US1973749A

US1973749A - Sheet feeding apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1973749A
Application number: US437774A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dawson Joseph Conn
Original assignee: CLEVELAND FOLDING MACH CO
Current assignee: CLEVELAND FOLDING MACH CO
Priority date: 1929-04-06
Filing date: 1930-03-21
Publication date: 1934-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 1951-09-18

Description

sept. is, 1934. L C, DAWSON 1,973,749

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed March 21. 1930. 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 02u-ern Cbwv DAM-ong Sept. 18, 1934. J. c. DAWSON SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed March 21. 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR C .n .1 v .0.41 l l 2, .Il NN u* Sept. 18, 1934.

SHEET FEEDIN fammmus- J. C. DAWSON Filed March 21, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 18, A1934. J, Q DAWSON 1,973,749

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed March 21. 195o 5 sheets-sheet 4 211 iz 1] lrluv uw si i "all" ze. 24 kif-- fj '24' i z5.

INVE/vrcm JOSEPH Co N/v /qwso/v.

Sept. 18, 1934. J, Q DAWSON 1,973,749

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed March 21, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. Tasa PH c 'omv .Dfi ws oN.

W Mm

Patented Sept. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES SHEET FEEDING APP! LRATUS Joseph Conn Dawson, London, England, assigner,

by mesne assignments, to The Cleveland Folding Machine Company, Mentor Township, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 21,

1930, Serial No. 437,774

In Great Britain April 6, 1929 14 Claims.

This invention relates to sheet feeding apparatus comprising a feed table having feeding elements tending to move sheets forwardly on a straight line, preferably one in which the feed surface is composed of a series of driven rollers arranged in parallelism thereon; and a side guide by contact with which the sheets so fed are correctly registered in their travel. Such sheet feed tables are used with particular advantage in connection with folding machines, printing presses and the like. In such tables as previously constructed, the side guide referred to is arranged parallel to one of the longitudinal sides of the table and the feed rolls of the table are set at an angle thereto or in oblique arrangement on the table so as to-cause the sheets traveling thereover to move to the side fitted with the side guide. Where tapes are used instead of rollers, the tapes are arranged obliquely for a similar purpose. With this arrangement, therefore, the side guide can only beplaced at one side of the table and the lateral movement is relatively limited.

One object of this invention is to provide a feed arrangement doing away with the limitations of the feed table above referred to by the provision ofv a side guide which can be readily adjusted for operation at any point across the feed table, and is reversible, thus enabling the sheets to be registered along either side of the feed table. A

Another object of the invention is to provide means for imparting sidewise impetus to the sheets in order to insure their registry with the side guide where the feeding means beneath the sheets Works in a direction parallel with the side guide, as through feed rolls arranged at right angles to the side guide or tapes arranged parallel therewith.

For the use of a reversible side guide according to this invention the rollers constituting the feed surface of the table are not arranged obliquely, but are set at right angles to the feed direction of the table and in the case of tapes, they are j set parallel to the feed direction, and the side guide is constituted by a bar lying at right angles to the rollers or parallel to the tapes and provided With a horizontal flange on either side thereof. At each end this bar is provided with a bracket fitted to slide on a transverse bar secured at each end of the table so as to enable this side guide to be moved across the table and secured in position at any point between its sides or at one side or the other. In order to cause the sheets to be drawn towards this side guide an (Cl. Wil- 52) additional inside or sheet deflecting bar-is provided at some distance along the said side guide. This additional bar is preferably likewise adapted to slide on the cross members supporting the side guide or is otherwise associated with the latter. At a number of selected points this inclined bar is provided with runners, preferably rollers of rubber, which are arranged obliquely to the side guide and extend down from the foot of the bar into contact with the feed rolls or with a tape of the table opposite the points referred to. Each of'these runners is with advantage rotatably and yieldingly journalled in the forked foot of a clamp shaped to embrace the bar and adapted to be clamped thereto by a binding screw or the like. 'I'hese runners and their holders therefore, of which there may be any desired number, can be slid along and secured at any chosen point of the bar in contact with any desired roller of the table where roller feed is used, and the point of contact on such rollers may likewise be readily varied. An arrangement of lthe kind described will enable either side of the feed table to be used for regl istering by applying the side guide and then fitting the runner bar thereto in the requisite manner.

The additional bar above referred to may of course be associated with any known side guide or form part thereof. On feed tables in which the feed rolls are as hitherto arranged in an oblique manner, the runners above referred to may be replaced by balls which may be of steel or any other chosen material in order to enable'the feed of the sheets to be influenced in the manner referred to for instance in the specification of patent to Hitchcock 1,680,044. When balls are em ployed the runner bar forms part of the side guide which is provided with holes, preferably elongated, through which the balls can pass into contact with the feed rolls, and the clamps above referred to have holes in which the balls are held and are pivotally and movably fitted so as to enable the pointsof contact between the balls and the rollers to be adjusted by adjusting the ball holders as may be required and securing them in the desired position. A

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a feed table supplying a paper folding machine of a well known type and fitted with a reversible side guide arrangement according to one form of this invention.

Fig. 2- is a plan view of the same.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail elevational views of the slidable outside bar or side guide proper, partly in section.

Figs. 5 and 6 are right angle detail elevational views showing the runners 'in theform of rollers fitted to the ends of the deflecting bar.

Figs. 'l and 8 are similar views of the adjustable runners mounted on said inside bar between its ends.

Fig. 9 is a plan of a form of side guide combined with a modified Aform of adjustable runner or ball holders.

Fig. 10 is a part sectional elevation taken on line X-X of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially online 4XI-IU of Fig.9.

Fig. 12 shows in perspectiveview another form of an adjustable ball guide for attachment to an existing side lay.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line XIII- XIII of Fig. 12.`

Fig. 14 shows-in perspective an adjustable side lay fitted with a modified form of sheet influencing members or ball'smoother guides.

Fig. 15 shows in enlarged section a detail of the ball smoother fitting. p

Fig. 16 is a fragmental plan view illustrating another embodiment of my invention as applied to a feed table in which the sheet moving elements are tapes arranged parallel with the side guide, the table being arranged to feed sheets with their guide edges to the right.

Fig. 17 is a corresponding view of the other side of the same table arranged to feed sheets with their guide edges to the left.

Fig. 18 is a vertical sectional view' on a larger scale, the section being taken substantially on the line XVIII-XVIIIof Fig. l'l, and

Fig. 19 is a horizontal sectional detail view taken on the line XVIIII-XVIIII of Fig. 18.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the feed table 10 comprises feed rollers 12, which may be driven by any suitable means. as for instance by an endless belt running over end shafts 91 and 92 and over idler pulleys or shafts 93 so positioned as to insure a considerable area of frictional contact of the belt against the peripheries of the rolls l2. The shaft 91 may carry at one extremity a gear 94 to which driving force is transmitted by any suitable gear train from a motor (not shown). The feed rolls 12 are arranged at right angles to the side frames 14 and that two rails 11 of square or rectangular section extend across the feed table l0 parallel to the feed rolls 12 and are rigidly held above the table 10 by short pillars 13 seated upon the side frames 14 of the feed table 10. Positioned at right angles to the rolls 12 and extending along the whole of the feed table on one side thereof is a bar l5 of flat rectangular section (Figs. 4 and 8) scalloped out to clear the rolls 12 and adjustably mounted at either end upon the rails 11 by means of brackets 16 (Figs. 1, 2, 3- and 4). The upper part of each bracket 16 hasv jaws 1'1 shaped to slidably fit on the rail 11 a milled headed clamping screw 17' being passed through the center of the upper jaw to clamp the bar 15 in its required position.' 'Ihe bracket 16 has downwardly extending members 18 slotted to receive the bar 15 and preferably riveted through to rigidily hold the same. Attached to the bar 15 on either side by rivets or other means are right angle members 19 forming a double flange along the length of adjustable inside orsheet the bar 15 and constituting retainers on the side guide or lay.

An inner or sheet deflecting bar 20 of square or rectangular section is also slidably mounted at veach end upon the rails 11 by means of brackets 21 (Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6). The upper portion of each bracket 21 consists of wide upper and lower jaws 22 bolted or riveted to either end of the rail 20 on one side and embracing the rail 11 on the other side, being clamped thereto by a milled headed screw 23. The downwardly extending -portion 24 of each collar 21 is bifurated to receive a steel or rubber roller 25 which is journalled in bearings mounted in slots 24' and contacts with one of the end rollers 12 on the feed table 10. Adjustably mounted upon-the rail 20 between its ends are a number of clamps 26 (Figs.

- 7 and 8) each consisting of a member 26' havingA jaws 27 adapted to embrace the rail 20 and `c1amped thereto by a milled headed binding screw 28 and of a bifurcated downward extension 29 adapted tov carry a rimner or rubber roller 30 journalled in slots 29' thereof.

In operation the bar l5 carrying the side lays 19 is mounted on the rails 1l by means of the brackets 16 and clamped thereto bythe screws 17' to one side of the feed table 10. The rail 20 adapted to lie at an angle to the side guide l5 as shown in Fig. l, is then clamped to the rails 11, and upon it are adjusted a number of the rollers 30, the rollers 25 being respectively in contact with the feed rolls at each end of the table 10. The rollers 30 are positioned 'to bear on the sheet above selected feed rolls l2 being preferably set slightly to the rear of the center of each roll in relation to the direction of travel. In this manner any forward dip in the sheet or tendency to cling to the rolls 12 is obviated whilst by reason of the

rollers

25 and 30 being journalled in the slots 29 the only pressure exerted upon the sheet is the actual weight of each roller.

As each sheet is fed forward by the rolls l2 the line of rollers 30 carried by the inclined bar 20 and set to converge with the side lay 15 at a point ahead of the travel of the sheet tends to gently force the sheet against the side lay and to maintain it square to the direction of travel until it passes between the fold rolls B. A further series of guide rollers (not shown) carried in clamps similar to the clamps 26 may be attached to the rail 11 adjacent to the fold rolls B and set parallel to the feed rolls 12. These will serve to control the forward edge of the conveyed sheet and subsequently the whole surface thereof to prevent any tendency to buckle immediately before it is gripped by the fold rolls B.

It will be observed that the arrangement described enables the bar 15 to be readily moved to any position transversely of the feed rolls 12 by loosening the screws l'l' which clamp the brackets 16 to the rails 11, and sliding the whole side lay to the required position, first having removed the bar 20 with all the roller guides carried thereby. 'I'he double sided flange 19 forms the requisite top guard or retainer for the sheets on either side of the feed table l0. By means of the brackets 21 and clamping screws 23 the bar 20 carrying the runner guides can then be fitted in the correct position relative to the side lay 15, thus enabling either side or any part of thel feed table to be used'for accurate registration of the sheets. When the side guide is used for feeding sheets with their guide edges to the right, the bar 20 is, of course, positioned to the left of the side guide at an anglereverse to that of the bar y inFig. 2.

A modified side guide arrangement is shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11. In this fitting the runner' bar and side guide are formed as a unit, comprising a single plate 44 which is provided with a lip 46 in a'well known manner. The opposite side of the plate rests upon a block 54 which extends the length of the plate 44 and is seated upon the table frame 41 thus forming an abutment or lay for the left hand edge of the sheet being conveyed toward the fold rolls. Bolted to the block 54 are two or more brackets 55 which are in turn bolted to the side 'of the frame 41 and so rigidly hold the block 54 in position. A series of elliptical slots 56 are provided in the plate 44 and over each of these slots are positioned ball guide plates 57 pivotally held by milled headed screws 58 which, passing through both the plate 57 and the plate 44, screw into holes 54' drilled into the block 54 and suitably tapped to receive them. A shoulder 59 provided on each screw 58 serves to clamp the guide plates 57 and plate 44 in the required position. Each guide plate is further provided with a hole 60 in which is placed a steel ball 53 which, passing through its respective slot 56 in the plate 44, rests upon the particular feed roll 42 over which it is set.

By this arrangement the position of the balls relative to the feed rolls can be readily and nely adjusted by slackenng each screw 58 and swinging the guide plates 57 about their respective pivots, thus traversing the balls 53 in the slots 56 to the required position. y

In Figs. 12 and 13 illustrating a method of fitting a ball guide attachment to an existing side lay plate a plate 61 is provided shaped with an upturned lip 62 and a further bent up portion 63 aft one end forming a mouth to receive the sheet at the commencement of its travel along the feed table. The plate 61 is also provided with holes 6la for balls 53 as previously described. Steel blocks 64 are xed on the upper surface of the plate 62 by welding or other methods. A slot 65 is cut in each block 64 at a corresponding angle to that of the lip 70 forming part of the original lay plate 69 and a hole is drilled and tapped through the top face of each block to receive a milled headed screw 66. To attach the ball guide to the original lay plate, the blocks 64 are slipped into position upon the lip 70 and the screws 66 adjusted to hold the plate immovable. The steel balls 53 are then dropped into position and function as previously descrbed.

A further modied fitting is shown in Figs. 14 and 15. The lay plate 44 is shaped and attached to the feed table by the

screw tting

45, 48, 31 in a well known manner. In this form, however, the brackets 45 carry extension pieces 72 which may be adjustable thereon and terminate in jaws 73 each surmounted by a boss 74 in which is tapped a hole to carry a binding screw 75. A circular rod 76 passes through the jaws 73 and is held therein by means of the clamping screws 75. Carried upon the rod 76 are a series of holders or ball smoother guides, one only of which is shown. Each consists of a member 77 cut away to an angle at its lower end to form a mouth 79 and constructed to slidably fit upon the rod 76- being clamped in position thereon by means of the binding screw 78. Extending at right angles from the member 77 is a further portion 77a which terminates in an upwardly inclined lip 79a and is provided with a walled recess 52 which serves to retain and guide a steel ball 53 as previously described.

In operation each ball smoother guide is positioned on the rod 76 so that the ball 53 carried therein rests upon a feed roll 42 slightly to the rear of the axis thereof whilst the underfaceof the extension piece 77a is held slightly above the surface of the feed table. The mouth 79 of the extension 77a receives the edge "of each sheet as it is conveyed forward and the steel balls 53 guide and control the sheet as previously described whilst the extension piece 77a serves to hold down the sheet passing beneath it thus obviating any tendency the sheet may have to buckleprior to it being seized by the fold rolls.

Referring now to Figs. 16 to 19 inclusive, I have illustrated in these figures the use of a bar 20a mounted upon brackets 21a which are slidable upon the rails 1l and may be clamped in various positions of adjustment thereupon by set screws 23a in a manner similar to that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6. This bar is illustrated in connection with a feed table comprising endless tapes 80 running over

rollers

81 and 82, one of which may be positively driven by any suitable means, as for instance by a gear 95, connected by suitable gears with a motor (not shown). However, it will be apparent that this bar could be employed to advantage upon a table similar to that of Fig. 2, or upon any other type of table in which the sheet moving elements tend to produce travel of the sheets parallel to the side guide rather than at a slight angle thereto as is common practice.

As in the rst described form of the invention I employ as runners, wheels 30a. Each of these wheels has a spindle 83 which is mounted in vertical slots in spaced legs 84 depending from a two-sided bracket having a central wedge-shaped portion 85 and pairs of oppositely extending upper and lower lips 86, either pair of which is adapted to receive the bar 20a and to slide thereupon. The bracket may be secured in any desired position along the length of the bar by threading down the corresponding set screw 87. It will be observed by reference particularly to Fig. 19 that the Wedge-shaped portion 85 of the bracket causes the latter, when pushed inwardly against the bar 20a to assume an angular position, thereby bringing runner wheel 30a into angular relation with the bar 20a and hence with the direction of feed of the sheets, this angular position of the individual runners having the same effect of drawing the sheets toward the side guide as does the angular position of the bar 20 in Fig. 2. I am enabled by this means however to apply my invention to a feed table in which the feeding elements are relatively narrow tapes.

In Fig. 17 the feed table is set up to handle sheets with their guide edges toward the left. The side guide and the bar 20a`may be moved to other positions transversely of the table, as in the case of the first described form. Now, should the operator desire to feed sheets with their guide edges toward theright, thereby enabling him to reverse the direction of the rst fold by merely turning the sheets over, the set screws 23 are loosened and the bar 20a is removed, the side guide 15 is slid across the table to the position shown in Fig. 16, the bar 20a put back upon the rails 11 to the left of the side guide, and the runner brackets removed and put back on the opposite side of the bar 20a, as illustrated in Fig. 16. The angle of the runners 30a is thereby reversed, and they are thus positioned to direct the sheets toward the side guide as they travel over the table.

IndFigs. ll, 18and '15 a sheet of paper is indicated at P. i

While inthe foregoing description and in the accompanying drawings I have illustrated more or less in detail certain speciflc. embodiments of the invention, I desire it to be understood that such detail disclosures have been resorted to primarily for the purposeof fully illustrating the invention'in accordance with the requirements of the statute, and are not Vto l be construed as amounting to' limitations upon the scope of the invention.

Havingthus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a feed table, means for imparting feeding movement to the sheets, a side guide having sheet guiding and retaining surfaces on both sides thereof, a pair of spaced rails mounted at their ends upon the table transversely to the direction of movement of the'sheets thereupon, and means for adjustably supporting said guide upon said rails, whereby the guide may be moved transversely of the table into various positions .of ad- Justment.

2. In a feed table, means for imparting feeding movement to the sheets thereupon, means for guiding the movement of the sheets along the table with their guide edges toward either the right or the left, and means supported independently of said guide means adapted to be used upon either side of the table selectively f or drawing the sheets-outwardly toward the guide and holding them in contact therewith.

3. In a feed table, means ior imparting feeding movement to the sheets thereupon, means for guiding the movement of the sheets along the table with their guide edges toward either the right or the left, and means supported independently of said guide means comprising runner wheels adapted tobe positioned upon either side of the table selectively with the plane of each wheel directed forwardly and outwardly, whereby the sheets are drawn outwardly toward the guide and held in contact therewith.

4. A side guide for use upon sheet feeding tables, comprising a vertically arranged strip having guide surfaces on either side thereof, and angle barssecured to said strip on opposite sides thereof above said guide surfaces, said bars forming sheet retainers. 4

5. In a feed table, the combination with a series of cylindrical driven sheet supporting and feeding rollers extending across said table, a supporting bar mounted above the rollers, runners adapted to frictionally engage the rollers of the sheets fed thereby, and means on the supporting bar for carrying the runners and adjusting said runners individually with respect to said bar, whereby their points of engagement with their respective rollers may be shifted forwardly or backwardly.

6. In a feed table, the combination with a series of cylindrical driven sheet supporting and feeding rollers extending diagonally across said table, of a supporting bar mounted above the rollers, holders mounted to swing horizontally upon said bar for adjustment relative to the latter and the rollers, and runners loosely mounted in the free ends of said holders adapted to'frictionally engage certain of said rollers, whereby the adjustment of each holder adjusts the runner carried thereby with respect to its roller.

7. In a feed table, the combination with a series u: cylindrical driven sheet supporting and feesding rollers extending across said table, of a supporting bar mounted above the rollers, said bar having longitudinal slots therethrough, holders mounted to swing 4horizontally upon said bar for adjustment relative to the latter and the rollers,

and balls loosely mounted in the free ends of said holders and extending through said slots for frictional engagement with' the rollers, whereby the adjustment of each holder vadJusts the ball carried thereby with respect to its roller.

8. In a feed table, means for advancing sheets thereupon, a pair of spaced rails extending transversely of the table from one side to the other thereof, a side guide and a supporting bar mounted upon said rails for independent movement transversely of the table, and a plurality of runner wheels mounted-uponsaid bar with their planes inclined forwardly and outwardly toward said side guide.

' 9. In combination, a frame, a feed table fixed thereupon, said table comprising means for imparting feeding movementto the sheets, a side guide, means for supporting the side guide at either side of the table, a supporting bar adjustably mounted upon the frame independently of said guide, said bar being adapted to be positioned upon either side of the guidewith its forward end converging toward the guide, and.

means carried by the said bar for drawing the sheets toward said guide in eitherY position of the bar, whereby sheets may be fed with their guide edges toward the left or the right side of the table. 1

10. In a feed table, means for advancing sheets thereupon, a side guide, a supporting bar 'extending longitudinally of the table, runner wheels carried thereby adapted to engage sheets traveling over said sheet advancing means to heighten the tractive effort of said means, and mounting means for said supporting bar permitting4 movement of the bar toward and away from said side guide and permitting a variation in the angle between the bar and the side guide.

11. In a feed table of the type having sheet feeding and supporting rollers extending diagonally thereof, a sheet guide. at one side of the table and having a ange overhanging the same, a ball retaining plate having openings therein to hold sheet engaging balls in operativerelation verally and longitudinally with respect to said table. ,I 12,-In a feed table of the type having sheet feeding and supporting rollers extending diagonally thereof, a sheet guide' at one side of the table and having a flange overhanging the same, a ball retaining plate having openings therein to hold sheet engaging balls in operative relation with said rollers, said plate being flared upwardly at one end to guide the sheets thereunder, and means for detachably securing the plate on said flange and providing for adjustment of the plate and said balls laterally and longitudinally with respect to said table.

13. In a feed table, a series of lcylindrical driven sheet supporting and feeding rollers extending diagonally thereof, a sheet guide adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table, means adapted to adjust the sheet guide transversely of the table at right angles to said side thereof, rotatable sheet engaging devices cooperating with the sheet supporting `and feeding rollers, and holders for the rotatable sheet engaging devices, said holders being mounted on the sheet guide and adapted for adjustment to shift said rotatable devices and aline them with said rollers when the sheet guide is adjusted as aforesaid.

14. In a feed table, a seriesof cylindrical driven sheet supporting and feeding rollers extending vdiagonally thereof, a sheet guide adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table, means adapted to adjust the sheet guide transversely of the table at right angles to said side thereof,

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1, 973, 749.

September 18, 1934.

IosEPH CoNN- DAWSON.

lt is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 55, claim 5, after "table,"

insert the word of; and line 57, same claim, for "of" read or;

and that the said Letters Patentr should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the Case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this .9th day of October, A. D. 1934.

(Seal) Leslie Frazer gaging devices, said holders being mounted on the sheet guide and adapted for adjustment to shift said rotatable devices and aline them with said rollers when the sheet guide is adjusted as aforesaid.