431,406. Feeding webs; perforating-machines. WOOLFORD, F. B., Britannia Engineering Works, Carpenters Road, Stratford, London. Jan. 8, 1934, No. 649. [Class 100 (i)] [See also Group VIII] In a perforating-machine in which the web to be perforated is fed intermittently through the machine, there is provided a continuous band engaging with the web to move the latter, which is driven by an intermittently-actuated driving- member through a resilient coupling which tends to hold a wheel driving the band and the driving-member in fixed relation one with the other, and a stop which is periodically moved into position to engage with and halt the bands. In the machine shown in Fig. 1, the web is fed from a roll 57 by continuously rotating rollers 58, 61 over a floating roller 63 to two chains 22, which are arranged at each side of the machine and are provided with projecting pins which engage holes already formed in the paper web. The chains are driven by sprockets 26 rotatably mounted on a cam-and-ratchet driven shaft 26a, Fig. 4, from a main drive shaft 6 which drives a cam shaft 31 controlling a linkage for oscillating the pawl-carrying member 31<h>. The ratchet 26b with which the pawl 31k engages is fixed to the shaft 26<a> and to a driving disc 32. A disc 32 is provided at each end of the shaft and each is coupled to a chain sprocket 26 by a spring 33 fixed to the disc and to a pin 26c fixed to the sprocket, the pins being movable to a limited extent, when the sprocket is held, in slots 33c in the discs. The ratchet gear tends to move the chains 22 through a distance slightly greater than that required for register of the design with the perforating member 1, and the web is halted when it has reached its proper position by means of racks 41 formed with teeth 42, which come into contact with a pin on the chains in sequence, and are lowered into engagement to hold the web during the perforating periods by a crank 31 and linkage shown. The shaft 26a is held after each impulse from the ratchet gear by a pawl which engages a ratchet fixed to the shaft, and the feed of the web is further assisted by feed rollers 54 driven from the shaft 26a. The racks 41 are carried by a slide 50 adjustable by micrometers 52, and means 56 may be provided for cutting and cross-cutting the web into sheets. In a modification, the chains may be halted by means of stops which are projected by cam means to engage with the links of the chains. The stops are supported by brackets which are adjustable along guides in the frame by means of hand wheels. One bracket is adjustable by means of a shaft, and the other by means of a sleeve fitting over this shaft so as to be independently adjustable ; and a collar is provided which may grip the shaft and sleeve so that both brackets may be adjusted simultaneously. The perforating unit 1 of Fig. 1, which operates while the web is at rest, is carried in a beam 2 arranged to be reciprocated vertically in fixed guides 3 arranged in the side frames, and the beam 2 is driven from a lower beam 5 which is itself driven from the main shaft 6. The beams 2 and 5 are connected by rods 7, each carrying a toothed wheel 8 with which meshes a wheel 9 adapted to be rotated from a handle carried by a shaft 12, so that as the handle is rotated, the rods 7, which are in screw-threaded engagement with the beam 2 but are not axially movable, cause the distance between the beams to be adjusted. The beam 5 carries straps 15 having rollers 16, 17 engaging cams 18, 19 on the main shaft 6 which serve to impart the reciprocating movement to the beams, the return being assisted by springs 20. In the modification shown in Fig. 6, a plurality of perforating units 1<a> .. 1<d> are provided, the first of which moves independently of the other three, which are actuated at each perforating movement, while the unit 1<a> only operates at alternate movements. The perforating units, guides, and upper beams are mounted on a slide 65 which can move in the line of motion of the web through a fixed distance limited by adjustable stops 79, 79a. This movement is brought about by cams 6a on two driven shafts 6 which engage rollers 70 and swing a rod 71 to the left or right. The rod 71 imparts its movement to the slide 65 by two interfitting and relatively slidably sleeves 74, 75, within which are mounted two springs serving to ensure the movement of the slide to which is united the sleeve 75. When the slide is in engagement with the stop 79, all the perforating members operate, the web and slide being rendered stationary simultaneously. Cams 18 effect the upward and downward movement of the lower beam 66, with which engage rollers 67, 68, carried by the upper beams, but when the slide is moved into engagement with the stop 79<a> a notch 69 in the beam 66 is brought opposite the roller 67 carried by the upper beam of the perforating unit 1<a>, so that upon the descent of the lower beam in this position, the upper beam of this unit is not brought down and the other three units only perforate the web. A number of notches 69 may be provided, this arrangement permitting a complete design to be produced in two operations, and a number of cams 6<a>, rods 71, and sleeves 74, 75 may be provided to drive the slide 65. When the machine is operated in association with a printing or other machine, each machine may be constructed with its own feeding-mechanism, or such mechanism may be common to both machines. Specification 389,610 is referred to.