US1456665A - Elevator-control mechanism for envelope-making machines - Google Patents

Description

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' v A. E. AUGUSTINE ELEVATOR CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINES- 1 m. W." k w miliilll HE cw w m\ HWH YQ N I e h lh m F 3 n 3 21" 9 l 9 l 5 g u A d e l 1 F May 2%, 11923. I Jlfififififig I A. E. AUGUSTINE ELEVATOR CONTROL MECHANISM FORENVELOPE MAKING MACHINES Filed-Aug. 5, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet May 29, 1923. M Y I A. E. AUGUSTINE ELEVATOR CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5, 1919 3 Sheets-$het 5 35% Elf/tonne Fatented May 29, 1923.

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ADDISON E. AUGUSTINE, OF I-IACKENSACK, NEW' JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'ZEO CHESTER MACHINE 00., INQ, OF NEW YORK, N. :1, A CORPURlJlUEQlll OF NEW YORK.

ELEVATOR-CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ENVELGPE-IVIAKING- MACHINES.

Application filed August 5, 1919. Serial No. 315,395.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ADDISON E. AUGUSTINE, residing at Hackensack, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Elevator-Control Mechanism for Envelope-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an elevator control mechanism for envelope-making machines.

An object ofv the invention is to provide an elevator control mechanism which is more simple and at the same time more prac tical and more uniformly efficient than heretofore.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles, constituting theinvention, and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the inven tion; r 1

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of an envelope-making 'machine showing parts of the elevator mechanism'of this invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1. t

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of line III of Fig. 2.

Figure 1 is a similarly enlarged detail view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 2, the hand wheel shaft appearing in Fig. 2 being illustrated in transverse section substantially upon the plane of line IV of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view substantially upon the plane of line V of Fig. 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged side elevational view partly in section illustrating the means of adjustment between certain parts of the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken upon the plane of line VII of Fig. 6, and f continuously therewith.

Upon a parallel shaft 1' carried by the frame L is arranged a supporting bracket 5 providing a movable support 6 for a rock lever 7 which carries at one end an antia friction roller 8 in a position to be operated by the cam 3. The opposite end of the lever 7 is pivotally connected, as at 9, to the lower end of a rod 10, the upper end of which rod 10 has pivotally connected therewith, by means of a pivot pin 11, a pawl 12 arranged for engaging the teeth of a ratchet wheel 13 fixed upon a shaft 14:. The shaft 142 is mounted in an elongated bearing member 15 and carries loosely a crank 16 which inturn supports the pivot pin 11 and pawl 12 so as to maintain the pawl in proper operative association with the teeth of the ratchet at all times.

A tension spring 17 is connected to the rock lever 7 so as to urge the roller 8 toward the surface of the cam 3 and atthe same time to, of course, lift the rod 10 and the pawl 12.

The shape of the cam 3 is such that at each revolution. of, the cam a relatively depressed surface, as 18, of the cam is caused to pass beneath the roller 8. As the surface 18 passes the roller the pawl will move upwardly for engaging the next succeeding tooth of the ratchet 13. If nothing prevents the pawl 12 will move the ratchet the space of one tooth with each revolution of the cam.

A suitable adjustable stop 19 is provided in the lever 7 arranged for engaging the hub 20 of the bracket 5 for positively limiting the upward movement of the pawl.

The shaft 14, to which the ratchet 13 is fixed, carries at its opposite end a worm pinion 21 which meshes with a worm gear 22. The gear 22 is mounted loosely upon-n so thatirotation the shaft 14 will impart a certain "degree of rotation to the'shaft 23 so long as the pawls 24: are in engagement with theratchet 25. l

The shaft 23' is disposed in a horizontal position and is mounted to rotate in bearings 26 provided upon a frame 27 fixed to and depending'from the table 1. Intermediate the bearings 26 the shaft 23 carries fixed thereto asmall gear28, the teeth of which engage the" teeth of a rack bar 29 whichis fixed to the elevator30.

The elevator 30 has opposite guide portions 31 received within appropriate vertical guide slots 32 provided by the frame-27, and the engagement between'the rack bar 29 and the gear 28 is designed for moving the elevator upwardlyjin accordance with the roshaft 14. c

A foundation plate 33 is carried by the tation imparted'to the shaft 23 from the zu'pper surface of the elevator 30 for receiving a pile of envelopeblanks thereon. This I foundation plate is preferably shaped in conformity with the envelope blanks, as

' Clearly seen inFig. 3 upon the drawings, and

is "deta chably connected with the main portion of the elevator, as by a retainlng screw 34:, so that foundation plates of different proportions maybe substituted at will.

'' The pawls 24ers pivotally mounted, at 35, upon therelatively outer surface of the worm gear 22 so that their free ends are a d'aptedto' swing'toward and away from the center line'of' theshaft 23 and therefore intoand out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 25 which teeth projeet-radi ally upon said ratchet. Each of" the pawls carries a finger'36 which extend thru'openings 37in the gear 22 and extend somewhat beyond the inner or rear surface 'of said gear. Tension springs 33 engage the inner ends of the fingers for urging thepawls nor mally ,into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet.

The gear 22 is provided with a sleeve 39 which extends along the shaft23 so as to pro vide an amply elongated bearinglfor said gear and at the same time to provide a suitable mountingfora collar 40 whicli'is slidably'mounted upon the exterior annular surface of the "sleeves This collar is formed 7 with an annular groove ll within which engages the fingers 42 of a hand operable yoke 43 with'which to move the collar back and forth'along the sleeve 35h The forward end "ofthefcollar is'bevelled'ofi so as to provide a cone-shaped surface 44 disposed for en gaging the ends of the fingers 36 whenever the collar is moved toward saidfingers.

The yoke 43 is pivotally mouni'i'edyas at 45,

upon the frame 27 and is fitted. with an appropriately extended handle part -5I-.G by whichtomove the collar at will.

When the collar is inthe position, as

shown in Figure of the dra'wiiigsQthat is,

when it is free of engagement withthe fingers 36, the springs 38 are free to exercise their function of holding the pawls in engagementwith the teeth of the ratchet 25.

But when the handle i6 is swung to move into engagement with the shaft bearing member 26, and since this sleeve, as llluStIflt' ed, is somewhat longer than'thelength of the collar 40', it serves as a simple and sit} cient spacer for definingthe space within which the collar inay move at all times.

The fact that the cone surface 44: isannu- 'iar enablesit to properly cooperate with the fingers 36 irrespective of the'rotaryposition of the fingers relatively to said surface. At the sametime the gear 22 with said fingers vwill be allowed to rotate freely with said lingers rubbing around the cone surface. The collar -10 being-free to rotate upon the sleeve 39 maypermit unebstructed rotation of the gear 22 while said collar is in its forward ,POSltlOH even without the f ngers rubbing upon the cone surface. In this waydouble precaution is provided against'the possibil; ity of obstruction to the free rotation of the gear 22 at all times. I I I A hand wheel Gr is fixed to the outer end of the shaft 23 so that saidshaft may be turned at will whenever itis desired to move j the elevator irrespective" of the automatic driving mechanism above described. 'When. it is desired to rotate the shaft for lowering the: elevator it is, of course, necessaryfirst to move the handle 46' for disconnecting the pawls 24 from the ratchet 25', but when it is v desiredjto raise the elevator tliisomay be done without disconnecting the pawls since rotation of the shaft in a directionfor lift ing the elevator will simply. cause the teeth of the ratchet 25toclick .backwardly be neath theends of the pawls. i

1th the mechanism as thus far described it will lie-apparent that rotation of the cam 3 and the consequent step by step rotation of the shaft let, will cause the elevator 30 to be lifted one step at each rotation of the cam while the pawls 2a are in cooperative relation with the ratchet 2 5;

The upward movement of the elevator thus provided for is, however, too rapid for other parts of the machine, hence it is necessary to provide a governor device designed for reducing the speed at which the elevator is lifted. This governor device, as herein illustrated, preferably includes a mechanism of a character to allow the elevator to be moved upwardly in response to only a portion of the rotations of the cam 23. In order to carry out this purpose a feeler member H is provided, the same comprising a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, as at 47, in a standard 48 carried by the table 1. This feeler member has an end surface 49 disposed for resting upon the upper surface 50 of the pile of envelope blanks. The opposite-end of the feeler is pivotally connected. as at 51, to the upper end of a rod 52 which rod extends downwardly into pivotal-connection with the pivot pin 11 already described as carrying the pawl 12.

By this arrangement it will be apparent that the extent of upward movement of the pawl 12 for engaging a successive tooth of the ratchet 13 will depend upon the possible downward movement of the surface 49 of the feeler and that this downward movement of the surface 47 will be governed by the level of the pile of envelope blanks. Thus, when the elevator with its pile of envelope blanks has-been moved up one step, if the succeedingupward movement of the rods 10 and 52 is arrested by engagement of the surface 4L9 with the pile 50 before the pawl 12 manages to engage the succeeding tooth of the ratchet 13, then the continued rotation of the cam?) will draw the pawl 12 downwardly idly, that is, withoutimparting any rotation to the shaft 14. This idle operation will be repeated until such time as the level of the pile of envelope blanks has been reduced suiiic-iently to perinit the pawl 12 to rise to the point necessary for engaging the next tooth of the ratchet 13. What may be termed an active operation then follows Idle and active operations then follow in accordance with the level of the blanks.

Any suitable means may be employed for adjusting the position of the surface 49 rela tive to the pivot 11. The means illustrated, however, has been found to be simple, efficient and satisfactory and it includes a guide member 53 which is fixed rigidly at the upper end of the shaft and which carries a-separately formed part providing the pivotal connection between the shaft 52 and the feeler H. The member 5a is mounted to slide vertically within a slot 55 formed within the member 53 and is: provided with a pivot lug 56'over which the end 57 of the feeler H pivotally engages. Retaining means. as 58, is provided for retaining the part 57 against disengagement from the lug 56.

The upper end of the slot 55 is closed by a cross member 59 which is apertured, as at 60, to receive an adjusting screw 61 therethru. Opposite collars: 62 are provided upon the screw for preventing longitudinal movement of the screw within the aperture 60. The threaded portion of the screw is received within a threaded aperture 63 formed thru the member 54 so that rotation of the screw will serve to move the member 5a longitudinally along the length of the slot. The member 54: is preferably split, as at 6st, and provided with tightening means 65 thru the medium of which the member 54 may be held rigid with the screw in any position of vertical adjustment to which it has been moved.

Thru the utilization of this meansof adjustment the exact point to which the surface 4L9 must move in order to enable the pawl 'l2 to engage a succeeding tooth of the ratchet 13 may be readily determined and altered in accordance with the requirements of the associated functional features of the machine i A further adjustment of parts is provided for in the manner in which the bracket 5 carrying the pivot 6 for the rock lever 7 is supported. This bracket, as illustrated, is mounted upon the shaft 4. Whenever found necessary this bracket may be rotated to a greater or less extenteabout the shaft 4 for altering the precise position of the pivot 6. A suitable set screw orthe like,'as 66, is provided for retaining the bracket fixed in any position to which it is moved.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the followingclaims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

The gear wheel 22, being loose upon the shaft and being adapted to be connected to and disconnected from the shaft at the will of the operator, is hereinafter referred to as the drive wheel for the shaft.

It will, of course, be understood that the pile of envelope blanks resting upon the foundation plate 33 is being continually diminished by having blanks taken from the top thereof to be operated upon by other elements of the machine not forming a part of the present invention and, therefore, not illustrated herein. After the pile has become exhausted the lever 46 is thrown to disconnect the drive wheel 22 from the shaft 23 whereupon the shaft is rotated, by means of the hand Wheel G, to depress the elevator 30. A new pile of blanks is then placed upon the foundation plate 38 and the whole moved upwardly until the level of the pile is in approximately correct position. The lever at) is then returned to connect the drive wheel 22 with the shaft 23, and thereafter i verably'split at one point in its length, asat 67, and provided'with adjustable tightening means so that the fitof the shaft it within the bearing member may be properly and correctly adjusted to provide a desired frictional grip upon the shaft so that said shaft .may be prevented from having any movement except such movement as is positively applied thereto by the pawl 12; thatis, the frictional grip may beadjusted so as to hold the shaft exactly'in the position to which it is moved by the pawl.

Having thus described my invention, what I-claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patentis; a I

1. In elevator-control mechanism for envelope-making machines, an elevator adapt ed for supporting a pile' of envelope blanks, means for moving the-elevator upwardly so as to maintain the level of the blanks, including arotating shaft, connections be tweenthe elevator and the shaft for imparting a step by step movement to the elevator, a lever having a portion adapted to engage the upper surface of the pile of envelope blanks, a link extending between "said lever andsai'd connections for rendering the connections inoperative in accordance. with the level ofthe pile, means adjustably connecting-said leverand said link whereby to determine the point at which said'lever becomes effective upon said connections, said last means comprising" a member fixed to said linkand having a slottherein'," a member pivotally engaging said lever extending into said slot, and. a screw engaging between said two members for adjusting the second memberlongitudinallyof the slot by rotation of the screw. r mm 2. In elevator control mechanism for envelope-makingma chines, an elevator adapted for supporting. a pile of envelope blanks,

- means for: moving the elevator upwardly including a rotatablymounted shaft, a ratchet fixed to said shaft, a member rotatably about the shaft, a part carriedby said mentioned memberyieldingly-engaging said ratchet j whereby rotationof said member will rotate said shaft, means to rotate said member, and means manually operably at Wlll to hold said part out of engagement;w1th said ratchet while not preventing rotation of.

said mentioned member, an dineans whereby rotation ofthe shaft will move the elevator.

In elevator control mechanism for en velope-making machines, anelevator adapted for supporting a 'pile cf envelope blanks, means for moving the elevator upwardly in cluding a rotatably mounted shaft, a'drive wheel for the shaft mounted loosely upon the shafaa ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft,

a pawl carried by the drive wheel pivotally mounted thereon to yieldingly engaging the ratchet wheel, a member movable in a direction longitudinally of the shaft for controlling the relation of said pawl tosaid ratchet, and means to manually move the last member.

4. In elevator control mechanism for envelope-making n1achines,an elevator adapted for supporting apile of envelope blanks, means for moving the elevator upwardly including a rotatably mounted shaft, a drive wheel for the shaft mounted loosely upon the'shaft, pawl and ratchet mechanism operative between the drivewheel and the shaft for rotating said shaft by said drivewheel, comprising a ratchet wheel whose teeth project radially therefrom anda pawl pivotally mounted upon said "drive wheel having its teeth engaging partarranged toxs'wingi radithe shaft, having-a sleeve extending therefrom providing an elongated bearing for the wheel'upon the shaft, apawl and ratchetmechanism operative between the drive wheel and the shaft forr'otating said shaft by said wheel, a collar mountedupon said sleeve. to slide longitudinally thereof, means for sliding said collar, and means whereby the effectiveness of said pawl and ratchet mechanism is dependent upon the position of collar. P I i 1 6. In an elevator control mechanism for velo'pe-making machines, an elevator adapted for supporting a, pile of envelope blanks, means for moving the elevator upwardly including a. rotatablymounted shaft, a drive wheel for the shaft mounted. loosely upon theshaft, a ratchet wheelfixed to theshaft,

a pawl carried by the drive wheel at one side thereof .yieldingly engaging the ratchet wheel, a finger extending from-the pawl thru an opening in the drive wheel to theopposite side of said drivewheel, vandumanually operable means movable into and outof engigement with said finger for controlling the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet.

T. In elevator cfontrol mechanism fol-en envelope-making machines,- anelevator adaptmeans for moving the elevator upwardly including a rotatably mounted shaft, a beared :for supporting a pile :of envelope blanks,"

ing member for said shaft,a drive wheel for I the shaft mountedloosely upon the shaft spaced from said bearing member, said drive wheel having, a sleeveextendmg therefrom into proximity with said bearing member and providing an elongated bearing for the wheel upon .the shaft, a pawl and ratchet mechanism operative between the drive wheel and the shaft for rotating said shaft by said wheel, anda collar mounted loosely upon said sleeve being of less length tian said'sleeve and being slidable longitudinally of the sleeve between the wheel and the bearing member, means to slide said collar, and means whereby the eifectiveness of said pawl and ratchet mechanism is dependent upon the position of said collar.

8; In elevator control mechanism for envelopemaking machines, an elevator adapted for supporting a pile of envelope blanks, and means for imparting a step by step upward movement to the elevator including a rotating shaft, a pawl and ratchet device, a cam carried by said shaft, a lever associated with the cam to be oscillated thereby, a link extending from said pawl and ratchet device to said lever, and elevator lifting mechanism connected to be operated by said pawl and ratchet device, together with a governor de vice for controlling the effectiveness of the pawl and ratchet device in accordance with the level of the pile of envelope blanks, said governor device including a member adapted to engage the upper surface of the pile of envelope blanks, and a second link extending from said member into direct connection with said pawl and ratchet device.

9. In elevator control mechanism for envelope-making machines, an elevator adapted for supporting a pile of envelope blanks, and means for imparting a step by step upward movement to the elevator including a pawl and ratchet device, a member movable in one direction to cause the pawl to engage one tooth of, and to thereby rotate, the ratchet, said member being movable in the opposite direction to return the pawl for engaging a second tooth of the ratchet, means to move said member, a governor device automatically controlled by the level of the pile of envelope blanks for determining the extent of movement of said member in said opposite direction, and a further device manually adjustable at will also to determine the .extent of movement of said member in said opposite direction while not efi'ecting limit of movement of said member in said first direction.

10. In elevator control mechanism for envelope-making machines, an elevator adapted for supporting a pile of envelope blanks, and means for imparting a step by step upward movement to the elevator including a pawl and ratchet device, a shaft arranged to be rotated by said pawl and ratchet device, a bearing'member for said shaft, said bearing member being split, and means whereby to squeeze the parts of t-he'bcaring member together for gripping the shaft so as to frietionally retard the movements of the shaft.

11. In elevator control mechanism for envelope-mal-iing machines, an elevator for supporting a pile of envelope blanks, means for .n'ioving the elevator upwardly including a rotatably mounted shaft, a drive wheel for the shaft, ,a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft, a pawl carried by the drive wheel at one side thereof adapted to engage the drive wheel, a finger extending from the pawl through an opening in the drive wheel to the opposite side of said drive wheel, means engaging said finger at said opposite side ofthe drive wheel for yieldingly main-.

taining the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel, and means also at said opposite side of the drive wheel operative upon said finger for controlling the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ADDISON E. AUGUSTINE.

Witnesses:

L. Gnvronn HANoHn,

MAY SonULz.

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