US2179534A - Machine for separating, counting, delivering, wrapping, and addressing sheet material - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 14, 1939. o. E WOLFF 2.179.534

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING, COUNTING, DELIVERING,

WRAPPING, AND ADDRESSING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Sept. 27, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 14, 1939.

O. E, WOLFF MACHINE FOR SEPARATING, COUNTING, DELIVERING,

WRAPPING, AND ADDRESSING SHEET MATERIAL I Filed Sept. 27, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Nov. 14, 1939. o. E, WOLFF 2,179534 MACHINE FOR SEPARATING, COUNTING, DELIVERING, WRAPPING, AND ADDRESSING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Sept. 27, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY Nov. 14, 1939. o, E, wo 2,179,534

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING, COUNTING, DELIVERING, WRAPPING, AND ADDRESSING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Sept. 27, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ZNVENTOR BY MM ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 14, 1939 PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR. SEPARATING,

COUNTING,

DELIVERING, WRAPPING, AND ADDRESS- ING SHEET MATERIAL Otto E. Wolff, Arlington, Mass., assignor to Paul S. Bauer, Belmont, Mass., trustee of the R. S.

Bauer Trust Application September 27, 1937, Serial No. 165,888

28 Claims.

The present invention relates to means for handling sheet material, and more particularly such sheet material as newspapers and periodicals.

As newspapers, for example, are delivered from the press, they are collected into bundles containing the proper number to be forwarded to the various newsdealers, and the bundles are-then usually wrapped in preaddressed wrappers. These operations have heretofore been performed partly or wholly by hand.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new machine for automatically performing several or all of the various operations of separating the newspapers or other sheet material, counting them out, delivering the counted objects to a wrapper, and addressing the wrapper.

Another object is to provide a novel addressing machine, in combination with a selecting device, the purpose of which is to permit the grouping or stacking of a predetermined number of the objects.

A further object is to vary the said predetermined number.

A further object is to provide a novel addressing-and-selecting device arranged to place automatically on the wrapper or container the name, address and such other insignia as may be desired, such as the number of objects contained in that wrapper.

The present invention relates also to sheetfeeding-and-counting machines, and more particularly to machines for counting sheets or bundles of sheets. This feature of the invention has particular application to the counting of newspapers, either as they come from the press, or returned newspapers, magazines and the like, but is applicable also to other articles, like paper sheets.

Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a machine embodying the present invention in its preferred form; Fig. 2 is an end view of the selector-and-addressing mechanism embodied in the machine of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 1, but on a larger scale, the section being taken upon the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the selector mechanism, taken upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 5, looking to the left, in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken upon the line 55 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 6 is a corresponding end view, looking from the right of Fig. 5; Fig. '7 is a plan of an address plate; Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken upon the line 8-8 of Fig. 3, but upon a larger scale, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken upon the line 99 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 10 is a detail view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 9, but upon a larger scale; Fig. 11 is a horizontal section taken upon the line ||l| of Fig. 3, but upon a larger scale, looking downward in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 12 is a circuit diagram of the selector; and Fig. 13 is a section taken upon the line |3--l3 of Fig. 5, looking to the right, in the direction of the arrows.

A plurality of newspapers or other sheets 2 are shown in Fig. 1 in lapped relation, upon inclined continuously traveling conveyor belts 3, mounted over pulleys It. The left-hand ends (as shown in Fig. 1) of the inclined conveyor belts 3 may be disposed adjacent to a newspaper press, a stack of newspapers, another conveyor 62, or any other source of supply of newspapers. The belts 3 receive the newspapers 2 from the source of supply and feed them under a lower projecting finger of an inclinedly disposed shield wall 5, disposed in the path of travel of the papers, just beyond the right-hand ends of the conveyor belts 3, into a hopper 339, between the wall 5 and a similarly inclinedly disposed shield wall II. The shield wall II is also disposed in the path of travel of the papers. Though the machine is shown in connection with newspapers, preferably fed with one of the edges 1 forward, it will be understood that other sheet material, such as magazines and other periodicals, may also be treated in this machine, or parts thereof; and the terms newspaper, paper, sheet and the like will, therefore, to avoid circumlocution of language, he often employed in the specification and the claims, in this generic sense, except where the context or the state of the art may require otherwise.

If the hopper 339 is empty, the newspapers 2 are conveyed thereinto by the conveyor 3, under the shield wall 5', and on to a conveyor that is disposed at the bottom of the hopper 339, constituted of inclinedly disposed continuously traveling belts 9. The belts 9 are spaced slightly below the shield wall I I, but the space or gap or opening between them may be blocked or closed, as hereinafter described. The number of belts rariiy blocked. The second newspaper 2 is simi-.

larly carried forward, to the right, on top of the first newspaper 2, until its further progress is similarly blocked. The third newspaper 2 is similarly carried forward, to the right, on top of the second newspaper, into similar engagement with the wall II, and so on.

The conveyor 3 continues thus to feed the papers 2, in superposed relation, into the hopper 339, until the level of the stack of papers thus accumulated therein is high enough to touch the bottom projecting finger of the shield 5, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1. As no more sheets can then be fed past the shield 5, the level of papers on the belts 3 in the hopper 339, and their consequent weight upon the belts 9, will be practically constant.

When the said space between the shield wall H and the. belts 9 becomes opened, as will be explained more fully hereinafter, the conveyor belts 9 will feed the lowermost newspapers 2 in the hopper 339 forward, under the shield H and into the space outside, to the right of the hopper 339, as viewed in Fig. 1. The next-lowest paper will then be similarly fed out 01'' the hopper, and so on. The shield wall I I may be made adjustable to regulate the said space between the finger I6 and the belts; 9, thereby to control the number of newspapers 2 passing thereunder at any one time.

After the P pers have thus been caused to travel out of the hopper 339, they are fed further forward toward a table 9|, on which they become accumulated in the form of a stack 39. During the feeding of the papers out of the hopper 339, and before they reach the table 9|, they are "counted; As each newspaper 2 advances from left to right, as viewed in Fig. 1, out of the hopper 339, its forward edge 1 engages, and passes under, a counting finger l3, illustrated more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, above the right-hand portions of the belts 9.

Each raising and lowering of the counting finger |3 will result in registering a count, as will be hereinafter explained, to indicate that another newspaper 2 has been conveyed by the conveyor belts 9 from out of the hopper 339 and stacked on the table 9|.

After leaving the counting finger i3, the papers 2 are fed into the bite between vertically disposed continuously traveling lift belts l1 and 2| of a 'conveyor, the delivery end of which feeds the newspapers 2, as they are received from the hopper 339, vertically upward. The conveyor belts I! pass over a lower pulley or roll 51, a discharge pulley or roll 21, and smaller pulleys or rolls 3|, and 41. The conveyor belts 2| pass over the pulley 21, an intermediately disposed pulley 59, and an idler pulley 23. To maintain tension in the belts 2|, the idler pulley 23 is free to move in a vertically disposed arc at the end of arms -||l| pivoted to the frame of the machine at I03.

In order to maintain the point of delivery of the papers 2 above the topmost paper of the stack 89, the said delivery end of the conveyor, including the upper portions of the belts" and 2|, and the rolls 21 and 3|, is disposed above the belts 9 and the table 9|.

The discharge pulleys or rolls 21 and 3| are carried by arm members 31 that are freely movable vertically. In this vertical movement, they are guided by wheels 4|5, that are carried by the arm members 31, so as to rollon' a vertically disposed track of a supporting column 2|.

Upon reaching the bite between the conveyor belts l1 and 2|, the papers are turned upward, around the large pulley 51, andgiioward and over the pulley 21. Each paper 2 is'then fed from above the table 9|, at the left thereof, as viewed in Fig. 1, at a downward inclifr'fie, on to the top of the stack 89 accumulated on the table 9|. During this downwardly inclined feeding, the papers travel over a downwardly inclined guide 39, and under downwardly inclined guide arms or members 55, toward and against stops, constituted of integrally bent portions 53 of the guide members 55. The bent portions 53 project downward, so as to be engaged by the forward edges 1 of the newspapers, thus limiting the further travel of the papers. The newspapers thus become successively deposited on the top of the stack 39 on the 'table 9|, each on top of the previously deposited paper 2, in engagement with the stops 53. The stack 39 rises higher and higher as the newspapers are successively conveyed thereto, until the desired number of newspapers, as determined by the count of the counting finger l3, has been collected in the stack 39. The guide members 55 constitute part of the elevator assembly that moves up with the discharge pulleys or rolls 21 and 3| as the height of the stack 39 increases.

The guide members 55 are respectively disposed-lat opposite sides of the center of the stack 39 of the papers, and predetermine the position occupied by the stack 39 on the table 9|. To equalize the pressure exerted by them on the uppermost sheet of the stack 39, these two guide members 55 may be separated by a yoke 49 that is pivoted at 35 to an arm 4|. The guide members 55 are thus always maintained in proper position for guiding the papers to the top of the stack 39.

Through the medium of the yoke 49 and the arm 4|, the freely movable rolls 21 and 3| and the arm members 31 by which they are carried, the upper portion of the conveyor 2|, and related parts are automatically raised vertically, in accordance with the height of the stack 39. This is effected by the impact of the papers, passing under the guides 55, in opposition to the force of gravity. The weight of the parts normally maintains the guide arms 55 yieldingly in en-, gagement with the "top of the stack 89 and pressing yleldingly downward thereon. To reduce the upward force which the papers must exert in order to lift the guide members 55 higher and higher as they travel thereunder, a counterweight I is connected to the members 31 by cords 422, running over pulleys |3| and I29.

The idler pulley 23 and related parts move up and down with the delivery end of the conveyor l1, 2|. The lowermost positions of the pulleys 21 and 3| and the arms ||l| with the idler pulley 23 are indicated in Fig. lby dotted lines.

At such times as the said space under the shield wall H and above the belts 9 is blocked, so as to stop the further feed of the newspapers 2 out of the hopper 339, it is desirable that the continuously traveling belts 9 do not engage the loweris, therefore, made for lifting the stack of newspapers in the hopper 339 up, on.- of contact with the belts 9, in synchronism with the movements of the other parts of the machine. The mechanism for bringing this about will now be described.

A table I2 is constituted of a plurality of bar supports respectively disposed between the belts 3. These bar supports are rigidly secured together, in a common frame-work, to a pivotally mounted rod I25. The table I2 normally occupies an ineffective position, below the surface of the plzrality of belts of the conveyor 3. In this ineffective position, the table I2 does not interfere with the feeding of the newspapers 2 by the belts 9 out of the hopper 339, through the said space under the shield wall I I. Upon the completion of a cycle of operations, immediately after every feeding of the desired predetermined number of papers 2 out of the-hopper 339,'the table I2 is raised pivotally as a unit about the rod I25, from its normally inefiective position, up between the belts 9, into its effective position.

This may be brought about in any desired man-' ner, as by a half-revolution of a cam I05. It is this raising of the table I2 that results in blocking the said gap or space under the shield wall lI, thus stopping the further feed of the papers out of the hopper 339 below the shield II. It results also, however, in lifting the newspapers 2 up off the belts 9, so that the belts 9 could not further convey the newspapers out of the hopper 339 even if the said space'were not blocked. Upon the lowering of the table I2 from its eflective position, above the belts 9, to its ineffective position, below these belts. the feeding of the papers 2 out of the hopper 333 by the belts 9 recommences, and the machine goes through another cycle of operations.

The raising of the table I2, upon the completion of each cycle of operations, is automatically effected by the cam I05, in synchronism with the operation of the rest of the machine. It is s milarly automatically lowered at the commencement of a new cycle of operations. The circuits for effecting this result will be described hereinafter. The cam I05, which thus controls the feed of the papers below the shield I I, is controlled by an electromagnetic coil 22I that may be operated in the same manner as other electromagnetc coils described at considerable length in application, Serial No. 43,928, filed October 7, 1935, which matured, on October 11, 1938, into Letters Patent 2,132,451. The circuit of the coil 22I is controlled in accordance with a counter-andselector mechanism, illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, under the control of the counting finger I3. One semi-revolution of the shaft I10, at the end of a cycle of operations, results in the cam I05 raising the table I2 to stop the feed. The next semi-revolution of the shaft I10, at the commencement of a new cycle of operations, results in the lowering of the cam I05, and the consequent lowering of the table I2 by gravity, whereupon the feeding of the papers 2 out of the hopper 333 by the belts recommences.

\ If the papers are fed forward with a folded end leading, they naturally arrive on the table 30 in the same way. When the correct number of papers, twenty-five as an illustration, have been so fed and stacked on the table 9|, thetable I2 is raised to stop the feed of additional papers, the guide arms 55 are likewise raised, and the table and the stack thereon turned a half revolution, in order to alternate the folded edges, by means below the hopper 339, as viewed in 'Fig. 1.

of a shaft 95 on which the table 9| is supported. The guide arms 55 are then dropped, so as to become restored in effective position, the table I2 is lowered and the feed of the papers is resumed, resulting in a reversed position of the newspapers on the stack.

To effect the raising of the guide arms 55, a lug I53 on one arm of a. bell crank I55 is moved up against the cord 422 upon the downward movement of the connecting rod I50 that is connected to the other arm of the bell crank. The lug I50 is provided with frictional material that binds frictionally against the cord 422 as the lug I53 is moved upward, thus pulling the cord 422 upward and to the left, thereby causing the raising of the guide arms 55 and the parts attached thereto.

To turn the table 9|, a half revolution is effected, in timed relation to the operations above described, of a shaft 423, on which there is mounted a crank 429 connected with one end of a connecting rod 430. The other end of the connecting rod 430 is provided with a rack 43I that meshes with a gear 432 secured to the shaft 95. The face of the gear 432 is wide enough so that it will still be in mesh with the rack 43I when the table 3| is in its lowermost position, as presently to be described. For every half-revolution of the shaft 423, obviously, the shaft 95 will be turned through a half revolution; and when the shaft 428 is returned to its original position, the shaft 35 will likewise be returned to its original position. These half-revolutions will be effected at the end of the feeding of the papers 2 in groups of twentyfive or any other desired number.

To remove the stack of sheets. the table 9| is lowered below elongated rolls 523, which are turned from a shaft 425 by belts 425 and pulleys 424. To this end, the table 9| may be constituted of parallelly disposedslats alternating in position with the positions of the rolls 523, so that the slats may be lowered below the rolls 523 in the spaces between these rolls. When the level of the table 9| is thus lowered under that of the tops of the rolls 523, the papersv 2, being thus lowered into contact with the moving rolls 523, are moved by them off the table 9| and on to a table (not shown) at the side of the machine, either in front of or behind the plane of the papers, as viewed in Fig, 1. The table 9| is lowered by rotation of a cam 99 engaging against a follower 421 at the lower end of the shaft 95.

The wrapping paper is fed intermittently from a roll or reel of wrapping paper 261 that is mounted to turn upon a spindle or rod I20, disposed at the left-hand side of the machine, and a little From the roll 251, the wrapping-paper web I22 rises substantially vertically to a guide roll 211, over which it passes to the right, over a platen I26 and under a backing plate 3I3 of the addressing mechanism. As will be explained here nafter. the platen I26 is intermittently moved upward to force the interposed wrapping-paper web I 22 against a type-backed ribbon 3 between the web I22 and an address plate 205. Different address plates 205 will thus produce diiferent addresses and other insignia upon the web I22.

At a suitable moment, the portion of the web I 22 thus addressed is fed forward, to the right, between feed rolls 28I and 283, the former of which is larger than the latter, and may be constituted of rubber, while the latter may be constituted of metal. One revolution of the feed roll 28I about its shaft 32I results in feeding the required length of wrapper from the reel 261. Such revolution of the feed roll 231 will be produced after a predetermined degree of rotation of the shaft 386, as .will be explained later. The web .122 is fed between a cutter bed 289 and a'cutter roll 293; and, over a guide 299 (Fig. 3), to the belts 3. The cutter roll 130 is mounted upon a shaft 233. At the completion of the revolution of the feed roll 281, the cutter roll 238 is actuated, in synchronism with the other movementsof the machine parts, to make one revolution, thereby severing the addressed wrapper or snipe from the remainder of the web 122.

The papers passing under the finger 13 (Fig. 3) close contact members 341 to make a circuit which energizes an electromagnet 325 to turn a ratchet wheel 323 one tooth for each paper. The ratchet wheel 323 is fixed to a shaft 211, which extends into the frame of the selector 133. The electromagnet 325 actuates an armature 323 connected with a spring-controlled intermediately pivoted double pawl 321 for actuating the counterratchet wheel 323, to count the sheets fed by the conveyor 9 out of the hopper 339. One of the teeth of the pawl is held normally in engagement with a ratchet tooth of the ratchet wheel 323 by a spring, but is adapted to be rocked, in one direction, out of contact therewith, in opposition to the action of the spring, by the magnetic field of the coil 325. The other tooth of the pawl will, at the same time, become moved into engagement with another tooth of the ratchet wheel 323, thereby effecting one step of movement of the counter. Upon the opening of the circuit of the coil 325, the spring will rock the pawl 321 in the opposite direction, to cause the said other tooth to disengage the ratchet wheel, and the first-named tooth to reengage the ratchet wheel, thereby effecting a further step of movement of the ratchet wheel. The pawl thus moves like an ordinary escapement, its two teeth engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel alternately to effect stepby-step movement of the ratchet wheel. The shaft 211 rotates a contact arm 213 (Figs. 4 to 6) over a circular row of contact members 215, so as to engage these contact members 215 successively. The connection of the arm 213 to the shaft 211 is through a disc clutch 235, which is pressed, by a spring 406, against an intermittent gear member 259 (Fig. 13) that is fixed to the contact arm 213. The gear member 259 is so arranged with reference to a train of gears 400. 403 and 401 that it moves a contact arm 211 from one contact point 219 of a circular row of contact members 215 to the next as the arm 213 completes each revolution. The gears 400 and 403 are integrally connected together, the former meshing with the gear member 259 and the latter with the gear 401. The gear 401 is mounted upon a shaft 401 that drives the contact arm 21'! frictionally in the same manner that the shaft 2| 1 drives the contact arm 213 frictionally through the same kind of clutch 235, pressed by a spring 405 against an intermittent gear member 229 to which the contact arm 211 is fixed.

With twenty-five contact members 215, numbered 0 to 24 in Fig. 12, and all of which may be successively closed in the course of one revolution of the arm 213, the movement of the shaft 211 between any two contact members 215,--the 24th and 25th contact members, for example,will cause the aforesaid movement of the contact arm 211 from one contact member 219 to the next contact member 219. Thirteen contact members 219 are shown in Fig '12, marked 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 1'75, 200, 225, 250, 275 and 300.

The circuits of the contact members 215 and 219, respectively, are further controlled by previously closed pairs of contact members 206, 201 under the control of lugs 201 on an address plate 205.

As shown arbitrarily, there are twenty-five pairs of contact members 206, numbered 0 to 24 in Fig. 12, and thirteen pairs of contact members 201, marked 0, 25, 50, '75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275 and 300 in the same Fig. 12. The maximum count 01. the unit row 206, therefore, is 24, the 25th and its multiples being counted oil! on the group row 201. 01' course, any number may be applied to each row, but in the case of newspapers, 25 is convenient as they are turned in groups of 25 or multiples of 25.

Two rows of contact members 208 and 201 are shown because, for the quantity to be covered, accuracy and convenience could not be obtained by placing 300 contacts in one row. The contact arm 213 constitutes 2. units counter, cooperating with the contact members 206, and the contact arm 211 constitutes a multiple counter, in multiples of 25, cooperating with the contact members 201. If a greater count were needed. however, it would be possible to extend the number of scales 409 and 411.

Each of the contact members 215 is wired to one of the sets of contact members 206 (Fig. 12) I and each of the contact members 219 is wired to one of the sets of contact members 201. For example, the first or 0.contact member, 215 is connected by a conductor 413 with the first or 0 pair of contact members 206; the second or 1 contact member 215 by a conductor 415 with the second or 1 pair of contact members 206; the third or 2 contact member 215 by a conductor 411 with the third or 2 pair of contact members 206; and so on; the last or 24 contact member 215 being connected by a conductor 413 with the last or 24 pair of contact members 206. The first or 0 contact member 211 is similarly connected by a conductor 421 with the first or 0 pair of'contact members 201; the second or 25 contact member 213 by a conductor 423 with the second or 25 pair of contact members 201; the third or 50 contact member 211 by a conductor 425with the third or 50 pair oficontact members 201; and so on; the last or 300 contact member 219 being connected by a conductor 421 with the last or 300 pair of contact members 201.

There are two lugs 201 on each address plate 205, one on each side (Fig. 7). They are manually adjustable to any of a plurality of positions along scales 409 and 411 at the sides of the address plate for the purpose of closing any desired pair of contact members 206 and any desired pair of contact members 201, thus to count out a desired number of papers, as will presently be explained. The divisions of the lower scale 411 are units of 25, and the divisions of the upper scale 409 correspond to individual counts. These lugs 201 are so arranged on the plate 205 that, when the plate 205 is moved into position under the two rows of contact members 296, 201, one of the lugs 201 will close a ,pair of contact members 206 and the other lug 201 a pair of contact members 201. Which two contact members 206 or 201 will be closed by the respective lugs 201 depends on the position of the lugs 201 on the address plate 205, and the lugs 201 are manually actuable selectively to any desired position.

The position of the lugs 201 on the address the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, when the plate determines, therefore, the place on the rows of contact members 215 and 219 where the simultaneous contacts of the arms 213 and 211 will effect a closing of the circuit. This circuit, as before stated, is through the electromagnetic mechanism 221, which stops the feed of the papers past the shield 11, thereby rendering the feeding means 9 ineffective at the end of the feeding of a predetermined number of the sheets 2.

The electric system is normally ineffective to energize the coil 221, though the lower contact members 205 and 201 are continuously connected into circuit, in series with a source of energy, such as a battery 431. The circuit extends from the battery 431, through the coil 221, and the lower contact members 201 marked 0, 25, 50, to the pair of contact members 201 that are closed by one of the lugs 201; thence, by way of one of the conductors, some of which are indicated at 421, 423, 425 and 421, to the corresponding contact member 219; thence through the contact arm 211, and by way of a conductor 433, to the contact arm 213 and one of the contact members 215; thence, by way of one of the conductors, some of which are indicated at 413, 415, 411 and 419, to that pair of contact members 206 that are closed by the otherlug 201 and that are connected to the said contact member 215; and thence through the lower contact members 206 below the said pair of closed contact members 206, as viewed in Fig. 12, back to the other side of the battery 431. The closing of this circuit by the said closed pairs of contact members 206 and 201 and the said contact members 215 and 219 at the end of a predetermined count of the counter, determined by the positions of the lugs 201, will effect the energization of the coil 221, thus rendering the circuit effective to actuate the cam 105, as before described, and thus stop the feed of the papers 2 out of the hopper 339 below the shield 11. It will be noted that the arms 213 and 211 can not, in themselves, effect this result; they must cooperate with the pairs of contact members 200 and 201 that have previously been closed by-the lugs 201, and, at a predetermined point of their rotation, this they do by controlling those contact members 215 and 211 that are connected into circuit with the said closed contact members 206 and 201. The circuit isunder the control of a switch 533.

The selector arms 213 and 211 must be reset to the starting position as a new plate 205 is moved into place. This is effected by mechanism now to be described.

At the completion of the count, a wrapper or label, with the adress thereon, is fed on the stack, or to some other suitable place, from the roll of paper 261, by a single rotation of the feed roll 281 driven by the shaft 321 (Figs. 2 and 3). This shaft 321, as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 2, drives also, through the medium of a chain 338, the shaft 223 of the selector that shifts the address plates 205. Pinned or otherwise fixed to the shaft 223 are gears 221, cut away at 415, as shown more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5. Two similar but smaller gears 229', on the same shafts 2H and 401 that respectively hold the contact arms 213 and 211, are also cut away, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

If the arms 213 and 211 are not in the starting positions, the rotation of the gears 221 will bring them into mesh with the gears 229, and rotate them, against the friction of the clutches 235, until the cut-away sections are brought into gears 221 and 229 will no longer mesh, and the arms 213 and 211 will then have been brought to the starting positions. The shaft 223 and the gears 221 will continue turning until returned to the positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this position, the gears 229 cannot mesh with the ears 221 when the counting begins.

The closing 'of the stop-feed circuit is effected as follows: The shaft 211 is driven from the counter 323, which makes a 25th of a revolution for each article counted. This serves to move the contact arm 213 from one contact member 215 to the next contact member 215 over the circle of 25 contacts. As the arm passes from the 24 contact member to the 0 contact member 215, the contact arm 211 is moved through the above-described intermittent gearing A of a revolution from one contact member 219 to the next contact member 219. When each arm 213 or 211 is in engagement with the contact member 215 or 211 that is in circuit wtih the contact members 206 or 201 that have been closed by the address plate 205, the circuit through the stop-feed mechanism relay 221 is closed, causing actuation of the cam 105, and us preventing the feed of further sheets 2 out of the hopper 339 by the conveyor 9. The arms 213' and 211 are then moved to their initial positions by a single rotation of the shaft 223. As the cut-away gears 221 are fixed to the shaft 223, they rotate from their inefiective positions to engage the cut-away gears 229, rotating with them, through the abovedescribed friction clutches 235, the respective arms 213 or 211, assuming that these do not already happen to be in the starting positions. This also returns the intermittent gear 259 to its initial position, so that it will not turn the arm 211 until the 25th paper has been counted off.

In addition to the address and other desired insignia from the plate 205, two scales (not shown) corresponding to the scales 409 and 411 on the plate 205, may be printed on the label, wrapper or tag that goes with the stack, along with the address and other data. Holes 195 in the plate 205 accommodate a projection 209 on the bottom of each lug 201. These projections 209 extend through the address plate to a position below the bottom thereof. As these projections indicate, by their position on the plate 205, the number of papers counted, they are utilized to print or otherwise make marks on the label, wrapper or tag opposite the said scales (not shown) to indicate what quantity is contained in that group.

The plates are initially stacked in the magazine 2113. A cut-out 500 in the plate slides over a vertical slide 501. This insures that no plate will be placed in the magazine in the reversed position.

A fork 303, oscillating about a pivot 301, engages an anti-friction lug 305 to operate a slide 301 in ways 309. The slide 301 thus moves the lowermost plate 205 from under the magazine 216 to a definite position underneath the backing plate 313, at the same time, moving the previous plate 205 into the receptacle 215', over a spring 311. In this position of the plate 205 under the backing plate 313, the lugs 201 will be under the contact members indicated on the address plate. The plate remains in this position while the papers are being counted off and, at the same .ime, the name and address and other insignia are printed from the plate on to the wrapper label.

Above the backing plate 3l3, a member 4'29 carries the wiring 3 through a cover plate 3I5.

Modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such are considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine of the class described comprising a receptacle for holding address plates. the receptacle having a single irregularity only to correspond to single irregularities only in the address plates in order to insure proper positioning of the address plates in the receptacle.

2. In combination, a plate provided with a plurality of openings, an adjustable lug adapted to be received adjustably in and to project through the openings, and means cooperating with the projecting portion of the lug to mark an object.

3. A machine of the class described comprising a receptacle for holding plates, the receptacle having an interiorly disposed single irregularity only to correspond to single irregularities only in the address plates in order to insure proper positioning of the address plates in the receptacle.

4. In a counter, a plurality of units-count contact members for determining a unit count, a plurality of multiple-count contact member for determining a multiple count, and an element having means for respectively cooperating with the units-count and the multiple-count contact members to render them selectively effective.

5. In a counter, a plurality of unitscount contact members for determining a unit count, a plurality of multiple-count contact members for determining a multiple count, and an element having adjustable means for respectively cooperating with the units-count and the multiplecount contact members to render them selectively effective according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

6. In a counter, a plurality of units-count contact members for determining a unit count, a plurality of multiple-count contact members for determining a multiple count, an element provided with a plurality of scales, and means adjustable with respect to the respective scales for rendering the contact members selectively effective according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

7. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, means for collecting a plurality of objects, electrically controlled means for controlling the collecting means, and means comprising an element provided with adjustable means for controlling the electrically controlled means to control the number of objects collected according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

8. Apparatus oi the character described having, in combination, means comprising an electric circuit for stacking a plurality of sheets, and means comprising an element provided with adjustable means for controlling the circuit to control the number of sheets stacked according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

9. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, means comprising an electric circuit for stacking a plurality of sheets, a contact member for controlling the circuit, and an element provided with an adjustable lug for controlling the contact member to control the number of sheets stacked according to the adjustment of the lug.

10. Apparatus of the character described comprising means tor stacking a plurality of sheets, a units counter, a multiple counter, and means for respectively cooperating with the counters to render the counters respectively effective to control the number of sheets stacked.

11. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for stacking a plurality of sheets, a units counter, a multiple counter, and means for respectively cooperating with the counters and adjustable to render the counters respectively effective to control the number of sheets stacked according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

12. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for feeding a plurality of multiplesheet objects, and means comprising an element provided with adjustable means for controlling the number of objects fed according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

13. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for continuously feeding a. plural! ity of sheets, and means comprising an element provided with adjustable means for controlling the number of sheets fed according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

14. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for feeding a plurality of sheets, an element provided with an adjustable lug for controlling the number of sheets fed according to the adjustment of the lug, and means cooperating with the lug for marking the sheets.

15. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for feeding a plurality of sheets, a units counter, a multiple counter, and means for respectively cooperating with the counters to render the counters respectively effective to control the number of sheets fed.

16. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for feeding a plurality of sheets, a units counter, a multiple counter, and means for respectively cooperating with the counters and adjustable to render the counters respectively effective to control the number'of sheets fed according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

17. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for stacking a variable number of sheets, and means for addressing the stack comprising an address plate provided with adjustable means for determining the variable number of sheets stacked according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

18. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for stacking a variable number of sheets, and means for addressing the stack comprising an address plate provided with an adjustable lug for determining the variable number of sheets stacked according to the adjustment of the adjustable lug.

19. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for stacking a variable number of sheets, means for addressing the stack comprising an address plate provided-with a scale, and means adjustable on the scale for determining the variable number of sheets stacked according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

20. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for stacking sheets, an address plate provided with a plurality of openings, a lug adapted to be received adjustably in the openings, and means cooperating with the projecting portion of the lug to mark the stack.

21. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, means for conveying a pluaivacae rality of groups of objects, and means comprising a plurality of controlling elements, one correspending to each group of objects to be conveyed, and each provided with adjustable means for controlling the number of objects conveyed in the corresponding group according to the adjustment oi the adjustable means.

22. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, means for conveying a plurality oi groups of sheets, and means comprising a plurality of groups oi controlling elements, one corresponding to each group of sheets to be conveyed, and each provided with adjustable means for controlling the number of sheets conveyed in the corresponding group according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

23. Apparatus of the character described having, in combination, means for collecting a plurallty of groups of objects, and means comprising a plurality of controlling elements, one corresponding to each group of objects to be collected, and each provided with adjustable means for controlling the number of objects collected on the corresponding group according to the adjustmeat of the adjustable means.

2%. Apparatus of the character described havins, in combination, means for stacking a plurality or groups of sheets, and means comprising a plurality of controlling elements, one correspending to each group of sheets to be stacked.

and each provided with adjustable means for controlling the number of sheets stacked in the corresponding group according to the adjustment of the adjustable means.

25. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for conveying articles, an element for controlling the number of articles conveyed, and means adiustably mounted on the element for adjusting the controlling element to predetermine the number of articles conveyed.

26. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for collecting articles, an element for controlling the number of articles collected, and means for adjusting the controlling element to predetermine the number of articles collected.

27. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for conveying articles and for collecting the conveyed articles, an element for controlling the number of articles conveyed and collected, and means adjustable on the element for adjusting the controlling means to predetermine the number of articles conveyed and collected.

28. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for conveying sheets, means having a member engaged by the sheets during their conveyance for controlling the number of sheets conveyed, and means for adjusting the controlling means to predetermine the number of articles conveyed.

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