US1980725A

US1980725A - Printing machine

Info

Publication number: US1980725A
Application number: US503915A
Authority: US
Inventors: Emmett C Hartley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Addressograph Co
Priority date: 1930-12-22
Filing date: 1930-12-22
Publication date: 1934-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1951-11-13

Description

Nov. 13, 1934. E. c. HARTLEY 1,930,725

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 22, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 13, 1934. E. c. HARTLEY 1,930,725

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 22, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 13, 1934. 1-; c, HARTLEY L980,725

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 22, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 13, 1934 rnm'rmc momma Emmett C. Hartley, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Addressograph Company, Wilmington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware Application December 22, 1930, Serial No. 503,915

23 Claims. (01. 101-287) This invention relates to printing machines and more particularly to devices for feeding and ejecting work in the nature of sheets, envelopes, cards, circulars, or the like, and the salient object is to provide a novel device which will feed but one piece of work at a time.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a feeding device operable in timed relation with the printing machine; to provide a feeding device embodying a feeding member operable at a higher rate of speed than the printing mechanism of the machine; to provide a feeding device controllable by said printing mechanism; to provide a feeding device embodying an adjustable separator to insure the feeding of but one piece of work into the machine; to provide a feeding device which will also withdraw the work after an impression has been made thereon; to provide a feeding device including a safety mech anism for rendering the machine inoperative when the feeding device does not feed a piece of work; to provide a feeding device which will properly index the work relative to the printing mechanism; and to provide an abutment for the work which will prevent rebounding thereof away from the printing mechanism when the work is fed thereto.

In the selected embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a printing machine with which a selected embodiment of my invention has been associated;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the feeding device drawn to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view taken substantially on the line 55 on Fig. 2;

Fig. '6 is a transverse sectional view taken medially on Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 7--7 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 8-8 on Fig. '7; and

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the separator employed in the device.

In the accompanying drawings, 10 generally indicates a printing machine including a magazine M into which suitable printing devices are introduced and from which these printing devices are withdrawn and successively passed through printing position in the machine below the platen P carried by the arm 11. A machine of this character isdescribed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 503,914, filed December 22, 1930, and reference may be made thereto for the details of construction relative to the means for withdrawing the printing devices and for operating the platen. The printing machine includes a table top 12 on which the printing operations are performed and in this table top are openings 13- through which the printing devices may be viewed during passage thereof into printing position. In the table top, tappedopenings are provided into which the thumb screws 14 may be fitted to detachably secure the frame 15 of the feeding device on the machine. At one end of the frame 15 is a hous- 7 ing 16 (Figs. 2 and 3) providing a bearing 17 in which a shaft 18 is journaled and fixed on the shaft within the housing is a gear 19 meshing with an idler gear 20 carried by the stub shaft 21 journaled in the housing. The idler gear meshes with a driving gear 22 in the machine which, in turn, meshes with a gear behind the main clutch so that movement will'be imparted to the gear 22 only when the machine is operating. Also mounted on the stub shaft-21 and operable with the idler gear is a pinion 23 meshing with a pinion 24 on the end of the shaft 25 journaled in the frame 15. A pinion 26 meshes with the gear 19 and is fast on a shaft 2'7 journaled in the frame 15. Therefore when movement is imparted to the gear 22 the

shafts

18, 25, and 27 will be operated simultaneously. The feed roller 28 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 18 (Fig. 7) and the periphery thereof is recessed at 29 and at opposite ends of the recess inwardly thereof and communicating therewith are openings 30 and 31 (Fig. 8). A blanket 32 of rubber or similar innately resilient material includes enlarged

end portions

33 and 34 which are respectively passed into the

openings

30 and 31 to thereby secure the blanket 32 in the recessed portion 29 whereby the knurled or otherwise roughened surface 35 of the blanket will be disposed slightly above the periphery of the feed roller. A collar 36, secured to the shaft 18 by a set screw 3'1 (Fig. 7) or other suitable securing device, has a ratchet 38 formed in the periphery thereof, and pivotally mounted on the feed roller at 39 is a pawl 40 normally urged toward the ratchet by a spring 41 extended between a spring anchor at the outer end of the pawl and a spring anchor on the roller 28. The. roller is held against longitudinal movement on the shaft 18 in a manner to be described. A cam ring 43 (Fig. 7) is clamped between the plate 42 and the roller 28 to be rotatable with said roller. Pivotally mounted on the frame 15 at 44 is a latch 45 (Figs. 5 and 6) normally urged toward the pawl 40 by a spring 46 extended between a spring anchor on the latch 45 and a spring anchor on the frame 15. On the tail of the pawl 40 is a finger 47 engageable with a radial edge on the abutment 48 on the latch 45. Secured to the latch 45 is a plate 49 having a foot portion 50 thereon. 0n the forward end of the platen arm 11 there is a boss 51 in which a screw 52 is adjustably mounted and when the platen P is moved into printing position, as shown in Fig. 6, the screw 52 engages the foot portion and pivots the latch from the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 6 into the dotted-line position of said figure whereby the abutment 48 is retracted from engagement with the flnger 47 and therefore the spring 41 moves the pawl into engagement with the ratchet to thereby interconnect the roller 28 to the shaft 18. As soon as the platen P starts to move upwardly after making the printing impression the screw 52 disengages the foot portion 50 and the spring 46 moves the latch back into the full-line position of Fig. 5 whereby the abutment will be disposed in position to engage the finger to withdraw the pawl from engagement with the ratchet and therefore the roller 28 will make but one revolution upon each operation of the platen P especially since the platen is always moved back into its upper or normal position in each cycle of operation thereof. The latch 45 is relieved by providing the notch 53 to prevent premature engagement of the latch with the pawl in event 'the platen P is withdrawn prior to the time the pawl has moved sufficiently to clear the latch. Since the screw 52 is adjustable it is manifest that the time of operation of the roller 28 may be regulated. Supported by frame 15 at an inclination to the horizontal table top is a plate 54 onto which the work is introduced. Along one edge of this plate are bearings 55, 55 (Fig. 2) through which

rods

56, 56 are extended, said rods being connected to a guiding flange 57. A set screw 58 is extended through one of the bearings 55 to secure the rod therein and by loosening this set screw the rods and the guiding flange may be moved transversely of the plate. On the opposite edge of the plate are

bearings

59, 59 through which

rods

60, 60 are extended and a set screw 61 secures one of the rods in position. The

rods

60, 60 are connected to a guiding flange 62 similar to the guiding flange 57, and these guiding flanges are positioned to receive the work therebetween and orient the same relative to the platen P so that the printing impressions will be made at a predetermined longitudinal position on the work which is rested on the plate between the guide flanges at an angular inclination as illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein the work is indicated by W. On the frame 15 is a bracket 63 (Fig. 9) to which one end of the separator 64 is secured. The separator is made from innately resilient material such as rubber and it will therefore readily flex so that the free end thereof may be tangentially disposed relative to the roller 28 and, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 9, the lower end of the plate 54 is terminated in spaced relation to the roller to provide clearance for the separator. In order to adjust the tension of the separator 64 and afford the proper tangential disposition thereof, a screw 65 is extended through the frame 15 and abuts the lower edge of the separator to vary the curvature therein and this screw 65 is held in adjusted position by the lock nut 66. The coefficient of friction between the pieces of work will be relatively low, while the coefficient of friction between the work and the blanket 32 and the separator 64 will be relatively high. The lower edges of the forwardmost of the pieces of work rest on the separator 64 and the most forwardly of these pieces of work will be engaged by the blanket 32, upon rotation of the roller 28, and therefore due to the high coefficient of friction between the work and the blanket and separator, this piece of work will be moved with the roller and by reason of the low coefficient of friction between this piece of work and the adjacent piece of work, only the piece of work gripped will be fed. The piece of work thus fed moves into engagement with the clamping roller 67 mounted on the shaft 27 and disposed slightly forwardly of the end of the separator, and this clamping roller cooperates with the roller 28 to feed the sheet forwardly. Secured to the under side of the casting 15 is a plate 12 which, in the portion thereof aligned with the roller 28, is dished downwardly as indicated at 68. Mounted on the shaft 25 adjacent the forward edge of the plate 12 in the dished portion 68 thereof are the jogger rollers 68', and the piece of work fed forwardly between

rollers

28 and 67 will pass between the plate 12 and the rollers 68' to be fed into printing position in the machine. In order to position the sheet relative to the printing mechanism a stop strip is provided which is mounted on the table top 12. Secured to the table top is a strip 69 (Fig. 1) having a bearing 70 at one end thereof. A bearing 71 is fixed on the table top. A rod 72 is extended through the bearing 70 and a rod 73 is extended through the bearing 72 and set screws are provided for holding said rods in adjusted positions in said bearings. The forward ends of the rods are connected to the stop strip 74 and by varying' the position of the

rods

72 and 73 the position of the stop strip may be adjusted to determine the transverse position of the piece of work relative to the printing means in the machine. It has been described that the feed roller 28 is operated only when the platen P moves into printing position and it therefore operates in timed relation with the printing mechanism in the machine. However, since the roller is clutch operated and as this clutch is only engaged at determined times it is not necessary that the operation of the roller be synchronized with the operation of the platen, and I am thereby enabled to operate the roller at a higher rate of speed than the platen operation. By so doing I am enabled to quickly feed the pieces of work into printing position in the machine. Because of the rapid feeding of the pieces of work they have a rather high momentum as they move into printing position in the machine and the stop strip 74 is so disposed that the pieces of work so moving strike thereagainst to be properly positioned. Due to the high momentum of the pieces of work there will be a tendency to rebound when stopped by strip 74 but the forward edge of the dished portion 68 is so positioned that when the forwardmost edge of the piece of work engages the stop strip, the rearwardmost edge thereof will fall past this forward edge onto the table top and when the forwardmost edge of the piece of work strikes the strip it will be prevented from being displaced from the table top 12 as the high momentum will be absorbed by reason of the inclination of the abutting face '15 of the strip '74. This face is inclined downwardly and when the pieces of work strike thereagainst they will follow along this inclined face rather than rebounding away from printing position. Since the pieces of work are successively fed into printing position upon each operation of the platen P, it is necessary that a previously fed piece of work be removed prior to the introduction of anew piece of work into printing position. Furthermore, it is desirable that the work-withdrawing and workfeeding means be so timed that a new piece of work will not be fed into the machine until the previously fed piece .has been withdrawn therefrom. I therefore provide a rocker 76 (Fig. 4) pivotally mounted on the shaft 25 and on this rocker is a lug 7'1 carrying a sleeve '78 in which a shaft 79 is journaled. On one end of this shaft 79 there is a roller 80 having a ring of resilient material, such as rubber, on the periphery thereof. At the opposite end of the shaft 79 is a bevel gear 82 meshing with a bevel gear 83 on the shaft 25, these gears serving to rotate the roller 80. At the end of the rocker 76, opposite the lug 7'7, there is a roller 84 held in engagement by a spring with the periphery of the cam 85 rotatably mounted on the shaft 18. The cam 85 is mounted on the reduced portion 86 of the collar 87 having an ear 88 thereon through which the screw 89 is extended, said screw being fixed in the roller 28. The collar 87 is disposed on one side of the collar 36 and the roller 28 is disposed on the other side thereof and thus by properly positioning the screw 89 this collar and roller may be neatly fitted in position and be held against displacement. When the parts are in at rest position the blanket 32 is disposed in an uppermost position as illustrated in Fig. 2 and during the time the blanket is moving from this position to the position wherein it will engage the forwardmost piece of work on the plate 54, the roller 84 will move from the rise on the cam 85 into the dwell or depression therein to thereby lower the roller 80 so that the resilient ring 81 will engage the previously fed piece of work. The roller 80 operates at right angles to the line of movement of the articles fed into printing position and the work withdrawn from printing position therefore passes into a collector C mounted at the side of the machine as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. As soon as the new piece of work starts to move into printing position the rise on the cam 85 will engage the roller 84 and elevate the roller 80 which will be held in this elevated position until a time immediately after the beginning of movement of the roller 28 on the next operation of the feeding device. It has been pointed out that the cam ring 43 is adjustably clamped to the roller 28 and in the periphery of this cam ring there is a slot 43' which may be moved into desired positions relative to the blanket 32 on the roller 28. A lever 90 is medially mounted on the bracket 91 carried by the frame 15 and includes a nose 93 aligned with the ring 48 and urged theretoward by a spring 94. When pieces of work are properly fed, the nose 93 is held from engagement with the ring 43 by said pieces of work but in the event no piece of work is fed the nose 93 will pass into the recess 43' in the periphery of the ring 43 when said recess moves into alignment with said nose and therefore the lever 90 will pivot whereby the block of insulating material 95 thereon will engage the spring contact 98 and urge it into engagement with the stationary contact 97 to thereby close an electric circuit. A I relay is provided in the machine which is energized by the above closing of the electric circuit and, as described in my previously referred to co-pending application, the energizing of this relay will interrupt operation of the machine.

I have provided a work-feeding device for printing machines embodying a feed roller that may be operated at a higher rate of speed than the operation of the printing machine to thereby permit rapid feeding of the work into the machine, and further I have provided a novel stop for 10- cating the work in the machine which will prevent rebounding of the work abutted thereagainst. Moreover, the device is so arranged that if no piece of work is fed the operation of the printing machine will be interrupted; Furthermore, the device includes a withdrawing means which will serve to withdraw the work and pass the same into a collector prior to the feeding of another piece of work into the machine. In addition, I have provided a clutch operated feed roller that is controlled by the printing mechanism on the machine so that the roller is operated only when the printing mechanism is operative. Further, it is manifest that the device so operates that the feeding device will be rendered operative to feed a piece of work on one operation of the printing mechanism which will be acted on by the succeeding printing operation of said printing mechanism.

While I have illustrated and described a selected embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modication and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims:

I claim:

1. In combination with a printing machine incuding driving means and an intermittently operated printing mechanism, a work feeding device including a part operated with the driving means, a work feeding member, means for connecting the work feeding member to said part, means for holding said connecting means in disengaged position, and means controlled by said printing mechanism for retracting said holding means to permit operation of said feeding mem-- her.

2. In combination with a printing machine including an intermittently operated printing mechanism, a work feeding device including a member for feeding pieces .of work to said machine, a shaft in said device for operating the feeding member, a ratchet on the shaft, a pawl on the feeding member, means for holding said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet, and means controlled in disengaged position, means controlled by said printing mechanism for retracting said holding means to permit operation of said feeding member with the operating means therefor, and means for positioning said holding means to disconnect the feeding member from the operating means after a complete cycle of operation of the feeding member.

4. In combination with a printing machine including driving means and an intermittently operated printing mechanism, a work feeding device including a member for feeding work to said machine, a shaft in said device for operating said feeding member and driven by said driving means, a ratchet on said shaft, a pawl on said feeding member, means for holding said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet, means controlled by said printing mechanism for retracting said holding means to permit connection of said pawl with said ratchet to effect operation of the feeding member, and means for positioning said holding means to disconnect the feeding memberfrom the shaft after a complete cycle of operation of the feeding member.

5. In combination with a printing machine including a platen, means for feeding work to said machine, operating means for said feeding means, means for connecting said feeding means to said operating means, means holding said connecting means in disengaged position, and means carried by said platen for retracting said holding means.

6. In combination with a printing machine including driving means and a platen, a device for feeding work to said machine and including a feeding roller, a shaft for operating said roller and driven by said driving means, normally disengaged means for connecting said roller tosaid shaft, and means operated by said platen for engaging said normally disengaged means to effect operation of the roller with said shaft.

7. In combination with a printing machine including driving means and a platen, a device for feeding work to said machine and including a feeding roller, a shaft operated with said driving means for rotating said feeding roller, means for connecting said roller to said shaft, means for holding the connecting means in disengaged position, yieldable means for maintaining said holding means in holding position, and means on said platen and operable against the yielding means to retract the holding means to effect connection of the roller with the shaft.

8. In combination with a printing machine including a platen, means for feeding work to said machine including a feeding roller, means operable with said machine for operating said feeding roller, means controlled by said platen for connecting said feeding roller to said operating means, and means engaging said roller for separating the pieces of work to be fed by said feeding roller whereby but one piece of work will be'fed upon each operation of said feeding roller.

9. In combination with a printing machine including a platen, means for feeding work to said machine including a feeding roller, means operable with said machine for operating said feeding roller, means controlled by said platen for connecting said feeding roller to said operating means, means engaging said roller for separating the pieces of work to be fed by said feeding roller whereby but one piece of work will be fed upon each operation of said feeding roller, and a clamping roller cooperating with said feeding roller to hold the piece of work being fed in engagement therewith.

10. In combination with a printing machine including a platen, means for feeding work to said machine including a feeding roller, means operable with said machine for operating said feeding roller, means controlled by said platen for connecting said feeding roller to said operating means, means engaging said roller for separating the pieces of work to be fed by said'feeding roller whereby but one piece of work 'will be fed upon each operation of said feeding roller, and additional means for feeding the piece of work into printing position in the machine.

11. In combination with a printing machine including an intermittently operated platen, means for feeding work to said machine including a feeding roller, means operable with said machine for operating said feeding roller, means controlled by said platen for connecting said feeding roller to said operating means, means engaging said roller for separating the pieces of work to be fed by said feeding roller whereby but one piece of work will be fed upon each operation of said feeding roller, a clamping roller cooperating with said feeding roller to hold the piece of work being fed in engagement therewith, and means for feeding the piece of work into printing position in the machine after passage thereof between said feeding and clamping rollers.

12. In combination with a printing machine including a printing mechanism, a device including means for feeding work to said printing machine and including means for withdrawing said work after receiving an impression from said printing mechanism and operable at right angles to the line of movement of said pieces of work when fed into said machine, and means for detachably mounting said device on said printing machine.

13. In combination with a printing machine including an mechanism, a device including means for feeding work into said machine and means for withdrawing the work from said machine after reintermittently operated printingceiving an impression from said printing mechanism, means on said device for controlling the operation of said feeding and withdrawing means operable by said printing mechanism, and means for detachably mounting said device on said printing machine.

14. In combination with a printing machine including an intermittently operated printing mechanism, means for feeding work to the machine, means for withdrawing work from the machine after receiving a printing impression from said printing mechanism, common means for operating said feeding and said withdrawing means, and meanscontrolled by said printing mechanism for connecting said feeding and withdrawing means to said operating means.

15. In combination with a printing machine including driving means and a platen, a device for feeding work to said machine and including a feeding roller having feeding means on but a portion of the periphery thereof, a shaft for operating said roller and driven by said driving means, normally disengaged means for connecting said roller to said shaft for rotation therewith, and means operated by said platen for engaging said normally disengaged means to effect rotation of the roller with the shaft whereby the feeding means on the periphery of said roller may move a piece of work into the machine.

16. In combination with a printing machine including driving means and a platen, a device for feeding work to said machine and including a feeding roller having feeding means on but a portion of the periphery thereof, a shaft for operating said roller and driven by said driving means, normally disengaged means for connecting said roller to said shaft for rotation therewith, means operated by said platen in each cycle of operation thereof for engaging said normally disengaged means to effect rotation of the roller with the shaft whereby the feeding means on the periphery of said roller may move a piece of work into the machine, and means for moving said normally disengaged means into disengaged position subsequent to each printing operation of the platen in each cycle of operation thereof whereby the feeding means on the periphery of said roller feeds but a single piece of work upon each connection of the feeding roller with the shaft.

17. In combination with a printing machine including an intermittently operated printing mechanism, means for feeding sheets and the like to the printing mechanism and including a-constantly operating drive shaft, a sheet feeding roller mounted on said drive shaft, a pawl on said feed roller, a ratchet on said shaft, means urging said pawl toward said ratchet, means holding said pawl disengaged from said ratchet and including an engageable portion, and means on the intermittently operable printing mechanism adapted for contact with said engageable portion to retract said holding means whereby said pawl may move into engagement with said ratchet to connect said feed roller to said drive shaft.

18. In combination with a printing machine including an intermittently operated printing mechanism, means for feeding sheets and the like to the printingmechanism and including a constantly operating drive shaft, 9. sheet feeding roller mounted on said drive shaft, a pawl on to retract said holding means whereby said pawl 19. In combination with a printing machine including an intermittently operated printing mechanism, means for feeding sheets and the like to the printing mechanism and including a constantly operating drive shaft, a sheet feeding roller mounted on said drive shaft, a pawl on said feed roller, a ratchet on said shaft, means urging said pawl toward said ratchet, means holding said pawl disengaged from said ratchet and including an engageable portion, means on the intermittently operable printing mechanism adapted forcontact with said engageable portion to retract said holding means whereby said pawl may move into engagement with said ratchet to connect said feed roller to said drive shaft, said 7 means including another shaft, rollers mounted drawing sheets after operation thereon b the on said shaft, and means connecting the other shaft to the drive shaft for operation therewith to rotate the rollers on said other shaft at a higher rate of speed than the speed of rotation of the rollers on the drive shaft to effect rapid withdrawal of a sheet or the like moved to the rollers on the other shaft by said feed roller.

20. In combination with a printing machine including an intermittently operated printing mechanism, a device for feeding sheets to the printing mechanism and including a drive shaft and a feed roller mounted on the shaft, means controlled by the printing mechanism for intermittently connecting theroller to the shaft, said device including another shaft, means for withdrawing sheets after operation thereon by the printing mechanism and including an operable member, means for operating the operable member from the other shaft, and means controlled by the operation of the feed roller for controlling the operation of the withdrawing means.

21. In combination with a printing machine including an intermittently operated printing mechanism, a device for feeding sheets to the printing mechanism and including a drive shaft and a feed roller mounted on the shaft, means controlled by the printing mechanism for intermittently connecting the roller to the shaft. said device including another shaft, means for rithprinting mechanism and including an op. rable member, means for operating the operable member from the other shaft, a cam on said drive shaft, means connecting said cam to said feed roller, and means operated by said cam for controlling the operation of said withdrawing means;

22. In combination with a printing machine including an intermittently operated printing mechanism, a device for feeding sheets tothe printing mechanism and including a drive shaft and a feed roller mounted on the shaft, means controlled by the printing mechanism for intermittently connecting the roller to the shaft, said device including another shaft, means for withdrawing sheets after operation thereon by the printing mechanism and including an operable member, means for operating the operable member from the other shaft, a cam on said drive shaft, a collar fast on said'drive shaft intermediate said cam and said feed roller, means independent of said collar and connecting said cam to said feed roller, and means operated by said cam for controlling the operation of said withdrawing means.

23. In combination with a printing machine including an intermittently operated printing mechanism, a device including means for feeding sheets into said machine and means for withdrawing sheets from the machine after receiving an impression from said printing mechanism, the means for withdrawing said work including a pivotally mounted shaft having a sheet engaging roller thereon and including an arm, and means operated with the sheet feeding means and engageable with said arm to move said roller to and from sheet engagin position.

ElimETI C. HARTLEY.