US2024140A - Sheet gripping device - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 17, 1935. F, R. BELLUCHE ,140

SHEET GRIPPING DEVICE Filed April 23, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1935- I F. R. BELLUCHE 2,

SHEET GRIPPlNG DEVICE Fil ed Apri1."23, 1954 Z'SheetS-Shee't 2 &

Fran/r H fi /bmz- Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITFEDFSFTATES SHEE'T'GRIPPING DEVICE Frank R. Belluche, Racine, Wis

.assignor ,to

Christensen Machine Company, Racine; Wis,

a corporation'of Wisconsin ApplicationApri123, 1934, Serial No."121,921

This invention relates to sheet grippers for printing machines and refersmore particularly to what is known in the printing art as" a gripper' bar. Devices of this'charactergenerally form part of a movable conveyer to carry sheets from one location to another and'comprise a crossbar on which a plurality of individual grippers are mounted to be simultaneously closed and opened. It is an object of thisinvention to provide a gripper bar of the character described, which is of compact construction with its weight centered closelyabout the axis of the bar to thereby diminish the throwing eifect of centrifugal-force as the baris carried'arojund turns. v i Another object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for gripper bars wherein the means foropening the individual grippers is located within the supporting bar as distinguished from past constructions in which the gripper opening means is located entirely outside the supporting ban And a further object of this invention is to' generally improve and simplify the construction of gripper bars of this'character.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illus- I 35 trated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so'fardevised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

49 Figure 1 is a side view of a gripper bar embodying this invention, the central portion thereof being broken away;

Figure 2 is anenlargedend view taken on the plane of the line 2-2 inFigure 1, and illustrating the manner in which the baris attached to a conveyer chain; I

Figure 3 is a-top view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2, with portions, broken away and in section showing the detailed construction at oneend of the bar;

Figure 4 is a cross section view taken through Figure 3 on the plane of the line 4-4;

Figure 5 is a cross section view taken through 55 Figure 1 on the plane of the line 55;

"closely centered about preclude excessive throwing resulting from the With the above and other obiectsin view which effect of centrifugal force.

a lever i6 clamped thereto.

end of the inner'tube Figure 6 is a detail section view taken through Figure 5 onthe-plane of the line 6-6; and v Figure '7 is a detail section view taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 1---'I.

Referring nowm'ore particularly to the accom 5 panying drawing'sflfin which like numerals indicate likeparts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 designates the outer supporting tube of the bar upon whichthe grippers 6 aremounted and within which a gripper actuatingtube I1 is 10 disposed; At-its-ends the tube 5 has bushings 8 (see Figure 3) which provide hearings to rotatably mount the gripper actuating tube 1.

Fixed'to the i ends of the outer. supporting tube 5 are coupling members or supporting brackets 9.15

and "|-U, by which-'"the'bar isattached" to avpair of endless conveyer chains H, indicatedi in construction lines in Figures2 and 3."

m The chains 1 I support the entire structure and carry the same along'the desired path of rhove- 20 merit, and asthe chains are often of necessity trained about small. diameter sprockets, it is essential that the weight of the gripper bars be the axis of the bar to In past constructions, this was not easily accomplished-inview of the fa'ct'that the gripper actuating mechanism was always mounted exteriorly of the supporting bar, but in the present invention; this objection is entirely overcome by the novel telescoped construction employed.

The end coupling members or' supporting brackets 9 and [Bare clamped to the ends of the outer tubes 5 by having their attaching hubs I2 split and providedwith clamping screws l3. Both end members 9 and I0, have end walls l4 at their extreme outer ends provided with spaced holes to receive attaching pins l5 by which the gripper bar is connected to the conveyer chains l.. 4 At the end of the structure at which the "supporting bracket 9 is located, the inner'tube I has v A short hub I'I extends fromthelever l6 into the end of the outer supporting tube 5'to engage the adjacent end of the bearing bushing 8 and thereby'limit relative axialor longitudinal movement between the inner tubeand outer tubes in one direction. Endwise shifting in the opposite direction is restrained bya collar I 8 clamped tothe opposite 1 and likewise provided with a hub which projects into the adjacent end of the outer tube to engage the adjacent bearing bushing 8. I

The lever I6 carries a roller l9 at its outer free 5 end to track on a cam 20 indicated in construction lines in Figure 4,,which is fixedly mounted at the point in the path of movement of the gripper bars at which opening of the grippers is desired.

. In riding over the cam 20, the roller l9, through its mounting lever l6, imparts a degree of counter-clockwise rotation to the inner tube I as viewed in Figure 4. This counter-clockwise rotation on the part of the inner tube, with respect to the outer tube is utilized to open the grippers 6.

The specific construction of the grippers is best illustrated in Figure 5. As here shown, each gripper comprises stationary and movable jaws 23 and 24 respectively. Thestationary jaw 23 is formed by one end of a fiat metal strip 2! partially encircling the outer supporting tube 5 and secured thereto by'screws 26. v I 7 At both ends, the strip 23 is reduced in width and one end is 'bent back on itself to provide the stationary jaw 23 and its otherend is curled back to provide a bearing2l for a hinge pin 23, which mounts the movable jaw-24.

The movable jaw 24 is preferably, stamped from sheet metalv and comprises a curved arm23, the outer end ofwhich provides the jaw,24 and the inner end of which has twoparallelarms'fll, extending inwardly therefrom to overlie the ends of the bearing '21 and projectthrough openings 3| and 32 in the outer supporting tube 5 and the inner actuatingtube I, respectively. The hinge pin 28 has its ends passingthrough the arms 30 to thereby hingedly mount the movable jaw as will be readily apparent,- I The movable jaw of the gripper is yieldably urged to'its closed sheet gripping position by a spring 33 confined between a short rearward extension 34 on the arm 29 and the adjacent portion of the strip 25,.which carries a'lug 35 to. engage the spring end. Each gripper is thusindependently closed. Y A

The extreme end of the parallel arms 30, which project into theopenings 32 in the inner actuating tube I carry a roller with which the side edge 31 of the opening 32 engages upon counterclockwise rotation of theactuating tube effected by the roller l9 riding up on the cam 20, as here- I inbefore described, to swing the arm 23 about its hinged mounting 28. In this manner all of the grippers are simultaneously opened. v

To" insure complete closure of the grippers by their. individual springs 33,- the ,inner actuating tube I is yieldably urged to a-position of clockwise rotationat which the edges 3! of its several openings 32 are spaced from the rollers 36 on the actuating: arms of the grippers; This function is attained bya comp'ressionjspring 33 located atthe end of the gripper bar at which the coupling member or bracket III is mounted.

The spring 39 is coiled about a pin 40, which is adjustably-threaded as at 4| in a boss 42 on the member ID. The oppositeend of the pin passes, freely through anopening. 43 in alug or arm 44 carried by and extending endwise'from the collar l8, so that the spring, 3315 confined between the arm or lug44tand the boss 42 on the member I0 I 3 To limitthe movement of the collar 13 and consequently the-tube 1 in response-to the action --of the spring 39, a head 45 is provided on-the outer end of the pin against which the lug or arm 43 abuts. The limit .of: movement thus defined is adjustable by threading the pin into and out of the opening -4|, alock nut 41 beingprovided to secure the pin in adjusted position.

be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to to which this invention appertains, that a novel and improved gripper bar construction has been provided in which the objectionable effects of centrifugal force are reduced to a minimum by locating the gripper actuating means within a 15 hollow supporting bar.

Whatl claim as my invention is:

1. A sheet gripping device of the character described comprising, a plurality of telescoped relatively rotatable tubes, complementary hingedly 20 connected movableand stationary gripping jaws forming a loop about, said tubes, detachable means for sec'uring the stationary jaw to the outer tube to detachably mount the assembled grippingjaws on theouter tube and means to 26 open the jaws upon relative rotation of said tubes.

2.. Asheet gripping device of the character described comprising, a tubular supporting member, sheetgripping means including amovable 30 gripper jaw, means substantially embracing the tubular supporting member and detachably secured thereto for mounting the gripping means on said supporting member, means to yieldably urge the movable gripper jaw to its closed sheet 35 gripping position i and means within the tubular supporting member to move the movable gripper jaw to its open sheet releasing position.

3. A sheet gripping device of the character described comprising, a tubular support, a mov- 40 ablegripper jaw hingedly mounted on the exterior of the support, a part fixed to the movable gripper to swing about the axis of the hinged mounting for the movable gripper and extending into the tubular support; and an'actuating mem- 45 4. A sheet gripping device of the character de scribed comprising, a tubular support, a movable gripper jaw hingedly mounted on the exterior of said support and having apart projecting into the interior thereof; means to yieldably urge the jaw to its closed sheet gripping position, and an actuating. member rotatable within the tubular supportand engaging said part of the gripper jaw to move the same against the action of its yieldable urging means to open'sheet releasing position.

5. A sheet gripping device of the character de-- scribed comprising,f a tubular supporting member, an actuating member rotatably mounted within the tubular supporting member, a'plurality of movable gripper jaws hingedly mounted on the exterior of the supporting tube with parts projecting through openings in the tube for. engagement with the actuating member therein, and means'to turn the actuating member to simultaneously move all of the gripper jaws.

6. A sheet gripping device of the character described comprising, a tubular supporting member, complementary hingedly connected stationary and movable gripping jaws, said jaws together forming a loop, encircling the supporting member, the stationaryjaw having a portion in contact with the exterior of the supporting member, securing means fixing said portion of the stationary jaw to the support so as to mount the assembled complementary jaws on the support, the movable jaw having a part projecting into the interior of the tubular support, and means within the tubular support and engageable with said part for moving the movable jaw.

7. A. sheet grippingdevice of the character described comprising, a supporting tube, hingedly connected stationary andmovablegripping jaws forming a loop about the tube and mounted on the exterior thereof, the movable jaw having a part projecting through an opening in the tube into the interior thereof, a spring to yieldably urge the jaws to closed position, and a rotatable actuating tube within the supporting tube and connected with said part of the movable jaw for opening the jaws.

8. A gripper bar of the .character described comprising, a supporting tube, means at the end of the tube to attach the sameto conveyer chains, an actuating member rotatably mounted within the tube, means carried'by the actuating member for imparting rotation thereto with respect to the supporting tube, and complementary stationary and movable gripper jaws carried by the supporting tube, the'movabie gripper jaws having parts projecting into the interior of the supporting tube and engaging the actuating memher to be movable upon rotation of said actuating member. a 1

9. A gripper bar comprising, a supporting tube, means at the ends of the bar for attaching the same to conveyer chains,: an actuating member within the supporting tube, bearings to rotatably mount the actuating member for relative rotation with respect to the tubeabout the axis ofthe tube, means connected with the actuating member to yieldably urge the same to a predetermined position of rotation with respect to the tube, means connected with the actuating member and engageable with a cam .toturn the actuating member against the action of its yieldable urging means, and complementary stationary and movable gripper jaws carried by the supporting tube, the movable jaws having parts projecting through openings in the supporting tube for engagement with the actuating member, whereby rotation of the actuating member actuates the movable jaws.

10. In a sheet grippingdevice of the character described, a supporting tube, an actuating tube telescoped within the supporting tube and rotatable with respect thereto, said tubes having openings opposite each other, a movable gripper jaw on the exterior of the supporting tube, mounting means for the gripper jaw fixed to the outside, of the supporting tube, means hingedly connecting the gripper jaw with said mounting means, a part carried by the gripper jaw and projecting, through the opening in the supporting tube and extending into the opening in the actuating tube, whereby rotation of the actuating tube moves the gripper jaw, and means to move the actuating tube with respect to the supporting tube.

11. In a sheet gripping device of the character described, a supporting bar, complementary stationary and movable gripper jaws carried by the supporting bar, the stationary jaw being of arouate shape with its inside diameter such that the stationary jaw fits the outside diameter of the tubular supporting bar and partially encircles the supporting bar, means for detachably securing the stationary jaw to the supporting bar, said stationary jaw having a portion formed to prorotation thereof. a

vide a sheet engaging surface,,mea'ns to hingedly connect the movable jaw to the stationary jaw =for swinging movementto and from engagement with the sheet engaging portion of the stationary jaw, and yieldable means carried by the com- 5 plementary jaws to urge'the movable jaw to its closed sheet gripping position.

12. Ina sheet gripping device of the character described, a. tubular supporting bar, complementary stationary and movable gripper jaws'carried by the tubular supportingbar, the stationary jaw being of arcuate shape with, its inside diameter such that the stationary jaw fits the outside diameter of the tubular supporting bar and partially encircles thetubular supporting bar, means for detachably securing the stationary jaw to the supporting bar, said stationary jaw having a' portion formed to; provide a sheet engaging surface, means to hingedly. connect the movable jaw to the stationary jaw for swinging movementto, and from engagement with the sheet engaging portion of the stationary jaw, yieldable means carried by thecomplementary jawsto urge the movable jaw to its closed sheet gripping, position, and means within the tubular Supporting bar for swingingthe movable jaw about its hinged connection-with the stationary jaw to an open sheet releasing position.

13. In a sheet gripping device of the character described, a supporting tube, anactuating member rotatable within the supporting tube about the axis of the tube, stop means secured to the ends of the actuating member to holdthefsame against endwise shifting with respect to the supporting tube, coupling members secured to the ends of the supporting tube for connecting the tube to conveyer chains, means carried by one of the stop means and the adjacent coupling member for yieldably urging theactuating member to a predetermined position of rotation with 40 respect to the supporting tube, "a cam follower carried by the other oi saidstop means and engageable with a stationarycam upon passage of the devicetherepast to impart rotation to, the

actuating member against the actionof said yieldable means, and movable gripper jaws carried by the supporting tube and having parts projecting into the interior thereof for engagement with the actuating member to be operable thereby upon '14. In a sheet gripping device, a supporting bar, a stationary gripper jaw fixed to the supporting bar and having a sheet engagingportion spaced from the supporting bar, a movable jaw hingedly 7 connected to the stationary jaw and forming therewith a loop encircling the supporting bar with its free end portion engageable with said sheet engagingportion, and means adjacent the sheet engaging portions of the jaws to provide a stop to straighten the sheetpreparatoryto'being'60 gripped by said jaws.

15. In a sheetgripping device of the character described,'a supporting bar, hingedly connected complementary movable and stationary jaws forming a loop encircling the supporting .bar, means for detachably securing the assembled jaws to the supporting bar, and stop means held in place on the supporting bar by the samesecuring meansand having a portion adjacent the sheet engagingpartsof the jaws against which a sheet is brought to bear to definitely locate the sheet with respect to the jaws and the carrier bar.

16. A sheet grippirm device for use with printing machines and the like comprising a supporting tube, means at the ends of the tube for connecting the same with conveyer chains, complementary hingedly connectedstationary and movablejaws forming a loop about. the supporting tube, means for readily detachably securing the fixed jaw'to the supporting tube, an arm carried by the movable jaw and projecting through an opening in the supporting tube into the interior thereof, and an actuating member rotatable within the supporting tube and readily detachably connected with said arm for actuating the movable gripper. I I 17. A sheet gripping device for printing machines and the like comprising a supporting tube, means at the ends of the tube for connecting the same with conveyer chains, an arcuate band embracing the supporting tube and having one end portion bent to form a sheet engaging part, means for detachablysecuring said band to the tube,'a movable jaw hingedly connected to said band with its freeend portion arranged to engage said sheet engaging part, an arm carried by the movable jaw and extending through an opening in the tube into the interior thereof, and means within the tube'connected with saidarm for actuating the movable jaw.

18.A sheet gripping andconvey ng device for use with printing machines and the like comprising a supporting'tube, means at the endsoif the tube for connecting the same with conveyer chains, a fixed jaw'in the form of a metal band embracing the tube and having one end portion thereof bent to provide a sheet engaging surface spaced from the exterior of the tube, means'for detachably securing the fixed'jaw to the tube, a movable jaw hingedly connected to the fixed jaw and supported thereby with its free end portion engageable with the sheet engaging portion of the fixed jaw, spring means to hold the jaws closed,'and means for opening the jaws.

, 19. As an article of manufacture, a pair of complementary sheet gripping jaws attachable to a supporting ba'rand comprising a stationaryjaw in the form or a substantially arcuate metal band adapted to embrace and be secured to the supporting bar, one end portion of said-band being shaped-to provide a sheet engaging surface, and a movable jaw one end of which is engageable with the sheet engaging portion 01 the fixed jaw,

, a pair of parallel spaced arms carried byth'e opposite end portion of theimovable jaw straddling the opposite endoi said band, a hinge pin connecting said arms and said end portion of the band, and spring means for yieldingly holding the jaws closed. 1

20. In a sheet gripping device of the character described, a supporting bar, hingedly connected complementary movable and stationary jaws forming a loopencircling the supporting bar, the

stationary jaw being in directengagement with the supporting bar and having a' sheet engaging portion spaced from the outside oi-the supporting bar, means for detachably securing said portion of the fixed jaw to the supporting bar, the

forming a loop encircling the supporting bar, the stationary jaw being in the form of an arcuate metal band directly engaging the exterior of the supporting bar with one end bent outwardly to provide a sheet engaging surface spaced from the 5 supporting bar, means hingedly connecting the I opposite end portion of the stationary jaw with the movablejaw intermediate the ends of the movable jaw, one end of the'movable jaw being engageable with the sheet engaging portion oi 10 the stationary jaw, spring means confined between the opposite endof the movable jaw and the adjacent portion of the'stationary jaw to yieldingly holdthe jaws-closed, and means for opening theiaws. I 15 '22. In a sheet gripping device of the character described, a'supporting tube, means fixed to the supporting tube and providing a sheet engaging surface spaced from the outside surface of the tube, a movable jaw, means pivotally mounting 20 the movable jaw from the supporting tube so that a free end of the movable jaw is engageable with said sheet engaging portion, spring means to urge the movable jaw into gripping engagement with said sheet engaging portion, and means within 25 the supporting tube and having a connection with the movable jaw for actuating the same to disentioni gage its'iree end from said sheet engaging por- 23. me sheet gripping device of the character 0 described, a supporting tube, a metal band fixed to the outside of the supporting tube and having an end portion bent to provide a sheet engaging surface spaced from the exterior of the tube, a movable jaw', means pivotally mounting the mov- 35 able jaw from the supporting tube at a distance arcuately spaced from the said sheet engaging ing in the supporting'tube into the interior thereof, and actuating means rotatable within the sup- 45 porting tube and connected with said arm to .movethe jaw in opposition tosaid spring means for disengaging the same from the sheet engaging portion. 1

24. In a sheet gripping device of the charac- 5 ter described, a supporting tube, a stationary jaw fixed to the exterior of the'supporting tube and having a sheet engaging portion spaced outwardly from the exterior of the tube, a stop also fixed to the tube and disposed adjacent said sheet en- 55 gaging portion of the stationary jaw against which a. sheet abuts to be properly located with respect to said sheet engaging portion, a movable jaw, means pivotally mounting the movable jaw from the supporting tube in such position that 5 a free end portion of the movable jaw is engageable with the sheet engaging portion oi the stationary jaw in agripping action, spring means to urge the movable jaw. into gripping engagement with the sheet engaging portion of the stationary 65 jaw, an armon the movable jaw extending into the interior oi the tube, and actuating means rotatable within the tube and engaged with said arm for disengaging the movable jaw from the sheet engaging portion of the stationary jaw. 70

FRANK R. BELLUCHE.

Images