanism with modifications for other - intermix applications, or for various stroke lengths could be adapted to any form of loose sheets ~hat can be picked off an escapement and presented by edge combination for a fastening method to maintain collation. This list could include writing ~ tablets; memo pads; cash receipt, sales or cheque books that can !~ 30 be coupled more readily by adhesive than staples; tear apart forms with carbon paper insets that can be padded more easily ,. ~ .
than perforated: or paperback books held together by adhesive by developing other special attachments.
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Claims (4)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows;

1. A machine, automated for processing adhesive to one edge of a single pad of business forms while stack alignment is taking place, comprising an upper, tilt frame attached platform into which approximately 120 cardboard backings are manually loaded to be controlled by an escapement slide; a centre vibratory jogger, tilt platform barrier into which is manually loaded approximately 2000 sheets of bond paper to be controlled by the escapement slide; and a lower vibratory jogger tilt platform with a frame attached, unload barrier-gate which is empty to receive pads and is retractable when loaded; down a side, closing off all three platforms is a lateral tilt frame barrier, centre split to permit a two-station transfer carriage (a) to move a single cardboard back-ing via a vacuum manifold from the upper level at the opening of the escapement which is spring loaded, to a closed escape-ment of the centre level; and (b) a picker-gripper vise arm to move a single pad thickness of cardboard and bond paper from the open escapement of the centre level, and in this motion!
pass the pad under an electronic sensor that starts and stops an application of a .004" ribbon of adhesive coating to a single pad edge, and take the pad through a stroke to a lower closed barrier-gate level which is closed; the three levels each have a cable cylinder dashpot below the platform, to move side closure fences under pressure above the platform, and intermittently push or trap the loads as the stroke moves the pads; the lower level barrier-gate becomes filled one at a time for approximately 50 pads as the transfer carriage completes each stroke; a pusher plate set into the lateral barrier moves out one inch up to four pad holdbacks, leaves the pad in the stack, and returns; when filled the lower barrier-gate is air retracted by a manual switch to permit the accumulated load of adhesive coated individual pads to move off the platform into a container.

2. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 in which the gripper vise arm has spring returned linear slide gripping pads on the movement of its 30 degree angle end by a 60 degree wedge.

3. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the gripper vise arm end is chamfered to 45 degrees and precisely retracts the spring loaded escapement slide of the centre traverse barrier to prevent excess paper escape.

4. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 in which the two station transfer carriage slides on 24 fluorocarbon button inserts that contact a hardened aluminum T-bar and fix spacing adjustment by 12 locked set screws.