US1666165A

US1666165A - Sheet-feeding machine

Info

Publication number: US1666165A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1928-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 1945-04-17

Description

April 17, 1928. 1,666,165

C. E. CHRISTOPHEL SHEET FEEDING MACHI Filed March 14, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 17, 1928. 1,666,165

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C. E. CHRISTOPH EL SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1925 a Sheets-Sheet s 1N VENTOR A410 70 ATTORNEYS April 17', 1928.

C. E. CHRISTOPHEL SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed March 4,

April 17, 1928.

- c. E. CHRISTOPHEL SHEET FEEDING MACHINE I Filed March 6 $heets+Sheet 5 gwpentoz C. E. CHRISTOPHEL SHEET FEEDING MACHINE April 17, 1928.

Filed March 14, 1925 6 SheetsSheet 6 ATTORNEYS a M m! fl 25.5%. @UWEEEE? Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

CAR-L E. GHRISTOPHEL, OF PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, AQSIG'NOR TO DEXTER FOLDER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION NEW' YORK.

SHEET-FEEDING MACHINE.

Application filed March 14, 1925. Serial No. 15,641.

The present invention is an improvement in sheet-feeding machines, and the princi pal object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described which will distribute sheets from a commonpile or a common point in a plurality of directions. In the particular embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings, the inventive idea is applied to a device for separating sheets from a common pile into a plurality, here shown as three, separate piles.

Aside from this field of usefulness, it is pointed out that the invention is available to feed successive sheets from a support to any desired paper-handling mechanism or mechanisms, such as presses, folders or the like, or any arrangement or combination of such mechanisms, and that the sheet-s to be fed or distributed might be delivered either manually or automatically onto the common support, from which they are thereafter fed or distributed, one at a time or in groups from any suitable source.

The invention is also available in connection with the inspection and sorting of paper stock and the like, as by the means employed the sheets could be comprehensively enamined as each is distributed.

The invention is particularly effective in connection with the separation of sheets of bank notes, money and the like in connection with which each two sheets of money or banknotes are separated from the adjacent sheets by what is known as a slip-sheet. As a sheet is delivered from the press it is placed with the wet printed face down, for example, and the next sheet with the printed face up. A slip-sheet is then placed on the uppermost printed face and the operation continued, with the result that a slipsheet is interposed between the adjacent wet printed surfaces of the sheets. This results in a pile being made up of sheets of money and slipsheets, two sheets of money, then a slip-sheet, two more sheetsof money, then a slip-sheet and so on until a pile of a thousand or more sheets is built. Accordingly, the two dry faces of adjacent sheets will be in contact. The usual procedure which has been followed in the subsequent separation of the money and the sli 3-Sl186lIS has been to manually separate the same. This has required large force of operators and a large amount of floor space.

The invention, in one aspect, resides broadly in the provision of means for distributing sects from a common point in a plurality of directions, either to receivers or to suitable paper-handling mechanism. More specifically, it resides in the provision of a plurality of receivers, preferably symmetrically spaced on three sides of a pile of money and slip-sheets, and the provision of means for successively removing the sheets from the common pile and distributing them in their appropriate receivers. This insures the expeditious and automatic separation of the money and the slip-sheets, with a minimum of operators and floor space. This automatic separation preserves the slipsheets from the injury which is usually the result of manual separation.

In another aspect the invention resides in the particular separating and conveying means which are employed in the separation and transfer of the sheets.

Other features will be hereinafter pointed out and embodied in the claims.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of the inventive idea and in which Fig. l is a perspective view of the improved device;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation with some of the parts removed, showing particularly the course of the air control;

Fig. 4 is a verticalelevation illustratin the pile governor mechanism;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail elevation looking from the front with one of the sections removed;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view with parts 9 broken away, showing particularly the drive mechanism, cam actions and pile elevating mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic indication showing the manner in which the sheets are dispile into the sev- Figs. and 11 are details of one form of sheetseparating and conveying mechanism, Fig. 10 showing the edge of the sheet being sparated and Fig. 11 the sheet in position to be delivered.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts, it will be observed that three receivers 10, 11 and 12 (Figs. 1 and 2) are "provided into which are distributed the sheets from a com posite pile of sheets of money and slip sheets, for example, carried on an elevator 14. The several mechanisms for separating the sheets and deliyering them into the receivers are operated successively in timed relation and in any desired sequence. As here shown, these separating and transferring mechaiiisms are driven from a common source. An electric motor 15 mounted on a base 16 drives a stub-shaft 17 by means of a sprocket chain 18 passing around a pinion 19 on the armature shaft and around a pinion 20 on the shaft 17. The shaft 17 is mounted in bearings in the frame of the machine and is provided on one end with a hand-wheel 21. This shaft carries a worm 22 that meshes with a worm gear 23 keyed to a shaft 24. Compounded with the worm gear 23 is a spur gear 25 that meshes with an idler pinion 26 mounted on a stub-shaft 27, which pinion 26 in turn meshes with a pinion 28 keyed on a shaft 29 mounted in suitable bearings in the frame of the machine and arranged parallel with the shaft 24.

The shaft 24 is provided with a pair of cams, one of which 30 controls the joggerboard of one of the receivers and the other of which, 31, controls the air to one of the separating and conveying devices. The shaft 29 carries a plurality of feed rollers 32 that project through a base plate 33 (Fig. 7) and engage the under surface of the sheet being fed. A. belt 34 is preferably provided to assist in the feeding of the sheets, this belt passing around one of the rollers 32 and around an idler roller 35. The sheet is engaged on its upper face by a plurality of rollers 36 which are carried in arms '37 mounted loosely on a sleeve 38 (Fig. 9) carried by fixed shaft 39, mounted in sutable bearing 40 and 41. This sleeve 38 is adapted to be oscillated, and this oscillatory movement acts to raise and lower its associated sheet-separating mechanism and to reciprocate the same from the pile toward one of the receivers and back again.

The tube 38 is oscillated from a cam 42 formed on the inner surface of the gear 25 (Figs. 1 and 6). An arm 43 pivoted to the frame of the machine at 43 carries in one end a roller 44, and its other end is connected at 45 to one extremity of a link 46, the other extremity of which is connected to the free end of an arm 47 fixed to the tube 38. The sleeve 38 (see particularly Figs. 8 and 9) has keyed thereto a second arm 48 to the free end of which is secured one end of a link 49. The other end of this link is pivoted at 50 to a carriage 51 that is rcciprocated on a track or way 52 fiiziedly mounted on the shaft 39 by means a bracket 53 through which passes a set F. '4 that or the shaft 39. This bracket also loosely engages the sleeve 38, at which point it is provided with a lug 56 to which the track way bolted or otherwise secured.

The separating and transferring device is indicated generally at 57. As here shown the device of the suction variety, though in certain aspects the invention is not limited to any particular form of sheetseparating and transferrii'ig devices. The separating and transferring device as here shown is recin'oc'ated with the carriage 51 and suitable means are provided for raising and lowering said device with respect to the pile of sheets in orderto separate the sheets and tranfer and deliver the same. As here shown each sheet separating and transferring device 57 is raised and lowered by means of an arm 58 pivoted at 59 to the carriage 51 and provided at its free end with a fork 60 that engages the under surface or a nut '61 that is adjustable longitudinally of the device 57. The arm 58 also carries a roller 62 that engages and rides upon one end of the link 49 provided with a cam surface As shown in Fig. 8, when the roller 62 engages the high part of the cam surface the device 57 is elevated and when the roller 62 engages the low part of the cam surface 63 (Fig. 9) the device 51 is lowered.

The sheet-separating and transferring device 57 for each receiver, as here shown. preferably utilizes a pair of

suckers

64 and 65. These suckers preferably comnnu'iiczite with common pipe 66 (Fig. 8) which in turn communicates with a suitable suction device 67 g. 1). The sucker is preferably of the collapsible type shown in my Patent No. 1,475,621, dated November 27, 1923, and operates to separate the sheet when suction is applied, the sucker under these conditions telescoping into engagement with its as sociated casing 68. The sucker 65 is carried by a member that telescopes into the casing 68. The sucker 65 as it telescopes into the casi g 68 acts to separate the forward edge of the topmost sheet and the

suckers

64 and 65 are then elevated to complete the separation of the sheet. Fixed to the member 70 at 71 is a short arm T2 which is pivoted to the lower end of a link 73 provided with a slot 74 in which engages pin 75 carried by the carriage 51. l i hen the suction is applied the member 70 antoi'r itically telescopes into the casing 68 rai ing .suc er and separating the forward end of loo the sheet. Thereupon the sucker 64 is ele vated by the action of the cam surface 63 to the height of the sucker 65. The extent of the elevation of the sucker 65 is limited by the lower end of the slot 74 engaging the pin 75, and accordingly the sheet which is seized by the

suckers

64 and 65 is straightened into a position substantially horizontal with the pile and in position to be effectively and properly delivered into its appropriate receiver. In other words, the first efi'ect of the upward movement of'the sucker 65 is to bend the forward edge of the sheet at an angle to the body of the sheet, but whenthe lowerend of the slot 7d engages the pin the upper arcuate movement of the sucker 65 is stopped. Thereafter, as the separating device 57 as a whole is elevated the casing 68, which forms a part thereof, will also be elevated and the casing 68 will be moved up wardly, thus separating the casing from the member 70 and maintaining the sucker mouth elevated. above the sheet pile but parallel therewith (Fig. 11). hen the 1 separatingdevice 57 as a whole is in its elcvated position, the mouth of the sucker Gel will be in substantially the same horizontal plane as the mouth of the sucker 65. The upward movement of the suction device 57 guided by a bracket 7 6 that is mounted on the carriage 51. The transfer of the sheet to deliver the same into its appropriate receiver is then effected by the oscillation of the tube 38 to the position shown in Fig. 8. W'hen the parts reach the position shown in Fig. 8 the suction is relieved and the sheet is accordingly delivered under the action of the lower rollers 32 and the

upper rollers

36 and 37.

It will be understood that there is a suction connection to each of the sheet-separating and transferring devices, three valves belng employed and each of them being controlled by a cam similar to the cam 31 (Fig. 6). As shown in that figure, the cam 31 engages a roller 77 carried on one end of a slotted arm 78, the lower end of which is connected to the plunger 79 provided with an orifice 80 (Fig. 3) which is adapated to register with a passage 81 in the valve casing 82. This casing is connected to one end of a tube 83, the other end of which is connected to a pipe 84, the ends of which open into a cored section of the frame of the machine at 85 and 86. A pipe 87 connects to the cored section 85 and the other end of this pipe is connected to a pipe 88 that taps the pump 67. A relief valve 89, may be and preferably is employed.

On the other side of the valve casing 82 and registering with the passage 81. therein is a tube 90 which connects at one end with a cored section 91 of the frame, a tube 92.

end to the whole sheet-separating and trans ferring device 57. It will be understood from the foregoing that when the roller 77 engages the low portion of the cam 31 the valve plunger will be'lowered to permit suction to be applied thru the described connections and that when the roller 77 engages the high part of the cam 81 the suction will be cutoff,

Duplicate suction connections are associated with the cored

sections

85 and 86 as heretofore described in connection with the tube 82L, so that the suction is applied and relieved in the same manner through the same means with the exception that the other cams corresponding to cam 31 are arranged to properly time the sequence of operations, thev suction being applied to the several sheetseparating and transferringdevices 57 successively and in timed relation.

Inorder to keep the separated sheets in the several receivers 10, 11 and 12 properly piled and straightened movable sides or jogger-boards 93, 94C and 95 (Fig. 1) are provided. As each sheet is delivered these boards are opened or separated, and after the delivery the boards are closed or reeach of which is mounted on one end of a rod 104: carried in brackets 105 on the under side of the receiver. The rod 104 and the cones 102 and 103 are forced toward the position shown in Fig. 2 by means of spring 106, one end of which engages-a collar 107 fixed to the rod 104;, theother end of the spring 100 engaging a bearing 108 through which the rod loosely passes. Through the connections described the boards 93, 9 1 and 95 will be periodically and simultaneously opened and closed. The boards 93, 94: and 95 are adjustably mounted on their respective rods in any suitable manner, slots 109 being provided in thebottom of the receivers to permit of movement of the boards.

In order to prevent the delivered sheets from becoming displaced and to insure holding of the same in orderly piles in the receiver, I preferably employ a yielding tongue 110 that engages the top of each of the piles in the receiver. As here shown, this tongue isof flexible materialone end of which is secured to the stationary bracket 53 and the free end of which projects through a vertical slot 111 in the forward jogger-board 9d.

The elevator 14- on which the sheet pile is 132 with which the pawl 130 coop will carried is automatically maintained its proper height by means of any suitable mechanism. As here shown, a governor roller 112 is carried in one end of an arm 113, the other end of which is carried by a shaft 114. The arm 113 is periodically raised and lowered by means of a cam 11:) operating through a link 116, which latter carries a roller 117 that engages the cam 115, said link being also connected to the arm 113 at 118 at a point between the shaft 114 and the roller 112. The shaft 11 carries an adjusting device 119 that bears against a finger 120 mounted on a shaft 121. This finger is provided with a notch 122 that lies normally in the path of one arm 123 of a lever pivoted on a stub-shaft 12%, the other arm of said lever carrying a roller 125 that engages a cam 126 carried on shaft Preferably integrally formed with the lever 123125 is a third arm 12'? to which connected the upper end of a link 1255, the lower end of which is connected to a pawl 129 pivoted on. a swinging bra 130 loosely mounted on elevator Sllfl" are carried by this elevator shaft is a ratchet "hcel which ratchet 132 is fixedly monntef shaft 131. Encircling the sh 1 ad car-- ried by the frame is a support that car-- ries a pin 13 1- that carries a second pawl 135 that prevents rearward rotation of the ratchet wheel 132. Carried by shaft 131 are a pair of pinions 136, each of which engag a corresponding rack 137 formed on the front of the elevator brackets. The shaft 131 may be rotated by a handle 138 to manually raise or lower the pile support. Before operating the device manually, however, to lower the same, a plate 139 mounted on shaft 131 is rotated by hand. This plate is provided on its inside (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6) with a pair of cam surfaces 14s) and 141 which are adapted to engage roller 142 on pawl 129 and roller 1 1-3 on pawl 135. These cams act to raise the pawls 129 and 135 out of engagement with the ratchet wheel to permit the ready lowering of the pile support. The automatic positioning of the pile is effected through the governor mechanism described. It will be observed that, if the governor roller 112 lowers by reason of the fact that the top of the pile is below a predetermined height, the finger 120 will be moved to the left as shown in Fig. 6, out of the path of lug 123,-thus permitting the cam roller 125 to follow the drop of the cam 126 which permits the pawl to move back a distance of one or more teeth. Thereafter, when the high part of the cam 126 engages the roller 125 the arm 12? will be positively rocked in a clockwise direction thus pulling up on the link 123, causing a rotation of the shaft 131 through the medium of pawl 129. This rotation of said memes shaft through the pinion and rack connections 126137 will raise the pile to the predetermined height. VVhen the pile is its proper predetermined height, the notch 122 of the finger 120 will be in the path of movement of the lug 123, thus preventing actuation of the automatic raising mechanism.

It will be understood that the mechanism for separating and transferring the sheets is the same for each of the three receivers. Referring to Fig. 1, a gear is mounted on a shaft 24 that is driven from shaft 2 1 through bevel gearing, and the cam on this gear 25 operates to actuate the sheet-separating and transferring mechanism associated with tne receiver 12 in the same manner as heretofore described. The shaft 29 corresponds to shaft 29 and is driven from shaft 21 through

pinions

28 and 26. The shaft 2 1 arries a cam similar to cam 30 on shaft 24: for operating the jogger-boards of receiver Sleeve 38 corresponds to sleeve 38 and is connected to a similar set of mechanisms as heretofore described in connection with sleeve 38. As clearly shown in Fig. 6, shaft 21- drives shaft 2% through bevel gears 1 11-, 1&5, this shaft 24: carrying cam 30 to operate the jogger-boards of section 10, and am 31 to operate the suction control for section 10. The cam 126 is mounted on a stub'shaft 1 16 mounted in suitable hearings in the frame of the machine, and carrying at one end a bevel gear 147 that meshes with bevel gear 14% on shaft 24".

In view of the fact that the mechanism associated with one of the receivers has been described in detail, it is unnecessary to duplicate the description with respect to the identical mechanisms associated with the other receivers. t is sutlicient to say that the mechanism common to the several receivers and the mechanism associated with the receiver 11 are indicated by the unprimed numerals, that the mechanism associated with the second receiver 12 is indicated by the primed numerals, and that the mechanism associated with the third receiver 10 is indicated by the double primed numerals; and that the parts indicated by the primed or double primed numerals are the same as the parts originally described and indicated by the unprimed numerals.

The pile being at the predetermined height and the sheets being arranged with each two sheets of money separated by a single slip-sheet, and the top sheet being, for example, a slip-sheet, the forwarder 57 will first remove the slip-sheet A. (Fig. 7 The forwarder 5'! will then remove a sheetof money 13 and the forwarder 57 will then remove asheet of money C, and thereafter the sheets will be removed in this order because of the fact that the

cams

31, 31 and 31 controlling the suction are set to operate in sequence, and the cams carried by the

gears

25, 25 and 25 controlling the sheetforwarding devices are likewise so set.

It has been experienced that a pile of a thousand. sheets of money with the interposed slip-sheets is so unstable and what might be called. spongy that when the suckers 64: and of one of the forwarders engage the top sheet on one side of the pile, the whole opposite side of the pile will be tilted up or elevated. It has therefore been found desirable in order that the suckers 64: and 65may engage the sheet in a uniform manner, and in order that the top of the pile may be in proper position for the topmost sheet to be fed off into its respective receiver, to provide means in, association with the suckers to brace the pile and to restore it after such displacement to a normal condition. I have accordingly provided a pair of positioning fingers 1 18 and 149 which are carried by a crossrod 150 that carried by a collar 151 on the forwarder. These fingers may be adjusted in any desired manner by means of adjusting sleeves 152 and 153. The lower horizontal reaches of these

fingers

148 and 149 lie in approximately the same horizontal plane as that of the suckers 64. and

65, and as the suckers 6-4 and 65 are lowered onto the top of the pile, the

fingers

148 and 149 also engage the top of the pile and hold the same in a uniform level condition, so, that the suckers will surely and positively engage the topmost sheet. 7

Under these conditions the operation of the suckers 64: and 65 on the sheets is illustratedin Figs. 10 and 11, wherein it is seen that the sucker 65 first operates to remove the topmost sheet from under the spring clip 15% and to bend it at an angleto the sucker 64 which has not yet been elevated. As the forwarder as a whole is elevated, the sucker 64L is raised to the position shown in Fig. 11 and accordingly the sucker 65 is forced to assume the position shown in Fig. 11, at which time the forward edge of the sheet is parallel with the pile and in position to be accurately and positively delivered. by the forwarder between the delivery rollers.

The same operation is effected on the remainder of the sheets, first a slip-sheet, for example, being delivered, then a sheet of money, then the second sheet of money, and then the slinsheet.

The automatic separation of the money and slip-sheets aifords for the first time. so

tar as I am aware, an automatic mechanism for performing this function which has heretofore always been performed manually; and the device not only performs the work of several operators but effects large economies with respectt to floor space and handling.

The arrangement of the several devices angularly with respect to each other enables each of the sheet delivery mechanisms: to be operated at the samespeed, and in view of the fact that each of the separated sheets travels only the same short distance from the common pile into the various receivers,

the sheets are separated and delivered at a very high speed and with great e'liiciency.

A further advantage that is secured by the arrangement of the several sets of sheetseparating and delivering mechanisms angularly with respect to each other is that a very high speed of separation can be attained while the individual mechanisms are operating at a comparatively slow speed. F or example, if the sheets were being separated at the rate of 120 per minute on a straight line machine which separated the several sheets by means of switches, the de livery means would have to operate at 120 per minute. Each successive sheet would have to be "fed completely from the pile before the next sheet could be engaged by the separating and ,itorwarding mechanism. With the present device it is only necessary, in order to separate the sheets at the rate of 120 per minute, that each separating and forwarding mechanism should operate at the rate of 4L0 per minute. It will further be seenby reference to Fig. 7 that, after one of the mechanisms has operated, the second separating and forwarding mechanism will engage the sheet when the previous sheet has only been displaced slightly more than half way oil of the pile. The particular arrange ment. therefore, of the separating and sheet forwarding mechanism angularly about the pile insures a speed of separation not attainable with any other device.

In the drawings the invention is shown as embodied in a machine provided with three receivers, but it will be understood that the same might be embodied in a machine provided with four receivers arranged about the common pile, or in one having two receivers arranged at opposite points with respects to thepile; and that the sheets may be delivered into the receivers in any desired sequence, it being necessary inthis connec tion toadjust the cams to control such opera tion.

While for the purpose of illustration one expression of the inventive idea. is shown and described in detail, it will. be understood that the invention is suscept-ible of various other uses and mechanical expressions within the limits of the appended claims.

What is claimed is J 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of receivers angularly. disposed with relation to each other, and means for successively delivering sheets from a common pile into said receivers. I p 2. In a device of the character described, combination of a lurality at receivers,

and means for feeding successive sheets from a common pile in different directions into said receivers.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a pile support, a plurality of sheet delivery mechanisms arranged above said pile support, means for operating said sheet-delivery mechanisms successively to deliver sheets from said pile in different angular directions, and a plurality of receivers into which the delivered sheets are deposited.

45. In a device of the character describec, the combination or a pile support, means for automatically maintaining the height of the pile at a predetermined level, a plurality of sheet delivery devices arranged angularly with respect to each other, a sheet receiver associated with each device, and means for operating said devices successively to deliver successive sheets into the several receivers.

5.. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sheet support, a plurality of sheet receiving means angularly disposed with respect to each other, and means for successively delivering sheets from said sheet support to said sheet receiving means.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality or sheet handling or. receiving means, a. common support from which sheets are fed to said means, and means for feeding successive sheets from said support in different directions to said means.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a sheet support, a plurality of sheet delivery mechanisms arranged above said support, means for operating said sheet-delivering mechanisms successively to deliver sheets from said support in diiierent angular directions, and a plurality of sheet handling or receiving means to which the sheets are delivered.

8. The combination with a plurality of sheet receivers angularly related to each other, of means for successively delivering sheets from a common pile into the receivers and comprising a corresponding number of mechanisms each consisting of a pair of suction mouths one of which operates to elevate the. edge of the sheet from the pile and both of which operate to transfer the sheet from the ile into one of said receivers- 9. The combination with a plurality of sheet receivers, of a corresponding number of combinedsheet. separators and forwarders for successively delivering sheets from a common pile alternately to said receivers, each combined separator and forwarder comprising a pair of suction mouths having a common source of suction, one of said. mouths acting as a sheet separator and both of the mouths acting as a sheet conveyor for carrying the sheet to one oi": said receivers.

10. The combination with a pile support and a plurality of sheet receivers disposed adjacent the sides of said pile support, of a corresponding number of mechanisms for forwarding sheets successively from the pile to the receivers, and means associated with each "forwarding mechanism and bearing on the pile at both sides of said mechanism to maintain the pile in a predetermined. position.

11. The combination with a pile support and a plurality of sheet receivers disposed adjacent the sides of said support, ot a corresponding number oi? devices for ranst'erring successive sheets from the top of the pile alternately to said receiver, means for successively raising and lowering said devices, and means carried by each device and bearing on the pile at both sides of said device to maintain the pile in a predetermined position.

12. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a sheet delivery mechanism. comprising a part o'l suction mouths, one of which operates to elevate the edge of the sheet from the pile and both of which operate to transfer the sheet from the pile. 13. In a device of the character described, a combined sheet separator and forwarder comprising a pair of suction mouths having a common source of suction, one said mouths acting as a sheet separator and both of said mouths acting as a sheet conveyor.

14. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sheet support, a receptacle into which the sheets ar fed, a sheet separator and forwarder device adapted to be moved vertically and horizontally, a pair of suckers constituting part of said device one of which acts to separate the edge of the topmost sheet from the top of: the pile, and both of which act to initiate the delivery movement of the same, and means adapted to. be automatically lowered onto the pile to hold the same in position for the engagement of the suckers.

In a device of the character described, the combination of a sheet support, means for transferring successive sheets from the pile comprising a pair of sheet engaging suckers, means elevating one sucker in advance of the other to separate the edge of the topmost sheet from the pile, means alining said suckers in a horizontal plane above the pile to straighten the sheet, and means moving said suckers transversely of the pile to deliver the sheets.

16., In a device of the character described, sheet engaging and transferring means comprising a pair of vertically movable sheet engaging suckers, means for elevating one sucker in advance of the other, means alining lit) said suckers in a horizontal plane to straighten the sheet, and means moving said suckers as a unit to deliver the sheet.

17. In a device of the character described, sheet engaging and transferring means comprising a pair of vertically movable sheet engaging suckers, means for elevating one sucker in advance of the other, means alining said suckers in a horizontal plane to straighten the sheet, and means moving said suckers to deliver the sheet.

18. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sheet support, a carriage movable with respect thereto, a pair of suckers mounted on said carriage and movable as a unit therewith, means for engaging said suckers with a sheet, means for elevating one sucker in advance of the other, means substantially alining said suckers in a horizontal plane above said support to straighten the sheet, and means moving said carria e to deliver the sheet.

19. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sheet support, means for automatically maintaining the top of the pile at a predetermined level, and a plurality of suction devices operating to separate and remove successive sheets from the pile in different directions.

20. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sheet support, means for maintaining the top of the pile at a predetermined level, a sheet separating and delivering mechanism operating to deliver the top sheet in one direction, a second sheet separating and delivery mechanism operating to deliver the second sheet in a different direction, and a third sheet separating and delivery mechanism operating to deliver the third sheet in a third direction, and so on, said mechanisms being operated at the same speed and delivering the several sheets sub stantially the same linear distance.

21. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a sheet support, means for maintaining the top of the pile at a predetermined level, a plurality of successivelyoperating sheet separating and delivery mechanisms, means for driving the several mechanisms at substantially the same speed, and sheet receivers arranged at substantially the same distance from the common pile for receiving the separated sheets.

22. In a device of the character described, the combination of a signature or sheet support, means for automatically maintaining the top of the pile at a predetermined level, a plurality of sheet receivers symmetrically arranged with respect to the pile, and a plurality of sheet separating and delivery mechanisms for delivering successive sheets into said receivers.

23. In a device of the character described, the combination ofa sheet support, means for automatically maintaining the top of the pile at a predetermined level, a plurality of sheet separating and delivery means, cam operated connections for causing said means to operate on successive sheets, and a plurality of sheet receivers arranged at spaced intervals about the pile and receiving the separated sheets therefrom.

24. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sheet support, means for maintaining the top of the pile at a predetermined level, a plurality of successively operating sheet separating and delivery mechanisms, means for elevating the sheet separating and'delivery mechanisms to separate the sheet and for reciprocating said mechanisms transversely of the pile for delivering the sheet.

25. The combination with a sheet support and a plurality of sheet receivers disposed adjacent the sides of said sheet support, of a corresponding number of mechanisms for forwarding sheets successively from the sheet support into said receivers, a shaft for moving the sheet support, a ratchet wheel carried by the shaft, a feed pawl and a retaining paw]. associated with the ratchet, means for engaging the feed pawl with the ratchet to rotate said shaft and elevate the pile support with respect to the sheet forwarding mechanism, and means for simultaneously disengagingthe feed pawl and the retaining pawl from the ratchet to provide for lowering of the pile support with respect to. said sheet forwarding mechanism.

26. The combination with a sheet support and a plurality of sheet receivers disposed adjacent the sides of said sheet support, of a corresponding number of mechanisms for forwarding successive sheets from the sheet support alternately to said receivers, a shaft for moving the sheet support, a ratchet wheel carried by the shaft, a feed pawl and a retaining pawl associated with the ratchet,

pile control means for engaging the feed pawl with the ratchet to rotate said shaft and elevate the pile with respect to the sheet