US2050310A - Machine for inserting printing plates into frames - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 11, 1936. w. T. GOLLWWZER 2,050,310

MACHINE FOR INSERTING PRINTING PLATES INTO FRAMES Filed July 5, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet l Aug- 11, 1936- w. T. GoLLwlTzER 2,050,310

MACHINE FOR INSERTING PRINTING PLATES INTO FRAMES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5, 1954 In ff mw fr @MV a@ www@ fI/m/ ug. 1I, 1936. w, T- GQLLWlTZER 2,050,310

-INT0 FRAMES MACHINE FOR INSERTING PRINTING PLATES Filed July 5, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 www aux

Aug. 11, 1936.

W. T, GOLLWlTZER y MACHINE FOR INSERTING PRINTING PLATES INTO FRAMES;

Filed July 5, i934 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 .1 MQ www? Ham/ Aug. 11, 1936.

W. T. GOLLWITZER MACHINE FOR INSERTING PRINTING PLATES INT0 FRAMES e sheets-sheet 5 Filed July 5, 1934 3mm/1M Aug. 11, 1936. w. T. GoLLwlTzER` MACHINE FOR IN-SIERTING PRINTING- PLATES INTO FRAMES y Filed July 5, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Aug. 1l, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT orgies MACHINE FOR INSERTING PRINTING PLATES INTO FRAMES Application July 5, 1934, Serial No. 733,709

28 Claims.

This invention concerns a machine for facilitating the positioning and/or removing of members from holders. This, therefore, is the general object of the present invention. The invention 5 is especially concerned with a mechanism for positioning and/or removing address plates from frames or holders in which they are mounted when used in addressing machines. This is therefore a more specific object of the invention.

Addressing machines for printing names and addresses on mailing matter are now in general use, particularly where great quantities of such matter is handled, as, i'or instance, in large mail advertising campaigns, and for invoices of large public utility corporations. For the most part,

such addressing machines print from anV embossed metal plate which is mounted in a frame or holder. Such construction provides a holder which may be ruggedly built to withstand usage in the addressing machine and alfords great protection for the printing plate. The plate may i therefore be constructed so as to be readily embossed to form printing indicia thereon and Without regard to handling strains, which latter are absorbed by the frame or holder.

When in practical use, a series of plates are embossed, each plate bearing indicia as, for instance, a name and address, although other'data is often embossed on the plate. Such embossed plates are then inserted in holders and stored in suitable magazines or storage drawers, usually in a definite order. Often one mailing list will include many thousands of such units, and then are fed through the addressing machines each time matter is to be mailed to persons whose names are on the lists.

The data carried by the plates are revised from time to time, due to change in addresses, elimination of certain addresses from the list and addition of new addresses or other new data. When a plate is to be revised, it is removed from its holder and often a new plate is positioned on the holder, which is then again placed in use.

The initial positioning of the plates on the holders and the substitution of revised plates for an old plate has been a manual operation, entailing much time, and has been a costly item.

Many address plates are held in their holders by spring tongues, which are formed of the body of the plate and must be momentarily deformed or moved out of engaging position to position a plate on the frame and/ or to remove a plate from the frame. The frames and plates both are gen- 55 erally formed of comparatively thin metal.

(Cl. 10i-1) Hence, manual operations thereon are often difcult and sometimes harmful, as any sharp edge or n on either the frame, the plate or the spring tongue is apt to cut or injure the fingers of the operator. An object of the present invention is 5 to provide a mechanism which will eliminate individually handling either the frames or the plates.

A more specic object is to provide a mechanism into which a stack of plates, taken directly 10 from an embossing machine, may be positioned, and into which a stack of frames from a storage magazine, either with or without plates thereon, may be positioned, and which mechanism will insert a plate from the stack onto each frame, and 15 the frame, with the new plates thereon, Will be stacked so as to be removed from the machine as a group and thereby prevent, for all practical purposes, the handling of the individual plates, frames or units. Where the frame carries an old 20 plate, the ejection of such plate will be automatic.

Another object is to provide a mechanism which will accommodate a stack of plates in a prearranged order and which mechanism will insert successive plates on frames and stack the 25 frames so that successive frames in the stack will bear successive plates Without rearrangement of the order, such as may result from manual handling of the plates or combined units individually. 30

The manual operation of positioning a plate on the frame is accompanied by danger of distorting the printing plate. The plates are generally made of a comparatively soft metal, often zinc, so that they may be readily embossed to 35 provide printing characters thereon, and such material is readily distorted or bent. In positioning the plate on the frame it has been customary for the operator to grasp one end of the plate and depress the spring tongue by bringing the other end of the plate downwardly into engagement with the tongue. The thumb is then brought into frictional engagement with the face of the plate overlying the frame and the plate is forced into its final position onto the frame. This 45 method of applying the plates sometimes bends the plates while they are being used to depress the spring tongue retainer and thereby results in distortion of the plate to such an extent as will cause a distorted impression. An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for inserting plates in frames in such a manner that the distortion of the plate will be prevented.

The manual operation of removing a plate from a frame is tedious and is accomplished by two distinct steps. In the rst step, the operator depresses a spring tongue, usually with the thumb nail of one hand, and with the other hand partially ejects the plate by moving it onto the spring tongue until the edge of the plate abuts the thumb, at which time the plate will maintain the tongue depressed. The second step is then performed, namely, the thumb nail is removed from the spring tongue and the thumb placed in frictional engagement with the face of the plate and the plate is drawn clear of the end of the frame. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby the removal of the plate from the frame may be accomplished by a single continuous movement of the plate, thereby reducing the time required for such removal and simplifying the apparatus required.

Other objects of my invention will become more apparent from the detailed description hereinafter given.

My improved method of inserting plates on frames in general comprises pressing down a spring retaining tongue of the plate beneath a very thin member and inserting the plate by sliding it over the thin member. When a plate is to be removed, a comparatively thin pressing member acts against one of the tongues to render it inactive and the plate is slid across such member to remove it from the frame. Such pressing member preferably has a nose which is bent slightly downwardly, so that when it is being urged against a tongue, the innermost end of the member will lie below the bottom of the plate, thereby facilitating the removal of the plate.

If it is desired to substitute one plate for another on a frame, both spring retaining tongues are held in an inactive position beneath respective members and a new plate slid onto the frame across one member, and the old plate slid oir the frame across the other m-ember. My method, however, will be more fully understood from the following description of a preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the same.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of my plate and frame-handling machine, looking at the main table from a point perpendicular thereto; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine showing the angle at which the table rests with the horizontal plane; Fig. 3 is a section looking downwardly from the upper portion of the machine, certain parts being in a diiferent position, the plane of the section being indicated by the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse section, as shown by the lines 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, as shown by the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a section taken along the same lines as Fig. 5, but showing the plateinserting mechanism in a different position; Figs. '7 and 8 are sectional details, the plane the sections being indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines on Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section, as indicated by the lines 9 9 on Fig. 4; Figs. l0 and 11 sectienal details, as indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines on Fig. 3; Fig. l2 is a sectional detail as indicated by the lines l2-l2 of 1; Fig. 13 is a plan view of an address plate being broken away to more clearly illustrate the construction of the holder; Figs. 14 and 15 are sectional details of the plate and holder, the plane ofthe sections being indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines on Fig. 13.

The mechanism illustrated in the drawings is especially adapted for inserting and/or removing embossed address plates on or from address plate holders, although it will be evident that it may be used in any instance where one member is to be placed onto or removed from a holder by a sliding movement accompanied, if such be the case, by the release of a retaining member. Such mechanism comprises in general; a base 2B carrying a magazine 39 adapted to receive a stack of frames or holders F; a second magazine 6D 10 adapted to receive and retain a plurality of embossed plates P in stacked relationship; and a third or receiving magazine 9i! into which the assembled plates and frames are stacked by mechanism carried by the base. Suitable feeding 15 mechanism is provided to feed a frame from the magazine 3d, while other mechanism feeds a plate from the magazine 6G and mounts it on the frame and acts at the same time to remove an old plate from the frame, if the frame carries 20 such plate.

The particular printing plate P for which the mechanism shown in the drawings is especially adapted, is best shown in Figures 13, 14 and 15.

This plate comprises a fiat, thin, rectangular 25 plate, somewhat longer than it is wide. The edges across the end are comparatively straight, while the sides may be serpentine. The metal, from which such plates are formed, is sufficiently soft to permit suitable printing characters to 30 be embossed or struck up from the surface thereof, such characters being shown at C in Figs. 13 and 15.

The printing plate P is removably secured in position on the lower area I0 of the frame F. 35

The lowermost edge of the holder or frame bent upwardly and inwardly on itself, forming a lip I i extending across substantially the entire lower edge of the holder, and beneath which lip the printing plate P may be slid to position it on or remove it from the holder. 'Ihe upper edge of the printing plate is positioned by a series of lips l2, which are struck up from the body of the frame and then bent downwardly parallel to the surface of the frame to overlie the upper edge of the printing plate. The printing plate is prevented from endwise movement by abutments i3 carried by spring tongues i4 which are separated from the frame on three sides in order that they may be depressed to enable a printing plate to be slid over the abutments for the purpose of placing it on, or removing it from, the frame.

The lips l l and l2, above described, serve to m aterially strengthen the frames against bending in a direction transversely of the printirifr plate. The sides of the frame are bent inwardly upon the back of the frame and are provided with downwardly facing ribs l5, which serve to straighten the frame against bending in a direction parallel with the printing plate. The ribs l5 also serve to space the frames so that when they are stacked at, one on top of another, the bottom of the one frame will not contact with the embossed characters of the plate carried by the frame next below.

Located at the upper edge of the frame is a series of pockets or keepers i8 adapted to support and retain in position one or more index tabs T, so that the body of the tab projects outwardly from the edge of the frame and lies in substantially the same plane as the body of the frame. l Suiice it to say that the keepers each include a region i? pressed downwardly from the body of the frame and separated therefrom at its upper edge, thereby providing a forwardly facing edge |8 below the body of the frame. A more detailed description of the tab and keeper will be found in my copending application, Serial No. 612,957,

filed May 23, i932, and assigned to my assignee.

The machine base 25 comprises a hollow rectangular body, and as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with suitable supporting feet 2|. The top of the base slopes at an angle to the horizontal to facilitate the movement of the frame along its face by gravity, and aid in maintaining the plates and frames in their magazines. The various magazines and the operating mechanisms heretofore referred to are all supported by the base.

The frames are inserted in stacked relationship, one on top of another, in the magazine 3D, which is mounted on the base 20 and serves to hold the printing frames prior to their'passage through the machine. The magazine, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, is channel shaped with the channel opening upwardly and rearwardly with reference to the base, as shown in Fig. 4. The magazine 3i! is rigidly fastened to blocks 3| on each of the two sides thereof, which in turn are secured to the base 2B by suitable screws 32. The magazine is inclined forwardly and hence gravity maintains the frames in contact with the front wall 33 thereof.

The lowermost frames in the magazine 3|) are retained therein, during the return stroke of a feeding member hereinafter to be described, by a pair of stops 34, which are secured to the sides of the guideway 45. The upper portion of each member 34, facing the channel 3D, flares away from such channel to provide a camming surface to guide the frames between the members $4 and the Wall 33 of the channel 3% as they descend toward the base. When the frames carry an index tab or tabs, the latter extend rearwardly therefrom into the space between the two members 34, which are spaced apart a distance sufficient to prevent interference with the tabs. 1f desired, a suitable weight may be positioned on top of the stack of frames to insure their progress downwardly.

The previously embossed printing plates are placed in a stacked relationship, one on top of the other, in the magazine 6B. The magazine 6G is best illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 3, and as shown comprises a channel 5l mounted on the base 2D and inclining forwardly relative to a vertical plane. Referring to Fig. 8, it will be seen that bars 62 are rigidly fastened to the back of the channel Si?, such bars depending below the lower edge of the channel and ending in pins |54. The pins 54 removably engage openings 65 in a crossframe member of the base 2D. Removal of the magazine 5|) thus is readily effected by merely raising it.

The magazine 35, heretofore described, is positioned at one end of a guideway 4i), which extends along the left hand side of the base 2i), as shown in Fig. 3. The receiving magazine 9D is positioned at the other end of the guideway 40. The plate magazine stands to the right of the guideway and substantially midway between its ends. Mechanism is provided to progressively move a printing frame from the stack in the magazine 35 along the guideway 40 in the oase 23 to the receiving magazine 9B in two steps. Such movement is partially effected by a pusher 5d, which reciprocates in the guideway 4l).

The lowermost frame F in the magazine 30 is ejected by the pusher 5D. This pusher comprises a nat plate-like top member 5i, secured to a bar 52, which slides between two bars 4| and 42 forming the guideway' 4U heretofore mentioned. A second plate 53 is secured to the underside of the member 52 and underlies the bars 4| and 42, while the plate 5| overlies such bars. Hence, the plates 5| and 53 cooperate with the bars 4| and 42 to retain the pusher mechanism in position between the bars forming the guideway 4D.

As the machine is operated, the plate 5| of the pusher mechanism 50 is moved from a position behind the magazine 30, as shown in Fig. 1, to theposition shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The forward edge of the plate 5l abuts the lowermost frame in the magazine-30, and, as the plate 5| moves forward, pushes such frame from the magazine. The forward edge of the plate 5| has a recess 54 cut therein to prevent distortion of tabs inserted in the frame by contact of the pusher mechanism with them. Thus, instead of the plate 5| engaging the tabs T carried by the frame, ears 55 on each side of the recess 54 engage the frame in the Vregion of the reinforcing ribs I5 to effect its movement.

The lowermost framel in the magazine 39 rests on the bars 4| and 42 in front of the plate 5| and as it is moved from the magazine 3|! by the abutting lips 55 of the plate, it passes beneath the lo-wermost edge of the magazine wall 33. As the plate is progressed from the magazine 30 toward the receiving magazine 90, the ribs I5 of the plate are maintained in Contact with the bars 4| and 42 by a leaf spring 45, one end of which is secured to the wall 33 of the magazine 35 and the other end of which bears downwardly on the frame F.

The pusher 5Fl moves` the frame forward to the position indicated by the frame FI, shown in Fig. 1, in which position a plate is to be mounted on the frame, and in case the frame has an old plate thereon, such plate is to be ejected. The pusher 5D is now drawn rearwardly and the frame Fi is maintained in its position in contact with the bars 4| and 42 bythe leaf spring 45, heretofore described. The pusher 50 has a plate-like eX- te-nsion 55, which underlies the frame, between the ribs |5 thereof, and serves a purpose hereinafter to be described. A suitable stop 51 serves to prevent rearward movement of the frame, due to Contact by the plate-like extension 56 of the pusher with the underside of the frame, thereby materially aiding in the locating of the frame.

The stop 51 overhangs the guideway 40 and is loosely mounted on a stud 58, carried inthe base 20. A compression spring 59, carried by the stud,

acts to resiliently maintain the stop in contact with the top of the base adjacent the guideway, as shown in Fig. 12. Due to a camming surface on the underside of an overlying lip 51a, of this stop, the frame, as it moved forwardly, was shoved thereunder, causing the stop to rise against the compression of the spring 59. When the frame had completely passed frombeneath the stop 5T, the spring 59 forced the latter downwardly, in which position the overlying lip 51a depending from the stop 51 lay immediately behind the positioned frame, so as to prevent its movement backwardly toward the magazine 3B by reason of abutment of the positioned frame therewith, as the pusher mechanism 5|! withdrew.

When a frame has been moved to the position indicated by the frame F| (Fig. l), the lowermost plate P is shoved from the magazine 5B and positioned on the frame, This is accomplished by a second pusher 10 operating in a slideway and moving at right angles to the direction of movement of the frames. The lowermost plate in the plate magazine 6U rests Von a pair of spaced supporting plates Sl and 92, which are secured to the base 20. The plates P rest one on top of the other in stacked relationship in the channelshaped magazine 60, and normally contact with the rear wall thereof, due to the inclination of the magazine relative to a horizontal plane.

The pusher 'lll comprises a spring metal plate 12 (Fig. 5), which is secured to a member '13, which, in turn, is fastened to a bar 74. The latter bar is reciprocated by the operating mechanism of the machine, as will hereinafter be more fully described. The pusher l2, when ready to begin feeding printing plates, is in the position shown in Fig. 5. In this position, the left-hand end of the plate l2 lies to the right of the lowermost printing plate carried by the magazine 6D.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the left-hand end or^ the pusher plate T2 is forked and bent downwardly. The tines of the forked end of the pusher l2 engage grooves 'l5 in the plates Sl and 62, which support the stack carried by the magazine. This arrangement is such that the uppermost surface of the pusher is in substantially the same plane as the uppermost surface of the lowermost plate in the magazine V6). As the pusher is moved toward the left to remove a plate from the magazine, the tines are cammed upwardly shortly after they project beneath the next plate in the stack and a rm purchase is had by the abutting surfaces of the plate and pusher. Likewise, if the plate being pushed from the magazine should not have an embossed character thereon, such construction prevents damage to the parts by preventing the engagement of the pusher with two plates simultaneously.

To facilitate mounting of the printing plate in the frame, the long edges of the former have been made serpentine, rather than straight, and utilize this serpentine edge to prevent the second plate from the bottom in the magazine Si) from moving out of the magazine, due to its frictional engagement with the bottommost plate, as the latter is being moved by the pusher lil. To this end a collar 65 is suitably secured to a meinber rigid with the base 2) and is provided with a hole to removably accommodate one of the pins 64. At its periphery the collar projects into the magazine 60 and engages a trough portion of the serpentine edge of the two plates next adjacent the bottommost plate.

The lower portion of the collar 56 is cut away to permit the bottommost plate to slide freely past the collar. The plates are retained in contact with the collar 66 and the wall of the magazine by suitable stops El and 68, the former engaging the plates, substantially opposite the collar, and the latter engaging the plates adjacent their oth-er end. The stop 68 is cut away at its base to permit the sliding of the lowermost plate therebeneath. It thus follows from this construction that while the lowermost plate P may be slid out of the magazine 68, the plate thereabove is retained in position by the collar 65.

1t sometimes is desirable to accommodate plates P oi a diierent width in the magazine QQ. To this end the stops 61 and 69 are provided with slots 59 and are retained in position in grooves 8G in the top of the base by thumb sci'ews 8l passing through the slots 69. The stop 6l opposite the collar 66 is locked against movement away from the plates by a cam plate 82. This cam, as appearing in Fig. 1, has four arcuate sections, each at a different radial distance from the center of the cam. Thus, by setting the cam to cause any given arcuate surface to lie behind the stop l, a plate in width corresponding to that position may be used and yet the stop 61 may not be forced rearwardly.

As the bottornmost plate in the magazine begins to move under the impulse of the pusher l, the spring tongues lli of the irame Fl are depressed. This is accomplished when the guideway 59, together with the frame Fl is rocked or raised upwardly. As this upward movement takes place the spring tongues l!! move into an underlying engaging relation with the members 84 and 85.

The guideway 153, as heretofore mentioned, includes two parallel bars lll and d2, spaced a sufcient distance apart to accommodate the member of the frame pusher 58. The bars 4l and l2 are fastened together at their ends by cross members 4G and fl'l. This guideway is pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis in the base 2l) by a pair of center pins which threadingly 20 engage the base and project into conical sockets in the guideway.

The guideway il@ is rocked about its pivot in a manner hereafter to be described, and its downward movement is limited by an adjustable stop best shown at Fig. 4. Such Stop comprises a screw t6, threadngly carried by a member 8l, which is secured to the base at 88. The upper end of the screw 86 engages the cross member 41 of the guideway.

The guideway 3G is rocked upwardly by a camming action as the pusher 'J9 begins its movement toward the leit, (Fig. 5) to eject a plate from the magazine BQ. This camming action results from contact between a cam bar |00 secured to the underside of the guideway bars il and 52, and a member lill carried at the left hand end of the bar lll-l, which bar reciprocates with and supports the plate pusher l2. As shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the bar lll is slidably mounted in grooves H32 in spaced vertical rails H33 and lll. Each rail, as shown in Fig. l0. is formed by a bar W5 secured to the base 2li by bolts 106 and is provided with a bottom cap member lill. The bar lfl extends to the left relative to the left hand end of the pusher l2, so that as the pusher engages a plate P in the magazine 60, the member lGl is in position to engage the cam bar H30 of the guideway. The arrangement of these parts is such that the guideway is cairimed upwardly before the pusher i2 progress-es a plate P to the guideway The cam bar l is of such length that the contact between it and the member lill is maintained until the pusher l2 reaches the extreme left-hand limit of its movement.

The spring tongues lll are depressed relative to the frame Fl simultaneously with the rocking or raising of the guideway Gil. as heretofore mentioned. As shown in l and 5, the spring tongues l!! of the frame, which is in the position designated Fl, lie below respective members 84 and 85. The left-hand member designated at 84 comprises a comparatively thin, rigid, metallic plate mounted on the machine base and overhanging the guideway [lll with its inner end superimposed above the left-hand tongue lil, which extends above the plane of the body of the frame F, as shown in Fig. 5. As the guideway is moved upwardly, this tongue lli moves into contact with the member 84. Continued upward movement oi' the guideway raises the frame Fl and as the movement of the left hand tongue I4 is stopped by the member ed, the tongue is depressed below the plane of the frame Fl, as shown in Fig. 6, At the same time th-e member 84 depresses the 1 frame.

left-hand tongue I 4 of the frame the member 85 engages the right-hand tongue (Figs 3 and 5). This latter member 85 is a very thin metallic plate carried by the frame 20 and positioned with respect to a frame in the position FI to overlie the right-hand tongue I4. It is thus p-ossible by reason of the member 85 to slide a plate from the magazine Eil over the memb-er onto the frame FI with no chance of such plate abutting the end of the adjacent tongue I4.

Shortly after the raising of the guideway 4i) the lowermost plate P in the magazine Si] is fully ejected from the magazine and slid or shoved into position onto the frame Fi. This is accomplished by the continued left-hand movement of the pusher '|2, which push-es the plate F onto the frame FI causing it to depress the right-hand spring tongue I 4 and pass over the member 85 and the spring tongue i4 of the frame FI and become retained beneath the overlying lips Ii and I2 of the frame. As soon as the plate P is positioned on the frame FI with its ends in alignment with the abutments I3 of the spring tongues i4 thereof, the left-hand movement of the pusher I2 ceases.

The movement of the plate onto the frame FI causes the depression of the right-hand spring tongue I4 due to the camming downwardly of the plate toward the frame as it approaches the This camming is effected by stationary cams I Ia and IIIlb (Figs. l, 3 and 4) having cam surfaces II 2 and mounted on the base 2G by suitable screws III at each side of the plate guideway adjacent its intersection with the frame f guideway. At the same time the plate engages these cams it commences to ride over the thin shield member 85 and thus is prevented from coming into abutting relation with the end of the adjacent spring tongue I4. It thus follows that as the plate is cammed downwardly toward the frame by the cams IIIla and H017 and at the same time is moved toward the left by the pusher 'I'El it will depress the underlying tongue I4 and move beneath the lips I I and I2 of the frame FI.

To facilitate the movement of the plate beneath the lips II and I2 of the frame, the stationary cams IIa and IIBb overlie the frame, each extending substantially as far as the respective lips of the frame. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the cam IIilb extends over the guideway to substantially register with the right-hand lip I2 and by reason of a rabbetted edge guides the adjacent edge of the plate beneath that lip. In a similar manner the stationary cam IIDa guides the plate along a rabbet (Fig. 11) insuring its passage beneath the lip II of the frame FI as it is moved toward the left.

The mechanism is so constructed that plates may be inserted on frames, none of which have old plates thereon, or plates may be so inserted on frames, all or some of which carry old plates. If the frame, which is to be provided with a new plate, as heretofore described, carries an old plate, such old plate is removed as the new plate is being mounted. This is accomplished by an ejector H5, which moves substantially as a unit with the pusher l0.

The ejector |I5 comprises an elongated bar, Which extends parallel with the pusher I5 and lies outside of the magazine 6|). The right hand end of the ejector (Fig. l) is connected to a block H6, which is secured to the member 7f3 of the pusher 10. The ejector extends toward the left and has a downwardly extending foot III, carv rying a notch Illa, which is adapted to engage the old plate carried by the frame FI and shove it toward the left over the spring tongue I4 and the member 84, which retains the spring tongue depressed relative to the main body of the frame Fl. 5

A suitable guide is provided for the ejector bar II5, as, for instance, the block II8, which is secured to the base 28 and has a slot I I 9, as shown in Fig. 8, through which the bar slides. A suitable spring, such as the spring I 2i] carried by the block 10 l i8, servesto maintain the foot I I'I of the ejector b ar M5 in contact with the frame FI to insure ejection of the old plate.

As the ejector bar I I 5 shoves an old plate from the frame Fl, such plate is ejected from the ma- 15 chine by a flat spring member |25. The member E225 is secured to the side wall of the base 20, as at E25, and is so positioned as to be engaged by the old plate as the latter is shoved from the Y frame by the ejector bar, and snaps or flips the 2O old plate from the machine as soon as such plate is free from the lips II and I2 of the frame FI. From the foregoing, it is evident that when a framerhas an old plate, the latter will be removed, simultaneous with the positioning of a new plate 25 on such frame.

The plate, having been mounted on the printing frame FI, the next step in the operation of the machine is the release of the spring tongues I4 of the frame which have been depressed with re- 30 spect to the flat portion of the frame. To this end, the guideway is lowered by rocking it about its pivots 48. The frame FI carried intermediately o-n the guideway drops with respect to the members 84 and 85, and the tongues I4 rise to 35 their normal position in the frame F and lock the newly inserted plate against endwise movement With respect to such frame.

The guideway 4i) was maintained in an uppermost pivotal position, as heretofore described, 40 during the left-hand stroke (Fig. 6) of the bar le, when the member IBI actively engaged the underside of the cam bar |00. As the member IUI is pivotally carried on the bar 14, it is swung out of engagement with the cam bar |33 as the mem- 45 ber completes its left-hand or plate-feeding stroke. At the completion of the plate feeding stroke, the bar 'I4 which carries the member IUI commences a right-hand or withdrawal stroke (Figs. 5 and 6). 5()

The member IIlI is pivotally mounted for horizontal movement on a post I 30 carried by the bar 14. As shown in Fig. 9, the member IOI is prevented from pivoting in a clockwise direction by an abutting ledge 3| of the bar 14. The mem- 55 ber IllI is normally retained in this position by a tension spring I32 fastened at one end to the member and at the other end to the bar 14. It therefore follows that during the left-hand movement of the bar 'I4 (Fig. 5), the member I0| is 60 maintained against the ledge |3| and beneath the cam bar |00.

Upon the completion of the left-hand or feeding stroke of the pusher 70, the member I 0I is moved from beneath the cam bar I |10, permitting the guideway 4e to drop by gravity, with the result that the pressure on the spring tongues I4 of the plate FI is released. As the bar 'I of the pusher mechanism reaches its extreme left-hand position, the edge |35 of the member IDI is car- 70 ried beneath a cam portion |36 of the cam bar Illil. The weight of the guideway then through the surfaces |35 and |36 acts to cam or rock the member IUI counter-clockwise about its pivot |30,

As shown, the pivot I 3D is so located that the 75` member |3| swings entirely out from under the bar IUI! and engages the side of such bar, which prevents returning of the member until the return stroke of the bar ill has drawn the member clear of the bar.

The cam surface is so constructed that it acts as soon as the plate P has been positioned on the frame Fi. However, due to the fact that the pusher plate 'i2 is considerably thicker than a plate P, the dropping of the guideway may be initiated slightly before the feeding stroke of the pusher plate "i2 is complete without danger of disengaging the contact between the pusher and the plate P. L ne cam surface may therefore be located to contact with the member il slightly before the bar-ifi as reached its left-hand limit, and thereby insure the positioning of the member li under the cam surface |36.

I nd it desirable to jog the plates in the magazine GG to insure their descent in the magazine and the engagement of the lower plates with the collar 65. To this end a lever |69, Figs. 5 and 6, is intermittently raised and lowered to jog the plates up and down in the magazine 60. This lever carries an arm iti extending at right angles thereto and adapted to lie under one end of the stack of plates in the magazine. `The lever |65 is pivotally mounted on the bar i5@ at |52 and has a downwardly extending lug |63. lug is engaged by a cam |555 carried by the bar 1li and as the latter moves toward the right (Fig. 5) the lever is cammed up an inclined portion of the cam and causes the member |6| to jog the plates in the magazine.

To aid the jogger to position the plates P relative to the collar G5, the operating end i of the plate ejector bar H5 is drawn into an opening in the wall of the magazine and into engagement with the lowerinost plates therein (Fig. ll). The ejector bar engages the plates P mmediately abo-Je the collar on the return or righthand stroke of the ejector and definitely locates the serpentine edge relative to the coilar 5S.

After the guideway has 1been returned to its lowered position, as heretofore described, the frame, in the position of the frame Fi, is transferred to the re eiving magazine Sli. As the plate pusher 'i5 acted to shove a plate P into position on a frame Fi, the frame pusher was being Withdrawn to a position to feed another frame from the magazine 3e. While the frame pusher is feeding another frame into a loading position, the extension 55 on the frame pusher, heretofore mentioned, acts to position the previously loaded frame for stacking in the receiving magazine 96.

The extension 5S of the pusher, above mentioned, is adapted to bear against the rear edge of the loaded frame and shove it out from under the leaf spring (i5. This extension comprises a plate Mii, secured to the member 52, and lying on top of the guideway li. One edge lili of this member extends transversely across the guideway and engages the edges i5 of depressed regions il', which form part or" the tab keepers, heretofore described, and illustrated in Fig. l5.

To insure the abutting relation between the edge Hil of the pusher extension 565 and the frame edges IB, thin spring tongues are carried by the pusher :itension adjacent the edge Uli. Two of these tongues i122 bear against the guideway members and ft2, while an intermediate tongue |43 lies between such members 4| and [i2 and depends a short distance below the plane of the top of the guideway. As the pusher 50 shoves a frame F from the magazine 3d, these three tongues slide under the frame Fl and cam the frame upwardly until it abuts the ledge l-Cll by which it is pushed toward the receiving magazine 95.

As the frame in the loading position engages the ledge of the pusher extension and is shoved by it from beneath the leaf spring 45, it then moves down the guideway under the inuence of gravity to a position F2 underlying and engaging a wall of the receiving magazine 9S which extends across the guideway. The guideway then is again raised by the plate feed mechanism to feed a plate P to the frame F, which was last fed to the position FI. As the guideway rises, it pushes the frame upwardly into the magazine cammng it past latches S55, which thereafter act to retain the frames in the magazine independent of the guideway |35.

The frames are carried in the receiving magazine 98 at a slight angle with respecJ to the plane of the inclined top of the base as shown in Fig. 4. The guideway is tapered at to provide a surface parallel with the plane of the respective plates in the stack above to carry the frame F2. Thus, the guideway need not be lowered quite so far to accommodate a frame beneath the receiving magazine. Furthermore, the frame F2 is positioned at the proper angle to be easily mounted in the magazine se, when it is shoved upwardly past the retaining latches.

As shown, there are a pair of the latches |50, one positioned on each side of the magazine with the active part of each disposed in a plane parallel to the plane of the tapered portion |55. As shown in Fig. 7, each latch comprises a channel shaped member having one flange 5| thereoi` considerably longer than the other, and projecting above the guideway di). Each latch is mounted on a stud |52 secured to respective side walls of the base and is held thereagainst by a Suitable compression spring |53 with the longer flange |551 projecting into the magazine. The shorter flange lEil of each latch engages a slot cut in a side wall of the base 28 and provides a pivot about which the latch may rock to move the longer lange lii into and out of the magazine. The lower surface of the long flange of each latch is rounded or cam shaped to facilitate the rocking of the latch out of the magazine by the frame F2 in its upward movement under the impulse of the guideway.

When a frame has been moved upwardly past the latches |58, it shoves upwardly all the frames which have been previously placed in the stack. The ribs i5 on the underside of this newly placed plate rest on the upper portion of the latches |55, which were repositioned beneath the stack of frames by the springs |53, as soon as the frame F2 has moved above the latches.

The various mechanisms which are employed to progress frames and plates from their respective magazines, mount the latter on the former, and progress the mounted combination to a receiving magazine are all operated from a common source. Such mechanisms are coordinated to cause each operation to be performed in a timed relationship with the other operations.

Power to operate the mechanisms constituting the complete machine may be derived from any suitable source. Although the machine may be power-driven, I have shown, for simplicity, a hand wheel i'i in Figs. 1 and 5, the rotation of which operates the machine. This hand wheel V56 is secured to a shaft rotatably carried by the base 20 in suitable bearings. A bevel pinion |12 is secured to the shaft and, by engagement with a bevel gear |13 at right angles thereto, transmits the power applied at the hand wheel to an upwardly extending shaft |14 carried by a bearing bracket |15 of the base 20.

The driving power is transmitted from the shaft |14 to the various mechanisms by a crank |16 having an upstanding roller |11. .The roller engages a slot |18 in a lever |19 which is pivotally mounted on the base 2i! at |80.

The plate pusher mechanism is reciprocated by the lever |133 as the latter pivots about its support. A roller l8| carried on the underside of the bar 14 engages the slot |18 in the lever |19 and thereby reciprocates the bar 14.

To reciprocate the pusher 50 and feed the frames F, the motion transmitted to the lever |19 by the crank |16 is transmitted through an arm |35 rigidly attached to the lever adjacent its pivotal end. A link |86 is pinned at one end to the arm and at the other end to an arm |81 of a lever |88, which is pivotally carried on the frame at |89. A slot in the lever |88 is slidingly engaged by a ball ISI carried by the member 52 of the frame pusher 50. The ball and slot connection permit the rocking of the guideway 40 without affecting the driving relation between lever |88 and the frame pusher 50. Thus it will be seen that operation of the handwheel |18 causes each mechanism to be operated in a timedrelationship with the others.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided a machine simple in construction and economical in its manufacture, which is adapted to receive a stack of platecarrying frames directly from a drawer or other storage receptacle and rapidly feed them into a second stack, and, as they pass from one stack to the other, to act on the frames to vmount a printing plate thereon automatically, and at the same time remove from the frame an old plate if such is mounted thereon. The rejuvenated printing members thus stacked in the receiving magazine are ready for immediate transferrence to an addressing machine or a storage drawer, as may be desired. Y

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means for supporting a frame on which a printing plate is adapted to be held by movable retaining means, means independent of the plate for moving the retaining means to idle position, and means to position a plate on the frame after the retaining means has been so moved.

2. In a machine of the class described, a magazine for carrying frames on which plates are to be held: by retaining means, comprising means acting in advance of the plate being fed for moving the retaining means to idle position, and means to move a plate onto the frame after the retaining means has been moved to idle position.

3. In a machine of the class described, a maga- Zine for carrying holders on which plates are to be held by retaining means, means to feed the holders one at a time from the magazine, means forming a permanent part of the machine for moving the retaining means of a fed frame to idle position, means for feeding plates onto the holders while such retaining means is held idle, and means for thereafter releasing the retaining means.

4. A mechanism for positioning address plates on holders in which they' are to be held by retaining means, comprising means independent of the plate for moving the retaining means to idle pcsition, and means for positioning a plate on the holder while the retaining means is held inactive.

5. A mechanism for positioning a printing plate on a frame on which it may oe held by means including a spring retainer, comprising means for retracting the spring retainer in advance of the plate, and means for positioning a plate on the frame after the retainer has been retracted.

6. Mechanism for positioning printing plates on frames in which they are to be held by spring retaining means, comprising means interposed between the path of the plate onto the frame and the retaining means for restraining the spring retaining means, means for positioning a plate on the frame while the retaining means is restrained, and means for thereafter releasing said retaining means.

7. Mechanism for positioning printing plates on frames in which they are to be held by spring retaining means, comprising guiding means overlying and pressing against the spring retaining means and means to move a plate across the guiding means into position on the frame.

8. Mechanism for positioning address plates on frames in which they are to be held by spring retaining means, comprising guiding means adapted to coact with the spring retaining means, means to move a frame into engagement with the guiding means, means to slide a plate into position on the frame across the guiding means, and means to move the frame out of engagement with the guiding means.

9. The combination of a frame, a movable support carried by the frame to sustain a holder having a removable plate retained in position thereon by edge-engaging ledges and a depressible end latch, a thin member adapted to overlie such latch, means to raise said support toward said member to cause the latch to be engaged, whereby a plate may be moved across the thin member and latch into or out of engagement with said ledges.

l0. In a machine of the class described, a frame, movable means carried by the frame to support a holder having a removable plate retained in position thereon by a depressible latch, a tongue superimposed over the latch and carried by the frame, means to move the support toward the tongue and cause the latch to be restrained, means to eject a plate from said frame while the latch is restrained, and means to move the support away from the tongue and relieve the restraint on the latch.

l1. The combination with a movable support adapted to carry an address plate frame having two spring retaining tongues which may engage the opposite ends of an address plate mounted on the frame, two abutments carried by the machine beneath which the tongues of the frame may stand, and means for raising the movable support to cause the retainers to engage the respective abutments, whereby a plate may be moved either onto the frame 'or off the frame across the abutment.

l2. In a machine of the class described, a base, a guideway pivotally mounted on said base, a reciprocating slide carried by the guideway and adapted to feed a frame having a plate removably latched thereon by depressible tongues along said guideway, means 4to raise said guideway, a pair of thin members carried by said base and disposed above the path oi' the depressible latches or" a frame carried thereby, and means to shove a plate onto said irame across one of said members and/or shove a plate orf of said frame across one of said members while the latches are depressed.

13. In a machine of the class described, a base, a guideway pivotally mounted on said base, a reciprocating slide carried by the guideway and adapted to feed a i'rame having a plate removably latched thereon by depressible tongues along said guideway, a second guideway carried by said base and disposed at right angles to and intersecting the rst-named guideway, a magazine to carry plates associated with the last-named guideway, means to raise the first-named guideway, a pair of thin members carried by said base and disposed above the path of the depressible latches of a frame carried thereby, and means reciprocating in the second named guideway to shove a plate onto said frame across one of said members and/or shove a plate ofi of said frame across the other of said members while the latches are depressed.

14. In a machine of the class described, a base, a guide-way pivotally mounted on said base, mage azines supported by said base and disposed at opposite ends of the guideway, a reciprocating slide carried by the guideway and adapted to feed a frame having a plate removably latched thereon by depressible tongues, along said guideway from one magazine to another in two steps, a second guideway carried by said base and disposed at right angles to and intersecting the first-named guideway, a magazine to carry plates associate with the last-n Yned guideway, means to raise said guideway, a air oi thin tongues carried by said base and disposed above the path oi the depressible latches ci a frame carried thereby, means reciprocating in the second named guideway to shove a plate onto said frame across one ci said tongues and/or shove a plate off et said frame across the other of said tongues while the latches are depressed, means to lower the guideway to release the latches, and means to stack the finished units.

l5. In a machine of the class described, a magazine for carrying frames having plates removably mounted thereon, a movable guideway, means to feed frames along said guideway, means to position a plate on and/or eject a plate trom the frame, a magazine for storing plates adjacent the guideway, and means operative consequent upon movement of said guideway to stack the frames in the magazine.

16. In a machine of the class described, a magazine for receiving frames having plates removably latched thereon, a movable guideway, means to iced frames along said guideway in two steps, means to release the latch after the iirst feeding step is accomplished, means to eject a plate from and/or position a plate on the frame while the latch is released by a continuous movement, a magazine for storing plates adjacent the guideway and means to stack the frame in the magazine at the end of the second feeding step, and wherein both said releasing means and said stacking means are operative consequent upon movement of said guideway.

17. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means for feeding plates carrying frames having releasable latches, an abutment beneath which the latch is adapted to stand, a magazine to receive address plate frames with plates, a liftable support for at least two plates, one beneath the abutment and one beneath the magazine, and means for raising said support to effect the relative depression of the latch on one frame whereby a plate may be mounted on it and at the same time stack in the magazine another frame on which the plate has been mounted.

18. In a machine of the character described, the combination of two magazines each adapted to carry frames, a raisable guideway extending from one magazine to the other on an incline so that the plates, when released from one magazine, may be readily moved to the other, means for controlling the movement of the frames along the guideway, means for shoving plates onto the frames While they are in intermediate position between the magazines, means for raising the guideway to stack a frame with a plate mounted thereon in the receiving magazine, an operating shaft mounted in the frame of the machine and extending beneath the guideway, cam mechanism operatively connected with said shaft for effect ing the raising of the guideway and lever and linkage mechanism connecting said shaft with the plunger for shoving plates onto the frames.

19. In a machine of the class described a magazine for carrying frames, each adapted to removably carry a plate and having releasable means to retain a plate thereon, a movable guideway, means for feeding frames from the magazine to the guideway, a projection xed to said machine adjacent said guideway and adapted to register with the releasable means of a frame located on said guideway, means to move said guideway to engage said projection, whereby said releasable means is rendered inactive by engagement with said projection, and means for removing respective plates from the frames when said releasable means is rendered inactive.

20. In a machine of the class described, a pivotally carried guideway, means to feed printing frames along said guideway, said frames being adapted to carry printing plates thereon, the plates being retained on the frames by releasable retaining means, a projection carried by said machine and adapted to overlie the guideway, further means to locate a frame in said guideway with the releasable retaining means thereof in registration with said projection, and means to move said guideway toward said projection whereby the frame releasable retaining means is rendered inactive.

21. In a machine of the class described, a pivotally carried guideway, means to feed printing frames along said guideway, said frames being adapted to carry printing plates thereon, said plates being retained by releasable retaining means, projections carried by said machine and adapted to overlie said guideway, means to locate and retain a frame in said guideway beneath said projection with the releasable retaining means thereof in registration therewith, and means to raise said guideway toward said releasing means whereby the frame releasable retaining means is rendered inactive.

22. In a machine of the class described, a base, a guideway pivotally mounted on said base, means carried by the guideway to feed a frame by depressible tongues, along the guideway, the frame having provision to removably latch a plete thereon, means to raise and lower said guideway, a thin member carried by said base and adapted to register with a depressible tongue of a frame located in a predetermined position on the guide- Way when the guideway is moved and means to .lll

ne 4u) shove a plate onto said frame across said member While the latch is inactive.

23. In a machine of the class described, a magazine for carrying holders o n which plates are to be held by two retaining means, respectively at the ends of the plate, certain of the holders having plates thereon, mechanism for simultaneously rendering both retaining means inactive, means for feeding the holders from the magazine to said mechanism, and means acting after the retaining means have been rendered idle to eject the plates from the holders having plates mounted thereon and to position new plates on said holders.

24. A mechanism for ejectingv address plates from holders in which they are held by retaining means, comprising flat means to overlie and render inactive the retaining means and means acting after the retaining means is rendered inactive to eject the plate from said holder over the top of said :dat means by one continuous movement.

25. Mechanism for positioning address plates on frames in which they are to be held by spring retaining means at both ends of the plate, comprising engaging means for simultaneously rendering inactive both spring retaining means, means for ejecting a plate on the frame across the released retaining means and the engaging means at one end and means to position a new plate on the frame across the released retaining means at the other end.

26. In a machine of the class described, a guideway, magazines at opposite ends of the guideway and on the upper side thereof for receiving holders having removable plates carried thereby, means to feed holders from the rst magazine to the second, means to raise a holder from the guideway into the second magazine, a second guideway intersecting the rst mentioned guideway, a magazine adjacent one end of the second guideway to 5 receive plates and means to progress a plate from the last-named guideway to a holder in the rstnamed guideway while ejecting a plate from the opposite end of the holder.

27. The method of attaching printing plates to l0 carrying frames in which they may be held by means including a depressible latch, or detaching plates from such frames, comprising the steps of holding a frame, surmounting the latch thereof by a member which does not obstruct the travel l5 of the plate, causing relative movement between the frame and said member to depress the latch relative to the frame, then sliding the plate into or out of position on the frame across the depressed latch and over the top of the surmounting 20 member, and thereafter releasing the depressed latch.

28. The combination with a machine of the class described of a series of frames, each having a spring tongue adapted to underlie a printing 25 plate and provided with a raised abutment adapted to engage the end of the plate and terminating in a lip located above the top plane of the plate, means carried by the machine for engaging said lip and depressing it relative to the 30 body of the frame, and further means carried by said machine for moving a plate onto the frame over the depressed lip.

WALTER T. GOLLWITZER.

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