US2026135A - Stapling and stitching mechanism for rotary printing machines - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 31,1935. J MEYER 2,026,135

STAPLING AND STITCHING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES Filed July 29, 1935 '4 Sheets-Sheet l Egg!" +8 awa L 73 82 INVEN'I'OR.

Dec. 31, 1935. J. E. MEYER 2,026,135

STAPLING AND STITCHING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES Filed July 29, 1953 4 SheetsSheet 2 /////////////4'//A.'r/4 R INVENTOR Dec. 31, 1935. J. MEYER 2,026,135

STAPLING AND STITCHING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES Filed July 29, 1953 4 She ets-Sheet 5 INVEN'I'OR LOT I 7W Air's Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAPLING AND STITCHING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES poration of New York Application July 29, 1933, Serial No. 682,764

13 Claims.

This invention relates to stapling mechanism for rotary printing machines, and has for its object, the provision of certain desired improvements in mechanism of the kind indicated, that will produce an improved, more uniform staple and achieve its insertion into web or'sheet products'at a far higher speed than heretofore possible.

Another object is to provide improved stapling 10. mechanism for rotary printing machines which willassure a continuous wire feed instead of the intermittent feed'hitherto customary, and which will produce the absolutely uniform length of wire for each staple desirable for high speed stapling.

Another object is to provide means for altering the rate of feed of the wire in accordance with the number of staples to be produced per cylinder revolution.

Another object is the provision of means facilitating the easy removal of the wire guide fingers for repair and for removing foreign matter, bits of wire, etc., which would interfere with the proper operation of the mechanism.

2a Another-object is to provide means for starting and stopping the wire feed while the press is in operation inorder to allow the stapler to operate idly when the paper is being threaded through the press, or the press is being run without paper for any'reason.

A further object is to provide means for locating the plunger or wire engaging element at the proper height in the cylinder without the necessity of taking measurements.

A stillfurther object is to provide an improved method and meansfor forming or shaping the staple.

It is also an object to provide an improved stapling mechanism, whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and eflicient 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' of 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 of the invention is illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, wheremy Figure 1 is an end elevational view, partly in section, of the stapling mechanism, with the outside portion of the front frame and certain other parts removed;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view 5 of the assembly, as seen from the outside of the front frame;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the device, as viewed in the direction of the arrow F3 of Figure l; g 10 Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View of certain parts, as viewed on the line and in the direction of the arrow F-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View, as seen on the line 55 of Figure 1; 15

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing certain parts which coact with the staple forming and applying mechanism;

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View as seen on the line 'l! of Figure 1, showing details of construction of the staple horn or former and coacting plungers; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary, elevational detail view of the means employed for selectively silencing or'making operative either of the two rows of the staple forming plungers illustrated.

In the drawings wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the preferred form of the invention, the numeral l0 designates the frame of the machine, and II a shaft or rod fastened in blocks I2 which are secured toa braceor plate l3 suitably secured to the said frame IU of the machine. On the rod II, a plurality of wire spool holders are slidably mounted. Each of the spool holders comprises a clamping hub l5 which is split or slotted as at It, to provide extended ends I1, I 8 which are connected by a screw I9. To the hub l5, resilient side members or flexible strips 2| are secured, the said strips having, pins or studs 22 whereon a spool of wire 23 may be rotatably supported. When the screw I9 is loosened, the hub l5 may be moved to locate the spool 23 in the position best adapted for conveying wire W to the wire feed box hereinafter described.

As best shown in Figure 3, the wire W from the spool 23 is led to a. wire feed box 24 which may be of any suitable construction. The wire feed box 24, which is attached to the side of a horn hereinafter mentioned, is provided with a block 25 which has a wire receiving groove (not shown) normally covered by a plate 26, it being understood that a plurality of wire feed boxes 24 and a corresponding plurality of wire spool holders l4 may be employed, if desired or necessary. To the grooved guide block 25, a roller 21 having a groove (not shown) on its periphery, is rotatably mounted, the last-mentioned groove aligning with the groove in the block 25. A portion of the plate 26 which is bent inwardly as at 28, is cut away at one end to accommodate one of a pair of grooved feed rollers 29 between which wire passes from the grooved roller 21 to a liner and pivoted guide finger hereinafter described. The outermost of the pair of rollers 29, which is the only one illustrated, is rotatable on a stud 39 and is formed integrally with or secured to a gear wheel SE. The gear wheel 35 meshes with another gear wheel (not shown) which is fastened on a shaft 32 having a worm wheel 33 meshing with a worm 34 secured to a driven shaft 35 rotatably supported by the brace I 3. The shaft 35 runs in bearings indicated at 36, 31, and has a pair of gears 38, 39 fastened on a common hub (not shown) which is slidably splined on the said shaft 35. The common hub of the gears 38, 39 is engaged by a yoke or collar 4], fastened to a rod H by a bolt M, the said rod 4! being slidably mounted in spaced heads 50' of a bracket 5E3, said bracket in turn being secured to the brace member l3. The yoke or collar H is connected to a gear shifting member or arm 42, the hub of which latter is slidably mounted on a shaft or bar d3 journaled in spaced heads 13 forming a part of the aforesaid bracket 50. The shaft or bar 43 is formed with notches 44 which are adapted to receive a ball 45 pressed by a spring 56, the compression of which latter may be varied by a retaining screw bolt if. By means of the gear shifting member 42, the yoke 41 and, consequently, the gears 38, 39 may be shifted to selectively engage either of two gears 48, 49 respectively, keyed to the hub of a gear 52 loosely mounted on an idler shaft 5!, the gear 52 meshing with a gear 53 loosely supported on a shaft 54 revolvably mounted in brackets 56' and having a cylinder 55, generally designated as the stitching or stapling cylinder, secured thereto, the shaft 5 lhaving keyed thereon a cone clutch assembly designated generally by the numeral H5 and adapted to operatively engage and be disengaged from the gear 53 thereby providing means for starting or stopping the wire feeding. mechanism while the machine is in operation. The said bracket 54' is extended upward in such a manner as to carry the wire feeding assembly, and change speed gears system therefor, as best shown in Figures 2 and 3. A shift lever (not shown) operates in the groove of the cone clutch M6 for moving the latter into and out of operative engagement with the gear 53. The shaft 55 is driven by means connected to a gear 555, which gear is secured to the last mentioned shaft. The change gear mechanism above described and best shown in Figure 3 provides means for altering the rate of feed of the wire independently of the speed of the printing machine, so that either one or two staples, as desired, per revolution of the stitching cylinder 55 may be produced by each pair of plungers hereinafter described, and inserted into the paper. The said change speed gear mechanism also serves for operatively connecting the wire feeding mechanism with the driven mechanism or disconnecting it from the same.

Referring to Figures 1, 6 and 7, the numeral 51 designates one of a series of reciprocating stitching plungers, all of which are adjustably connected to earn controlled oscillating members hereinafter described. Each stitching plunger 5? comprises a body portion which is provided with right and left hand facing projections 58 and 58, the said projections and 58' having shoulders or cam surfaces as at 58 which coact with a wire cutting knife or blade (not shown) 5 secured to the stitching box M for the purposeof cutting off a portion of wire preparatory to forming a staple thereof, as hereinafter described. A grooved wire rest 69 for the purpose of supporting the wire is arranged in the cylin- 10 der 55 between the opposed facing projections 58 and 58' of the plunger 5?, which are notched as at El to receive a length of wire preparatory to forming a staple of same. The hardened liner 62 of a horn se is accommodated between the facing projections 58 and 58, the said liner having grooves on either side as at 56, 55. The horn 63 which is secured by screws fit to any suitable portion of the brace or plate it of the stapling machine, has plates El, 68 fastened to the sides thereof, to which point forming members or fingers 69, H for the purpose of bending the ends of a cut section of wire inwardly to facilitate clinching, are securely held by bolts and nuts 12,

13 respectively. Each of the point forming mernbers 69, H is formed with an inturned flange or cam surface 'id which is received in one of the adjacent grooves 6 65 mentioned above wherein the opposite ends i5, E6 of a length of wire are thrust and bent inwardly by the said flanges M, as hereinafter described, as the stapling cylinder 55 revolves in a counter-clockwise direction (as seen in Figure l), carrying the plunger 51. The traveling plunger 5'! is formed with a notch 6i adapted to receive a length of wire W, the end of which protrudes exteriorly through a groove or notch ll formed in an extended portion of a pivoted wire guide finger '38, as seen in Figure 6, which is biased by a spring '18. The finger i8 is pivoted on a pin is secured to a bracket 8! fastened to the frame 53, and is adjustable by means of a screw 32, which may be looked after adjustment by a nut 83, the said wire guide finger 18, also being easily removable for cleaning or replacement, by simply taking out the screw bolt in the bracket 8i. As described hereinafter, the stitching cylinder 55 coacts with an anvil or stapling die (not shown) arranged on an adjacent rotating clinching or die cylinder 8% for the purpose of clinching the staples inserted in sheets or products.

On each end of the shaft 56. of the stitching cylinder 55, a cam 86 which controls the movements of the traveling plungers 5? as set forth below, is secured. Each cam 85 is normally held in fixed relation to the cylinder 55 by a bracket or cam holder 81, the said cam holder 8'! having extensions or legs 8'! provided with lugs 80, each of which is formed with an elongated slot 89 in which the stems of screws 98 threadedly engaged in the frame it are slidably engaged.

Each cam 8% has coacting therewith a cam roller 88 traveling in a cam path or trackway formed in the said cam, the roller 88 being rotatably mounted on a crank arm or lever 89 fastened to each of a pair of rock shafts iii) mounted eccentrically in the cylinder 55. On each rock shaft 35, a number of plunger operating members or levers 9i (Figure 6) are clamped, each member 53! carrying a pin 92 secured at one slotted end thereof and held in place by a set screw 92, the pin 92 being received in a notched or cutout portion 93 on the end of the plunger 5?. The levers 5, it will be understood, may be unolamped from the rock shaft 9!), and per-'75 mitted to swing down out of operative position, thus producing any desired number or only one row of staples at each revolution as desired. With a view to insuring the return of the levers H I to the correct height, stop collars I00, each having a side shoulder stop I09" are clamped on each of the rock shafts 90 in any suitable manner adjacent each lever SI, the said shoulder stop I00 engaging a similar stop 9I on each of the levers 9| (Figure 6). See also Figure 8 which shows the stops spaced apart.

It will now be observed that the'movements oi the reciprocating plungers-relati'vely to the members coacting therewith may be variably timed which is accomplished by first loosening the screws 98 and then turning the cam holders 81, and consequently, the cams 86 in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction (as viewed in Figures 1 and 2) so that the coacting cam rollers 39 on the rock shafts 90 will move over the effective cam portions on the saidcams at different periods or arcs of movements of the stitching cylinder 55. After the desired adjustment is made, the cam holders are fastened by tightening the said screws 98.

As best shown in Figures 1 and 3, in order to accommodate products of various thicknesses between the stitching cylinder 55 and its coacting clinching and mating cylinder 84, which is accomplished by sliding the entire mechanism into and out of engagement with the cylinder 84, rack bars 94 secured at one end by bolts 99 to brackets 54' (see Figure 4) are provided, the said rack bars 94 being slidably arranged in brackets 94' secured to the side frame of the machine, and having teeth 95, engaged by pinions 96, which are keyed to the shaft 91, the latter having a squared end adapted to be engaged by a handle or wrench. The brackets 54 in which the cylinder shaft 54 is rotatably mounted, are adjustably secured by upper screws IIlI, I02 and by lower screws IUI, I02 to the frame of the ma chine, the stems of the said screws being received in corresponding upper slots I03, I04, and lower slots I03, H14 formed in the said frame. When the screws I GI, I92, I ilI', I82 are loosened, the brackets 54' may be moved by means of rack bars 94, pinions 95 and shaft 91; and the cylinder 55, the change speed gear mechanism and the wire feeding means shifted bodily as a unit relatively to the mating clinching cylinder 84. In order to limit the translational movement of the stitching cylinder 55, and the other mechanism connected thereto, a post or stop IE5 is provided on the frame of the machine, the said post being engaged by the head of a screw Hi6 which is threaded in an adjacent bracket 5% and locked in adjusted position thereon by a nut I01.

The operation of the device may now be summarized as follows:

Assuming the stitching cylinder 55 and the collecting clinching cylinder 84 to be rotating in the direction indicated by the arrows thereon, and clutch IlD to have operatively engaged gear 53, so that gear 38 or 39 is meshed with its coacting gear 48, 4E3 respectively, the two rock shafts carried by the cylinder 55 will ride their respective rollers 88 in the groove or path of the cam 86 thereby causing each plunger 51 on its respective row connected to an adjacent rock shaft 96, to gradually move radially towards the circumference of the circle 55 and then gradually to protrude from same, as said cylinder 55 is rotating in a counter-clockwise direction, preparatory to picking up a length of wire and bending same in conjunction with the coacting horn guide 62 and finger guides 69, II. As best shown in Figure 6, it will be noted, that the facing pro-' jections 58 of the adjacent plunger 51 have swept past the pivoted finger 1.8; the notch BI picking up a section of wire which was lying inthe groove 11 of the pivoted finger 18, the said wire having been previously cut by the engagement of the shoulders or cams 59 with a wire cutting element (not shown) in. the feed box-24. Further movement of the plunger 51 will now cause the flanges or cam surfaces 14 of the point forming fingers 69, H to progressively bend the ends of the length of wire, mentioned above, into the grooves 64, 65 of the horn liner 62 (Figure '7). It is to be noted that as each plunger 51 passes the finger guides 69, II, it will recede slightly to allow the ends of the said wire to project beyond the plunger and come in contact with thebending cam surfaces 14, this being accomplished by the configuration of the cam 86. After the said plunger 51 has passed by the said point forming guides orfingers 69, 1I, it again protrudes or rises to its original height in order to support and guide the wire as it engages the paper on the clinching or die cylinder 84. Further movement of the stitching cylinder 55 will move the plunger 51, past the clinching or die cylinder, the said plunger gradually withdrawing or moving radially inward during this last described movement, thereby allowing the points of the wire staple formed as above described, to project through the paper and strike a die or anvil (not shown) in the cylinder 84, thus clinching the ends-of the staple through the product. After this operation, the plunger 51 rises to its original position for the repetition of the same cycle of operation.

It is to be noted that the present mechanism is adapted to accommodate sheets or products of varying thicknesses by bodily moving the stitching cylinder 55 andv the attached mechanism as indicated above towards and away from the clinching cylinder, and also provides means (adjustable cams 85, and elements on rock'shafts 90 actuated thereby) for variably timing the movements of the two rows or series of stitching plungers 51 connected to the said pair of rock shafts 90 illustrated.

In connection with the change speed gear mechanism mentioned .above, it will be observed, as best shown in Figure 3, when the gears 38 and 48 are in mesh, sufficient wire is supplied for forming two sets of staples per revolution'of the cylinder 55 by utilizing both rows or all the plungers 51; and when the gears 39 and 49 are placed in mesh, wire for forming one set of staples by either of the two rows of plungers 51 at each cylinder revolution, while the other row is preferably silenced by the means hereinbefore described, will be furnished. a

As another and important feature of the present invention, wire W is fed continuously, and not intermittently, from the wire feed box 24, it being observed that just as soon as suflicient wire to form a staple is protruded from the said feed box and from either side of the notch 11 in the member 18, the plunger 51 after the cutter (not shown) has severed a length of the wire, will proceed to bend same into a staple in conjunction with the horn guide 63 and coacting elements. and then thrust it through the signature or product. The.

wire feeding mechanism meanwhile will again immediately begin to force a length of wire through the groove 11 of the member 18 until the same length and position, as above described,

is again arrived at for severing and bending into a staple.

It is to 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 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 wire stapling mechanism, the combination of a pair of rotatable cylinders, wire engaging means arranged on one of the cylinders, wire feeding and supplying means, said wire feeding and supplying means having variably controlled gear driven means for selectively actuating and rendering inoperative said wire feeding and supplying means. and other means for adjustably locating the wire engaging means in one of the cylinders at a predetermined height to operatively engage wire without the necessity of measurements.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, a pair of cylinders rotatably arranged on said frame, wire supplying and feeding mechanism mechanically connected to one of the said pair of cylinders, wire engaging and inserting means operatively arranged on one of the cylinders, means to operate and render inoperative said wire supplying mechanism while said cylinders are rotating, other means for variably timing the action of said wire supplying mechanism, and manually operable means for bodily moving one of the cylinders towards and away from the other of said cylinders to accommodate products of various thicknesses therebetween.

3. In stapling mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a frame, a pair of cylinders mounted on said frame, coacting staple forming and inserting means secured to said frame and cylinders,'a staple engaging plunger mechanically connected to a shaft turnably mounted on one of said cylinders, and a cam structure having slotted lugs adjustably secured to said frame, said cam being adjustable relatively to said frame for predetermining the position at which said plunger will operatively engage a guide forming a part of said'staple forming and inserting means.

4. In stapling mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a frame having horn guides,

' a stitching cylinder and a coacting folding cylinder mounted on said frame, a plurality of rows of wire engaging plungers reciprocatingly mounted on said stitching cylinder, cam actuated means for operating said plungers, other means for selectively rendering operative or inoperative any number of plungers, and means for accurately resetting said plungers.

5. In stitching mechanism of the character described, the combinaticn with a stitching cylinder and a folding cylinder, of reciprocating lungers mounted on said stitching cylinder, a frame for supporting said stitching and folding cylinders, a cam secured to and normally maintained in fixed position on said frame, a plurality of rollers operatively engaged against said cam, said rollers being connected to a corresponding plurality of rock shafts mounted in the stitching cylinder, said plungers being mechanically connected in a series on each of the rock shafts, and means for selectively silencing or making operative any number of said plungers. 7

6. In stapling mechanism of the kind described,

the combination with coacting cylinders mounted on a frame, of a pair of rock shafts turnably arranged in one of the cylinders, a row of recipro eating plungers adjustably secured to each of said rock shafts, means for selectively silencing or making operative any number of plungers, and gear means for changing the rate at which wire may be fed and supplied to said plungers.

'7. In stapling mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a frame, a stitching cylinder 10 and a clinching cylinder, a horn guide secured to said frame, a pair of members secured to the sides of said horn, and a reciprocable plunger secured to the stitching cylinder, said plunger coacting with said horn guide to form staples, said staples being preliminarily bent by said pair of members preparatory to insertion in sheet material passing between said stitching cylinder and said clinching cylinder, and means to move said plunger outward after the staple passes the bending elements to maintain a full grip on the staple.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, a pair of cylinders rotatably mounted on said frame, one of said cylinders having a wire engaging member, means 00- acting with said wire engaging member for supplying and feeding wire to same, other means connected to said last mentioned means for actuating and stopping same while said cylinders are rotating, and means for bodily moving one of said cylinders relatively to the other of said cylinders, whereby products of varying thicknesses may be operatively accommodated therebetween.

9. In wire stapling mechanism for printing machines, the combination of a frame, a cylinder rotatably mounted on the frame, means including a horn guide, a member pivotally mounted on a removable bracket on the frame, a plunger reciprocatingly mounted on the cylinder, means for supplying and thrusting a section of wire through said first mentioned member, a notch formed in the plunger for engaging said section of wire, and other means arranged in said plunger whereby said section of wire, after engagement by the plunger, will be progressively engaged with means located on the horn guide in order to form in coaction-with the said plunger a complete staple.

10. In wire stapling mechanism, the combination of means for feeding wire continuously, a rotary cylinder having a plurality of staple forming and inserting means secured thereon and coactable with said means, other means for rendering inoperative or operating all or a selected number of said staple forming and inserting means at each revolution of said cylinder, said means including an adjustable lever arm connected to the cylinder, and means for varying the effective operating position of said staple forming and inserting means.

11. In a rotary stapling mechanism, a stitching cylinder, a clinching cylinder, a plunger slidable within the stitching cylinder, a staple forming horn cooperating with the plunger, a wire holding mechanism associated with said horn, means adjacent the horn for bending the ends of the staple, and means for moving the plunger outward to engage the wire, then inward while it passes the end bending means, then outward to provide a support for the staple substantially to the ends thereof before it engages the prodact, and finally inward while the staple is being forced into the product and clinched.

12. In a wire stapling mechanism, the combination of means for supplying wire, a rotatable cylinder having a plurality of wire engaging piungers reciprocatingly mounted therein, rocker members connected with said plungers, means to move said rocker members to an inoperative position, and means to provide for the accurate resetting of said rocker members.

13. In a wire stapling mechanism, the combination of means for supplying wire, a rotatable cylinder having a plurality of wire engaging plungers reciprocatingly mounted thereon, levers connected with said plungers, a rock shaft to support said levers, means to move said levers to an inoperative position on said rock shaft, and stop members engageable by said levers when in an operative position to assure the correct return of the plungers after resetting same.

JOSEPH E. MEYER.

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