US1977566A

US1977566A - Slitting mechanism for printing machines

Info

Publication number: US1977566A
Application number: US660813A
Authority: US
Inventors: William K Eckhard
Original assignee: Irving Trust Co
Current assignee: Irving Trust Co
Priority date: 1933-03-15
Filing date: 1933-03-15
Publication date: 1934-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1951-10-16

Description

Oct.'16,'1934. WQKJECKHARD 1,977,566

SLITTING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Ma rch 15, 1933 4Sheets-Shee t 1 INVENTOR. WJK /J -Q Oct. 16, 1934. w K E KHARD L 1,977,566

SLITTING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed March 15, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. mmauafl Oct. 16, 1934.

W. K. ECKHARD SLITTING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 15, 1933 INVENTOR. MQJKL/QQ V m mhlflmlolal,

1934- w. K. ECKHARD SLITTING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Filed March 15, 1933 Patented Oct. 16, 1934 PATT SLITTING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING -MACHINES William K. Eckhard, Dunellen, N. J., assignor to Irving Trust Company, temporary trustee of R. Hoe & 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a'corporation of New York Application March 15,

14 Claims.

This invention broadly relates to printing machines and more particularly to a novel means and method for slitting sheets after being printed and while being conveyed from the printing mechanism to delivery apparatus associated with the conveying mechanism of the printing "ma.- chine.

Heretofore large sheets have been printed and v slit immediately after printing and before same are removed from the impression cylinder. It is a well-known fact that the continuous production of paper dust or sediment which is occasioned by' slitting the sheets in accordance with the method and means heretofore employed will to a greater or less extent be conveyed to the printing plate, resulting in a blurring of the printing sheet considerably detracting from the clearness of the printing on same. By the present method and means no paper dust or sediment can find its way to the plate cylinder or the parts immediately associated with the printing mechanism, and as a consequence a printed product of clear definition and high quality may be produced, while the usual delays, hitherto encountered, occasioned by the necessity of frequently removing the abovereferred to. paper dust, are obviated.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind indicated, which may be incorporated in a printing machine so that sheets may be slit at a point remote irom the printing cylinders instead of immediately adjacent thereto.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a sheet slitting mechanism of. generally improved construction, whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and efiicient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement ofv parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed,- it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The preferred embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a general View of a printing machine in which the slitting mechanism that is the sub.- ject of the invention is incorporated;

Figure 2 is a plan view partly in section and with parts broken away showing the slitting 1933, Serial No. 660,813

mechanism and means for supporting it, as seen in the direction of arrow 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View showing certain parts of the slitting mechanism, as seen on the line 3 3 and in the direction of arrow 3 of Figure 2;

igure 4 is a side View showing certain details of the slitting mechanism as seen in the direction of arrow 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an elevational View, partly in section showing details of the driving means for the slitting mechanism as seen in the direction ofarrow 5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a detail view of one of the supports for the slitter drive shaft as seen in the direction of arrow 6 of Figure 2; V

Figure 7 is an elevational View, partly in section showing the slitter head and its driving mechanismas seen on the broken line 7-7 and in the direction of arrow '7 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a detail plan View of the upper slitte guide; Y 7 i Figure, 9 is a detail plan view of the lower slitter guide;

Figure 10 is an elevational view of the slitter head, as seen in the direction of arrowlO of Figure 7; and t Figure 11 is a sectional View showing the bracket supporting the slitter adjusting shaft and also showing asection of the adjusting mechanism as taken on'the line and as seen in the direction of arrow-l1 of Figure 3. V

In the drawings the numeral 18 designates a sheet feeder of conventional type for feeding and conveying sheets to printing mechanism indicated at 19, and including the customary plate-impression and deliverycylinders 21, 22 and 23 respectively; The printing mechanism 19 is also pro-- vided with sheet conveying mechanism 24 adapted to carry sheets to a delivery pile 25. The above-mentioned details are well-known in the art and form no part of the present invention.

Ccactingly associated with the conveyor mechanism and suitably mounted on a frame 26 whereon the printing mechanism and sheet conveyor mechanism 24 is secured, is a slitting assembly indicated generally in Figure 1, at 27 and forming in combination with the said conveyor mechanism the principal feature of the present invention.

The sheet slitting assembly 27 includes a slitter wheel or disk 28 which is secured by a collar 29 to one end of a shaft 31, supported in a bearing housing 32.

- A gear 33 is secured on the shaft 31 adjacent to the bearing housing 32. The gear 33 meshes with an intermediate gear freely rotatable on a stud. 36 and operatively engaged with a driven gear 37 slidably keyed to or splined on a sleeve 38 rotatably mounted in

bearing brackets

39, 40 fastened to the frame 26. Within the sleeve 38, a shaft 41 is slidably arranged, one end of the said shaft 41 being fastened in any suitable manner as by the screw 42 to a bracket 43 which is slidably supported on stud 36 and on a second stud 44. The

studs

36 and 44 are provided with reduced ends which pass through portions of the bracket 40, the bracket 40 being fastened to the said

studs

36, 44 by nuts 45 and 46. These

studs

36 and 44, as will be seen hereinafter, provide a means on which the bracket 43 is slidably mounted.

The plate or member 47 is adjustably secured to the bracket 43 by means of screws 48 which are received in. slots 49 formed in the bracket 43. To the plate 47 there is secured by screws 50 the bearing housing 32 referred to above, wherein the slitter disk shaft 31 is rotatably mounted. On the bearing housing 32 a plate 51 is secured, the plate 51 serving as a support for a lower slitter guide 51' which coacts with an upper slitter abutment or guide 52 fastened by screws 53 to a plate or plow 54 which is secured to the member 47.

By inspection of Figure 7, it will be seen that enlarged holes or slots 54' are provided in a portion of thebearinghousing 32 whereby when the screws 50 are loosened, an adjustment of the said housing 32 relatively to the member 47 may be effected. As a consequence, the parts connected to housing 32 which include the lower slitter guide 51', the slitter disk 23 and other elements associated therewith may be adjusted without disturbing the relation of the plate 47 relatively to the bracket 43. If desired, however, the said plate 47 and the assembly fastened thereto including the bearing bracket 32, shaft 31, gear 33, cutter disk 28, plow 54 and upper slitter guide 52 may be adjusted as a unit. It will now be seen that if it is desired to deliver the sheets without slitting same, the slitter disk assembly will be lowered out of contact with the sheet by dropping the said slitter assembly by loosening the screws 48; and when sheets of half width are wanted, the slitter 28 will simply be raised into operative position to slit same along a central longitudinal line.

Means are also provided for locating the slitter or shifting same axially in order to slit the sheet accurately in the centre or other desired locations, the said means comprising a sleeve 55 having a manipulating knob 56 which is threadedly engaged on the shaft 41. The sleeve 55 is exteriorly formed with a shoulder 57 and a reduced portion 58 whereona thrust member 59 having lugs 61 bolted or fastened to a portion of the frame 26, is arranged. As best shown in Figure 3, the thrust member 59 has a countersunk portion as at which receives a collar 62, the latter being secured to a reduced portion of the inner endof the sleeve 55. The said sleeve 55, mentioned above, is interiorly'threaded to receive a correspondingly threaded end 63 of the shaft 41, and is adapted to be locked or fixed to the thrust member 59 by a screw 64, after the shaft has been moved or adjusted longitudinally by the sleeve 55 for a purpose appearing hereinafter.

The sleeve 38 has fastened thereto a gear 65 which meshes with another gear 66 which is keyed to the hub of a sprocket 68 so that the gear 66 and sprocket 68 freely rotate on the stud 67. The sprocket 68 is engaged by a power driven chain 69 arranged between

guides

71, 72

- secured to the frame 26 and serving as the means for conveying the sheets from the printing cylinders to the delivery mechanism. Longitudinal movement of the sleeve 38 is prevented by a collar 73 fastened thereon by a set screw 74, and by the gear 65 both of which abut against adjacent portions of the bracket 39.

In Figures 4 and 5 only such parts of a conventional sheet gripping mechanism which forms a component part of the sheet conveyor mechanism 24, are illustrated as will suffice to show their operative connection to and coaction with the sheet slitting mechanism employed. The said parts include a plurality of gripper bar assemblies indicated generally at 75, these assemblies '75 being fastened to and traveling with the chain 69.

The sheet gripping mechanism, as indicated above, is of conventional design and structure, the detailsof which apart from the combination shown, form no part of the present invention. It may be pointed out, however, that the slitter disk 28 and the means for supporting and operating same together with the arrangement of the cooperating slitter abutment, have been arranged whclly on one sidev of the sheet path and adapted to permitthe said slitter disk 28 to perform its functions without interfering with the normal operation of the sheet conveying mechanism.

-The slitter assembly 27 referred to above includes the slitter disk 28 and the member 47 supporting same, the said member 47 being adjustable relatively to the movable bracket 43 in order to lower the slitter disk 28 and its cooperating sheet guides out of operating position when desired. I

It will be observed that the top of the slitter disk 28 is positioned below the path of the supports (not shown) for the gripper mechanism 75 sufliciently to clear same, it being understood that the said slitter disk is located between the pair of chains 69 arranged on either side of the frame, only one chain being shown fragmentarily in Figure 4. By the arrangement indicated the sheets'48 carried by the gripper mechanism 75 may be slit by the disk 28 without the latter fouling any part of the mechanism. y

The method and means above described, itwill be noted, slits a sheet while in transit from the printing mechanism 19 to the delivery pile at a point remote from the printing cylinders, and is particularly designed and adapted to prevent paper dust or clippings from getting into the printing mechanism as was previously the case. In addition the: present method and means is adapted to variably slit sheets while in transit orbeing conveyed to the delivery pile without the slightest retardation of the printing mechanism.

It will be readily understood that in actual operation, the deposition of the above-referred to paper dust or sediment on the printing cylinders will necessitate their frequent cleaning in order to insure a clean printed copy. The above-referred operating disadvantages attendant on the method heretofore employed of slitting sheets in proximity to the printing cylinders is completely obviated by the method and means described herein which effects the slitting of the sheets at a point quite remote from same. By dropping the slitting means out of operating position as described above, the sheets may be conveyed directly to the delivery pile 25, while the slitting assembly may, if desired, be inspected.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a sheet fed printing machine having a conveyor delivery mechanism, a slitting device including a slitter and an abutment there-for arranged to operate on a sheet being carried by the conveyor, and means wholly on one side of the sheet path to support the slitting device.

2. In combination with a sheet fed printing machine, having a conveyor delivery mechanism, said conveyor delivery mechanism being provided with sheet grippers, a slitting device arranged to operate on a sheet being carried by the conveyor, means to adjust said slitter for variably slitting said sheet, and means positioned wholly on one side of a sheet being conveyed, for supporting the slitting device.

3. In a sheet fed printing machine having a conveyor delivery mechanism provided with sheet grippers, a slitting device arranged to operate on a sheet being carried by the conveyor, means located wholly below the sheet path and the delivery mechanism for supporting the said slitting device in operative and inoperative positions and means to adjust said slitter while said conveyor delivery mechanism is functioning.

4. In a sheet fed printing machine having a conveyor delivery mechanism provided with sheet grippers, a slitting device arranged to operate on a sheet being carried by the conveyor and positioned wholly below the mechanism and the path of the sheet, and extending within vertical planes defining the width of the said sheet, and adjustable means to guide said sheet while being op-l erated on.

5. In a sheet fed printing machine having a conveyor delivery mechanism, a slitting device arranged to operate on a sheet being carried by the conveyor, and means including a cam actuated gripper assembly forming a part of the delivery mechanism for retaining a sheet in position for effective slitting while being operated upon, said slitting device being supported wholly by means located substantially below the said sheet path.

6. In a sheet fed printing machine having a conveyor delivery mechanism having sheet grippers, a slitting device arranged to operate on a sheet being carried on the conveyor, means located wholly at one side of the mechanism and the sheet path for supporting the slitting device and manually operable means for adjusting said slitter device so that sheets may be slit optionally along a line adjacent to and removed from the centre.

7. In a sheet fed printing machine having a conveyor delivery mechanism and printing cylinders, a slitting device arranged to operate on a sheet at a point comparatively remote from said cylinders, said slitting device including a guide for sheets and means for slitting same, means located wholly below the horizontal plane of said delivery mechanism and the path of said sheet for supporting the slitting device, said slitting device being adjustable widthwise of the printing machine, and other means for rendering said means for slitting inoperative independently of the conveyor delivery mechanism.

8. In a sheet fed printing machine having a conveyor delivery mechanism, a frame supporting said delivery mechanism, a bracket adjustably secured, and positioned substantially below the delivery mechanism, a slitting device adjustably mounted on said bracket, and means for rendering the slitting device inoperative independently of said conveyor delivery mechanism.

9. In combination with a sheet fed printing machine having sheet supporting and conveying means, said means including chains and sheet grippers fastened to the chains, a sheet slitting device connected to said frame and positioned wholly at one side of the said means, and other means for adjusting said slitting device in a plurality of planes for variably slitting sheets,

10. In combination with a sheet fed printing machine having sheet supporting means, printing means and a conveyor sheet delivery mechanism, a sheet slitting device connected to said frame and means for adjusting said slitting device vertically, and widthwise of the sheet path, said device being arranged wholly below the horizontal plane of the sheet path and the delivery mechamsm.

11. In combination with a sheet fed printing machine having sheet guiding means, sheet conveying means, and printing cylinders, a sheet slitting device arranged to slit a sheet at a point remote from said printing cylinders while being conveyed by said sheet conveying means, and manually adjustable means for adjusting said slitting device in vertical and horizontal planes, said slitting device being supported by means located wholly at one side of the said sheet while being conveyed.

12. The combination with a sheet fed printing machine having sheet supporting means and sheet conveying means, of a slitting device having a frame, a shaft longitudinally adjustable in the frame, a bracket fastened to said shaft, said bracket being movable in a horizontal plane, a member secured to the bracket, rotary sheet cutting means turnably supported in the member, and other means for raising and lowering the member relatively to the bracket.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination with a frame, sheet supporting means and sheet conveying means of a sheet fed printing machine; of a slitting device having a shaft longitudinally movable and rotatably mounted in the frame, a bracket fastened to said shaft, other means secured to the bracket, and a sheet cutting instrumentality adjustably secured to and rotatably supported on the said last mentioned means, said bracket and other means secured thereto being located substantially below the plane of the said sheet conveying means.

14. In a slitting mechanism for a sheet fed printing machine having a conveyor delivery with grippers engaging the front edge of the sheet, a rotary cutter positioned on one side of'the path of a sheet in transit to the delivery, a cutter abutment cooperating with the cutter and positioned on the opposite side of the sheet, and means secured at a position on one side of the sheet to support the cutter and the abutment.

WILLIAM K. ECKHARD.