GB1036132A - Sheet feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1,036,132. Feeding sheets. SAMCO-STRONG Ltd. Jan. 28, 1963 [Jan. 29, 1962], No. 3256/62. Heading B6B. Sheet feeding apparatus comprises two intermittently-movable, parallel, endless chains passing around pairs of spaced sprocket wheels 12, 14, gripper bars 18 connected transversely between the chains and carrying spring jaws 19 for gripping a sheet, a rod 22 supported by each bar and movable lengthwise thereof between a retracted and an extended position, the rod co-operating with the jaws to open them when it is moved from the retracted to the extended position and to close them when returned to the retracted position, and means for moving the rod between said retracted and extended positions. Each bar 18 is provided with grooves 21 in which two rods 22 are slidably mounted. At each jaw 19, the underlying rod 22 is provided with slot 23 in which links 24, 25 are situated, Fig. 6. The links are pivotally connected by a pin 27 carrying a roller 28. The links 24 and 25 are connected to the rod 22 and bar 18 at 26 and 30, respectively. Movement of the rod 22 to the right, as seen in Fig. 6, flexes the links 24, 25 whereby the roller 28 is raised to open the jaw 19. The rods are returned to their retracted positions under the spring pressure of the jaws 19. Additional spring means may be provided to aid the return of the rods. The grippers are opened and closed at the sheet reception station 9 and the sheet release station 11 by units 31 (Fig. 8). Each unit 31 comprises a bracket 32 fixed to a sprocket wheel. The bracket supports rollers 33, 34 on which a plate 35 slides parallel to the axis of the sprocket wheel. The plate 35 has a roller 39 at its upper edge and an extension 37 at its lower edge. As the gripper approaches a pair of sprocket wheels the extension 37 engages a recess 38 in the appropriate rod 22 and remains in engagement with the recess during the movement of the gripper about the sprocket wheels. The gripper is stopped at the sheet reception station 9 and the plate 35 moved to open the gripper by an arm 40 which engages the roller 39. The arm 40 is fixed to a shaft 41 rotatably mounted in bearings 42. The shaft is rocked by a lever 44 secured to the shaft and provided with a follower 45 engaging a cam 46 attached to a constantly rotating shaft 47. The sprocket wheels 14 at the sheet release station are rotatably mounted on a shaft 15 and carry identical units 31. Stationary cams 50 secured to the shaft 15, co-operate with the units 31 to open the grippers whereby a sheet is released while the grippers are in motion. The mechanism for producing the timed relationship between the shafts 13, 47 is as described in patent Specification 912,995.