US1502680A - Manifolding device - Google Patents

Description

W. E. OLIVER MANIFOLDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 In mentor: m 5 m Jul 29 1924;

W. E. OLIVER MANIFOLDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5. 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 8 2 0 5 1 R E w L O E w MANIFOLDING DEVICE 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb.

il -W. A L Am? WALTER E. OLIVER, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOGRAIBHIC REGIS- PER 00., 0F HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MANIFOLDING DEVICE.

Application filed February 5, 1921. Serial No. 442,633.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVALTER E. OLIVER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Hoboken, county of Hudson. and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Manifolding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stripor webfeeding devices in general, but has specific reference to mechanism adapted to regulate the feeding of strips of paper or other flexible fabric such as are commonly used with autographic registers and other manifolding devices.

It is customary at the present time to use with autographic registers strips of paper each having a series of forms initially in- ,scribed thereon, and each of said forms having a hole or holes initially punched therein at a predetermined point or points for subsequent use in filing the filled-in forms upon suitable spindles .or the like; and various sorts of mechanism have been devised with the object of making use of said holes in regulating the distance of advancement of said strips at each operation, and in fixing the positions of said strips upon the writingbed. But, so far as I am aware, none of such mechanisms that have been devised heretofore have been found to meet satisfactorily all of the commercial requirements of the devices to which they are intended to be applied, and it is to improvements therein and the correction of some of their defects that my present invention is primarily directed.

In preparing strips of paper for manifolding work, the paper is usually fed to the printing press from a roll of large diameter, and in the form of a strip the width of which is several times that of each of the desired narrower strips; the holes are punched in this wide strip, symmetrically with respect to the forms printed thereupon, either coincidentally with the printing operation or at some point in the passage of the strip to or from the press; and the wide strip is then slit into the desired number of narrow strips, and these are rewound to form the small rolls such as are used eommercially. I

An important requirement in connection with the punching and slitting operations, and the subsequent feeding of the strips in the manifolding device, is that the satisfactory operation of the feeding mechanism shall not require such extreme accuracy in positioning the punch holes relative to the strip, and in slitting the wide strip into the narrower ones, as to render the punching and slitting unnecessarily slowand expensive. The improved strip-feeding mechanism disclosed herein is particularly well adapted to meet this requirement, since it provides for rectification of the positions of the forms superposed upon the writing-bed each time that the strips are advanced a form length, thereby insuring against cumulative errors in the positioning of the strips, and rendering their accurate positioning dependant upon the locations of the holes relative to the printed matter of the forms, rather than upon the locations of the printed forms longitudinally and transversely of the strips themselves. While other feeding mechanisms have heretofore been devised for the purpose of securing similar rectification, none with which I am familiar have proven commercially satisfactory, one

of the principal reasons being that they are not adapted to meet the requirement that movement of the strips, such as is necessary for rectification of their positions both longitudinally and transversely shall be brought about by position-correcting mechanism that is operative upon the strips positively and definitely, and in such a way as actually to move the strips when necessary or desirable, without tearing or distorting portions thereof.

I will describe an autographic register embodying my invention and then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an autographic register having my improvements applied thereto, with parts broken away to show the interior mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same, taken from the side of the register at which the hand crank is located;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the forward end of the register, taken from the opposite side;

Fig. 4;-is a detail View, in sectional elevation, of the frictionally-operative driving mechanism for the record roll;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of my improved strip-feeding mechanism, in sectional rear elevation;

Figs. 6, 7 8 and 9 are enlarged detail views, in sectional elevation, showing different positions of the parts by means of which the positions of the strips are rectified.

As shown in the drawings, the register has the usual side members 10 and 11, which support the writing-bed 12 and the overlying margin-frame 13, said writing-bed and said margin-frame being pivotally secured to said side members at 14, near the upper rear end of the register. Near the forward end of the top of the register is a hood 15 which serves to cover and protect parts of the strlpfeeding mechanism, and at the front of said hood is a tearing-blade 16 by-means of which the strips may be detached manually after having been written upon. Three pa-per-supply rolls, 17, 18 and 19, are rotatably supported between side members 10 and 11, below the writing-bed 12, and the paper strips 20, 21 and 22 from said rolls are led over suitable guide rollers 23, 24 and 25, and thence over the writing-bed 12, underneath the margin-frame 13, and to the strip-feeding mechanism. Aroll 26 of manifolding material is rotatably supported in a receptacle 27, which is formed by extending the writing-bed 12 at one side of the register, said receptacle being covered by an extension 28 of margin-frame 13, and strips of manifolding material from roll 26 are led over the writing-table, transversely thereof, and interposed between paper strips 20 and 21, and 21 and 22, respectively. Paper strips 21 and 22 are fed underneath tearingblade 16, in position to be detached by being pulled manually thereagainst, and paper strip 20 is led forward and downward from the strip-feeding mechanism, to form a record roll 29, over which is a cover 30 pivo'tally secured at 31 to side members 10 and 11.

Rotatably mounted between side members 10 and 11, below hood 16, is a shaft 32, to one end of which is secured a hand crank 33 for manual actuation of the stripfeeding mechanism, and on said shaft are secured two similar feed rollers 34 and two similar annular collars 35, the peripheries of said collars being serrated or milled. Above shaft 32, and parallel therewith, a shaft 36 is rotatably mounted, and said shafts have secured thereupon two intermeshin'g spur gears 37 i and 38. Upon shaft 36 are mounted two similar sleeves 39, which are adapted for limited movement axially of said shaft, but are held against rotation relative thereto by pins'40 projecting from said shaft and embraced by slots 41 in said sleeves. Coiled springs 42 are mounted upon shaft 36, between collars 39 and pins 43 projecting from said shaft, the tendency of said springs being to urge said collars yieldingly into frictional engagement with a cylindrical sleeve 44 which is loose on shaft 36 between collars with said shaft. The diameter of sleeve 44 is somewhat less than that of collars 39, and the outside diameter of milled collars 35 is somewhat less than that of feed rollers 34, so that, while collars 39/are adapted to co-operate with feed rollers 34 for strip advancement, milled collars 35 are at all times separated from sleeve 44. At each end of sleeve44, a finger 45 and a lug 46 are secured to said sleeve, said fingers being adapted to engage the milled peripheries of collars 35,

and said lugs being adapted to co-operate with arms 47 secured upon a shaft 48 which is rotatably mounted between side members 10 and 11, below and parallel with shaft 32,

in the manner and for the purposes to be described hereinafter. A finger tab 49 is secured atone end of shaft 48, to facilitate manual turning of said shaft, and suchturning in either direction is limited by engagement of the margins of slots 50 in arnis, 47 with shafts 32, the free end of each of said arms terminating in a surface 51 which is substantiallyconcentric with the periphery between one of the arms 47 and a shaft 53 which is rotatably mounted between side members 10 and 11, below and parallel with shaft 48, and said spring tends to hold shaft of feed rollers 34. A spring 52 is secured 9 48 in its position of maximum rearward rotation. Shaft 36 is journalled in bearings 54 carried by brackets 55 and 56 which are vertically movable relative to shafts 32, 48 and 53, so that shaft 36 is adapted for movement in a vertical plane, but is normally held in its-lowermost position by tension springs 57 and 58, the lower ends of which are secured to side members 10 and 11, respectively. Shaft 53 is cut away near either end to form flat surfaces 59 at the points where said shaft is embraced by slots 60 in brackets 55 and 56, so that when said flat surfaces are uppermost said brackets tend to be held in their lowermost positions by springs 57 and 58, while by turning shaft 53 member 10, by'means of a pin 63 which is adapted for movement axially of core 62, and tends to be held in its outermost position by a coiled spring 64, so that core is yieldingly' urged by said spring toward side member 11. The other end of core 62 is so supported by a circular disc'65 as to be positively rotatable therewith, the periphery of said disc being serrated, milled or knurled, and said disc being secured upon a short shaft 66 which is journalled in side menu ber 11 and in a bracket 67 secured to said side member, so that said shaft is freely rotatable. A circular disc 68 is secured upon shaft 66 adjacent the outer face of side member 11, and a circular washer 69 of leather or other fibrous fabric is loosely mounted upon shaft 66 between disc 68 and a disc 70 which is loose upon shaft 66, and has secured thereto a sprocket wheel 71, there being interposed between said sprocket wheel and bracket 67 a loose spacing collar 72. Thus, rotation of sprocket wheel 71 is transferred yieldingly, by frictional engagement of discs 70 and 68 with washer 69, to disc 65, and hence to the record-roll core 62, the

extent of such frictional engagement of discs 70 and 68 with washer 69 being maintained substantially uniform by actionof spring 64.

Sprocket wheel 71 is connected by a sprocket chain 73 with a sprocket wheel 74 secured at the end of shaft 32 near the outer face of side member 11, so that rotation of said shaft by actuation of hand crank 33 imparts rotation to sprocket wheel 71 in the same direction. As clearly shown in Fig. 2, a lever arm 75 is pivotally secured at 76 to side member 11 below the stripfeeding mechanism, an extension 77 of said arm being connected by a coiled tension spring 78 with said side member, and a portion 79 of said arm extending forward in position for its free end 80 to be adapted to engage the serrated, milled or knurled periphery of disc 65, movement of the free end 80 of extension 79 of lever arm 75 toward disc 65, under yieldingaction of spring 78, being controlled by an adjustable screw 81 which is carried by lever arm 75 and the free end of which engages a projection 82 on bracket 56.

Each of the paper strips 20, 21 and22 has a series of forms 83 initially inscribed thereupon, and near the head of each of the forms two circular holes 84 are initially punched in said strips, said holes being located symmetrically with respect to each form, and in line with fingers 45 on sleeve 44 of the strip-feeding mechanism. Manifestly, the number of paper strips employed, or the number, shape or particular arrangement of the holes, may be varied to accord with any changes that may be thought desirable -in the details of the strip-feeding mechanism, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring now to the opera-tion of my improved strip-feeding mechanism, and starting with the paper strips arranged in superposition over the writing-bed 12, with the strips of manifolding material from the roll 26 interposed between their respective paper strips; with the margin-frame in operative position; with the free ends of paper strips 21 and 22 led underneath the tearing-blade l6 and over the. pivoted cover 30 for the record roll 29, the free end of paper strip 2-) being suitably secured to the record-roll core 62; with shaft 53 in thei position shown in Fig. 5, so that the flat surfaces 59 thereof are uppermost and shaft 36 is yieldingly held by springs 57 in position for the paper strips to be gripped between feed rollers 34, and collars 39; and with the holes 84 in the paper strips, the arms 47, the fingers 45, and the lugs 46, in the positions shown in Fig. 6 :-Upon turning the hand crank 33, shafts 32 and 36 will be caused to rotate and thus the three paper strips will be advanced with substantial uniformity by feed rollers 34 and their co-operating collars 39, and at the same time record-roll core 62 will be caused to revolve to wind strip 20 thereupon, any tendency of said strip to be advanced, by rotation of said core, more rapidly than the other strips are advanced by the main stripfeeding mechanism being compensated for by slippage between discs 70 and 68 and the fibre washer 69 interposed therebetween. The tendency of sleeve 44 to be rotated with shaft 36, due to the frictional engagement of collars 39 with said sleeve that is caused by springs 42, will at this time be overcome by engagement of fingers '45 with the paper strips in the manner shown in Fig. 6. The strips Wlll continue thus to be advanced, upon continuation of the turning of the hand crank until the holes 84 in the strips arrive at approximately the position shown in Fig. 7, when the fingers 45 will enter said holes, and, upon slight further advancement of the strips by the feed rollers and their cooperating collars, said fingers will be moved into engagement with the serrated or milled peripheries of collars 35, and thereupon, as said fingers are advanced due to such engagement, shaft 36 will be moved upward against the action of springs 57 and 58, thereby moving sleeves 39 out of position for cooperation with feed rollers 34 for strip advancement. The paper strips will then be free for their positions to be adjusted, either longitudinally or laterally, by fingers 45, un til said fingers arrive at the position shown in Fig. 8, when lugs 46 will arrive at the position shown in said figure, and the three paper strips will be gripped between said lugs and surfaces 51 of arms 47, so that said strips will be held firmly against movement in any direction, and shaft 36 will continue to be held a sufficient distance away from shaft 32 so that sleeves 39 will not be cooperative with feed rollers 34 to tend to advance said strips, and further revolution of the hand crank will have no effect upon the position of the paper strips. Movement of shaft 36 upward and away from shaft 32, in the manner just described, or by manual turning of shaft 53, will cause projection 82 on bracket 56 to be moved upward, and thus will permit extension 79 of lever arm 7 5 to be moved sufficiently by spring 78 to advance the free end 80 of said extension into engagement with the serrated, knurled or milled periphery of disc 65, thereby opposing further rotation of said disc, and of the record-roll core 62. Thus, further turning of the hand crank will result in slippage between discs 70 and 68 and fibre washer 69,

advancement to be resumed, upon further turning of the hand crank, finger tab 49 is moved manually to turn shaft 48 sufficiently to advance the free ends of arms 47 until surfaces 51 of said arms pass out of position to grip the three paper strips against lugs 46, whereupon shaft 36 will be returned automatically by springs 5,7 and 58 to position for co-operation by sleeves 39vwith feed rollers 34 for strip advancement; the free end 80 of extension 79 of lever arm 75 will be moved away from disc by pressure of projection 82 on bracket 56 against the free end of screw 81, so as to free disc 65, and hence record-roll core 62, for rotation to wind strip 20 upon said core; and sleeve 44 will be free to be turned through a partial revolution, by frictional engagement of collars 39 therewith under action of springs i2, until fingers 4:5 and lugs 46 return to the positions shown in Fig. 6, and further revolution of sleeve is is prevented by engagement of fingers 45 with the paper strips. The three paper strips may now be advanced as before, by turning of the hand crank, until their advancement is automatically terminated, their positions are rectified, they are clamped and hold against furtheir movement in any direction, and further revolution of the record-roll core is opposed, due to engagement of fingers 45 with the holes 84 in the paper strips.

From the foregoing description, .it will be apparentthat my improved strip-feeding mechanism provides eflicient commercial means for advancing a strip, or a plurality of superposed strips, the major portion of a predetermined distance through the medium of co-operating feed rollers, and for completing their advancement, and at the same time regulating their positions laterally, by devices that are positively operative upon said strips; that it includes means for holding a strip or a plurality of strips while being written upon, detached or otherwise worked upon, by engaging the surface of said strip or strips, rather than by engaging an edge or edges of said strip or strips or the margins of a hole or holes doubtless suggest themselves to those skilled i in this art, and others, in View of my disclosures herein,, and I therefore do-not desire to be limited to the construction that I have shown and described for purposes of illustration.

I claim as new, and seek to protect by Letters Patent, the following 1. In mechanism for feeding a strip of fabric having a hole, in combination, means for advancing said strip; means for rendering' said advancing means ineffective when the hole reaches said means; and means operative upon the surface of said strip to hold it against movement while said advancing means is so ineffective.

2. In mechanism for feeding a strip of fabric having a series of spaced holes arranged longitudinally thereof; in combination a writing bed; a pair of feed rollers for advancing the strip over the writing" bed; means for separating said rolls to permit of strip adjustment and for gripping the strip after adjustment; and manually operated means for permitting the feed rolls to again grip the strip whereby it may be advanced over the writing bed.

3. In mechanism for feeding a strip of fabric having a series of spaced holes arranged longitudinally thereof; in combination a writing bed; a pairv of feed rollers for advancing the strip over the writing bed; a sleeve carrying a pin which separates the feed rollers when it enters an opening in the strip to permit of strip adjustment on the writing bed and said sleeve also carrying a surface to grip the strip after adjustment; and manually operated means for moving said surface out of contact with the strip and for permitting the feed rollers to again grip the strip whereby it may be advanced over the writing bed.

4. In mechanism for feeding a strip of fabric having a series of spaced holes arranged longitudinally thereof; in combination a writing bed; means for advancing said strips over said writing bed; means operative to prevent strip advancement by.

said advancing means when a perforation is beneath it but held inoperative by said strip until the perforation is beneath it; and manually operated means for permitting the advancing means to be again operative for strip advancement.

5. In mechanism for regulating the feedin of a strip of fabric through-the medium of a hole therein, the combination, with means engaging the surface of said strip for its advancement a predetermined distance, of means, which, upon entering said hole, advance said strip a further distance, and means for strip advancement which are located in advance of said other advancing means, operation of said hole-entering advancing means rendering both of said other advancing means ineffective for strip advancement.

6. In a manifolding device adapted to receive a plurality of superposed strips of fabric each having holes arranged in series longitudinally thereof, the combination,

with a Writing-bed over which said strips are intended to be fed, of means for ad-- vancing said strips thereover, separate means for advancing said strips upon successlvely engaging said holes, and means for holding said strips against movement in any direction, by surface engagement therewith, upon completion of each of the successive operations of said last-named advancing means. 4

7. In an autographic register adapted for use with a plurality of superposedstrips of fabric each having holes arranged in series longitudinally thereof, and manifolding material. being interposed between said strips, the combination, with means foradvancing said strips over said writing-bed, and separate advancing means located in advance of said first-named means, for advancing one or more of said strips independently of the. others, of means for rendering said first-named means inefiective for strip advancement, and holding said lastnamed advancing means against any tendency to further advancement of any of said strips thereby.

8. In mechanism for feeding a strip of fabric, in combination, means for advancing said strip a portion of a predetermined distance comprising oppositely arranged coacting surfaces; other means operated by said strip advancing means to separate said coacting surfaces to prevent further advancement of the strip bythem and to cause a further advancement of the strip; other means for holding the strip against movement after the second advancement of the strip; and means to release said holding means and to permit the oppositely arranged surfaces to again coact so that strip advancement may be resumed by them.

In testimony of. the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the subscribing Witnesses.

. WALTER E. OLIVER. Witnesses:

ANNA GRIFFIN, J 0s. F. HmmNBRAND.

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