US1599153A

US1599153A - Paper-feed mechanism

Info

Publication number: US1599153A
Application number: US566094A
Authority: US
Inventors: William A Weightman; Charles H Nitsch
Original assignee: Stokes and Smith Co
Current assignee: Stokes and Smith Co
Priority date: 1922-06-05
Filing date: 1922-06-05
Publication date: 1926-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 1943-09-07

Description

Sept. 7 1926. 1,599,153

w. A. wElGHTMAN ET AL PPER FEED MECHANISM Filed June 5; 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 7 1926. 1,599,153w

v- W. A. WEIGHTMAN ET AL PAPER FEED MECHANISM Filed June 5, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept-7 ,y 1926. l v

' w. A. WEIGHTMAN ET AL PAPER'FEED MEGHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 5, 1922 MVN A TTORNEYS W. A. WEIGHTMAN ET AL Sept. 7 1926.

PAPER FEED MECHANISM Filed June` 5, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 NNN ' general class' represented by the patent Patented Sept. 7, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. y

l WILLIAM WEIGHTMAN AND CHARLES I-I. NITSCH, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS T0 STOKES SMITH COMPANY, OF SUMMERDALE, PENNSYL- vANIA, A CORPORATION'OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PAPER-FEED' MECHANISM.

Application filed .Tune 5, 1922. Serial No. 566,094.

`The invention relates to mechanism for feeding sheets of paper, especially adapted for feedin successive, ndividualwrapper sheets, which are coated with adhesive and then applied to articles or packages to form completely enclosing, sealed wrappers for the articles oipackages; but the sheet 4feed mechanism is in some or all of its features adaptable for other purposes.

In certain classes of paper handling machines it is necessary that individual sheets, such as wrapper sheets, shall be precisely separated from the stack with careful avoidance of the feeding of two or more sheets at the saine time, and that the individual sheets shall be accurately advanced in definite or timed relation to other mechanism and without lateral or angular displacement. It is also desirable in many cases that the sheets shall be fed from the top of the stack. A good example of a paper handling machine in which 'the above and other requirements exist and are inet by the present invention, isa wrapping machine of tltile o William A: VVeightman and Charles H. Nitsch, No. 1,426,429, August 22, 1922, sometimes known as a sealed-wrapped package machine, and the present invention is, therefore, shown as especially adapted to the requirements of a machine of that class, and it will be so explained, with the understanding that the feed mechanism per se is not limited vin its application to that particular type of Wrapping or paper handling machine. v

In a sealed-wrapped machine of the type above mentioned, articles, such as cartons, containing various commodities, are advanced in regular order, and individual wrapper blanks, which are usually of thin paper, andA usually especially shaped for the [particular style of wrap, are advanced from a stack successively in spaced relation correspondin enerally to the spaced arrangement o? t e cartons, each wrapper is adhesively coated on one face as it advances and is then brought in contact with a carton, and it is necessary that the wrapper and carton shall be veryaccurately registered at 4the point :of initial contact so that subsequent wrapping operations may be correctly performed. It' has been found -to be especially diflicult to precisely separate the individual thin, especially contoured wrapper blanks fromthe stack without the inadvertent feeding of two or more blanks at once; to prevent lateral shifting or diagonal displacement of the blanks; and to advance them with perfect regularity and in accurately timed or spaced relation to other mechanisms which transfer them to the initial assembly or registration position, so that the blanks may be applied with perfect registration to the cartons. It is desirable for convenience in handling and replenishing the stacks to feed the sheets from the top of the stack and the present invention is designed to admit of top feeding. With top f eed arrangements difficulty has been experienced in properly advancing or elevatlng the stack to keep the uppermost sheet always in proper position for feeding, and the present invention provides means operating in connection with the individual sheet feeding mechanism for gradually (or intermittently) elevating the stack and accuratelycontrolling the elevating mechanism for the stated purpose.

The advantages and characteristics of the invention are further suiciently explained in connection with a detail description of the accompanying drawings, which show an exemplifying structure embodying the invention. After considering this, persons skilled in the art will understand that many variations may be made in structure and adaptation, and it is not intended to limit the invention to details` except as it is defined in the appended claims.`

Fig. 1 isV a vertical, longitudinal section of a representative machine, specifically a wrapping machine of the general typek above described, with the inventionv incorporated therein iny one form.

Fig. 2-'is an enlarged sectional detail, showing mainly the individual sheet feeding mechanism. in a different position from that shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the mechanism in still another position.

4in the platen andpulleys.

` as Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section approximately in the plane 5 5, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section in a longitudinal plane illustrating the stops, feed rolls, and adjacent parts in position to receive a sheet from the stack.

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a sheet advanced by the pusher roll and located against the stops and otherwise held in registered posit-ion.

A wrapping machine of the type chosen for exemplification of the present specific adaptation of the invention, as sufficiently shown in Fig. 1, has side frame members, one of these members 1 beingindicated, and these side members are connected by various transverse members including the members 2, 3, of general channel-section. A glue pot 4 is supported on these transverse frame members. 'Near the top of the frame is a table 5 over which articles, such as cartons C are advanced by conveyor chains, of which one chain 6 is shown, to a point above the rotary blank-cylinder or platen 7, carried by a shaft 8, mounted in bearings in the side frame members. At one point on its periphery the platen is provided with wrapper blank stp-ops 9 and adjacent to these stops clamping fingers 10 are arranged to clamp the forward margin of a wrapper blank B to the platen. Rearward of the platen .isashaft 11 carrying pulleys 12, and assembb'- supporting and conveying bands 13 pa'ss about the platen and the pulleys and are aecommodated by shallow depressions formed The shaft 11 also carries sprockets 14, and assembly conveyor chains 15 of which one is shown, pass about the sprockets.

A dipper roll 16 is mounted on the glue pot, and this carries glue to the gluing roll 17, mounted on a shaft 18. The gluing roll is provided with channels 19 in which fit stripper plates 20 to assist in stripping the wrapper blanks from the glue roller.

The .wrapping machine has a main drive shaft 21 and the package conveyor chains 6 are driven from this shaft by any suitable positive gear train (not shown). The platen is positively driven from the main shaft in definitely timed relation to the carton conveyor by bevel gears 22 and 23, shaft 9A, bevel gears 25, vear 26 and a gear 27 on shaft 8. Gear 2 drives an idler gear 28 on a shaft 29 and this idler gear drives apinion 30 on shaft 11 to impel the conveyor chains 15 at the same speed as the conveyor chain 6, this also being the same as the peripheral speed of the blank platen 7 and the' supporting bands 13.

The blank clamping fingers 10 of the platen are operated by any suitable mechanism which does not form apart of the present invention and is not particularly described, although sufficiently indicated in thev drawing.

The glue roll 17 is continuously driven at a suitable peripheral speed by any suitable gearing, such as a shaft 31, bevel gears 32, vertical shaft 33 and bevel gear 34 engaging another bevel gear on the roll shaft 18. The dipper roll may also be positively driven, for instance, by a gear 35 connected to the glue roll, meshing with a gear 36 on the dipper roll shaft.

The blank gripping fingers 10 of the platen are open when the blank stops 9 are at a point approximately below the shaft 8. If at this time a cover blank B has been started over the. glue roll and its advancing edge is presented in a true line parallel to the axis of shaft 8 against the stops 9, the blank will be properly seized when the clamping fingers 10 close as the platen rotates slightly' beyond the position just indicated, and the rotation of the platen will then draw the remaining ,portion of the blank over the glue roll so that the blank is properly glued,

and the further advance of the platen carries a forwardpart of the glued blank surface p into engagement` with the advancing carton C, the leading edge of the carton striking the blank a short distance behind the ferward edge of the blank, leaving a narrow marginal portion b of the blank projecting in advance of the carton. Shortly after the initial (assembly) contact of the blank and carton the clamping fingers 10 are retracted to release the blank from the platen. 1n the further advance of the carton and blank, a portion of the blank is rolled into contact with the bottom surface of the carton and the assembly consisting of the carton and wrapper blank then travels forward with a long trailing portion of the blank running over and supported by first the bands 13 and then the chains 15. Assuming the proper placement of the blank on the platen as above described, the blank and carton will, therefore, be assembled in accurate registration because of the carefully coordinated movements of the platen and conveyor chain 6, and this registration will be preserved'by theconveyor bands 1.3 and chalns 15 and 6, until the assembly arrives at the first Wrapping position, so that the properly registered wrapper is correctly wrapped and secured about the carton.

The wrapping machine as so far described, and in other respects as shown in the drawings, embodies certain modifications and improvements upon previous machines of its general type, as exemplified in the abovementioned Patent No. 1,426,429; and such improvements, except as claimed herein in connection with the sheet-feed mechanism, are described and claimed in a separate application. l

lThe present invention more especially relates to means for properly supplying the individual wrapper blanks to the glue roll and then'to the platen so that the blanks are properly located or registered on the platen and then by it are properly presented for registration on the packages or cartons 1nthe manner above described.

rl'he wrapper blanks used in wrapping machines of this sort, and handled by the present feed mechanism,-may var considerably, as to their size and outline. form of blank, as sufficiently indicated in Fig. 4, has mainvor body sections c, al, c, f, side wings g, extending from the body kportion e, flaps It extending from body'portion c, flaps c' extending from body portion d, flaps j eX- tending from body portion f, and the marginal portions I), previously mentioned extend from the long side of body portion c. rlhe body portions c and e cover the top and bottom of the carton, the body portions d and 'f cover the (front and rear) vertical Walls ofthe carton, the marginal flap b is' turned up on the foremost side wall '(in the direction of package advance) under the outer marginal portion of the flap f, which is subsequently aiiixed in the wrapping operations,the iaps h., i and j are folded up in a suitable order over the ends ofthe carton, marginal portions of these flaps overlapping,

vand the Wings g being finally folded over to complete the end covering and sealing of the package. However the blanks may be shaped, they usually have outward straight edges atvall four sides so that a stack of the blanks Vcan be properlyamaintained in vertical 'alinement by suitable guide boards, as presently described.

A stack S of the blanks B, usually consisting of a large number of blanks to avoid frequent replenishment, is carried by a baseboard or plate 40, and this plate is removably located on the upper end of a vertical plunger 41 arranged to reciprocate in a sleeve 42 carried by a frame cross-piece-43. The plungerl is provided with a key or spline 44, to prevent it from rotating an it is provided With a toothed rack 45 engaged by a pinion46 carried by a shaft 47 mounted in bearings 48, so that by proper mechanism later described, the .plunger may be raised to keep the top of the stack in proper position for the action of the sheet feed mechanism. The stack is guided b a front plate 50, a back plate 51 and

si e plates

52 and 53, supported by suitable framing.

Above the stack and near one slde is lo-l cated' a stationar l frame-member or open bracket 54, A sli e 55 is arranged to reciprocate horizontally on the inward vertical face of the bracket 54, and is secured by ne typicalgibs 56. The slide has a bearing sleeve 57' in which is mounted a shaft 58, on one end of which is a hub 59 carrying an arm 60 having a yoke-shaped end 61. A roll 62, which may be identified as a separator or pusher7 roll, that is,-the main or primary sheet separating instrumentality, is mounted on a shaft G3, and the shaft is rotatably supported in the yoke 61 by adjustable conical'bearings 64. rlhe roll proper'62, is yprovided vvith one or more spaced cylinders 65 of suitable material, such as sponge rubber, to give proper contact and parating engagement with the wrapper blanks.

Slide 55 is reciprocated by a link 70 connected to a bell crank 71, fulcrumed at 72, and the bell crank is connected by a link 7 8 to a cam yoke 74 straddling shaft 21 and provided with a cam roller 75 runnin on the periphery of cam 76 secured to the s aft. The pusher roll 62 is raised and lowered to proper relation to theslide movement by the following mechanism: Shaft 58, above mentioned, `extends through the bearing sleeve 57 to a point in the opening of frame member 54, where it is provided with a hub 80 having a lug 81. A stop in the form-of a screw 82 is adjustably secured in one end of the bracket 54 and secured in adjusted position by a lock-nut 83. The inward end of this screw encounters lug 8l near the end of the advancing movement of slide 55 and raises the separator roll from contact with the upper sheet of the stack. Hub 59, vpreviously mentioned, is provided with a lug 85, having a beveled face 86. Adjacent to bearing sleeve 57 the slide 55 is provided with another bearing sleeve 87, in which is mounted a rock shaft 88 carrying on one end adjacent to hub 59, a latch arm 89 having a tooth or latch 90 to cooperate with lug 85. When the pusherroll is elevated at the end of the advance stroke of the slide j as above described,.beveled face 86 of lug 85 raises the latch arm 89 and the latch 90 drops into engagement with the lug and retains arm 60 and the roller in elevated:

end of the slide retreat, a stop 93. This may, 1n some cases, be a fixed stop, and in such cases the rock shaft 88 is operated by the stop near theend of each return movement of the slide to raise latch 90 and permit the pusher roll to drop upon the stack.

It is desirable, however, in other cases to control the sheet feed action so that, for example, in a wrapping machine of the class described, if an article or package C is omitted from the package feed conveyor' 6 or is absent at some other point in the movement of the articles or packages anterior to the package conveyor, the feeding of a wrapper sheet which would correspond to the absent package or article, is omitted, and the wrapper blanks will only be fed and glued and presented at the assembly station when there is a 4package presented at that station for application to the wrapper. To provide for such feed control in the present instance the stop 93 is carried by a short arm 94 fixed on one end of a rock shaft 95. This rock shaft is mounted in a bearing sleeve 96, and on the other end of the shaft' is secured a curved arm 97 to the upper end of which is connected a link 98 leading'to a suitable feeler or detector mechanism adjacent to the line of package or article travel at a suitable point, so that whenever` an article passes that point, which has a certain relation to the assembly position corresponding substantially to the distance of travel of a wrapper sheet from the stack to assembly position, the feeler or detector mechanism acts through link 98 to maintain the stop 93 in active position so that it releases the latch in the manner above described, and Vcauses the separator roll to feed a sheet, which rea`ches the assembly station at the proper time to be supplied to the package in question. In the absence of a package, however, the feeler or detector mechanism does not move the link 98; rock shaft is not oscillated, and stop 93 remains in inactive positiona'way from the path of toe 92, and the latch 90 is, therefore, notV retracted, and the pusher roll remains in elevated'position during the next advance movement of the slide 55, and no sheet is fed from the stack. The feeler or detector mechanism is not shown herein, but is described and claimed in combination with other features of the wrapping machine in a separate application, Serial No.\588,354, iiled September 15,1922.

To permit the feeding of the top sheet from the stack and restrain the next lower sheet during the withdrawal of the top sheet, pin detent mechanism is provided in general similar to such mechanism used in other sheet feed apparatus, but with certain improvements and features of adaptation to the present feed mechanism as follows: On the back plate 51 or any suitable point of the framing, a lever 100 is pivotally mounted in a lug 101. The upper end of this lever has a sleeve 102 in which a rod 103 is adjustably secured by a set screw 104. A hole is bored through the inward end of the rod, and in this hole a pointed detent pin 105 is adjustably mounted and secured by a set screw 106 inserted in the end ofthe rod. The rod and in may be adjusted in an obvious way and the point of the pin is arranged to pierce the upper wrapper blank near its rearward edge, particularly in the present case at a point near the rear edge of the wra per portion f, and the point of the pin, o course, indents or pierces more or less the next sheet or two or more of the sheets below the upper one, as circumstances may require. To further reg ulate the action of the pin detent a spring 107 is compressed between a portion of the back plate and the lower arm of the lever, and a screw 108 passes through a hole in the end of the lever arm and through the spring, and enters a threaded hole in the back plate, and the screw-headV 109 acts as a stop to limit outward movement of the lower lever arm. By adjusting the screw' the amount of depression of the pointed end of the pin 105 may be regulated and the number of' sheets that it normally penetrates correspondingly regulated, with due regard for other features of the mechanism, such for instance, as the action of the stack elevating mechanism, As a sheet is advanced by the pusher roll its forward edge is brought into relation to primary feed rolls, stop and clamping mechanism. The upper member of the primary feed rolls actually consists in a preferred arrangement of at least two spaced feed rolls 120 fixed on a shaft 121, which is mounted in fixed bearings` 122. Below the rolls 120 are similarly spaced movable feed rolls 123 (sometimes called ductor rolls) fixed on a shaft 124 which is vmounted in bearings 125. These bearings are carried by bearing blocks 126 having a short vertical movement in channels formed in uppeil side members 127 of a vertically reciproeating slide or carrier 128, guided by ways or gibs 129 on the forward space of the front stack guide plate 50. The lower ends of the bearing blocks 126 are engaged by the upper ends of screws 130 passing through lugs 131 in the slide side members 127, and the screws are secured in adjusted position by lock nuts 132. By adjustment of the screws the position of the shaft bearings 125 may be accurately Vadjusted, and in this way the proper engagement of the movable feed rolls 123 with the sheet, to clamp it against the upper feed rolls 120, when the carrier 128 is 1n upward position, is obtained;

Secured tothe upper end of the carrier side members 127 is a blank clamping and stop plate 135, which has an upwardly ing a rounded rearward face 141 to direct the sheet, and having forwardly extending fingers 142 with at upper faces143 to cooperate with fiat' under surfaces 144 of plate 135 to clamp the sheet or blank. The plate 140 is secured tothe forward stack guide plate 50 by screws 145 passing throughslots 146 so thatthe plate'may be adjusted vertically to insure the proper sheet clamping action.

i The slide or carrier 128 is reciprocated by a gear sector 150 engaging a rack 151 secured to a transverse vmember 152 of the slide. The gear sector 150 is pivotally mountedon a rock shaft 153 adjacent to a hub 154 secured to the shaft. This hub has a lug 155 located in an opening 156 in an extension of the gear sector and screws 157 passing through upper and lower portions of the extension engage the lug so that the angular position of the gear sector may be adjusted in relation to the shaft to properlyY position the carrier. Shaft 153 is' oscillated by an arm 160 having a cam roller 161 engaging a cam roove 162 in a cam body 163 secured on sha t 164. Shaft 164 has a bevel gear 165 engaged by a bevel gear 166 on a vertical shaft 167 and this shaft is driven by a bevel gear 168 engaging a similar gear ing action depending-on the on shaft 29, previously mentioned, this shaft being driven by idler gear 28 in the train ofgears running up from main shaft 21, as previously described. The cam groove 162 is contoured so that about the moment that slide 55 commences its feed movement (toward the left in Fig.k 3), .the plate 135 is slightly elevated, andv the clamping faces 143 and 144 are separated slightly more than the sheet thickness, but stops 138 are below the rear ends of plate fingers 142.

The slide 55 then moves to the left with roll 62 in engagement with the top sheet in the 'stack and by the rolling action of the pusher, roll, or a combined rolling and pushthe roll bearings, the upper sheet is rolled or pushed forward (tothe left in Fig- 3). Its forward edge slides under plate 135 and over plate 140 and between the upper and lower primary feed rolls 120 and 123, which are now considerably separated, this separation being shown in a somewhat exaggerated manner in Fig. 3, for the sake of clearness, until the forward edge of the sheet strikes the vertical faces of stops 138. There are usually a plurality of thes'estops distributed laterally as sufficiently indicated in Fig. 5,

so that the engagement of the sheet Vwith.

the stops serves to straighten the forward edge of the sheet in the true transverse line parallel to the feed roll axes. The pusher roll moves forward somewhat after the forward edge of the sheet is located against thestops, and in this further movement the sheet is more or less buckled upwardly between the pusher roll and-a lower portion of the curved face -of plate 135, 'as vclearly ad] ustment of shown in Fig. 3. This further movement of the pusher roll and buckling of the sheet insures thatthe forward edge of the sheet will be accurately located and straightened against the stops. At about the moment that slide 55 completes its feeding movement carrier 128 is lowered somewhat by a step or jog 170 in the cam groove 162 and the forward edge of the sheet is then securely clamped between the

plates

135 and 140, while the buckle in the sheet is still maintained and the location of the sheet insured Auntil the clamping action is accomplished.

At about thistime the pusherroll is raised by the nal advance movement of the slides 55, as previously explained, and the slide relivered from the stack and before it is advanced by the ripper rolls, it is found that in some cases 51e pusher roll 62 pushes the paper against the stops 138 with suicient force to cause the front edge of the paper to be burred or wrinkled, and also that when the clamp releases the paper and the lower feed roll .124 is raised to grip and advance the sheet, the paper does not readily release itself from the'stops 138, but tends in some cases to follow the stop upward and jamming of the paper results. To prevent this, simple means are desirably provided to re.- leasethe paper from the stops and also to prevent improper burring or wrinkling, such means in one suitable embodiment being best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. `The plate 135 is provided with slots intersecting the stops 138 and thin leaf springs 147 are located in lshown in Fig. 6, before the paper is advanced in the initial feeding action the springs lie below the level of the clamping faces 143 of plate 140. As the sheet is advanced from the stack, as shown in Fig. 7, it encounters the yielding resistance of the springs 147, and the springs are vpushed upward to retain a yielding grip on the forward portion of the sheet and retarding its movement somewhat after the. fashion of a brake and the paper is prevented from striking the registering stop with too much force, and `in this way burring or wrinkling of the forward edge is to a great extent avoided. The paper is then clamped in the manner previously described and after the buckle as settled the paper is released from the feed rolls, and as plate 135 rises thesprings 147 move downward and push the advance edge of the sheet belowthe stop faces of stops 138. In other words, these springs act as strippers to insure the freeing of the` sheet from the stops before it "is ward by the gripper rolls.

The upper feed rolls 120 are continuously driven by a pinion 175 secured on shaft 121 and engaging idler gear 28, previously mentioned. The lower feed rolls are continuously driven by a pinion 176 on shaft 124 engaging a gear 177 on shaft 121, the pitch line diameters of the pinion and gear being proportional to the diameters of the respective rolls, and the teeth of the pinion and gear may be made long enough so that they remain in rotative engagement while the rolls are separated.

In front of the primary feed rolls is a slightly inclined paper shelf 180 supported by an extension 181 of the rear wall of the fed forglue pot 4. Near the forward edge of this shelf and adjacent to theglue roll 17 are secondary blank feed rolls consistingof upper rolls 182, theindividual rolls being usually separated by channels 183, and lower -rolls 184, spaced in accordace with .the spacing of the upper rolls. The forward por- \tion of the shelf is slotted to accommodate the upper segments of the lower feed rolls.

pinions 186 and 187 mounted on their respective shafts, and the lower pinion 187 is'/ driven by an idler pinion 188 which engages a gear 189 on glue roll shaft 18. In this way the secondary feed rolls are constantly driven at a suitable speed. Between the upper feed rolls 182 and the glue roll are guide fingers 190 carried by a transverse bar 191, these lingers having upright portions 192 and lower portions 193 parallel to the plate 180 and spaced above it slightly more than the sheet thickness, the rearward ends of the guide portions 193 being located in the channels between the upper -feed rolls.

The forward edge of the wrapper blank 1s gripped by the primary feed rolls after the` pusher roll 62 is raised and after the sheet has settled fiat upon the stack. The engagement' of the sheet between two laterally separated sets of feed rolls driven at the same speed insures the sheet against lateral or angular displacement. The sheet is now fed forward by the primary feed rolls over 4the plate 180l and its forward edgeis gripped between the secondary feed roll'and advanced .under the guide members 193` into contact with the glue surface of the; glue roll 17; the foremost edge of the sheet is deflected upward and is carried round the glue roll to substantially the uppermost point thereof where it is stripped from the roll by the stripper plates 20;

" shortly thereafter the forward edge of the .to produce this result.

to the rear end of table 5 and ,the blank is associated. with an advancing carton or article in the manner previouslynlescribed. Since the wrapper blank, by the described mechanism. and operations is accurately fed in properly timed relation to"y the platen, and is kept in proper-alinement and so delivered to the platen, the correct presentation of thehlank in properly registered p0- sition at the assembly station is insured.

As successive blanks are removed from the staclS the top of the stack is lowered and it is necessary to elevate the stack gradually or intermittently at sufliciently frequent intervals to keep the upper sheet at approximately the same level, and to control the lifting mechanism in a proper way While in the broader aspect of the invention various means for controlling the lifting mechanism may be employed, itis desirable to provide controlling mechanism which is regulated by the actual position ofthe uppermost sheet of the stack so that the lifting mechanism will operate in accordance with the actual momentary position of the stack top. In this way any variation in the rate at which sheets are removed from the stack is automatically taken care of. For instance, if one or a number of successive packages Vare absent from the package conveyor Vand the sheet feed mechanism is rendered inoperative during one or several successive cycles in the manner previously explained, the lifting mechanism is controlled so that -the stack is not lifted untilthe'feed of sheets'is resumed anda sufficient number of sheets is removed to call for a repositioning of the stack.

The shaft 47 with its pinion 46 engaging the rack on the stack supporting plunger 41, is provided with a gear 200 which is engaged by a pinion 201 on a shaft 202. This pinion is operatively ixed in relation to a 4circular ratchet 203. The ratchet is en- '.214 and on the inward end of the rock shaft is another arm-215 connected by a link 216 to an arm 217 on `a rock shaft 218 mounted in bearings on the up er end of the rear bear on the top of the stack. Slidably 'mounted on vertical rod 210 is a block 225 havin a collar engaged'by the forked end of a bell crank lever 228 fulcrumed at 229 and provided with a cam roller 230 engaging a cam groove in cam body 163 previously mentioned, the last named cam groove being on the oppositeside of the body from cam groove 162 which actuates carrier 128. Thesliding block has anextension 240 provided with a vertical spring rod 241passing through a lug 242 secured to rod 210, and a helical Spring 243 is located about' the spring rod between extension 240 and lug 242. Thvegupward travel of the block 225 on rod 210 is limited by an adjustable stop nut 245 and lock nut 246 having threaded engagement on rod 210.

In every cycle of the mechanism the bell crank 228 is oscillated by its cani groove. Afterthe pusher roll 62 has fed a sheet forward suliici'ently for its rear edge to'clear the plate or presser finger 221, block 225 is moved down by the bell vcrank 228. lThe spring 241 impels rod 210 downward along with the block until the presser finger 221 engages the top of the stack and compresses the stack somewhat, more or less, depending `on the stiffness of the spring. The spring is then compressed and the block 225 slides down on rod 210 and away from the stop nut ,245 a short distance as shown in Fig. 5. During the downward movement of rod 210 until this movement is checked by engagement of the nger 221 with the stack, the right hand end of lever 206 as' viewed in Fig. 1, is raised and theupawl 205 slides up over the outer face ofl oneof the teeth ofthe circular ratchet 203. If the position of the top of the stack is suchthat the presser. linger 221 cannot descend farenouglito permit the pawl 205 to pass over the point of one of the ratchet teeth, upon the return movement of lever 206 caused by the reverse. movement of'bell crank 228, the pawl will simply slide back over the outer face of theiratchet-tooth without turning the ratchet or elevating the stack. When the bell crank moves in the reverse direction kas just above described, Aclearance between the block 225 and stop nut 245 is first taken up and then ythe rod. 210 is lifted raising the presser finger 221 from the stack and at the saine time yretracting the pawl 205.V After a number of sheets have been withdrawn from the top of the stack, the' number.

depending on the thickness of the sheets and lthe adjustment of the mechanism, in one of the descending movements of the presser finger 221 the pawl 205 is allowed to retract far enough to pick up one tooth of the ratchet and on its forwardmovement drives the ratchet forward one tooth space, and this motion is communicated through the gear connectionsto the stack plunger 41, and the stack is lifted to restore the position of the upper sheet in proper relation to the feed mechanism. Since the drive from the circular ratchet to the stack plunger may be a reduction drive, as shown by the relative sizes of the gear members in tle present instance, the ratchet teeth may be made lrelatively coarse and the. movement of the pawl lever 206 may be of substantial amplitude withoutA lifting the stack too much at any one lifting action. The lift at an one action may moreover be varied by a justment of the stop nut 245, or in other ways, as will be sufficiently understood without further v description.

While, as above stated, general features of the wrapping machine, as here shown,

and details of the platen, glue roll, etc., are not claimed here apart from their relation to the paper or blank feed mechanism, it will be understood that in the broader aspect of -the invention, the. platen and the glue roll,

as well as the feed rolls, form parts of the train of mechanism actually engaged in feeding or advancing the sheets or blanks to the registration point, and, therefore, these. parts of the mechanism are claimed herein in coniiection with, or in combined relation to, or as subordinate parts of tlieV sheet or blank -feed mechanism. Y

An important' feature of the blank feed mechanism proper is that it dispenses with complications and other objectional features incident to suction feed apparatus, which is frequently employed inA sheet feed mecha-l nism, andat the same time provides individual sheet feeding means, which is more positive and accurate in its operation for the present purpose.

In one aspect of the invention, the pusher roll 62 is representative of any suitable means for advancing individual sheets or successive sheets to registering mechanism including the stops 138 by which the sheets are alined and registered with reference to a subsequently acting device such as the rotary platen or platen grippers, and are then advanced by suitable. means such as the feed rolls 120 and 123 with preservation of their registered positions past means for adhesively conditionin the sheets, such means being represented i bodiment by the glue roll 35, so -that the advance edge of each sheet arrives at a proper point for manipulationby the rotary platen at the proper time, andv is, in fact, in the present embodiment, definitely registered on the platen by movement of the advance edge of the sheet against the platen n the present em.

stops 9, whereupon the sheet-is seized by the. platen grippers 10 and then advanced 1n properly registered position to a delivery point, which in the present example is a point near the upper surface ofthe platen where the glued sheet is associated with an article such as a filled carton.

What we claim is l. Sheet-feed mechanism comprising a stack holder, a pusher roll adapted to move individual top sheets from the stack laterally by roll engagement, a roll carrier, and adjustable conical roll bearings to regulateY the sheet pushing action of the roll.

2. Sheet-feed mechanism comprising a holder for a sheet stack, a sheet stop close to the stack and arranged to be engaged by the advancing edge of a sheet, means for moving individual sheets from the stack against the stop, and means for advancing the sheets and maintaining their front registered position after they are positioned against the stop.

3. Sheet-feed mechanism comprising a holder for a sheet stack, a row of sheet stops close to the stack and arranged to engage and aline the advancing edge of a sheet, means for moving individual sheets from the stack against the stops, and means for advancing the sheets and maintaining their front registered position after ,they are positioned against the stops.

4. Sheet-feed mechanism comprislng a sheet stack holder, a sheet stop near the top of the stack, means for feeding individual sheets against the stop and for buckling the sheets to insure proper location, means for withdrawing the stop, means for clamping sheets located by the stop, and means for gripping and removing sheets after release from the clamping means.

5. Sheet-feed mechanism comprising a sheet stack holder, a sheet stop near the top of the holder stack, means for feeding individual sheets edgewise against the stop, sheet clamping means, and means for gripping and feeding sheets away from the stack after positioning and clamping.

6. Sheet-feed mechanism comprising Aa sheet stack holder, a feed roll near the top and atyone side of the stack, a cooperating feed roll, a retractable sheet stop, sheet clamping means, means for pushing individual sheets between the feed rolls and against the stop, and operating mechanism for withdrawing the stop, moving the clamping means to clamp and remove the sheet, and causing the feed rolls to grip and advance the sheet.

7 Sheet-feed mechanism comprising a sheet stack holder, a fixed feed roll near the top and at one side of the stack, a cooperating movablel feed roll, a retractable sheet stop, sheet clamping means, means for pushing individual sheets between the feed rolls and against the stop, and operating mechanisni for withdrawing the stop, moving the clamping means to clamp and remove the sheet, and moving the movable feed roll to grip and remove the sheets from the stack.

8. Sheet-feed mechanism comprising a sheet stack holder, a fixed feed roll at the top and near one side of the stack, a fixed sheet clamping member adjacent to said roll, a movable carrier, a movable feed roll mounted on the carrier to cooperate with the fixed roll, and a sheet clamping member on the carrier arranged to cooperate with said fixed sheet clamping member.

9. Sheet-feed mechanism comprising a sheet stack holder, a feed roll on a fixed axis at the top and near one side of the stack, a fixed sheet clamping member adjacent to said roll.l a movable Carrier, a movable feed roll mounted on the carrier to cooperatewith the fixed roll, a sheet stop on the carrier, and a sheet clampingl member on the carrier. arranged to cooperate with said fixed sheet clamping member.

1 0. Sheet-feed mechanism comprising a sheet'stack holder, a feed roll on a fixed axis at the top and near one side of the stack, a fixed sheet'clamping member adjacent to said roll, a movable carrier, a movable feed roll mounted on the carrier to cooperate with the fixed roll, a sheet stop on the carrier, a sheet clamping member on the carrier arranged to cooperate with said iixed sheet clamping member, and means for pushing individual sheets edgewise from the top of the stack between the feed rolls and against the stop.

l1. Sheet-feed mechanism comprising a sheet stack holder, a feed roll on a fixed axis at the top and near one side of the stack, a fixed sheet clamping member adjacent to said roll, a movable carrier, a movable feed roll mounted on the carrier to'cooperate with the fixed roll, a sheet stop on the carrier, a sheet clamping member on the carrier arranged to cooperate with said xed sheet clamping member, means for pushing individual sheets edgewise from the top of the stack between the feed rolls and for buckling the sheets against the stop, and means for moving said carriage to and fro inl timed relation to the sheet pushing means.

12. Sheet-feeding mechanism comprising a holder for a vertical stack Ofsheets, means for moving individual sheets laterally from the stack top, and sheet detent mechanism comprising a pivoted lever, an arm on the lever, a detent pin in the arm and arranged to pierce the upper sheet near one edge, a spring actingvon the lever to engage the pin with the stack, and a stop to limit the engaging movement of the pin.

13. Sheet-feedind mechanism comprising a holder for a vertical stack of sheets, means for pushing individual Ysheets laterally from i movement of the pin.

14. Sheet-'feed mechanism comprising a holder for a sheet stack, a sheet stop adjacent to the stack and arranged tol be en- I. gaged by the. advancing'edge of a sheet,l

means for moving individual sheets from the stack against the. stop, means for retard'- .ing movement ofthe sheet adjacent to the stop, and means for advancing the sheets and maintaining their registration after they are positioned a ainst the stop.

15. `.Sheet-feed -mei holder for a sheet stack,j al sheet stop adjacent to the stack and arranged to be engaged by the advancing edge of'a sheet,means for moving individual sheets from the stack against the stop, a yielding member engaging the advancing portion of the sheetiand retarding its movement adjacent to. the stop,

and means for advancing the sheets and maintaining their` registration after they are positioned against the stop. 16. Sheet-feed mechanism comprising a holder for a sheet stack, a sheet stop adjacent to the stack and arrangedto be engaged by the advancing edge of a sheet, means for moving individual sheets from Vthe stack against the stop, means for retracting the stop,.means for releasing the advance edge of the sheet from the stop, and .means for advancing the sheets after they are positionedlagainst the stop.

17. Sheet-feeding mechanism comprisingfa *sheet-stack holder, a retractable sheet stop positioned ,nearly in line with the upper stack sheet, means forl advancing individual i top sheets successively against the stop,

with excess movement to insure proper sheet locatlon, means for retracting the stop after `a sheet is positioned, means for retarding the sheetadjacent to thepstop, and means for gripping and removing-the sheet from the* stack.

18. Sheet-feeding'lm'eehanism comprising a sheet-stack holder, a retractable sheet stop positioned nearly in 'line with the upper stack sheet, means for advancing individual top sheets successively against the stop, with excess' movement to insure proper sheet location, means for retracting the stop after a sheet is positioned, a yielding sheet engaging member to retard sheet movement .adjacent to the stop and to strip the sheet from the stop when the latter is retracted, and means for gripping and removing .y sheet' from the s tac y:

19. Sheet-feeding mechanism comprising .ya sheet-stack holder, a retractable sheet stop anism comprlsing a positioned nearlyl in line with the upper stack sheet, means for' advancing individual. top sheets successively against the stop, With excess movement to insure proper sheet lo- Aguiding a vertical sheet stack, a retractable stop adjacent to the top of the stack, means for advancing individual sheets against the stop With excess movement to provide a buckle, means for retarding the sheet adjacent to the stop and for stripping the feed from the stop when the stop is retracted, means for lamping the sheet after positioningagainst the stop, means for retracting the stop, and means for gripping and advancing the registered sheet after the stop is retracted.

21. Sheet feed mechanism comprising feed rolls, a stop adjacent to the contact line of the feed rolls, means forA moving the stop to active position and concurrently moving one of the feed rolls to inactive position, means vfor moving a sheet edge- Wise and ,buckling it against the stop and .means forthereafter retracting the stop and movingl said last named feed roll to grip the sheet against the other roll and advance it in registered position.

2 2. Sheet. feed mechanism comprising a shelf, a feed roll on a xed axis and spaced slightly above the shelf, a cooperating movable feed roll, sheet aligning stops movable to active position adjacent the shelf and in l front of the edge of an advancing sheet,

against lthe stops, and means for thereafter f l retracting the stops and moving the movable feed roll to grip and advance the sheet.

in registered position i 23. Sheet feed-mechanism. comprising a stack holder, a shelf adjacent' to the stack top, a feed roll on a fixed axis and spaced .slightly above the shelf, a co-operating feed roll arranged for movement 'toward and from the fixed roll, sheet aligning stops movable to active position above the rear edge of the shelf and in front of the .edge of an advancing sheet, means fory pushing the top sheet from the stack edgewise between the shelf and the fixed roll and against the stops with excess motion to insure proper feed alignment, andmeans for thereafter retracting the stops and moving the movable feed roll to grip and advance the sheet in registered position.

24. Sheet feed mechanism comprising a "i `stack holder, feed rolls close to the stack top, retractabley sheet aligning stops ady jacent to the feed roll contact line. a shelf over which a sheet is positioned close to one of the feed rolls, means for moving a single sheet yedgevvise from the stack over the shelf and against the stops when the latter are in active position, and yieldable sheet clamping means cooperating with the shelf to retard and yieldably hold the sheet as aligned and registered by the stops.

25. Sheet feed mechanism comprising a stack holder', feed rolls close to the stack top, retractable sheet aligning stops adjacent to the feed roll contact line, a shelf over` which a sheet is positioned close to one of the feed rolls, means for moving a single sheet edgewise from the stack over the shelf and against the stops when the latter are in active position, and yieldable sheet clamping means cooperating with the shelf to retard and yieldably hold the sheet as aligned and registered by the stops, and means acting after the sheet is aligned and yieldably held to retract the stops and conmemes currently grip the sheet between the feed rolls and advance it with maintained registration.

26. Sheet feed mechanism comprising a holder for a stack of sheets, feed rolls close to the stack top, retractable sheet aligning stops adjacent to the feed roll Contact lines, a shelf over which a sheet is positioned close to one of the feed rolls, means for moving a single sheet edgewise from the stack over the shelf and against the stops When the latter are in active position, and yieldable sheet clamping means cooperating with the shelf to retard and yieldably hold the sheet as aligned and registered by the stops, said means acting When the stops are retracted to free the sheet edge therefrom.

Signed at Philadelphia in the count-yY of Philadelphia and. State of Pennsylvania this 29th day ofLMay A. D. 1922.

WLLIAM A. WEIGHTMAN. CHARLES H. NTSCH. y