US1696171A

US1696171A - Automatic powdering machine

Info

Publication number: US1696171A
Application number: US127506A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lipsius Samuel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-08-06
Filing date: 1926-08-06
Publication date: 1928-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 1945-12-18

Description

S. LIPSIUS AUTOMATIC POWDERING MACHIHE De c. 18, 1928.

Filed Aug. 6, 192 2 Shets-Sheet Patented Dec. l8, 1928.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL LII'SIUS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC 'POWDERING MACHINE.

Application filed August 6, 1926. Serial N0. 127,506.

This invention relates to apparatus for producing raised printing. In connection with the methods of printing with which such apparatus is used the desired copies are printed on sheets, suitable powder is applied to the printed sheets, the excess powder is removed from the printed portions of the sheets, and the sheets are then baked so as to fix or set the owder. The powder employed is of a large y resinous or shellac-like nature and inasmuch as it is very finely divided, it is quite difficult to handle and has a tendency to lump and become sticky particularly in damp and warm weather so that it is extremely diflicult to apply the powder where desired and even more difficult to remove it from places where it is not desired.

An important object of the present invention is to provide simple and effective apparatus to meet the requirements for such work.

Other objects of the invention are to provide apparatus of the character described which can be operated at high speed and with a minimum of supervision; apparatus in which the excess powder is removed at a plurality of positions along the path of the sheets through the apparatus; apparatus in which the sheets are carried by an open work conveyer and comprising a device for blowing the excess powder from the sheets at a certain position in their path and a batlle member located immediately beneath the upper reach of the conveyor belt at the powder removing position so as to control the air currents irrespective of the presence or absence of sheets at said powder removing position; and apparatus in which the excess powder is removed from the sheets at a plurality of positions along their path by blowing devices and substantially the same amount of air as supplied by the blowing devices is sucked up at such removing positions to avoid sifting of the powder outside the apparatus.

In carrying out the invention which utilizes certain principles of some of my prior patents and of my co-pending application Serial No. 69,283, Nov. 16, 1925, of which this is a partial continuation, I provide a wire mesh belt which serves to convey through the apparatus in-a generally horizontal direction, sheets which have been printed with suitable ink. The printed sheets may be deposited on the conveyer by hand or automatica-ll from a printing press, a chute being provided in the latter case to receive the printed sheets and discharge them on the conveyer. Mounted above the conveyer is a feeding device comprising a hopper from which the embossing powder is discharged upon the sheets as they pass beneath Preferably the hopper is provided with one or more metal sheets or plates supported so as to permit vibration thereof and serving to control the passage of the powder from .the hopper. I also provide a device by which the edge of one of the plates or sheets is operated upon so as to produce vibrations in the metal sheet and insure the passage from the lower end of the hopper of a fine thin stream of powder uniformly and without sticking or clogging. After the powder has been deposited on the sheets, the latter are subjected to treatment for removing the excess of powder. Such removal may be accomplished, for example, by means of air blasts. Beneath the conveyer there is a receptacle for receiving powder which has not adhered permanently to the sheets and has passed downwardly below the conveyer. This powder passes to the bottom of the receptacle and is reconveyed to the hopper by suitable means, such as a belt or chain having buckets, from which it is discharged into the hopper.

It is of considerable importance to control the powder blown from the sheets for, if the extremely fine powder ordinarily employed be not controlled, it would be blown and sifted outside of the machine and would both inconvenience the operators and cause a waste of the powder. To avoid such waste there may be provided a housing for the hopper and the conveyer, and suction means including intakes located above the conveyer adjacent the positions at which the excess powder is blown from the sheets. Preferably the arrangement is such that the air supplied by the blowers is taken up by the suction intakes and again returned through the blowing devices. The invention also includes means for holding the sheets on the conveyer against the action of the suction means. It has also been found important to place b-afiie members or plates beneath the upper reach of the conveyer immediately beneath the powder removing positions so that in case no sheet is in position on the conveyer belt at this point, the air'from the blower will not pass freely through the com veyer belt but will be deflected upwardly by the bafile plate and the normal circulation of air will not be disturbed. It will be seen that this arrangement also prevents any abnormal sucking up of air from beneath the conveyer under such conditions. As the sheets pass from the apparatus they may be discharged on a conveyer leading to a usual heater or oven for fixing or setting the powder.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a longtitudinal vertical sectional view on the general plane of the line 11 of Fig.

Fig, 2 is an end view partiallyin section.

Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the devices used to hold the sheets down on the conveyer beneath the suction intakes; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

The sheets to be powdered may be deposited on a woven wire mesh or foraminous conveyer belt 5 supported and driven in any suitable manner, as for example, by means including rollers of which the roller 6 at the right in Fig. 1 is supported by a shaft 7 carrying pulleys 8 and 9. The first pulley 8 is connected by a belt 10 with a pulley 11 on a shaft 12 mounted in the lower part of the frame. Power may be supplied to the shaft 12 by means of a motor 13 having a pulley 14 connected by a belt 15 with a pulley 16 on a shaft 17, power being transmitted from the shaft 17 to the shaft 12 by means of a belt 18 mounted at one end on a pulley 19 on the shaft 17 and at the other end on a pulley 20 on the shaft 12.

The powder is placed initially in a receptacle 21 which is located at a lower level than the conveyer and at one side of the machine or the powder may be placed in a hopper 22 above the conveyer and extending entirely across the same. In the hopper 22 there are

inclined plates

23 and 24 which extend through a narrow slot at the bottom of the hopper 22 and serve to control the discharge of the powder. These plates are re silient and should be quite stiff as well as perfectlv straight along their meeting line at the bottom of the hopper. Preferably both of the

platcs

23 and 24 are vertically adjustable, the plate 23 to vary the permissive o ening at the bottom of the hopper and the p ate 2t for reasons to be mentioned hereinafter. Such adjustment may be obtained by means of bolt and slot connections between the

plates

23 and 24 and the corresponding walls of the hopper 22, the release and tightening of the

plates

23 and 24 being obtained by means of

wing nuts

25 and 26 respectively. The plate 24 is secured quite rigidly to the hopper at its upper end and the connection is such that it may act as a spring plate, the discharge of the powder being affected by vibrating the plate 24.

Such vibration of the plate 24 is obtained by means of a shaft 27 suitably located beneath the hopper and provided with one or more shoulders which serve to engage the lower edge of the plate 24 and set it into vibration at intervals as the shaft 27 is rotated. The discharge slot 28 may be approximately from 1/16 to 3/16 of an inch wide. As a result of the vibration of the plate 24 the powder in the hopper is sifted through the slot continuously in a very fine or thin stream. The actuation of the shaft 27 may be obtained by belt 29 extending around a pulley 30 on shaft 27 and around the pulley 9 on shaft 7.

Powder in the receptacle 21 may be raised therefrom by a suitable bucket-type conveyer 31 which is mounted on upper and

lower shafts

32 and 33 respectively, the upper shaft 32 being driven by means of a pulley 31 thereon and a belt 35 also engaging a pulley 36 on the shaft 17, As the powder is thrown from the conveyer 31, it passes into a discharge head 37 from which it passes into the hopper 22. To insure uniform distribution, the discharge head 37 is provided with one or more suitable partitions 38.

Beneath the conveyer belt 5 there is a chute 39 with inclined walls leading to the powder receptacle 21. so that the powder discharged from said hopper and passing downwardly through the conveyer belt 5 is returned to the receptacle 21. The chute 39 may be provided with baffles 40 which tend to guide the powder passing downwardly from the hopper and through the conveyer belt 5, more directly into the receptacle 21. Frequently there is a tendency for the powder to collect at the lower end of the chute 39 in such a way as to block the entrance thereof into the receptacle 21 and for the purpose of preventing such action, there may be provided a link 41 having its upper end attached eccentrically to a shaft 42 having thereon a pulley 43 which is connected by means of a belt 44: with a pulley 45 on the shaft 17.

In the form of apparatus shown herein I provide air blast means for removing the excess or surplus powder from the sheets on the conveyer belt 5. Such air blast may be provided by an air pump or blower 46 driven by any suitable source of power but preferably by an individual motor 47 con nected therewith, the blower 46 and the motor 47 being mounted on the upper part of a hood 48 extending over the hopper 22 and the greater portion of the conveyer belt 5. As here shown, the outlet 49 from the blower 46 is divided into two

branches

50 and 51 which are connected at their lower ends with discharge or

blower pipes

52 and 53 respectively. The

discharge pipes

52 and 53 are provided with discharge openings 54 and 55 respectively so positioned that the air blast in each case will blow the powder rearwardly beneath the inlets of suction pipes 56 and 57 respectively which converge into a single pipe 58 leading to i the inlet portion of the blower 46. It will be seen that the air expelled through said openings 54 and 55 will be drawn upwardly through said suction pipes 56 and'57 and after passing through the blower 46 will again be expelled through the openings 54 and 55. By this arrangement undue disturbance of the air is prevented and powder is prevented from sitting to theoutside of the apparatus.

To hold the sheets in position on the couveyer belt 5 while passing beneath the lower" ends of the suction pipes 56 and 57, pro- Vision is made of sets of rollers 59 and 60 preferably formed of rubber and with beveled edges so as to engage only a small portion of the sheets passing thereunder. As shown in Fig. 3 the rollers or discs 59 are provided with central openings 60 of greater diameter than the diameter of the supporting shaft 61 so that when the shaft 61 is suitably spaced with reference to the conveyer belt, the onl. pressure exerted by the roller 60 will be t at due to the weight of the rollers. To obtain the proper spacing of the rollers or discs'59 use is made of spacing sleeves 62. The rollers or discs 60 are mounted in substantially the" same way as rollers or discs 59,

It has been found that very much better results are obtained by locating batlle members or

plates

63 and 64 beneath the upper reach of theconveyer belt 5 and below the lower ends of the suctionpipes 56 and 57' respectively. It will be apparent that the baffle members or

plates

63 and 64 tend to render the action of the air currents substantially the same regardless of the movement of the sheets past their powder removing positions, thus insuring substantially uniform operation at all times.

I provide a metal chute 65 between the wire mesh conveyer 5 and the printing press from which the sheets are advanced by a conveyer 66 to the chute 65'. By separating the belt 66 from the conveyer belt 5 in this way, powder from the powdering device is prevented to a greater extent from collecting on the conveyer 66. s This matter has been found to be very important since otherwise in a days run a very considerable amount ofpowder might be carried back to the printing press where it would interfere "ery much with the satisfactory operation of the. apparatus. Obviously, the

chute 65 may readily be cleaned.

It will be seen that the apparatus of the present invention is simple in construction and operation, compact in form, and capable of handling large as well as small sheets at a high rate of speed. Furthermore, the

powdering device is such as to make it possible to apply the ordinary commercial embossing powders uniformly and economically under all conditions of humidity. Also the means for removing the excess powder and controlling the air currents insures not only a uniform distribution of the powder on the sheets and the complete removal of all excess powder but saves all of the powder which isnot required for the embossing effect and prevents undesirable collection of the powder in various parts of the machine.

It will be apparent that substantially the same amount of air is taken up by the suction pipes 57 and 58 as is expelled through the openings 54 and 55 of the

pipes

52 and 53; Under some conditions, however, the pressure in the hood 48 may be increased to an undesirable extent. In order to prevent such inerease of pressure in the hood 48 it may be desirable to provide suitable openings 67. One disadvantage of undue increase of pressurein the hood 48 would be that powder might be blown out under the front and rear edges of the hood. From the delivery end of the apparatus shown, the sheets may pass over a chute 68 to a conveyer 69 of a heating or baking device in which the powder is fixed or set.

It should be understood that the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is merely illustrative and that various changes may be made in the arrangement and construction of various parts without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In apparatus of the 'character described, sheet-conveying means comprising a foraminous belt for supporting the sheets,

means for distributing powder on said sheets, excess-powder-removing means including an air blast device, and avbafile immediately beneath the upper reach of said belt to control the air currents when no sheet is present at said position.

2. In apparatus .for producing raised printing, sheet-conveying means, means for distributingpowderon sheets advanced by said conveying means, means for blowing excess powder from said sheets at a certain position along their path, a baflle beneath said path at said position and a devicehaving its intake adjacent the path of said sheets above said bafile and adapted to carry off the air supplied by the blowing means.

sheets to remove powder. from said sheets,

means for carrying off the air supplied by said blowing devices and comprising an inlet extending across the conveying means adjacent each of said powder removing devices, each inlet between blowing devices extending substantially from one to the other, and battle plates beneath the path of said sheets and adjacent the blowing devices.

4. In apparatus of the character described, sheet-conveying means comprising a foraminous belt for supporting the sheets. means for distributing powder on said sheets, excess-powder-removing means including an air blast device, a suction device having an inlet adjacent the path of said sheets at the position where said air blast device acts on said sheets, and a battle immediately beneath the upper reach of said belt to control the air currents when no sheet is present at said position.

5. In apparatus of the character described, 21 foraminous sheet-conveying belt, a hood over the upper run of the belt, powder-applying means including a hopper above the conveying belt, air blast means for removing excess powder from the sheets, a chute to receive powder passing downwardly through the belt and extending the full length of the belt, and battle means in said chute including two baflles immediately beneath and at opposite sides of said hopper to guide powder passing through said belt directly below said hopper down to the bottom of the chute and to PICX'QDl) the blowing of powder out of the inlet end of the apparatus.

6. In apparatus of the charater described, a foraminous sheet-conveying belt,

means for distributing powder on sheets carried by said belt, excess-powder-removing means including an air blast device blowing the excess powder rearwardly, means for engaging the upper surfaces of sheets just before they rea h the powder removing position and holding the sheets against the upper side of the belt while the air blast is removing the excess powder and suction means for carrying off the removed excess powder.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a sheet-conveying belt, means for distributing powder on sheets carried by said belt, excess-powder-removing means including an air blast device extending across the belt and blowing the excess powder rearwardly, a suction device having an inlet at the rear of said air blast device, and a battle beneath the upper run of the belt adjacent the air blast device, and anti-friction means for engaging the upper surfaces of the sheets after they are moved above the batlies and serving to hold the sheets against the upper side of the belt.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a foraminous sheet-conveying belt,

powder applying means, excess-powder-removing means acting on said sheets after receiving powder thereon, a chute with converging walls to receive the powder passing downwardly through the belt and means to prevent clogging of the lower end of said chute, including a crank in said chute and a link loosely conneted therewith.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a sheet-conveying belt, means for distributing powder on sheets carried by said belt, excess-powder-removing means including an air blast device extending across the belt and blowing the excess powder rearwardly, suction means having an inlet extending across the belt at the powder removing position and at the rear of the air blast device, and means for engaging the upper surfaces of cards just before they reach the powder removing position and holding the sheets against the upper run of the belt.

10. In apparatus of the character described, sheet-conveying means, and means for distributing powder on the sheets as they advance comprising a hopper above the path of said sheets, a resilient plate in said hopper having a free edge, and means for engaging said free edge and causing the plate to vibrate thereby agitating the powder in said hopper and causing the powder to flow.

11. In apparatus of the character described, sheet-conveying means, and means for distributing powder on the sheets as they advance comprising a hopper above the path of said sheets, a resilient plate in said hopper rigidly secured at its upper edge and extending downwardly through the outlet of the hopper, and means for engaging the lower edge of the plate and causing the plate to vibrate.

12. In apparatus of the class described, sheet-conveying means, and means for distributing powder on said sheets as they advance comprising a hopper having a narrow outlet extending across the conveying means, resilient plates secured at their upper edges and extending downwardly through said outlet to control the passage of said powder, and means for vibrating one of said plates.

13. In apparatus of the character described, sheet-conveying means. and means for distributing powder on the sheets as they advance comprising a hopper above .the path of said sheets, a resilient plate in said hopper and having a free edge extending through an openin in the bottom of the hopper, and means tor engaging said free edge and cansing the plate to vibrate, thereby agitating the powder in said hopper and causing the powder to flow.

14. In apparatus of the character described, sheet-conveying means, and means for distributing powder on the sheets as they advance comprising a hopper above the path of said sheets, a resilient plate vertically adjustable in saidhopper and extending downwardly through the outlet of the hopper, and means for'engaging the lower edge of the plate and Causing the'plate to vibrate.

15. In apparatus of the class described, sheet-conveying means, and means for distributing powder on said sheets as they ad vance comprising a hopper having a narrow outlet extendin across the conveying means, upwardly and ownwardly adjustable resilient plates secured at their upper edges and extending downwardly through said outlet to control the passage of said powder, and means for vibrating one of said plates.

16. In apparatus of the character described, sheet-conveying means; means for distributing powder on -the sheets as they advance, comprising a hopper above the path of said sheets, a resilient plate in said hopper and having'a free edge extending through an opening in .the bottom of the hopper, and means for engaging-said free edge and causing the plate to vibrate; a chute to receive powder falling below said sheet-conveying means; and means to raise said owder from the bottom of said chute and eliver it into said hopper.

17. In apparatus of the character described, sheet-conveying means; means for distributing powder on the sheets as they advance, comprising .a hopper above the path of said sheets, a resilient plate in saidhopper and having a free edge extending through an opening in the bottom of-the hopper, and means for engaging said free edge and causing the plate to vibrate; a chute to receive powder falling below said conveying means; and means to raise said powder from the bottom of "said chute and deliver itinto said hopper, and including means to distribute the powder along the length of said hopper.

18. In apparatus of the character de scribed, a foraminous sheet-conveying belt;

means for distributing powder on sheets conveyed by 4 said belt and comprising a hopper having a narrow outlet extending across the conveying means, upwardly and downwardly adjustable resilient plates secured at their upper edges, and means for vibrating one of said plates; excess-powderremoving air blast devices arranged at different points along the upper reach of said belts, suction means including inlets arranged just above said belt at the bafiies beneath the upper reach of said belt at the powder-removing points, a chute beneath said belt to receive powder dropping therethrough, an agitator in said chute to prevent clogging at the outlet thereof, baffles in said chute to guide to the bottom of the chute powder dropping directly through said belt from the hopper, a hood over the top of said machine and having perforations at the top thereof, means to convey the powder from downwardly inclined partitions to assist in guiding the powder to different points along the hopper and means for raising powder from said receptacle to said distributor.

20. A sheet powdering machine comprising a foraminous sheet conveyer, a powder receptacle below the conveyer, a hopper above the conveyer, vibrating means iri said hopper to automatically agitate the powder therein, a distributor extended across said hopper, means for raisingpowder from said receptacle to said distributor, a hood enclos ing most of the upper run of the conveyer, and suction means connected with said hood.

21. A sheet powdering machine comprising a foraminous belt sheet conveyer, a powder receptacle below the conveyer, a hopper above the. conveyer, a distributor having a plurality of inclined channels extending over said hopper to different points, a suction'device for removing floating particles of powder and returning them to said receptacle and means for raising powder from said receptacle to said distributor.

22. In a sheet powdering machine, a conveyer, a powder hopper having two resilient plates overlapping each other above said conveyer, one of said plates-being adjustable with reference to the other to vary the possible separation of their adjacent edges and automatic means for intermittently and rapidly engaging a free edge of one of said plates to efliect vibration and to feed the powder uniformly from said hopper.

23. In a sheetpowdering machine, a. sheet conveyer, a hopper, and means for distributing powder on sheets on said conveyer including a movable inclined partition at one side of said hopper having its lower end projecting below the hopper and a rotating shat't having means thereon for intermittently engaging said lower end for rapidly vibrating said partition and thereby move said end away from the stationary part of 'the hopper to intermittently deposit powder.

I 24. A sheet powder-ing machine comprising a foraminous sheet conveyer belt, a powder receptacle below the conveyer, a hopper above the conveyor and having a resilient plate rigidly secured at one edge, the opposite edge being arranged close to a stationary edge of the hopper, means for vitudinally of the hopper and a plurality of a ,brating said plate to intermittently form utor, means for removing excess powder from the sheets on said conveyer, and a hood enclosing most of the upper run of said sheet conveyer.

25. In a sheet powdering machine, a conveyer, a powder discharging hopper with converging sides above the conveyer and having a narrow slot at the bottom extending across the convever, a vibrating member in said hopper and etween the walls thereof forming one edge of a discharge opening for agitating the material in the hopper and opening and closing the discharge opening, and means for automatically vibrating the vibrating member from outside the hopper.

26. A sheet powdering machine comprising a foraminous belt conveyer having a horizontal run for supporting the sheets to be powdered, a hopper arranged with a narrow outlet extending across the conveyer near one end, means for dislodging excess powder from the sheets on the conveyer, a collecting .chute having its upper end extending beneath substantially the entire upper run of the conveyer below the hopper and the powder 'dislodging means and having its walls converging downwardly to a point at one side of the machine beneath the hopper, a powder lifting conveyer dipping into the bottom of said chute at the side thereof and having a housing extending up along one side of the machine, a distributorextending from the upper end of said li'ftin'" conveyer and its housing to the u per end of the hop er, a hood enclosing sai hopper, said dislo ging means and said distributor. 27. A owdering machine comprising a conveyer lielt, a hopper for delivermg a narrow stream of powder across the belt, a collecting chute beneath the belt, a lifting conveyer and distributor for returning the unused powder from said chute to the hopper, a suction blower having an outlet for ejecting a stream of air onto the top of the belt for dislodging excess powder, said suction blower having a suction inlet adjacent the blower outlet for immediately picking up the floating particles of powder from the air above the belt and returning such particles with the dislodging stream of air and a hood enclosing said hopper, said distributor, said blower outlet and said suction inlet.

28. In a powdering machine, a foraminous travelling conveyer belt, a hopper having an outlet above the belt for depositing a thin layer of powder as sheets are carried under it by the conveyor, a blower having an outlet arranged close to the upper run of the conveyer for removing excess powder from the sheets, a suction pipe having an inlet immediately adjacent the blower outlet and close to the conveyor, a hood surrounding the outlet of the hopper, the outlet of the blower and the inlet to the suction pipe, means for collecting the unused powder and means for returning the collected powder to the hopper.

SAMUEL LIPSIUS.