US2247134A - Method of and means for forwarding sheets - Google Patents

Description

June 24,- 1941., p, H, Rom-HE METHOD OF A ND MEANSl FOR FORWARDING SHEETS Filed Oct. 18, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 24,1941, p H, ROETHE I 2,247,134

I y METHOD 0F AND MEANS FOR FORWARDING SHEETS Filed oct. 18, 1939 A. sheets-sheet 2 A Jun@ 24, 394%,

P. H. ROETHE v METHD OF AND MEANS FOR FORWARDING SHEETS Filed oct 18, 193s;4

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 24, 941.. 1:- RQETHE 2,2 4734 v y v METHOD oF AND MEANS FOR FoRwABnING sHEETs .Filed oct. 18, 1939 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented June 24, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT oFElcE Patrick Henry Boothe, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Ditto. Incorporated, Chicago, lil., a corporation of West Virginia Application october 1s, 1939, serial No. 299,927

(on. en -ss) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improved means for forwarding sheets. and particularly to such means in connection with a. liquid process duplicating machine. It is the object of the invention to provide an improved form and arrangement of parts by theuse of which a more positive stop is afforded for the leading edge oi a copy sheet closely adjacent to the bite of the usual forwarding rollers so as to insure that the edge of the sheet shall be brought always to the same aligned position across the machine without the necessity for relying upon the lnterengaging face portions of the rollers which form a sharp angle with respect to each other for establishing the alignment.

In the preferred form of improved mechanism forming the subject matter of this application, the lower one of the twoforwarding and meistening rollers is provided with a groove in its face having a square shoulder at its leading edge, the arrangement of the driving means for the rollers being such that the groove is always moved into the same position spaced from the bite of the rollers at the time when the copy sheet is presented to the rollers, with the result that the leading edge of the copy sheet is directed into engagement with the shoulder on the lower roller rather than into the sharp angle between the faces of the rollers. Feeding means is provided for the copy sheets adapted by engagement with the body portions of the sheets to feed the sheets one at a time toward the forwarding rollers in advance of the normal forwarding time for the sheet in each instance, so as to bring the body portion of the sheet into such position that the leading edge portion of the sheet is buckled into the formof a loop of such size that the leading edge of the sheet would normally extend beyond the zone of contact between the two rollers. The arrangement is such that when a copy sheet is fed to the forwarding rollersfthe leading edge portion of the copy sheet engages the groove of the lower forwarding roller so as to cause the sheet to be buckled upwardly into a loop against the inherent resiliency of the sheet, with the result that the leading edge of the sheet presses yieidingly against said shoulder. This arrangement provides substantially Va positive assurance that the sheet shall be aligned squarely in the machine, since the leading edge portion of the sheet moves forwardly with the forwarding rollers 'as they rotate after the formation of the loop until the sheet is gripped normally between the forwarding rollers, the size of the loop in the sheet being such that the leading edge of the sheet is gripped between the forwarding rollers before the initially buckled sheet is completely straightened out.

It is another object of this invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which the several objects have Ibeen attained are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. in which- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view througha preferrw embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the machine substantially as shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fis'. 2 but with some of the parts omitted and with` some of the parts in changed position;

Fig. i is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modied form of structure:

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the machine substantially as shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially at the line t-B of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through a portion of the machine of Fig; l showing conventionally a portion of the driving ap- Referring now to the several gures of the drawings. in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters. i0 indicates a frame formed atleast partially of heusing members pressed into form out of sheet metal for supporting a duplicating drum i i rotatably mounted in position by means of a shaft i2. In the arrangement shown, the drum il is provided vvith grippers i8 movabiy mounted in position so as to hold a master. sheet il removably in position on the drum as is well understood in the duplicating machine art.

In the arrangement illustrated a platen roller` i! is rotatably mounted in position for applying pressurel upon the master sheet' Il in the usual manner, a coiled spring Il in the arrangement shown serving t press the platen roller i6 upwardly toward the drum il.

The arrangement illustrated comprises also a moistening mechanism Il of any approved type by which a film of solvent may be applied to each copy sheet in turn as it is fed forwardly. In the arrangement shown, the moistening mechanism comprises a roller i8 rotatably mounted in position a short distance in rear of the platen roller I5, a second roller I9 being rotatably mounted in position below the roller Il so as to cooperate therewithgfor forwarding copy sheets as hereinafter describedto the bite of the drum II and the platen roller I5. In the arrangement shown, the roller I9 is rotatably mounted upon arms 20, each of which is in the form of a lever pivotally mounted in position with a spring `2l bearing upon the lever for pressing the -roller I9 yieldingly upward. Immediately in rear of the moistening and forwarding roller I8 a roller 22 is rotatably mounted in position in engagement with said roller I8 so as to be rotated thereby,

such roller 22 extending at its lower face into ai receptacle 23 adapted to hold a quantity of solvent 24 so that `upon the rotation of the roller 22 a film oi' the solvent is applied to the face of the roller I8. u

The solvent 24 is fed to the receptacle 23 by means of a pipe 25 perforated at 25a at intervals therealong so as to direct the solvent into the bottom of the'receptacle as shown in Fig. 2. The solvent is forced upwardly through the pipe 25 by means of a pump 28 from a supply of the solvent in a tank 21, the pump 26 being actuated by a lever 28 pivotally mounted below the drum Il and given a series of operativestrokes at timed intervals by means of an arm 29 and a roller 30 bearing upon a cam 3l adapted to rotate with the drum II. 'I'he lever 28 is provided at an intermediate point with an arm 32 provided at-its lower end with aroller 33 bearing against a cam 34 adjustably mounted in position. As wilibe readily appreciated, when the cam 34 is rotated the arm 32 and the lever 28 are moved upwardly for limiting the downward stroke of the lever 28 whereby the effectiveness of the pump 26 is controlled.

An overflow pipe 35 is provided connecting the receptacle 23 and the tank 21 for limiting the depth of the solvent in the receptacle 23.

Means is provided for driving the forwarding rollers I 8 and I9 by power from the drum I I which in turn is driven by means illustrated only conventionally since it forms in and oi itself no part of the present invention. As illustrated in Fig. 1. the drum Ii is provided with a large gear 3S at the near side of the machine as shown in said figure, said gear being in mesh with an idler pinion 31 which meshes with a pinion 38 carried bythe moistening and forwarding roller I8. At the far side oi' the machine, the roller I8 is provided with a pinion 39 which meshes with a pinion 40 carried bv the forwarding roller I9. The arrangement of the parts is suchthat the rollers I8 and I9 are driven at the same surface speed as that of the drum Hand that the lower forwarding roller I9 is brought always to the same position at the start of each cvcle of operations.

'This result is effected bv making the number ofl the teeth on the gear 365 a multiple of the number of the teeth on the pinion 38.

The means illustrated for driving the drum II oomrises gears IIa. and Ilb`adapted to rotate a ratchet II c which engages a, pawl IId carried by the drum. The pawl IId is effective for driving except when moved out of engagement with the ratchet by acam lIIe at a' predetermined point in the rotation of the drum, the arrangement being such that the gear 36 gains a tooth distance upon the ratchet and drum in each revolution of the drum, the rollers I8 and I@ being held stationary while such gain is' being effected, For` insuring that the gear 39 shall be held stationary when disconnected from the i driving means, a latchingv pawl iIf is provided normally engaging plas Iig carried by the' gear 38. A cam Hh. serves to control the position of said pawl II! by contact with a roller IIk caris disclosed and claimed by an application led on September 16, 1938,'by Morris P. Neal, Serial No. 230,172, and forms in and of itself no part of the present invention.

In the machine as shown, means is provided for feeding copy sheets automatically to the forwarding rollers I8 and I9 in proper timed relation for movement to the bite of the drum Il and the platen roller I5 for proper registration with the master sheet I4 on the drum. This means comprises one or more rollers 4I rotatably mounted on the lower end of an arm 42 which is adapted to swing with respect to a drive shaft 43 so as to keep the roller 4I by gravity in contact with the top-face of the uppermost sheet 44 of a pile of sheets upon a table 45. The shaft 43 is provided with a gear 4B which meshes with teeth 41 in concentric position upon the upper end of a lever 48 pivotally mounted on a pin 49. The lower end of the lever 4B is connected by a link 50 with a lever 5I pivotally mounted upon a pin 52 and provided at its upper end with a roller 53 engaging the cam 3I. The shaft 43 is connected with the roller 4I by means of a sprocket chain 54 and sprocket pinions 55 and 56. The arrangement is such-that at one point in each revolution of the drum II the lever 48 is given a swinging movement for driving the shaft 43 and the roller 4I in the direction for forwarding the top sheet 44 toward the right in Fig, 1 toward the forwarding rollers I8 and I9. A spring 51 is provided in connection with the link 5I) for returning the link toward the right after a stroke of the link toward the left under the `iniiuence of the cam 3I.

. As is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the receptacle 23 is located directly opposite to the zone of contact of the rollers I8 and I9, the rear face of the receptacle being disposed obliquely so as to serve as a guide for the sheet 44 fed forward by the roller 4I. IThe inner edge of the table d5 is. also obliquely disposed so that the forward edge of a copy sheet being fed forward bythe roller 4I is directed always toward the upper portion of the roller I9.

The drive for the rollers I8 and I9 from the drum I I and the drive for the roller 4I from the cam 3| rotating with the drum II are such that the forward edge of a copy sheet in moving toward the rollers I8 and I9 is always brought into engagement with the square leading face of a groove l58 in the face of the roller I9 as shown in Fig. 2 for causing the formation of a loop in the sheet at 59. The roller M is arranged for yadvancing the body portion of a copy sheet after its leading edge engages the groove 58 for causing its body portion to gain substantially upon the forward edge portion of the sheet and thus causing the sheet to be buckled upwardly at es. with rotate after the completion of the loop "and `after tbe termination of the period through which the rollers are stationary, the forward edge of the sheet Il is permitted to move forwardly toward therightinl'ig. Zbytheresiliencyoftheloop until tbe sheet is gripped normally between the rollers lland itwlththegrooyelldisplaced forwardly with respect to such point of nipping. when the sheet has been grinned normally by the rollers Il and il with the groove Il displaced forwardly out of the way and with the sheet in correctly aligned position, the rollers il and Il Athenbeginioexertaforuurrdpullonthesheet for carrying it still farther forward toward the rightintothebitecfthedrinn Il andtheplaten roller II. The roller ll isarranged torun freely in counter clockwise direction in Fig. 2 for perlnlttlng the top sheet M to be drawn toward the I rihtintbismanner.

For insuring the formation ofthe loop Il, the stoppage of the rollers Il and Il upon each cycle of operation takes place when the rollers are in the position as shown in Pigs. 1 and 2 while the feed of the paper continues.

The arrangement ofthe feeding means compriming the roller il and the swingingly mounted arm I! upon which the roller is mounted is such that the arm and roller can be swung upwardly and backwardly out of position for the sheets Il so as to provide for a manual feeding of the sheets whenever desired. When the sheets are fed manually, they are pushed forwardly so as to buckle the sheets upwardly to form loops therein just as described above in connection with the automatic feeding, the body portions of the sheets being held by hand in position until their leading edges are engaged in the bite oi' the ro' tating forwarding rollers il and It.

m the arrangement shown in Figs. d, Sand 6.

the construction is substantially the same as that above described except with respect to the moistening mechanism by which a illm oi solvent is applied to the upper moistening and forwa roller. The parts are. accordingly indicated by the same reference characters so far as the parts correspond in construction and operation. the description herein being restricted i s to the changes in the construction.

As is best shown in Fig. 5, the moistening i mech comprises a strip of felt It mounted in a carrier tl with a strip Ot of sponge rubber provided as a support for the felt. such two strips being removably heldin position upon the support @t by tongue means el positioned in suitable openings through the strips. A perforated pipe t4 is provided connected by a pipe lo with the pump 2t, said pipe 65 corresponding with the pipe il of the construction am described. 'ine pipe' 6l is surrounded by a second pipe It provided with openings t1 in its wall in position for smiling solvent directly upon the face oi the ielt strip Bl as it comes from the pump 2t. In-

uch as the arrangement of the moistening mech corresponds substantially with what is shown by Morrison application Serial No.

285,492, illed July 20. 1939. and since such construction forms in and of itself no part of the present invention, it is believed to be unnecessary to describe the same in further detail herein. Y

It will be understood that the forms of constructions as shown in the drawings are preferred. The invention is not however to be limited to the arrangements shown except so far as the claims may be so limited, it being understood that changes might wellbe made ln the `roller adapted by engagement with a sheet fed thereto to cause said sheet to be buckled to proi vide a resilient loop in thesheet with its leading edge in rearof the zone of contact between said two rollers, means for guiding a sheet directly to Said stop means, and means for ,rotating said rollers for carrying said stop means past the zone of contact of said rollers so as to permit the sheet to straighten out into position with its leading edge gripped by the rollers.

"2. In a sheet forwarding means, the combination of a pair of rollers one above the other adapted by engagement with a copy sheet to move it forwardly, one of said rollers being provided with a groove extending lengthwise thereof with its leading edge face in the form of a shoulder adapted to serve as a means Viorstoppng the .movement of the forward edge portion of a sheet led toward said rollers so as to cause said sheet to be buckled to provide a resilient loop in the sheet, means for guiding a sheet directly to said shdulder, and means for rotating said rollers for carrying said shoulder past the zone of contact oi said rollers and for permitting the sheet to straighten out into position with its leading edge slipped by the rollers.

3. A liquid process duplicating machine, comprlsing in combination a pair of cooperating rolladapted by engagement with a copy sheet to move the sheet forwardly, stop means carried by one oi said forwarding rollers in ilxed position with respect to said miler adapted by engagemont with a sheet fed thereto to cause said sheet to ybe buckled to provide a resilient loop in the sheet with its leading edge in rear of the zone oi contact between said two rollers, and means for rotating said forwarding rollers intermittently in timed relation to the movement of the sheet into looped position adapted to permit said rollers to stand stationary during the formatior` oi the loop and adapted to carry said stop means past the none of contact of said rollers while the sheet strhtens out into position with its leadlng edge portion gripped by the rollers.

t. A tu.. of the type described in which o copy sheet is forwarded into impression relationship with a master sheet carried around by o drum. comprising in combination a platen roller in impon relationship to said drum, two long rollers one above the other in rear oi the platen roller adapted by engagement with a copy sheet to move the sheet forwardly into the bite oi the drum and the platen roller, moistening means for applying a film of solvent to the face of the upper one .of said twoforwarding rollers for er to the face of the copy sheet as the sheet moves forward to the and platen miler. the lower one of said two forwarding rollers being provided with a groove extending lengthwise thereof with its leading edge face in the form of a shoulder adapted to serve as a means for stopping the movement of the forward edge portion of a sheet fed toward said rollers so as to cause said sheet to be buckled to provide a resilient loop in the sheet, and means for rotating said forwarding rollers in timed relation to the movement of the sheet into looped position for carrying said shoulder past the zone of contact of said forwarding rollers and for permitting the sheet to straighten out into position with its leading edge portion gripped by the forwarding rollers.

5. In a sheet forwarding means, the combination of a pair of rollers one of which is provided with stop means independently of the other roller adapted normally by engagement with theleading edge of a sheet fed thereto to cause the body portion of the sheet to gain on the leading edge portion and thus to cause said sheet to be buckled to provide a resilient loop in the sheet, means for rotating said rollers for forwarding a sheet between them, and means driven in timed relation to the rotation of said forwarding rollers effective at predetermined intervals of time for feeding a sheet forward toward said rollers so as to form a loop in said sheet in backwardly spaced relation to the zone of contact of said rollers and of such size that upon the continued rotation of the rollers after the completion of said loop the sheet passes into the normal grip of the rollers before the loop is completely straightened out.

I 6. In a sheet forwarding means, the combination -of a pair of rollers one of which is provided with stop means independently of the other roller adapted normally by engagement with the leading edge of a sheetfed thereto to cause the body portion of the sheet to gain on the leading edge portion and thus to cause said sheet to be buckled to provide a resilient loop in the sheet in backwardly spaced relation to` the zone of contact of said rollers, means for rotating said rollers for forwarding a sheet between them, guide means adjacent to said rollers adapted to direct a copy sheet into position for normal engagement with said stop means and arranged for expediting theformation of a loop in 'backwardly spaced relation to said rollers, and means driven in timed relation to the lrotation of said forwarding rollers effective at predetermined intervals of time for feeding a sheet forward toward said rollers so as to form a loop in said sheet of such-size that upon the continued rotation of the rollers the sheet passes into the normal grip of the rollers before the loop is cornpletely straightened out.

'7. In a sheet forwarding means, the combination of a pair of rollers rotatably mounted in cooperative relation one above the other for forwarding a sheet between them, with the lower roller provided with a groove extending lengthwise thereof with its leading edge face in the' form of a shoulder adapted to serve as stop means adapted by engagement with the leading edge of a sheet fed thereto to cause the body portion of the sheet to gain on the leading edge portion and thus to cause said .sheet to be buckled to provide a resilient loop in the sheet, means for driving said rollers in cooperative relation for forwarding a sheet, guide means adjacent to 'said rollers adapted to direct a copy sheet into position for normal engagement with the groove of said lower roller for preventing the sheet from extending initially to the bite of the rollers, and

means driven in timed relation to the rotation of l said rollers effective at predetermined intervals of time for feeding a sheet forward toward said rollers so as toform a loop in said sheet with its forward edge portion in backwardly spaced relation yto the zone of contact of said rollers and of such size that upon the continued rotation of the rollers after the completion of said intermittent feed of a sheet the sheet passes into the normal grip of said rollers` before the loop is completely straightened out.

8. In a sheet forwarding means, the combination of a rotatably mounted drum, a platen roller rotatably mounted in cooperative ,relation to said drum, means for driving said drum, a pair of forwarding rollers rotatably mounted in cooperative relation one above the other a short distance in rear of said platen roller for forwarding a sheet to the bite of said drum and platen roller, with the lower one of said forwarding rollers provided with a groove extending lengthwise of the roller with its leading edge face in thev form of a shoulder adapted to serve as stop means for slowing up the movement of the leading edge portion of a sheet fed thereto, means for driving said forwarding rollers in cooperative relation for forwarding a sheet at substantially the same surface speed as that of the drum, and means driven in timed relation to the rotation of said drum eifectiveat predetermined intervals of time for feeding a sheet forward` toward said forwarding rollers so as to form a resilient loop in said sheet with its forward edge portion in backwardly spaced relation to the zone of contact of said forwarding rollers and of such size that upon the continued rotation of the forwarding rollers after the completion of the ldrive, of said sheet feeding means the forward edge e portion of the sheet passes into the normal grip of said rollers before the loop is completely straightened out.

PATRICK HENRY ROETHE.

Images