US1956475A

US1956475A - Blank feeding mechanism

Info

Publication number: US1956475A
Application number: US278582A
Authority: US
Inventors: George A Robinson
Original assignee: JOHNSON AUTOMATIC SEALER CO LT
Current assignee: JOHNSON AUTOMATIC SEALER CO LT; JOHNSON AUTOMATIC SEALER CO Ltd
Priority date: 1927-01-04
Filing date: 1928-05-17
Publication date: 1934-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 1951-04-24

Description

April 24, 1934. e. A. ROBINSON BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed'Jan. 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 tmw Hlll mlln.

famwww, fiu'a/m Max/m attorneys 3 nventor A ril 24, 1934. s. A. ROBINSON BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 4 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A ali i Q. Hm

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April 24, 1934.

5. A. ROBINSON 1,956,475

BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 4, 1927 55heets-She'et 5 (Ittorneg April 24, 1934.

G. A. ROBINSON N MECHANI SM Original Filed Jan. 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 24, 1934. A, ROBlNsON 1,956,475

- BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 4. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Snventor gun Wand/ow. y [mwwn/Mm wad/6526a.

Patented Apr. 2 4, 1934 STES FiC E BLANK FEEDENG MECHANISM of Michigan Original application January 4, 1927, Serial No. 158,978. Divided and this application May 17, 1928, Serial No. 278,582

18 Claims.

This invention relates to blank feeding mechanisrn adapted for feeding blanks to a carton making machine or to any other instrumentality with which the use of blank feeding mechanism is desirable.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide mechanism which embodies feeding devices for the blanks that contribute to greater speed, accuracy and efficiency of the blank feeding means; which insures the handling of a great number of blanks and consequently a prolonged operation of the machine with one load of blanks; which requires minimum attention by the operator and less frequent adjustments of the operating parts; and which is an expeditious and practical mechanism for feeding blanks, that may be operated at high speed and is well adapted for use with package making machinery, especially where quantity production is desired.

The present application is a division of the application which resulted in Patent No. 1,674,921, granted June 26, 1928, and the invention herein discloseu and claimed will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which -illustrate one embodiment of the inventive idea,

and wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views.

In said drawingsl is a side elevation of the blank feeding mechanism;

Fig. 2 is enlarged detail perspective view of a pile elevator, a blank feeding roller, and a de tector device of the blank feeding mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing details 'of the detector device;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View showing the blank feeding roller and the receiving end of a blank carrying conveyor;

Fig. 4a is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the delivery end of said conveyor, together with blank registering devices;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the blank carrying conveyor showing a flap bender and a turning roll associated therewith; and

6 a detail perspective view of parts of driving connections for the blank feeding mechanism and the clutch for controlling the same.

The bl nk feeding mechanism of the present invention may be used with any instrumentality to which it is desired to feed blanks, and as herein disclosed, said mechanism is associated with, and preferably driven from, a carton making machine. The carton making machine forms no 5 part of the present invention and it is therefore unnecessary to illustrate and describe the same in detail. It is sufficient to note that the carton making machine includes the side frames 53" for supporting the carton making and conveying instrmnentalities (not shown) which, together with the blank feeding mechanism, are driven and controlled through the medium of the following devices.

Mounted in suitable bearings on the side frames 53" is a shaft 22 that is provided with a pulley 23 which may be driven from any suitable source of power 24 through a belt 25 that passes around a pulley 26 fixed on a shaft 27. The shaft 27 is journalled in suitable bearings on the side frames 53" and carries a pulley 28 around which passes a belt 29 that also passes around the pulley 23 and thereby drives the shaft 22. Mounted loosely on the shaft 22 is a clutch drum 30 of any suitable construction which carries a pinion gear 31 (Figs. 1 and 6) A clutch ring 32, mounted fast on shaft 22, is adapted to be frictionally engaged with the clutch drum 30 through the action of a clutch lever 33, to drive the clutch drum 30 and the pinion 31 with the shaft 22. The pinion 31 engages a gear 34 mounted on a shaft 35 that is journalled in suitable bearings on the side frames 53". The outer end of shaft 35 carries a sprocket 36 adjustably secured to a disk 3'? fixed on the shaft 35. A sprocket chain 38, which passes around the sprocket 36, also passes around a sprocket 39 mounted on the main driving shaft 60 of the blank feeding mechanism, and thus serves to drive the various movable parts of said mechanism through said shaft.

The stack or pile of blanks A is supported vertically on an elevator plate 40 and held on two corners by guides 41, 42 (Fig. 2). The elevator plate 40 is carried by four chains, two on either side of the elevator, which chains are indicated at 43 and 44. These chains pass over

suitable sprockets

45, 46 which are mounted on shafts 4'7 and 48, respectively, driven by suitable mech-- anism to elevate the stack of carton blanks as they are withdrawn from the top thereof. The top of the stack of carton blanks is further retained in proper position by guide plates 49 and 50 which extend the full width of the stack and slightly to the rear of the same. The side guides 41 and 42 are held in proper position at their lower ends by bolts which hold them against the base plate 51 of the elevator, and are held at their upper ends by a cross rod 52 mounted on a stationary part of the machine. The side plates 49 and 50 are further held in position by rods 53 and 54, the outer ends of which are fas-.

tened to machine frame pieces 53 and 54. Each of these frame pieces is supported on a frame piece 53" (Fig. l) disposed at one side of the machine and in turn supported on one of the side frames 53 of the carton making machine and on one of the legs 54 disposed adjacent the forward ends of said side frames. The elevator plate rests upon square bars 55 and 56 which hang on the ends of the chains as and 44, respectively,

grooved projections

40 and 40 on the elevator plate 40 resting on the bars 55 and 56 respectively.

The topmost blank B in the stack of carton blanks is fed from the pile by means of a friction roller 57 (Fig. 2) which is a rubber covered roller that is maintained in positive contact with the top of the stack. This feeding roller 5'7 is carried on a shaft 58 (Figs. 2 and 4) and is rotated intermittently at definite fixed intervals to feed the topmost blank off the stack in a lateral direction. The shaft 58 is carried in suitable bearings on a yoke 59, the yoke 59 being supported on the shaft 60 which is mounted in suitable bearings on the frame pieces 53 and 54. The yoke 59 is loosely mounted on shaft 60 forwardly of the roller 5'? so that the weight of said yoke will be applied on the roller 57 forwardly thereof and hold said roller under pressure against the top of the stack of blanks. Suitable stops (not shown) are provided to limit the down ward movement of the yoke 59. It is extremely desirable, for the positive feeding of the topmost blank, that the pressure of the feeding roller 57 be maintained constant thereon. It has been found in practice that the carton blanks do not pile up in the stack uniformly at all times and thatthere is a difference in the regularity of the surface so that the topmost blanks in the stack do not lie perfectly level but that the surface is somewhat wavy and curved. In View of this fact, if the detector finger 61, which determines the height of the stack, rests on the pile of carton blanks, there is found to be a variation in the pressure of the feed roller 5'7 on the top of the pile. It has therefore been found desirable to associate the detector finger directly with the feed roll shaft 58, so that the'stack of cartons will be fed upward until the feed roll has been raised to a definite position which will insure maintaining of the pressure of this roll constant at all times on the top of the stack. The elevation of the stack or pile of cartons is controlled by the detector finger 61 through the following mech anism.

Mounted on the shafts l7 and 48 are

bevel gears

62 and 63. A shaft 64, carried in suitable bearings on the frame pieces 53', 5% extends transversely of the machine and carries

bevel pinions

65 and 66 which engage the

gears

62 and 63 respectively. Mounted loose on shaft as is an arm 67 provided with a spring actuated pawl 68 which engages a ratchet 69 mounted fast on shaft 64. The arm 67 is rocked on shaft 64 by means of a connecting rod '70, one end of which is attached to the arm 67 and the other end to an arm 71. Arm '71 is mounted intermediate its ends on a stud '72 secured to the frame piece 54', said arm being rocked about its pivot through the action of a cam '73 mounted on shaft 7 L journalled in suitable bearings on the frame piece 54!. Shaft '74 is constantly rotated through suitable driving connections from the shaft 60. These driv ing connections comprise a bevel gear '75 (Fig. 4) mounted fast on shaft 60 and a bevel gear 76 mounted on a vertical shaft 77 carried in a suitable bearing 78 on the frame piece 54'. The shaft 7'? carries at its lower end a bevel gear 7Q which meshes with a bevel gear 80 mounted on shaft 74. The shaft '74 is a time shaft and makes one complete revolution for each cycle of operation of the machine. The rocking of the arm 67, through the engagement of the pawl 68 with the ratchet 69, causes the shaft 64 to be rotated slightly and through the action of the bevel gears 52, 63, 65 and 66, causes the shaft 47 and 48 to be rotated so that the elevator chains 43 and 44 raise the elevator and the stack of cartons. A pawl 81 mounted on a cross-shaft 82 journalled in suitable bearings on the frame pieces 53, es enases with the under side of the ratchet 69, and through the action of the pawl 81 the shaft or is held against a return movement as the arm 6'! is returned to its original position for the pawl 68 to engage with another tooth on ratchet 69.

The upward feed of the elevator is controlled by the action of the detector finger 61 through the following mechanism. The detector finger 61 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) which engages the shaft 58 is pivotally mounted on a yoke 83 at the pivot point 84. One end of this yoke is provided with a spring 85 bearing against the detector finger adjacent the forward end thereof, and the other end of said yoke 83 is provided with an adjusting screw 86 which bears against the rear end of the detector finger. The yoke 83 is mounted on a sleeve 87 (Fig. 3), this sleeve being loosely mounted on shaft 82. The other end of the sleeve 87 carries an arm 88, the forward end of which is provided with a pin 89 that bears against the under side of a lever The lever 90 is loosely mounted on the stud 72. The other end of the lever 90 terminates in a hook 90 which is adapted to engage with a pin 91. The pin 91 is mounted in the lever 67 and is engaged by the hook end of lever 90 when the arm 67 has been rocked to raise the stack of blanks. When the pin 91 is engaged by the hook 90, the arm 6'? is held against its return movement, which return movement is normally effected by a spring 92 (Figs. 3 and e) which tends to hold the cam roller 71 of the lever '71 against the cam '73 during its rotation to actuate the lever or arm 67 when the hook so is disengaged therefrom. When the stack of cartons has been raised to a predetermined height in engagement with the feed roller 5'7 so that the desired pressure between the feed roller 57 and the stack of blanks has been obtained, the detector finger 61 which rests on the feed roll shaft 58 is actuated thereby to rock the sleeve 87, swing the lever 88 on said sleeve, and through contact of the pin 89 with the lever 90 to raise the hook end 90' of the latter so that it will engage the pin 91 and hold the lever 67 against movement. The position of the top of the stack of cartons is determined by the pressure required between the feed roll 57 and the top of the stack for the successive and uniform feeding of the blanks therefrom. This position may be varied and adjusted under varying operating conditions by means of the adjusting screw 86 in the yoke 83.

A block 93 (Fig. 4) is adjustably mounted on the yoke 59 and is moved by means of an adjusting screw or carried by a bracket 59 secured to the yoke 59. The block 93 carries a separator plate 95 located directly beneath the feed roller 57. This separator plate 95 is adjusted with relation to the feed roller 57 so that it will allow the passage of the topmost carton through the space between the feed roll and the separator plate, but will not allow the passage of two cartons through the opening. The feed roller 57, as has been previously stated, rotated intermittently and at the proper time to feed the topmost carton from the stack. The rotation of the feed roller is obtained in the following manner.

A gear 96 is mounted fast on the continuously rotating shaft and meshes with a gear 97 mounted loose on shaft 58. Gear 97 carries a toothed clutch member 98. The gear 97 and the clutch member 98 are therefore constantly rotated by the driving action of the gear 96. A clutch sleeve 99 slidably mounted on shaft 58 carries a toothed clutch member 100 adapted to engage at the proper time with the clutch 98. The sleeve 99 is free to slide lengthwise on the shaft 58 and carries two diametrically opposite keys, one of which is shown at 101 (Fig. 4). These keys engage a driving disk 102 mounted fast on shaft 58. When the sleeve 99 is moved lengthwise of the shaft to engage the clutch 180 with the clutch 98, the clutch 100 is rotated, together with the sleeve 99, and through the engagement of the keys 191 with the disk 102 the shaft 58 and the feed roller 57 are caused to rotate. The sleeve 99 is provided with a yoke 1G3 loosely mounted on the sleeve. The yoke 103 is engaged by the fork end of a p-ivotally mounted lever 104 carried by a bracket or other suitable support (not shown). The lever 10a is attached to one end of a connecting rod 106, the other end of the connecting rod being connected to one arm of a bell crank cam lever 107 pivoted at 108 to a stationary part of the machine. The other arm of the bell crank lever 107 carries a roll 189 which bears against a cam 110 which is actuated to operate the clutch sleeve 99 at suitable times to drive the feed roller 57 and so feed the topmost blank from the stack. In order to insure that more than one blank will not be fed from the stack at the same time through the action of the feed roller 57, the roller 57 is rotated only a sufficient amount to partially withdraw the topmost carton blank from the stack. Additional means are provided to withdraw the blank completely from the stack after the rotation of the feed roller 57 has stopped. This means is preferably constructed as follows:

Mounted in suitable bearin s on the frame pieces 53' and 5% is a shaft 111 (Fig. 1) which carries two arms 112 mounted fast thereon. The outer ends of the arms 112 are provided with bearings for a shaft 113. Shaft 118 carries two rollers 114.. Directly beneath the shaft 113 is a shaft 115 also carried in bearings in the frame pieces 53 and 54. Shaft 115 carries a spiral pinion 115 which meshes with a spiral gear 117 carried on the continuously driven time shaft 74. Through the action of these two spiral gears the shaft'115 is constantly rotated. Shaft 115 also carries a spur gear 118 that is adapted to mesh with a spur gear 119 mounted on the shaft 113 and through the action of these spur gears the shaft 113 is inter ittently driven from the shaft 115. The shaft 115 is further provided with rollers 120 located directly beneath the rollers 11 1 on the shaft 113. The shaft 111 is provided at its outer end with a cam lever 121 which carries a roller 122 that bears against a cam 123 mounted on the time shaft 74. When the roller 122 rides off the high part of the cam 123, the shaft 111 is rocked slightly so that the rolls 11s are lifted and held out of engagement with the rolls 120 by the spring 124 After the feed roll 57 has partially withdrawn thetopmost blank from the stack, the

lank is advanced to a position between the

rollers

114 and 120. When the rotation of the feed roll 57 ceases, the shaft 111 is rocked by the high part of the cam 123, and the shaft 113 and the arms 112 descend so that the rollers 11% are lowered and driven by gears 118, 119. The partially withdrawn blank is thus gripped between the rollers 11 1 and 120 which complete its withdrawal from the stack.

Mounted on shaft 115 are tape pulleys which carry tapes 126 adapted to receive the blank flatwise from roller 57 and. convey the blank flatwise along the machine to a turning roll hereinafter referred to. A shaft 127, journalled in suitable bearings on the frame pieces 53' and 5 1', is provided with tape pulleys 128 located above the tape pulleys 125. The pulleys 128 are located directly in line with pulleys and are provided with tapes 129. The

tapes

126 and 129 also pass over

pulleys

126 and 129 respectively, which are fixed on

shafts

126 and 129 journalled in suitable bearings on the frame pieces and 54. The upper run of tapes 129 and the lower run of tapes 126 lie in contact with each other and the carton blank is fed between these tapes it is advanced by the

feed rollers

114 and 129. The continuously driven shaft 115 is provided with a sprocket 130. Mounted loose on rock shaft 111 is a gear 31 and a sprocket 132. The gear 131 and the sprocket 132 are fastened together and the sprockets and 132 are connected by a driving chain 132'. The gear 131 meshes with a gear 133 mounted fast on the shaft 127. The shaft 127 is therefore driven continuously through the action of the sprockets 138 and 132 and the meshing of the gears 131 and 133.

It has been found that the rubber roll 57 becomes coated with fibers and dust from the feed-- ing of the blanks, which tends to reduce the friction of the surface of the roller and to impair the feeding action. A brush is provided which is continuously driven and which bears lightly against the surface of the rubber roll and keeps the roll free from these particles of paper. This brush is indicated at 13 1 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) and is mounted on a shaft 135 carried in suitable bear-- ings on the frame pieces 53 and 51. The shaft 135 is provided with a sprocket wheel 136 (Fig. 2) and the shaft 127 carries a sprocket 137 (Fig. 4)

and through a chain connection 137 from the sprocket 137 to the sprocket 13 the shaft 135 and the brush 134 are positively rotated.

After the blank has been fed from the stack and has been advanced forward between the

feed tapes

126 and 129, it is carried forward into contact with fingers 138 (Figs. 1, 1 4a) which stop the movement of the blank at a first registering position in order to get it in timed relation with the machine. These stop fingers 138 are withdrawn from the front of the blank at the proper time to allow the tapes to advance the blank into a second registering position. The fingers 138 are mounted on rock shaft 139 carried in suitable hearings on the frame pieces 53 and 54. The outer end of shaft 139 carries an arm 1410, the upper end of which is attached to a connecting rod 1 11. The other end of this rod 141 is connected with a link 148 attached to the upper end of a cam lever 142 (Fig. 4a) which is pivoted at 1 12 on a stationary part of the machine and operated by a cam 143 mounted on shaft 74 and a spring 1413 having one extremity secured to the lower end of lever 142 and an opposits extremity secured to a stationary part of no the machine. Through the above connections the stop fingers 138 are moved to allow the carton blank to be fed forward through the action of the feed tapes into position to be engaged by stop fingers l i-5 at the second. registering position. The feed tapes and carton blank thereon may be further supported, as by guides (not shown) secured to the frame pieces 53 and 54 between the same. Stop fingers 1&5, at the second registering position, are mounted on a shaft 1&5 carried in bearings on frame pieces 53 and 54'. The outer end of the shaft 146 carries an arm 1 17, one extremity of which is attached to the link 1 18. The other end of the link 148 being attached to the upper end of the cam lever 142, the shaft 146 and the fingers 145 therefore operated from the cam 143 at the time as the fingers 138.

After the blank has been fed into position against the stop fingers 145, it is side registered with respect to a flap bender 149 (Fig. 5) and a turning roll 150 that act respectively to bend up the side sealing flap C (Fig. 2) of the blank and turn the blank so that it can be fed from the ta es to the carton making machine. The flap bender and the turning roll, and the side registering mechanism associated therewith, may be of any suitable construction, such, for example, as disclosed in my Patent No. 1,674,921 above referred to, but since these devices form no part of the present invention, it is unnecessary to describe the same in detail.

Mounted on shaft 146 are two arms 151 (Fig. 1a) which carry on their outer ends rollers 152 located directly above a pair of the carrier tapes. After the side sealing flap has been bent over, and at the proper time in the operation of the machine, t e shaft 146 is rocked to move the stop members 145 out of engagement with the front edge of the carton blank. To insure the positive movement of the carton blank when the stop fingers 1 15 are disengaged therefrom, the movement of the shaft 146 causes the rollers 152 to swing downward into contact with the surface of a pair of the upper tapes 129 to press the same firmly against the carton blank, ther by causing the tapes to positively grip the blank between them insure that the carton blank will be carried forward by the tapes to the turning roll 15o without any slippage between the tapes and the blank. The turning roll 150, as above pointed out, receives the blank from the

tapes

126, 129 and acts to turn said blank angularly thereto so that it may be fed into the carton making machine and wrapped or folded around a form thereof to produce a tubular container. The turning roll 150 is fixed on a shaft 150a journalled in suitable bearings on the frame pieces 53" and driven through the medium of a bevel gear 1501) (Fig. ea) rigidly secured on shaft 7% and meshing with a bevel gear 1500 that is fixed on shaft 150a.

The blank feeding mechanism is set into operation, to feed the blanks as above described, by operating the clutch lever 33 to engage the clutch ring 32 with the clutch drum so that the source of power is connected therethrough with the various movable parts of said mechanism. The clinch 30, 32 may also be employed to control the operation of the carton making machine in the manner disclosed in my Patent No. 1,674,;21. When stopping the operation of the carton making machine, it is desirable to first stop the feed of blanks from the stack and to allow further operation of the carton making machine to complete the folding and sealing of the various blanks that are in process therethrough. This stopping of the blank feed is preferably effected in the following manner. Mounted on a stud 153 on the rocking yoke 59 is an arm 15% (Fig. 4:) which is adapted to be swung into engagement with the front face of the clutch lever 10 1 which operates the clutch for starting and stopping the feed roller 5'7. A connecting rod 155 is attached at one end to the arm 154, the other end of which is attached to an arm 156 mounted on a shaft 157 journalled in suitable bearings on the machine framework. A lever 158 is mounted on shaft 15'? by means of which the shaft 157 may be rocked manually when so desired. An arm 159 (Figs. 1 and 1a) is mounted on shaft 157 and provided with a notch 160 with which a spring 161 engages in one position of the shaft 157. In the normal operation of the machine, the arm 15 i is swung forward so that the upper end does not engage the lever 10a, and the lever 10 1 is allowed to move freely under the action of the spring 162. When it is desired to stop the operation of the feed of blanks from the stack, the shaft 157 is rocked by hand and through t. e connecting mechanism, the arm 15 1 is moved into a position for its upper end to engage the face of the clutch l ver 104 and hold the lever 164 and the clutch part 100 disengaged from the clutch part 98 against the action of the spring 162. Disengagement of the clutch 98, 180 through the arm 15%- stops the feeding action of the roller 57 and the further delivery of blanks from the stack. Through this means, however, the operation of feeding, gluing and folding of the successive blanks previously fed from the stack may be continued without the loss of any carton blanks which have been partially operated upon, as would be the case if some means were not provided to stop the feed of bl nks from the stack into the carton making machine.

It will obviously appear that blanks 'of various types could be handled in the blank feeding mechanism and fed directly from the

tapes

126, 129 to any desired instrumentality or that various types of blanks handled in the elevator could be fed directly therefrom by the roller 5'! to any machine or mechanism to which it may be desired to feed the blanks. it is therefore to be expressly understood that while one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein, the invention is not limited to said embodiment or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a blank feeding mechanism of the type having a stack or pile elevator, a continuously driven power shaft having a gear fixed thereon, a weighted yoke or the like loosely mounted on said power shaft and carrying a feed roller shaft, a gear loosely mounted on the feed roller shaft and meshing with the first named gear, a feed roller fixed on the feed roller shaft and continuously engaging the top of the stack or pile under pressure produced by the weight of said ii loo means adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said lever to control the operation of the pawl and ratchet device, and a detector device controllingthe operation of said means and operated by engagement with said bodily movable shaft.

3. In com"ination, a drive shaft, a swinging support or yoke loosely mounted on said drive shaft, a driven shaft journalied on said support or yoke and geared to the drive shaft, me e on the driven shaft for feeding blanks or like, a clutch controlling the drive for the driv shaft from said drive shaft, a pivotally mounts: lever for operating said clutch, and manual actuated means controlling the movement of lever and the operation of said clutch.

a. In combination, a stack or pile support, mechanism for elevating the same including a pawl and ratchet device and a pivotally mounted pawl carrying lever, a pivotally mounted detent adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from a stop on said lever to thereby control the operation of the pawl and ratchet device, pivotally mounted intermittently operated sheet feeding means engaged with the top of the stack and movable bodily in opposite directions by movement of the stack and feeding of sheets therefrom respectively, and a pivotally mounted detector engaged by and movable with said sheet feeding means and adapted to operate said detent.

5. In combination, a stack or pile support, mechanism for elevating the same including a pawl and ratchet device and a pivotally mounted pawl carrying lever, a stub shaft, a normally rocking lever mounted on said stub shaft and connected with the pawl carrying lever to thereby actuate the pawl and ratchet device, a detent pivotally mounted on said stub shaft and adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from the pawl carrying lever to control its operation by said normally rocking lever, means engaging the top of the stack operated in one direction by movement of the stack and in the opposite direction by the feeding off of sheets therefrom, and detector mechanism movable by said means and controlling engagement of said detent wit and disengagement of the same from said pawl carrying lever.

t. In combination, a continuously driven power shaft, a weighted support or yoke pivotally mounted on said shaft, a driven feed roller shaft journalled on the weighted support or yoke, means for driving the feed roller shaft intermittently from the first named shaft, and a feed roller fixed on the feed roller shaft to rotate therewith intermittently, said feed roller being continuously maintained in engagement with the top a stack or pile of sheets under pressure exerted by the weighted support or yoke and adapted to feed off a sheet from the top of the stack at each operation of the feed roller.

7. In combination, pile elevating mechanism, a feed roller automatically rotated intermittently in one direction only and adapted to feed off sheets successively the top of the pile, means carrying the feed roller to maintain the same in engagement the pile and providing for raising and lowering movements of said roller in accordance with variations in the height of said pile, a detent movable in op osite directions into and out of engagement with a part of the pile elevating mechanism to thereby control the operation thereof, a lever for moving said detent in one direction and providing for movement thereof in the opposite direction, and means for rocking said lever engaging the shaft of said rollor to be raised and lowered thereby in accordance with the raising and lowering movements of the roller.

8. In combination, pile elevating mechanism, a detent movable up and down to control the operation of said mechanism, a feed roller rotated atically predetermined intervals in one n only and engaging the top of the pile ed sheets successively therefrom, pivotalted means carrying the feed roller and raising and lowering movements l and continuously engaging the connections between said defor raising and lowering in accordance with the raising and lowering movements of the former.

9. In combination, pile elevating mechanism, a pawl and ratchet device for operating the same, a pivoted detent adapted to swing up and down and control the operation of the pawl and ratchet device, an intermittently driven feed roller normally rotated in one direction only and engaging the top of the pile to feed off sheets successively therefrom, a pivotally mounted yoke carrying the feed rolier and providing for swinging movement thereof up and down in accordance with variations in height of the pile, a pivoted detector mounted independently of and arranged to swing up and do with the feed roller and continuously engaging the shaft thereof, a lever for swinging said detent up and down, and connections between said lever and said detector whereby the two are swung up and down in unison.

10. In combination, pile elevating mechanism, a pawl and ratchet device for operating the same, a pawl carrying lever adapted to be swung automatically in opposite directions to engage the pawl with the ratchet and thereby operate the pile elevating mechanism, a pivoted detent movable into and out of engagement with said lever to control the movement thereof and the operation of the pile elevating mechanism, an intermittently driven feed roller normally rotated in one direction only and engaging the top of the pile to feed off sheets successively therefrom, a pivotally mounted yoke carrying said feed roller providing for swinging movement of the latter up and down in accordance with variations in height of the pile, an element for engaging the detent with the pawl carrying lever and providing for disengagement of said detent therefrom, a detector movable up and down with the feed roller and continuously engaging the shaft thereof, and connections between the detector and said element for operating the latter in accordance with the movements of the former.

11. In combination, pile elevating mechanism, a pawl ratchet device for operating the same, a lever spring operated in one direction and cam operated in the opposite direction, a pivotally mounted pawl carrying element connected with said lever and rocked thereby to engage the pawl with the ratchet and operate the pile elevating mechanism, a pivoted detent movable into and out of engagement with the pawl carrying element to thereby control the operation of said pile elevating mechanism, an intermittently driven feed roller normally rotated in one direction only and engaging the top of the pile to feed off sheets successively therefrom, a pivotally mounted support for the feed roller maintaining pressure of the same on the pile and providing for swinging movement of the feed roller up and down in accordance with variations in height of said pile, a shaft, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft, a detector pivotally mounted on the sleeve and engaging the feed roller shaft to swing up and down with the latter and the feed roller, means for rocking the sleeve in accordance with swingmg movement of the detector, and a lever fixed on the sleeve to rock therewith and adapted to swing the detent into engagement with the pawl carrying element and provide for release of said detent therefrom.

12. In a blank feeding mechanism of the type having a pile elevating mechanism, a feed roller for separating blanks one after another from the top of the pile, a driving shaft for said roller, means for mounting said shaft and roller for vertical movement whereby said roller is continuously in engagement with the top of the pile, a detector finger pivotally mounted above the pile independently of said roller and shaft with one end thereof normally resting upon s id shaft, said finger being adapted to follow the movements of said shaft downwardly due to the infiuence of gravity and upwardly due to engagement by said shaft, and means also mounted above the pile and actuated by the movement of said'detector finger in following the vertical position of said shaft for controlling the operation of said pile elevating mechanism.

13. In a 'blank feeding mechanism of the type having a pile elevating mechanism, a feed roller for separating blanks one after another from the top of the pile, a driving shaft for said roller, means for mounting said shaft and roller for vertical movement whereby said roller is continuously in engagement with the top of the pile, a detector finger pivotally mounted above the pile independently of said feed roller and shaft with one end thereof normally resting upon said shaft, means actuated by the movement of said detector finger in following the vertical position of said shaft for controlling the operation of said pile elevating mechanism, and means for adjusting the position of said detector finger relatively to said shaft whereby the height of the pile at which said pile elevating mechanism is operated is varied.

14. In a blank feeding mechanism of the type having a stack or pile elevator, a continuously driven power shaft supported in fixed bearings above said stack, a weighted yoke member pivotally mounted on the power shaft and carrying a driven shaft, means for driving the driven shaft intermittently in one direction only from the power shaft, and a feed roller fixed on the driven shaft to rotate intermittently therewith, said feed roller being located between the weighted portion of said yoke member and the power shaft whereby said feed roller is continuously engaged under pressure with the top of the stack.

15. In a blank feeding mechanism of the type having a stack or pile elevator, a continuously driven power shaft supported in fixed bearings above said stack, weighted means loosely mounted on the power shaft, an intermittently driven feed roller carried by the weighted means, said roller continuously engaging the stack or pile under pressure produced by the weighted means, means also carried by the weighted means and cooperating with said roller for preventing the feeding of more than one sheet from said stack at each operation of the roller, and means for driving the feed roller intermittently in one direction only from said power shaft.

16. In a blank feeding mechanism of the type having a stack or pile elevator, a continuously driven power shaft supported in fixed bearings above said stack, a weighted yoke or the like loosely mounted on said power shaft and carrying a feed roller shaft, a feed roller fixed on the feed roller shaft and continuously engaging the top of the stack or pile under pressure produced by the weight of said yoke, and means adapted to intermittently connect the feed roller shaft in driven relation with the power shaft at predetermined intervals whereby the feed roller is intermittently driven in one direction only from the power shaft and feeds off a sheet at each operation of said roller.

17. In a blank feeding mechanism of the type having a supply of carton blanks, a continuously driven power shaft supported in fixed bearings above said supply, driven means for separating the carton blanks one after another from said supply, means intermittently operative for connecting the driven means with said power shaft for driving said means in one direction only, and weighted means freely mounted on said power shaft and creating a relatively high and continuous pressure of the driven means on said supply of carton blanks to insure separation of the carton blanks by said driven means regardless of the condition or configuration of the adjacent surface of the supply.

18. In a blank feeding mechanism of the type having means for elevating a supply of carton blanks, a driven feed roller for separating the carton blanks one after another from the top of said supply, a drive shaft supported above said stack and normally rotating the driven feed roller intermittently and in one direction only, and weighted means freely mounted on said drive shaft and urging the driven feed roller forwardly and downwardly with relatively high and continuous pressure on the top of the supply of carton blanks, said feed roller being located between the weighted portion of said weighted means and the drive shaft whereby separation of the carton blanks by said feed roller is insured regardless of the condition or configuration of the adjacent surface of the supply.

GEORGE A. ROBINSON.