GB155305A - Improvements in or relating to paper sheet sorting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

155,305. Spiess, G. July 20, 1916. Delivery apparatus; cutting apparatus; gripper mechanism. -In a machine for cutting a paper web into sheets and separating the faulty sheets from the perfect ones, the web is slit longitudinally into strips which are conducted to cross cutters by endless conveyers on which the strips are inspected prior to being cut. As shown in Fig. 1, the web a is cut by slitters c into two strips which are passed over rollers e, e<1> and conducted to separate cross cut ting devices, (one only of which is shown), by long endless conveyer bands F upon which the strips are inspected prior to being cut into sheets by the rotary cross-cutter blade M. The web passes down a guide N, and its side edges are gripped by grippers 2b carried by two endless chains 1<b>. These grippers comprise jaws G<1>, G<2>, Fig. 5, pivoted at G<3>, the jaw G' having teeth meshing with a pivoted segment G<4> to which the jaw G<2> is connected by a link G<7>. The jaws are closed at the sheet-receiving position by the depression of a rod G<8> against the action of a spring G<10>, the rod being operated by the engagement of a roller G<9> upon it with a cam-bar B<4>, Fig. 1. The gripper is held closed by a spring latch G<12> until the sheet is above the delivery table, whereupon the latches G<12> of all the grippers holding the sheet are simultaneously operated to allow the grippers to open by the depression of bars J<6>, A<3> according to whether the sheet is to be deposited on the pile of perfect sheets or that of the faulty sheets. The bars J<6> operate continuously and are carried by parallel arms J<4>, J<3>, the arm J<3> being connected by link J<2>, and bell-crank J to a lever H<1> oscillated by an eccentric H operated by chain gear from a driving-shaft W. An arm S carried by the shaft J<1> of the bell-crank J depresses the released sheet on to the pile. The bars A<3> are carried by arms A<2>, A<1>, the arm A<2> being connected by link Y, bell-crank w and link v to a bell-crank r carrying a roller r<1> which is normally prevented from following the contour of a rotating cam t by means of a latch q<1> engaging the bell-crank r and connected by linkage p, n, m to a hand-lever l. When a faulty sheet is observed, the handle l is depressed, thereby releasing the bell-crank r and causing a depression of the bars A<3>. The gripper closing cam B' is simultaneously raised by a link B connecting the bell-crank w to a bell-crank B<3> which in connection with an arm B<2> supports the cam B<4>. A sheet-depressing arm C is connected to the shaft x of the bell-crank w. To allow the closing position of the grippers to be varied, the cam B<4> may be adjustably mounted on a bar carried by the bell-crank B<3> and arm B<4>, or the construction shown in Fig. 8 may be employed. In this construction the chain and grippers are arranged as described in Specification 15457/15, but the cam closing-device consists of a length of chain 23, the ends of which are connected by a steel band 24 passing round a sheave 26 which may be turned by hand to adjust the length of the operative part of the chain. This part of the chain forms a continuation of a gripper opening track 15, and the grippers close by springs when their opening- levers 21 move clear of the end of the chain 28, Instead of the chain 28, removable extensions of the track 15 may be provided. To allow the sheets to be carried by the gripper chains with intervening spaces, the chains may be driven through change-speed gear, or may be intermittingly accelerated by using a suitable drivng-gear. The strips may be inspected on both sides before cutting by passing the web over a turning roller a<1> before it reaches the conveyer band F, as shown in Fig. 14.