GB649530A - Sheet feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

649,530. Feeding sheets. DEXTER FOLDER CO. July 31, 1947, No. 20875. Convention date, Sept. 26, 1945. [Class 100 (i)] Sheets or signatures are fed from a pile 32 stacked on edge by a separating device comprising, for example, suction cups 74 yieldingly mounted in a holder 66, Fig. 3, which is carried by links 79, 83, and is connected by links 64 to a support 39 against which the front of the pile rests. To permit ready withdrawal of the sheets from the pile the support 39 is moved inwards by linkage 42, 44, 47 when the shaft 48 of lever 47 is oscillated by a double cam 60 on a main cam-shaft 31 which operates other parts of the mechanism. The front sheet of the pile is separated by the cups 74 when the carrier 66 is moved from the position B, Fig. 3, to position A, which is effected by oscillation of a shaft 45 by means of another cam 86 on shaft 31 and linkage including an arm 98 on shaft 45. The cups 74 then move away from the pile, and the separated sheet is bent around a roller 125, and the leading edge of the sheet is transferred to gripper members 129, 130 on a skeleton cylinder 127 mounted on the shaft 31. As the sheet is forwarded by the grippers 129, 130 the support 39 which is moved to the full line position as the nozzles 74 seize the sheet, is moved away from the front of the pile, and this relief of pressure permits ready withdrawal of the sheet by the grippers. Fig. 1 shows mechanism by means of which a folded sheet or signature can be opened out and fed to a saddle conveyer 189. The folded sheet dealt with has one folded edge which overlaps the other. The sheet is guided around the cylinder 127 by means 'of guideplates 132, and is led by guides 180 to registering stops 181 which engage the folded edge. The trailing edges are engaged by grippers 186, 185, of different lengths, the shorter gripper 186 engaging only the long side of the folded sheet. The grippers are mounted on a cylinder 182, and the sheet is carried around the cylinder until an oscillating stripper device 190 engages under the shorter fold and opens out the sheet causing it to pass in opened condition over a saddle of a saddle conveyer 189. The stripper 190 is operated by a. cam on an idler gear 28 which transmits motion to the cam-shaft 31. The pile is supported on laths 33 between which are arranged feed-bands 136 fitted with friction studs 143. The bands are driven by a ratchetwheel 159 operated by an oscillating lever 157 driven by a cam 144 and provided with a pawl 161, the operation of which is controlled by a feeler lever 163 engaged by the front sheets of the pile. The invention is applicable to feeding sheets or signatures generally, and is not confined to the feeding of the sheets downwardly out of the hopper. The air pressure in the nozzles 74 is controlled by a reciprocating sliding valve 109 connected to a lever 114 oscillated by a cam on the shaft 31.