US1772580A - Sheet-feeding machine - Google Patents

Description

12; 1930. G. w. SWIFT. JR

SHEET FEEDING IACHINB Filed Nov. 30, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 anomtoz 650/865 IKJW/FZJA.

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Filed Nov. 30, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNESS Patented Aug. 12, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE W. SWIFT, JR., OF BORDENTOWN, NEW JERSEY, .ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE W. SWIFT, JR., INC., OF BORDENTOWN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY SHEET-FEEDING MACHINE Application filed November 30, 1928. Serial No. 322,937.

This invention relates to that type of sheet or cardboard feeding machine which is more especially applicable for feeding sheets of stifi material such as cardboard, faced corrugated board, etc, such as is commonly used in the manufacture of boxes, cartons and other containers of like nature.

In some respects, the present application contemplates an improved construction and operation of the parts in a sheet-feeding machine such as that disclosed in my copending application Serial Number 236,161, which was filed under date of November 28, 1927.

The primary purpose of my invention is to provide an improved construction and operation of machines of this character whereby sheets of relatively stiif material may be accelerated from a position of rest during a preliminary sheet-separating operation to a maximum speed at which it is delivered to sheet-forwarding means which during a secondary sheet-separating operation imparts a greatly increased velocity thereto in delivering the sheet to a machine in which certain further operations are to be performed thereon.

My present invention has another purpose in view in that it contemplates an improved. arrangement and adjustment of the vertical guide assemblies which form the delivery throat for the successive separation of the sheets. By means of this improved arrangement and adjustment, it becomes possible for the operator to remain in one and the same position whatever may be the sizes of the sheets that are being fed into the hopper. Heretofore it has been necessary for the operator to move inwardly or outwardly with respect to the machine to enable him to conveniently handle sheets of different sizes.

Other and more particular purposes of my invention will appear in the appended claims in connection with the accompanying drawings which exemplify the principles of my invention in a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sheet-feeding machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the left rear corner of the machine, parts being broken away and with a vertical guide assembly p0- sitioned for stacking sheets of smaller width than that of the pile shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged rear elevation of the upper left-hand corner of the machine.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 66 of Figure 3.

In U. S. Patent No. 1,643,646, granted in my name under date of September 27, 1927, a sheet-feeding machine is disclosed in Which successive bottom sheets of a pile are dis placed from a shelf or ledge into the path of successive feed dogs mounted upon an endless conveyor.

According to my copending application Serial Number 236,161, which was filed in the United States Patent Oflice under date of November 28, 1927, successive sheet-grippers mounted on an endless conveyor are moved upwardly to engage successive bottom sheets as they are separated from a pile which is supported along its rear edge by an elevated shelf or ledge, the movement of said sheetgrippers being timed to close upon the rear edges of the sheets at the end of the forward movements of a slide which imparts the primary separating movements to said bottom sheets.

In the present application, the movements of the rear-edge sheet-grippers are suitably timed to overtake the reciprocatory slide during the progress of its forward movements in such a Way as to take up the successive sheets along their rear edges at or about the time that said sheets are being propelled forward- 1y at their maximum speed to which they are accelerated by said slide.

At the right of Figure 2 of the drawings are shown upper and lower knurled feed rolls A and B of a slotting or blanking-out machine. These feed rolls are journalled in laterally-spaced side frames 3, 3 of which only one is shown on the drawings. J ournalled within the extensions 4, 4 of said side frames are transverse shafts 5 and 6 to which are keyed sprocket wheels 7 and 8. Adjustably mounted on a stay shaft 9 are laterallyspaced bent levers 10 within which are journalled sprocket wheels 11. Running over the .sprocket wheels 7, 8 and 11, are endless conveyor chains 12 which are supported by track'bars 13, extending longitudinally between the sprocket wheels 7 and 8. Connected with the conveyor chain 12 are sheet-propelling devices adapted to loosely confine the rear edges of sheets which are separately and successively removed from the bottom of the pile. Each of the conveyor chains 12 is provided with a number of pintles 16 at regularly spaced intervals, said pintles projecting laterally on opposite sides of the conveyor chains and on the oppositely-presented ends of these pintles are pivotally mounted the laterally-spaced arms 17 of each of a plurality of sheet engaging members to which are pivotally connected by pins 18 the correspondingly arranged arms of sheet-confining or pushing members 19. Each of said pushers 19 is provided with laterally-spaced coaxial pins 20 upon which are journalled cam rollers 21. Rigidly connecting the laterallyspaced arms 17 is a ripper plate 22 provided with a transverse aw 23 which is beveled rearwardly to accommodate the to and fro movements of a flange or plate 24 carried by the sheet-pusher 19. In its sheet-engaging position, the flange 24 overhangs the rear edge of a sheet resting upon the gripper jaw 23.

By an inspection of Figure 2 of the drawings, it will be understood that during the upwardly-inclined approach of each of the sheet-gripping devices toward the sprocket wheels 7, gripper- jaws 23 and 24 will be separated from each other until the cam-rollers 21 enter the laterally-spaced arcuate slots 25 which are formed between cam- tracks 26 and 27. Said cam-tracks extend upwardly around the axis of shaft 5 and gradually diverge from the outer peripheries of the sprocket-wheels 7 mounted on said shaft. Reaching their greatest height at or near a vertical plane through the axis of shaft 5, said cam-tracks are inclined downwardly toward the right of Figure 2 and are brought into parallelism with the track-bars 13 which support the forward portions of the upper runs of chains 12. Arranged above and toward the right of shaft 5, is a substantially triangular guide-block 28 which is arranged to deflect each of the conveyor chains 12 upwardly as it leaves the sprocket wheel 7. In this way, the sheet-gripping members 17 and 19 which are flexed at 18 as they move upwardly around the sprocket-wheels 7, are straightened out in time to bring the gripper jaws 23 and 24 together about the rear edge of a sheet which is delivered thereto in the manner to be hereinafter pointed out.

Feed table Any suitable feed table may be provided between the side frames 4, 4, said feed table being preferably arranged in approximately the same horizontal plane corresponding to the bite of the delivery rollers A, B. As shown in the accompanying drawings, this feed table is formed in laterally-spaced sections 29, the spaces between adjacent sections being adapted to accommodate the forwardly-moving sheet-feeding devices or grippers described below.

Sheet feeding mechanism The upper edges of side frames 4, 4 are provided with longtiudinal T-slots 30 as shown in Figures 3 and 4, said T-slots 30 forming top rails 130. Arranged in said slots are bolts 31 which extend through the base flanges 32 of side brackets 33, which are mounted on said top rails 130, said bolts 31 being provided with nuts 34 for rigidly securing said side brackets to the side frames 4, 4. Extending between and rigidly connecting the side brackets is a squared transverse bar 35, said transverse bar being pro-' vided with an inclined front surface which serves as a guide for the rear edges of the pile of sheets to be fed off from the machine. As a general rule, the cardboard sheets are loaded into the hopper from the rear edge of the machine. Heretofore, it has been cu tomary to locate the vertical guide assemblies for the forward edge of the pile at a fixed point and to adjust the rear edge guide frames with the controlling devices carried thereby with respect to the fixed vertical guide assemblies at the forward edge of the pile. Under these conditions, the operator on the machine was obliged to change his position for every change in size of the sheets which were being loaded into the hopper. Furthermore, it has been necessary heretofore to form deep recesses in the rear edges of the feed tables to enable the operator to properly position sheets of small size from the rear edge of the machine from which they are loaded. In order to overcome these objections and at the same time to secure the further advantage of having the sheet-feed.

ing rock-shaft arranged at a fix'ed distance from the rotary axis of a power-driven disk or gear by which it is rocked, the rear-edge guide frames with their controlling devices are permanently fixed at the rear edge of the machine in such a way that whatever size the IUD sheets may be, they can be charged into the hopper without necessitating any change in position on the part of the operator. In order to permit sheets of various widths to be stacked upon the feed table, suitable means such as is hereinafter described, are provided for adjusting the front guide assemblies longitudinally of the feed board and towards and away from the fixed transverse supporting frame which is secured in position at the rear end of the feed board and carries the sheet-feeding mechanism which is now to be described. Arranged in alignment but spaced from each other across the feed table are a plurality of supports 36 for sheet-feeding slides, said supports being provided with forwardly-inclined elevated tables 37 whereon the rear end of a pile of cardboard or other relatively heavy material may rest. Extending rearwardly from the rear edge of each of the tables 37, are a plurality of laterally-spaced ribs 38 having their upper ec ges lying in the same inclined plane as the tables 37 Reciprocably mounted upon the tables 37 and ribs 38 are a plurality of laterally-spaced slides 39 as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. Each of said slides is provided at each end with a rearwardly-presented bi furcated arm 40 which carries a pin 41. A link 42 connects the pin 41 to a pin 43 in the bifurcated lower end of a rock-arm 44. The split hub portions of the rock-arm 44 are mounted on a rock-shaft 45, said rockshaft being oscillatably mounted in bearings 46. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the pusher plates or slides 39 have their forward edges slidably engaging the inclined surfaces or tables 37 and are thus positioned to engage the rear edges of successive bottom sheets of the pile for successively separating said bottom sheets from the pile. As shown best in Figure 4, suitable guide strips 47 may be arranged to overhang the lateral edges of slides 39 for constraining them to a reciprocatory movement in the plane of the bottom sheet on the pile. Secured to the rear vertical wall of squared bar 35 are a plurality of coaxially arranged bearing brackets which carry rockshaft 48. Secured to this rock-shaft by means of bolts 49 extending therethrough are a plurality of lifting blades or arms 50, said blades or arms being spaced laterally to correspond with the endless conveyors 12, respectively, It will be understood from the above description that the lifting arms or blades are interposed between adjacent pusher plates or slides 39, the former being actuated upwardly shortly after the latter have started the bottom sheet of the pile on its forward movement. As the arms 50 move upwardly to elevate the rear end of the pile from the forwardlv-displaced bottom sheet, said bottom sheet is left free along its rear edge for the unobstructed forward movement of the sheet propelling grippers as indicated in Figure 2. During the interval of time that the bottom sheet is being separated from the pile by the combined action of the slides 39 and lifting arms 50, the rear edge grippers overtake the slides 39 while the latter are moving forwardly at maximum speed, the separated bottom sheet being thus fed 03 under a fly ing start and passed through the delivery throat to be hereinafter referred to. For this purpose, suitable means are provided for oscillating the rock- shafts 45 and 48 in properly timed relations to each other and for properly correlating the movements of these rock-shafts with the feeding-off movements of the rear-edge sheet grippers carried by the endless conveyors.

Power-transmitting connections Referring now to Figure 1, it will be seen that sprocket shaft 6 which receives power from the main drive-shaft (not shown) is provided with a spur-pinion 51 which meshes with a spur-gear 52, said spur-gear 52 being journaled on a stud 53. A crank-pin 54 carried by the spur-gear 52, is rotatably connected to one end of a connecting rod 55, the other end of said connecting rod being movably connected to a rock-arm 56 which is secured to the outer end of rock-shaft 45 as shown best in Figure 4. Inasmuch as the driving gear 52 and rock-shaft 45 are both movable about fixed parallel axes, the simple driving connections between them produce uniform sheet-feeding movements for sheets of any size. With the several parts just described in their relative positions shown in Figure 1, it will be seen that the connecting, rod 55 is approximately arranged tangentially with respect to the clockwise path of crankpin 54 and suitably related to the rock-arm 56 to move the sheet-separating slides 39 forwardly at their maximum speed. At the instant here illustrated, the sheet-forwarding grippers, which may be moving forwardly at twice the maximum speed of the slides 39, have overtaken said slides and are beginning to propel the separated bottom sheet forwardly and away from said slides before the latter have reached the end of their forward movement.

As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, a sectorshaped lever-arm 57 which is keyed to the rock-shaft 45 on the inner side of rock-arm 56, carries an inset cam-block 58 provided with a cam-groove 59. Operating in this camgroove, is a cam-roller 60 journalled in the outer end of a cam-arm 61 which is keyed to the rock-shaft 48. The cam-groove 59 as shown in Figure 1, comprises an arcuate portion concentric with the axis of rock-shaft 45 for permitting the pile-lifting arms 50 to fall below the slides 39 as shown in dotted lines in Figures 5 and an inwardly-deflected portion which elevates said lifting arms as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Front guide assemblies Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the pile of sheets rests at its forward edge upon table sections 29 and against the lower inclined faces 62 of the vertical guides 63. These guides 63 are vertically adjustable in the channelled rear faces of brackets 64 which are transversely adjustable upon a frame bar 65. Adjusting screws 66 which are mounted in guides 63 and engage the brackets 64, provide means for adjusting the width of the delivery throat between the lower ends of guides 63 and the delivery end of the table or support.

The lower end of each of the front guides 63 carries two yieldably mounted sheet-engaging and controlling devices which are substantially similar in construction to those shown and described in my U. S. Patent No. 1,643,646 which was granted under date of September 27, 1927. These devices are supported directly above the feed table or platform and form therewith controlling delivery throats.

Sheetcalipers Mounted in front of each of the sheet-controlling delivery throats is an eccentrically supported semi-cylindrical calipering gate member 67, which is carried by a shaft 68 journalled in brackets 69. Pins 70 carried by shafts 68 are connected by springs 71 to angular brackets 72, said springs operating to retain the calipering member 67 in normal position. The calipering members 67 may be adjusted toward and away from the plane of feed by means of the screws 66 which move the guides 63 for this purpose.

As the completely separated bottom sheet is delivered from the pile by the movement of the rear edge sheet grippers from left to right according to Figure 2, the forward edge of the sheet is presented to the feed rolls A and B after which the rear edge grippers are flexed to release said sheet by the following device. As shown in Figure 2, a cam-track 73 has its upper rearwardly-presented extremity disposed over the right hand end of one of the parallel cam-tracks 27 upon which the cam-rollers 21 travel. As the cam-rollers 21 leave the forward ends of cam-tracks 27, one of said cam-rollers is engaged by the under edge of cam-track 73 and depressed by a protuberant portion 7 3 thereof in such a way as to flex the sheet-propelling grippers and cause them to release the rear edge of the sheet. Thereupon said sheet continues its forward movement under the action of feed rolls A and B. As shown in Figure 2, the cam-track 73 extends downwardly around the periphery of sprocket wheel 8 but deviates gradually from the path of the chains 12 and extending in a circular are around and outside of the periphery of sprocket wheels 11. A rearwardly extending portion of this trackbar or cam-track is inclined upwardly toward the periphery of sprocket wheel 7 and merges into the track-bar 26.

Supports and means for adjusting front guc'de assemblies As indicated in Figures 1 and 3, the transverse bar 65 upon which the front guide assemblies are mounted, may be carried by laterally-spaced brackets 131 which are provided with base flanges 132 slidable on the top-rails 130. Extending through the base flanges 132 and T-slots 30, are bolts 133 which are provided with nuts similar to those (34) shown in Figure 4 for securing the side brackets 33 in position. The oppositely-ar ranged side brackets 131 are provided with pedestals 134 to the top of which the transverse bar 65 is bolted. Journalled in the pedestals 134 is a cross-shaft 135, said crossshaft being provided with axially-spaced gears 136 which mesh with laterallyspaced racks 137. Hand-wheels 138 which are secured to the opposite outer ends of the cross shaft 135, permit a ready adjustment of the front guide assemblies toward and away from the transverse supporting frame which car rics the sheetfeeding mechanism at the rear end of the feed-board. For this purpose, the bolts 133 are loosened to permit the flanges 132 to slide over the top rails 130, said bolts being again tightened up after the desired adjustment has been made.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5, laterallyspaccd guards or hands 139 may be provided with rectangular bends therein to form vertical and horizontal portions extending in the rear and over the top of rock-shaft 45. The downwardly deflected forward ends of these guards or hands are secured by bolts 140 to the transverse bar 35 and have their downwardly-presented ends secured by bolts 141 to the table 29. As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the guards or bands 139 may serve to locate the transverse support 35 with respect to the rear end of the table or feed board, the forwardly-presented inclined face of said support 35 constituting a fixed guiding surface for the rear edges of a pile of sheets stacked between said guiding surface and a front guide assembly which is adjustable towards and away from said guiding surface.

Operation Briefly described, the operation of my improved sheet-feeding machine is as follows WVith a pile of sheets disposed between the battered surfaces of the front and rear guides as shown in Figure 2, the bottom sheet of the pile is moved forwardly by the slides 39 after a brief movement of'which the lifting arms 50 move upwardly to lift the rear edge of the pile remainder. This permits the free movement of the rear edge grippers into engagement with the rear edge of the forwardly displaced bottom sheet which is taken up by said grippers at the moment it has reached its maximum speed under the action of slides 39. According to the present embodiment of my invention, the sheet-grippers overtake the rear edge of the separated bottom sheet while moving at the maximum speed of the sheetseparating slides 39 and move it at twice the maximum speed of said slides and thus present the sheet to the feed-rolls A and B at high velocity. In this way I provide means for gradually accelerating the movement of the bottom sheet of a pile from rest to the maximum speed of the sheet-separating means and immediately increase its speed to twice the speed to which its movement has been accelerated.

I claim a 1. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination of means for supporting a pile of sheets, means for imparting a primary sheet separation to successive sheets of said pile under gradual acceleration from rest, and feed-off mechanism movable into engagement with each sheet after it has received maximum acceleration under its primary sheet-separating movement for imparting a secondary sheet-separating movement of increased velocity.

. 2. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination of means for supporting a pile of sheets,

means for imparting primary gradually accelerated relative forward movements to successive bottom sheets of said pile. and feed-off mechanism moving at a fixed faster rate of speed into engagement with the rear edge of each gradually-accelerated bottom sheet for imparting a secondary forward movement thereto, and means for lifting the rear end of the pile remainder during the primary gradually accelerated forward movement of each sheet. v

3. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination of a shelf for supporting one edge of a pile of sheets, means for displacing successive bottom sheets forwardly on said shelf, said means being adapted to accelerate each bottom sheet from rest to a maximum speed of movement, a rear-edge sheet-engaging device for displacing said sheet from the shelf as it reaches its maximum speed under the action of said means, and means for elevating the rear edge of the remainder of said pile of sheets during the transfer of said sheet from said displacing means to said rear-edge sheet-engaging device.

4. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination of pile-supporting means including a shelf for supporting the rear edge of the pile 1 at a higher elevation than the forward edge thereof, a reciprocatory slide having its forward edge slidable on said shelf for accelerating successive bottom sheets of the pile from a state of rest to the maximum velocity of movement of said slide, an endless conveyor provided with a gripper adapted to engage the rear edge of a bottom sheet on said shelf, and means for coordinately operating said endless conveyor and reciprocatory pusher, the movement of said gripper being timed to engage the rear edge of the sheet while said sheet is moving at its maximum velocity under the impulse of said slide and before the end of the forward movement of said slide.

In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination of means for supporting a pile of sheets, a reciprocable slide having its forward edge movable to and fro for imparting relative forward displacements to successive bottom sheets of the pile, a rock-shaft for operating said slide, a second rock-shaft oscillated by the first-mentioned rock-shaft, a rear-edge lifting arm mounted on said second roclrshaft and having a pile-engaging portion normally disposed below the upper surface of said shelf, a rock-arm keyed to the first-mentioned rock-shaft, a power-driven crank-disk, and a connecting rod having its opposite ends pivotally connected to said rock-arm and said crank-disk respectively.

6. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination with a pile-support, a reciprocable slide for displacing successive bottom sheets from a pile mounted on said pile-support, a rear edge gripper timed to engage the rear edge of the bottom sheet when said bottom sheet reaches its maximum speed of displace-' ment under the action of saidslide, and means for cooperatively reciprocating said slide and moving said rear edge gripper.

7 In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination with a pile-support, a reciprocable slide for displacing successive bottom sheets from a pile mounted on said pile-support, a

rotary crank-disk for reciprocating said slide, an endless conveyor, a rear-edge-sheetgrippermounted on said endless conveyor, and means for driving said endless conveyor and said rotary crank-disk, said means being adapted to move the rear-edge gripper into engagement with the rear edge of the bottom sheet when said bottom sheet reaches its maximum speed of displacement under the action of said crank-disk.

8. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination with apile-support, a reciprocable slide for displacing successive bottom sheets from a pile mounted on said pile-support, a rock-shaft for reciprocating said slide, a crank arm secured to said rock-shaft, a rotary crank-disk, a connecting rod for connecting said crank-disk to said crank-arm on the rock-shaft, an endless chain conveyor operating in a vertical plane below said pile support, a sprocket wheel shaft for driving said endless chain conveyor, an operating connection between said sprocket wheel shaft and said crank-disk, and a rear edge gripper mounted on said endless chain conveyor and timed to engage the rear edge of the bottom sheet when said bottom sheet reach-es its maximum speed of displacement under the action of said crank-disk.

9. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination of a reciprocatory slide adapted to advance successive bottom sheets of a pile with respect to the remainder of said pile, a rockshaft provided with a lever-arm connected to said slide, a rock-arm secured to said rockshaft, an endless conveyor provided with rear-edge grippers arranged at intervals corresponding to the distance travelled by said endless conveyor between successive forward movements of said reciprocatory slide, a drive shaft for said endless conveyor, a drive pinion keyed to said drive shaft, a crank-disk gear driven by said drive pinion and provided with a crank-pin, and a connecting rod extending between said crank-pin and the rock-arm carried by said rock-shaft.

10. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination with means for supporting a pile of sheets, a reciprocable slide for imparting relative forward displacements to successive bottom sheets of the pile, a rock-shaft for reciprocating said slide. a lever-arm keyed to said rock-shaft, said lever-arm being provided with a laterally-presented cam-slot, a second rock-shaft, a lever-arm keyed to said second rockshaft, the last-mentioned leverarm being provided with a cam-roller operating in said laterally-presented cam-slot. a rear-edge lifting arm mounted on said second rock-shaft and having a pile-engaging portion normally disposed below the bottom of said pile, and means for oscillating the first-mentioned rock-shaft.

11. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination of a shelf for supporting the rear edge of a pile of sheets, a reciprocable slide having its forward edge movable to and fro over said shelf for imparting relative forward displacements to successive bottom sheets of the pile. a rock-shaft, a lever-arm keyed to said rock-shaft, a link connecting said slide to said lever-arm, a second rockshaft, a lever-arm keyed to said second rockshaft. a cam lever-arm keyed to the first-mentioned rock-shaft and movably engaging the last-mentioned lever-arm, a rear-edge lifting arm mounted on said second rock'shaft and having a pile-engaging portion normally disposed below the upper surface of said shelf, and means for oscillating the firstmentioned rock-shaft.

12. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination with a feed-table, of a rear-edge sheetpiling guide assembly arranged in a fixed position adjacent to the rear edge of said feed-table, a front-edge sheet-piling guide assembly adjustable on the feed-table towards and away from said rear-edge sheetpiling guide assembly, and means rigidly connecting said rear-edge sheet-piling guide assembly to the rear edge of the feed-table for guiding and supporting sheets as they are moved into position between said rear-edge and front-edge sheet-piling assemblies.

13. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination with a feed-table, of a rear-edge sheet-piling guide assembly arranged in a fixed position adjacent to the rear edge of said feed-table, a front-edge sheet-piling guide assembly adjustable on the feed-table towards and away from said rear-edge sheetpiling guide assembly, and laterally'spaced straps or bars rigidly connecting said rearedge sheet-piling guide assembly to the rear edge of the feed-table, said laterally-spaced straps or bars having horizontal portions extending rear-wardly from the rear-edge sheetpiling guide assembly for guiding and supporting sheets as they are moved into position between said rear-edge and front-edge sheet-piling assemblies and vertical portions for guiding said sheets as they are lifted into position above said horizontal portions.

14. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination with a feed-table, of a fixed transverse bar or support arranged adjacent to the rear edge of said feed-table, sheet-feeding means mounted on said transverse bar or support, andlaterally-spaced guide-barsorstraps rigidly connecting said transverse bar or support to said feed-table, said guide-bars or straps extending above said sheet-feeding means and downwardly in the rear of said sheet-feeding means.

15. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination with a feed-table, of a fixed transverse bar or support arranged adjacent to the rear edge of said feed-table, sheet-feeding means mounted on said transverse bar or support, and laterally-spaced guide-bars or straps rigidly connecting said transverse bar or support to said feed-table, said guide-bars or straps comprising horizontal portions secured to said fixed transverse bar or support and extending above said sheet-feeding means and vertical portions extending downwardly from said horizontal portions and secured to the rear edge of said feed-table.

16. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination of a fixed transverse support, means carried by said transverse support for supporting the rear edge of a pile of sheets, sheetfeeding means carried by said transverse support for imparting initial movements to suecessive bottom sheets of the pile, other sheetfeeding means for feeding ofl sheets as they are received from the first-mentioned sheetfeeding means, and a plate rigidly secured to said transverse support, said plate being arranged above and depending behind the firstmentioned and second-mentioned sheet-feeding means for guiding the forward edge of a pack of sheets which is being lifted at the rear of said machine and moved forwardly above said transverse support into position with the rear edge of said pack supported above said rear-edge supporting means.

17. In a sheet-feeding machine, the combination of a feed-table, a fixed transverse support arranged above said feed-table, means carried by said transverse support for supporting the rear edge of a pile of sheets above said feed-table, sheet-feeding means carried by said transverse support for imparting initial movements to successive bottom sheets of the pile, sheet-feeding means operating above said feed-table for feeding off sheets as they are received from the firstmentioned sheet-feeding means, the secondmentioned sheet-feeding means including endless sprocket chains, a sprocket shaft provided with sprocket Wheels for said endless sprocket chains, said sprocket shaft being arranged below and adjacent to the rear edge of said feed-table, and a plurality of laterally-spaced plates rigidly secured at one end to said transverse support above said end less chains and provided With depending portions arranged in the rear of said sprocket Wheels and secured to said feed-table.

GEORGE W. SWIFT, JR.

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