US2140006A

US2140006A - Method of and mechanism for registering sheets

Info

Publication number: US2140006A
Application number: US62706A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edwin W Goodwin
Original assignee: Dexter Folder Co
Current assignee: Dexter Folder Co
Priority date: 1936-02-06
Filing date: 1936-02-06
Publication date: 1938-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 1955-12-13

Description

Dec. 13, 1938. E. w. GOODWIN METHOD OF AND MECHANISM FOR REGISTERING SHEETS Original Filed Feb. 6, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Edw/n W. Goodw/n d. W ATTORN Dec. 13, 1938. w oogwm 2,140,006

METHOD OF AND MECHANISM FOR REGISTERING SHEETS Original Filed Feb. 6, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 55 AIR-- 1" g g INVENTOR.

E 2 Edwin W. Goqdwin.

ATTORNE Dec. 13, 1938. E. w. GOODWIN 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Edwin W. Goodwin.

a ATTORN METHOD OF AND MECHANISM FOR REGISTERING SHEETS Ongmal Flled Feb 6, 1956 Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES METHOD OF AND MECHANISM TERING SHEETS New Rochelle, N. C m any,

Edwin W. Goodwin,

to Dexter Folder FOR REGIS- Y., assignor New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application February 6, 1936, Serial Renewed November 2, 1938 20 Claims. (Cl. 271-58) This invention relates to a method of and mechanism for registering sheets and while capable of general use, is more particularly adapted for use in registering sheets with printing or other machines as the sheets are being fed automatically thereto by suitable means for this purpose.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of and mechanism for registering large or heavy sheets of cardboard, tin, or other similar materials.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of and mechanism for registering sheets which, through pulling and pushing forces simultaneously applied thereon at opposite edge portions thereof, enables large or heavy sheets to be more readily and accurately registered.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of and mechanism for registering sheets, which prevents buckling of the sheets while at the same time enabling pulling and pushing forces to be applied on opposite edge portions of said sheets to register same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of and mechanism for side registering sheets with respect to a machine to which the sheets are fed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide duplicate sheet registering mechanisms which act on opposite edge portions of the sheets simultaneously and which are reversable to move sheets in one direction or in a direction opposite thereto, as desired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide duplicate side registering mechanisms either or both of which may be used as desired to move the sheets laterally of a machine in one direction or in the opposite direction to side register the sheets with said machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide side registering mechanism which enables any sheet having a rough or ragged side registering edge to be accurately side registered without danger of displacement of the sheet from the proper position of registry therefor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide side registering mechanism which prevents the side registering edge of any sheet from riding up on the registering face of the side registering means.

These and other objects of the present invention will appear as the following description thereof proceeds and in order to more clearly understand said invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one mechanical embodiment of the inventive idea,

In said drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the front end of a sheet feeder looking from the left of Fig. 3 and showing sheet registering devices embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, looking from the right of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view I taken on the line 33 of Figs. 1 and 2 and showing a pair of sheet registering devices constructed and mounted in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of one of the sheet registering devices shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is an end view similar to Fig. 3 and illustrating diagrammatically the operation of said side registering devices.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, 5 indicates a feed board extending forwardly and downwardly from a sheet feeder proper (not shown) and provided with brackets 6 and 1 which are bolted or otherwise suitably secured frames 8 and 9, respectively at the front end of said feed board (Figs. 1 and 2). The frames 8 and 9 may, if desired, be bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the frames l0 and H of a printing press or other ni'achine to which the sheets are fed.

Extending forwardly from the sheet feeder proper and over the feed board 5 thereof are driven tapes l2 the front ends of which pass around a roller l3 that is journalled in suitable bearings on the frames 8 and 9. These frames 8 and 9 support the front end mechanism including side registering devices to be hereinafter described in detail. Frames 8 and 9 may, if desired, be connected with the side frames of the sheet feeder proper, as by tie bars M the forward ends of which are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to' the frames 8 and 9.

The front end frames 8 and 9 are provided with upwadly and rearwardly directed extensions l5 and I6 connected together at their rear ends by a supporting shaft [1 having secured thereto, as by thumb screws l8, a plurality of brackets l9. These brackets l9 have bolted or otherwise suitably secured thereto a plurality of top rods 20 to right and left hand extending longitudinally of the feed board 6 above the driven tapes i2 and serving to prevent displacement of thesheets 26 therefrom. The front end frames 6 and 9 are connected together by tie rods 2!, 22, 23 and 24, the tie rods 2| and 22 passing through suitable openings in the extensions l5 and I6, and the

tie rods

23 and 24 passing through suitable openings in the front end frames 6 and 9.

In accordance with the present invention each of the sheets 25 fed by the driven tapes 12 or other suitable means is, prior to delivery thereof to the printing press or other machine, side registered therewith both pulling and pushing the sheet laterally of said press or machine. For this purpose, two sets of side registering devices, indicated broadly at 26 and 21, are employed. These devices are preferably mounted in spaced relation on the front end of the feed board and may, if desired, be operated from the sheet feeder. As herein shown, however, said devices are operated from the press or other machine as follows.

Extending upwardly and rearwardly from said press or machine and driven in any suitable manner thereby, is a jack shaft 26 the upper end of which is journalled in a suitable bearing provided by a bracket 29 that is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the front end frame 6 (Figs. 1 and 3). This 'Jack shaft 26 has fixed on the upper end thereof a bevel pinion 36 which meshes with a bevel gear 3| that is fixed on a cam shaft 32 extending transversely of the front end mechanism and journalled in suitable bearings in the front end frames 6 and 9. The cam shaft 32 also has fixed thereon a spur gear 33 which meshes with a similar gear 34 journalled in any suitable manner on a bracket 35 that is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the front end frame 6.

The spur gear 34 meshes with a similar gear 36 journalled in any suitable manner on the bracket 35. This spur gear 36 meshes with a similar gear 31 that is flxed on one end of a shaft 36 for driving rotatable parts of the side registering

devices

26 and 21 hereinafter referred to. This shaft 36 is journalled in suitable bearings in the front end frames 6 and 9 and also in a center bracket 39 that is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the

tie bars

23, 24 and provides a bearing for the cam shaft 32.

It will thus appear that the shaft 36 is rotated to drive said rotatable parts of the side registering devices through the described driving connections for said shaft .with the jack shaft 26. The side registering

devices

26, 21 are identical in construction and operation and a description of one of said side registering devices will therefore be sufficient for both of the same. Each of these side registering devices is properly operated, mounted, and constructed as follows.

The driven shaft 36 above referred to is provided longitudinally thereof with a keyway 46. Fixed on and slidable along the shaft 36, as by a key 4i in keyway 46, is a spiral gear 42 that is enclosed in a housing indicated broadly at 43. This housing 43 is comprised by a cored block 44 slidably mounted on the shaft 36, and

side plates

45, 46 bolted or otherwise suitably secured to said block and slidably mounted on the

tie rods

23, 24. It will thus appear that the spiral gear 42, the housing 43, and all parts carried by said housing may be adjusted laterally of the front end mechanism in accordance with variations in width of the sheets to be registered,

and without disturbing the driving connections for shaft 36 with spiral gear 42 and the following described parts on said housing driven thereby.

The spiral gear 42 meshes with a similar gear 41 housed in the cored block 44 and fixed on a stud shaft 46 that is Journalled in suitablebearings in said block. This stud shaft 46'has one end projecting rearwardly from the block. and Journalled in a plate 49 bolted to said block and spaced at the upper end therefrom. Fixed on the stud shaft 46 between the block 44 and the plate 49 is a side registering wheel which forms the lower driven part of the side registering device. This wheel 56 is provided circumferentially and at the rear thereof with a beveled edge 5| enabling the sheets to more readily pass over the wheel prior to the side registering, operation. The block 44 and the

side plates

45, 46 have bolted or otherwise suitably secured thereto a plate 52 provided with a suitable opening through which the upper part of the wheel 50 extends. This plate 52 is also provided with a suitable recess for the upper part of the spiral gear 41.

The side plate 46 of the mechanism 21- has bolted or otherwise suitably secured thereto a bracket 53, the side plate 45 of the mechanism 26 having bolted or otherwise suitably secured thereto a similar bracket '53. This difference in mounting of the bracket 53 on the two

mechanisms

26, 21 is occasioned by the need of having the bracket 53 outside of the side edges of the sheet.

Cooperating with the lower side registering wheel 56 and vertically movable toward and away from the same is an upper registering or gripping wheel 54. This wheel 54 is journalled, as by an anti-friction bearing 55 and a stud 56, in the bifurcated end 51 of an arm 56.. This arm 56 is fixed on the reduced upper end 59 of a plunger 66, as by a lock nut 6| threaded on said upper end of said plunger. The upper wheel 54 projects downwardly through a suitable opening in a plate 62 for cooperation with the lower driven registering wheel 50. This plate 62 is provided around the inner side and ends thereof with a flared edge 63, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing, in order to enable the sheets to pass freely between said plate and the plate 52. The plate 62 is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the bifurcated end 51 of arm 58, the bolts or fastening means 64 (Fig. 3) passing through ears 65 secured to or formed integrally with-said plate.

Plate 62 is provided on the outer or registering side thereof with slots 66 within which extend a side registering block or abutment 61 that is provided with a slot 66 into which extends a tongue 69 formed on plate 62 between the slots 66, The side registering block or abutment 61 is bolted or otherwise suitably secured, as at 16, to the arm 56 ina slot H at the bottom thereof. The lower plate 52 is provided with slots and a tongue similar to the slots 66 and tongue 69, in order to receive and guide the side registering block or abutment 6'! during downward movement of the same with the arm 56.

The plunger 60 is mounted for reciprocating movement in a. suitable opening in the bracket 53. Turning movement of said plunger and the arm 56 such as would displace the upper wheel 54 from a position immediately above the lower wheel 50, is prevented by gibs 12. These gibs l2 bear against opposite flat sides of the arm 56 and are interposed between said arm and flat extensions 13 on the upper end of the bracket 53. Screws l4 threaded in the extensions 13 and bearing against the gibs I2 in suitable recesses therein serve to maintain the arm/58 and wheel 54 in proper position. These screws I4 also may be employed to adjust-said gibs and compensate for wear on said arm incident to its vertical reciprocating motion.

Secured on the lower end of the plunger 80, as by a set screw 15, is a pin 16 on which is' Journalled a roller 11 located between the plunger and an annular shoulder I8 of said pin. Outwardly beyond said shoulder the pin I8 is reduced and extends through a suitable opening in the lower end of a spring pressed rod I9 that is retained against displacement from the pin by a cotter pin or any suitable means for this purpose. The spring for rod I9 is indicated at 80 and extends therealong between a collar 8I secured on said rod and a tubular adjusting screw 82 in which the upper end of the rod extends. This screw 82 is threaded in a suitable opening of an extension 83 formed on the upper end of bracket -53 Screw 82 is provided with a suitable adjusting head BLand a lock nut 85.

Reciprocating motion of the plungers 50 and the upper wheels 54 is imparted thereto by oscillating bars 86 (Fig. 3) and the spring pressed rods 19. Each bar 86 is bolted or otherwise suitably secured on arms 81 that are fixed in any suitable manner on a rock shaft 88 which extends transversely of the front end mechanism and is journalled in suitable bearings in the front end frames 8 and 9 and the center bracket 39.

The arms 81 are cam operated in one direction and spring operated in the opposite direction to oscillate the bars 86. For this purpose, the rock shaft 88 has fixed thereon a cam lever 89 one arm 90 of which has journalled thereon in any suitable manner a roller 9I which engages a cam 92 that is fixed on the cam shaft 32. Another arm 93 on said cam lever is provided with. a pin 94 which extends through the lower apertured ends of a spring pressed rod 95 retained against displacement from said pin by a cotter pin or any suitable means for this purpose. The spring 96 for rod 95 extends over said rod between a collar 91 fixed thereon anda pin 98. The upper end of rod 95 extends through a suitable opening in pin 98 and said pin is secured in any suitable manner on the center bracket 39. It will thus appear that during rotation of cam shaft 32 the rock shaft 88 will, by the cam lever 89 and spring rod 95, be rocked and likewise rock the arms 8'! and the bars 86. The bars 86, together with the spring rods 19 will, in turn, reciprocate the plungers 60 so that the upper wheels 54 are moved vertically toward and away from the lower driven registering wheels 50.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be noted that each bar 86 is of substantial length. This is to enable the plunger 60 of the side registering devices 26, 2'! to be reciprocated regardless of variations in the position of said devices effected in accordance with variations in width of the sheets to be registered. Adjustment of the side registering devices in accordance with variations in width of the sheets is preferably effected through the medium of a clamping and adjusting handle 99 for each of said devices. The handle 99 is provided on the upper end of a shaft I the lower end IOI of which is rounded and threaded and extends through suitable openings in a split clamp I02 mounted on the stay shaft 23. The lower rounded end of shaft I00 is threaded in a part of clamp I02 and said clamp has threaded therethrough a pin I03 provided thereon at opcorresponding side registering device, and again tightening the clamp, each side registering device may be independently adjusted laterally of the front end mechanism as desired. Further, a fine or micrometer adjustment of each side registering device may be made after an initial adjustment thereof, by the adjusting and locking nuts I04 and pin I03.

The operation o fathe side registering devices will be readily understood from the foregoing and may be briefly summarized as follows. Assuming that the sheets are to be side registered to the left, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 7, the parts will be positioned as shown in full lines therein with the

side registering devices

28, 21 adjusted by the described means for this purpose and spaced apart so that when the upper wheels 54 descend and the sheet is initially gripped between said.

wheels and the lower wheels 50 the distance A (Fig. 7) from the left hand edge of the sheet to the adjacent registering block or abutment 61 is greater than the distance B between the right hand edge of the sheet and a vertical line C on the centers of the

adjacent wheels

50, 54. The right hand edge of the sheet 25 will therefore, during its lateral movement effected by

wheels

50, 54, pass out of the bite of the right

hand registering wheels

50, 54 before the left hand edge of the sheet strikes the left hand registering block or abutment 61. The side registering devices having been adjusted as aforesaid, the sheet feeder operates to feed the 'sheets one after another over the feed board to the driven conveyor tapes I2 which carry the sheets forward to the side registering devices. The side registering devices are operated in timed relation with the sheet feeder and the printing press or other machine to be fed and before each sheet reaches said devices the arms 58 and parts carried thereby are raised by the described means for this purpose, enabling the sheet, as it is being fed forwardly by tapes I2, to pass over the lower registering wheels 50 between plates 52 and 62. The front end of the sheet also passes over supporting tongues I05 and I06. The tongues I05 are secured in any suitable manner on blocks I01 that are bolted or otherwise suitably secured on the housings 43 at the fronts and tops thereof. The tongues I 06 are mounted in any suitable manner on the tie bar 23. After the sheet has been fedbetween plates 52, 62 and over wheel 50 and tongues I05, I06, said sheet is then stopped, as by engagement of its front end with drop guides (not shown), whereupon the arms 58 are lowered by the described means for this purpose and the sheet is gripped between the upper and

lower wheels

50, 54 of

devices

26, 21.

Wheels 50 of both of these devices are driven in the same direction so that the sheet is pulled by the

wheels

50, 54 of the left hand device 26 and pushed by the

wheels

50, 54 of the right hand device 21. These two devices being set as above described, the right hand edge of the sheet will pass out of the bite of the

adjacent wheels

50, 54 before the left hand edge of the sheet is pulled I for operation thereon in the usual manner.

In the event the sheetsare to be side registered to the right, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 7, of the drawings, the lower registering wheels 58 are both rotated in a direction opposite to that in which they are rotated when the sheet is side registered to the left. For this purpose, the driven shafir 38 is arranged for sliding as well as rotary movement in its bearings so that upon movement of said shaft. to the left, the gear 31 will mesh with a gear I88. This gear IE8 is journalled in any suitable manner on the bracket 35, and secured to said gear or compounded therewith in any suitable manner is a similar gear I89. This gear I I89 meshes with a gear H8 that is compounded with or secured in any suitable manner to the gear 35. Through the compound gears aforesaid, the wheels 58 of

side registering devices

28, 21 may, when gears 31, I88 are in mesh, be rotated to pull and push the sheet to the right, Figs. 3 and '7, instead of to the left as previously described. The operation is otherwise the same as first described except that in registering the sheet to the right, the two side registering devices 26,

21 are set so that the left hand edge of the sheet passes out of the bite of the left hand wheels 5), 54 before the right hand edge of the sheet is pulled laterally by the adjacent wheels 58, 54 into engagement with the right hand side registering block or abutment 81.

In order to shift the shaft 38 to operate the

side registering devices

28, 21 for right or left hand registering as above described, said shaft is provided on one end thereof with an operating knob or handle III. In the full line position of the parts shown in Fig. 3, wherein'the sheets are registered to the left, the shaft 38 is locked by a latch I I2 that is engaged over the shaft between frame 9 and a collar H3 of the knob or handle Ill. The latch may, if desired, be engaged with a pin Ill secured in and projecting outwardly from frame 8. When the sheets are to be registered to the left, Figs. 3 and 'I, the latch I I2 is raised and the shaft" is shifted to the left as before described, whereupon said shaft may be locked by engaging the latch 2 over the reduced portion H5 of handle or knob Ill between the latter and the collar 3.

Side registering mechanism embodying the present invention is particularly adapted for large sheets and sheets of heavy material such as tin, cardboard or the like, the side registering of which heretofore has sometimes been difficult because of the size and weight of such sheets. Side registering mechanism embodying the present invention may, however, be employed with smaller and lighter sheets and further, eitheroi' the

side registering devices

28, 21 may be employed without the other for this purpose. In this case, the side registering device which will not be employed, is thrown out of operation by locking the arm 58 in raised position. This is accomplished by a latch H5 pivoted on a stud H1 carried by one of the extensions 13 of bracket 53.

' This latch H5 is adapted to be engaged with and minating the gripping and pushing action on said disengaged from 'a reduced part H8 formed on plunger 80 below a head 8 thereon. The manner of locking the plunger 88 and arm 58 in raised position is illustrated in Fig. 5 by the dotted line showing therein of latch H8 and head ii 8.

It will be noted that the side registering abutment or block 81 is mounted on the arm 58 and raised and lowered therewith. This is a decided advantage in the feeding and registering of sheets having ragged or uneven edges because in such 1 cases, the registering block is raised up out of the way when the sheet is fed to the side registering device and also when it is fed therefrom to the press or other machine to be fed, so that interference of'the block with the sheet is prevented and perfect registry of the sheet is obtained and maintained regardless of the formation of the registering edge of the sheet.

It will further be noted that the tongue 88 on the upperregistering plate 82 prevents the edge 5 of the sheet from riding up on the inner or registering face of the block or abutment 81. This is a decided advantage in the operation of side registering thin stock or curled stock, the edges of which might, in some cases, ride up on said 5 block as aforesaid, with resulting imperfect or improper registry of the sheets.

It will also be noted that the springs 88 of rods 19 not only act to move arms 58 and upper wheels 54 downwardly but also act to maintain the sheet 3 gripped between said wheels and lower wheels 50 until said arms are raised by bars 88. Further, the degree, of gripping action of

wheels

50, 54 on the sheet may be regulated or adjusted as desired by turning screws 82 in one direction or the other a to increase or decrease the tension of springs 88.

While one embodiment of the present invention is herein illustrated and described with more or less particularity, it is to be expressly understood that said invention is not limited to said embodiment or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention which I claim is:

1. In a sheet registering mechanism, means acting on a side portion of a sheet to pull it laterally of a machine into a position of side registry therewith, means acting on an opposite side portion of the sheet to grip and push it laterally of said machine toward said position, and devices for adjusting and spacing said means relatively so that the sheet is released by its pushing means as said sheet is about to be pulled into said position by said pulling means.

2. The method of side registering a sheet, which comprises pulling on one side portion of the sheet and moving it laterally into a position of side registry therefor, gripping and pushing on an opposite side portion of the sheet while it is being pulled and moved laterally as aforesaid, and tersheet as it is about to be moved into said position.

3. In a sheet registering mechanism, means for selectively moving a sheet in one direction or another to register it, and devices forming part of said means and acting to grip and pull on one edge portion of the sheet and grip and push on an opposite edge portion thereof in either direction of movement of the sheet aforesaid.

4. In a sheet registering mechanism, means for selectively moving a sheet laterally of a machine in one direction or another to side register the sheet therewith, and devices forming part of said means and acting to grip and pull on one side portion of the sheet and grip and push on an opposite side portion thereof in either direction of movement of the sheet aforesaid.

5. In a sheet registering. mechanism, means for pulling a sheet in one direction, means for pushing the sheet in that direction, and mechanism for reversing the operation of both said means without displacement thereof so that a sheet may be pulled and pushed thereby in the opposite direction.

6. In mechanism of the character described, a side registering device, rotary means for moving a sheet laterally into engagement therewith, and means for raising said device above the sheet after engagement of said sheet therewith.

7. In mechanism of the character described, a side registering device, means for raising it before a sheet is fed past the same, means for thereafter lowering the side registering device, and rotary means for moving the sheet laterally into engagement with said device when it has been lowered.

8. In mechanism of the character described, a side registering device, means for lowering the same, rotary means for moving a sheet laterally into engagement with the device when it has been lowered, and means for raising the device before the sheet is fed past the'same to said sheet moving means and after said sheet has been engaged thereby with said device.

9. In a sheet registering mechanism, a lower rotary sheet moving member, an upper rotatable sheet engaging member movable toward and away from said lower member, and a sheet registering device or abutment mounted on said upper member and movable thereby into and out of the plane of the sheet.

10. In a sheet registering mechanism, opposed rotary sheet gripping and moving members, means for moving one member toward and away from the other, and a sheet registering device or abutment mounted on a part of said means and nlilovzzble thereby into and out of the plane of the s cc 11. In a sheet registering mechanism, a sheet registering device, means for moving a sheet into engagement therewith, a plate adjacent the sheet registering device and under which the sheet is moved thereto by said means, means interconnecting the plate and the sheet registering device for preventing the registering edge of the sheet from riding up on the registering face of said device, and means for actuating the plate and the sheet registering device and moving the latter into and out of operative position.

12. In a sheet registering mechanism, an 0sciliating bar, a support parallel therewith, a carriage or housing mounted on the support and movable longitudinally of the latter and the bar to various positions of adjustment, a plunger slidably mounted on the carriage or housing and actuated vertically in one direction by the oscillating bar in any position of adjustment of said carriage or housing longitudinally of said bar. spring means interposed between the carriage or housing and said plunger for actuating the latter vertically in the opposite direction, and a sheet engaging member mounted on the plunger and reciprocated thereby.

13. In a sheet registering mechanism, sheet moving and gripping means comprising a pair of spaced sheet moving wheels and a. pair of spaced sheet grippers cooperating with the wheels and movable toward and away from the same, and means for selectively driving both of said wheels in one direction or in a direction opposite thereto.

14. In a sheet registering mechanism, sheet moving wheels arranged in spaced relation, means for driving both wheels in one direction to move a sheet toward one side of a machine to which it is fed, and means for driving both wheels in the opposite direction to move a sheet toward the opposite side of said machine.

15. In a sheet registering mechanism, spaced sheet moving wheels, means for selectively driving both of said wheels in one direction or in a direction opposite thereto and including shiftable gear means, and means for shifting said shiftable gear means.

16. In a sheet registering mechanism, spaced sheet moving wheels, means for selectively driving both of said wheels in one direction or in a direction opposite thereto and including shiftable gear means, means movable to different positions for shifting said gear means, and means for locking said shifting means in each of said positions.

17. In a sheet registering mechanism, means for acting on one side edge portion of a sheet and provided with opposed movable gripping surfaces that engage the sheet at the top and bottom thereof adjacent said side edge portion and pull the sheet into a position of side registry therefor, and means for acting on an opposite side edge portion of the sheet and provided with opposed movable gripping surfaces that engage the sheet at the top and bottom thereof adjacent said last named side edge portion and push said sheet toward said position during sheet gripping and pulling action of said first named means.

18. The method of registering a sheet, which comprises imparting movable gripping action on the top and bottom surfaces of the sheet adjacent one side edge thereof and pulling the sheet into a position of side registry therefor, and imparting movable gripping action on the top and bottom surfaces of the sheet adjacent the opposite side edge thereof and pushing said sheet toward said position.

19. In a sheet registering mechanism, means for acting on one side edge portion of a sheet and including opposed movable gripping elements that engage the sheet at the top and bottom thereof adjacent said ride edge portion and pull the sheet into a position of side registry therefor, and means for acting on an opposite side edge portion or the sheet and for pushing the sheet toward said position during the sheet gripping and pulling action thereon, said last named means including a positively actuated element engaging a surface of the sheet adjacent said last named edge portion thereof.

20. The method of side registering a sheet, which comprises movably applying gripping action on top and bottom surfaces of the sheet adjacent one side edge portion thereof and pulling the sheet into a position of side registry therefor, and pushing the sheet toward said position by applying movable pushing action on a surface of the sheet adjacent an opposite side edge portion thereof.

E W. GOOD.