US2280731A - Sheet feeding and transferring means - Google Patents

Description

April 1941 R. c. TALBOT 2,280,731-

SHEET FEEDING AND TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Aug 3, 1940 .7 Sheet-Sheet l l/n ew/ar April 21, 1942. R. c. TALBOT 2,280,731.

SHEET FEEDING mm TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Au 5, 1940 '7 Sheets- Sheet 2 Elma/14M NRN April 2], 1942. R, c, TALBOT 2,280,731

SHEET FEEDING AND TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 c.. 5 "n ,3; I 5 45 fii'a ii xii 4 7 i E 2% if my] llllllllllllllllll] 16 2 if Iii) G v V J9 j/fl Z/ f6 I 5y7 7 Vi K ff .O z d 0 April 1942- R. c. TALBOT 2,280,731

SHEET FEEDING AND TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 .April 21,1942. c, T LBOT 2,280,731

SHEET FEEDINGAND TRANSFERRI'NG MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 '7 Shuts- Sheet 5 lfl ill WW April 21, 1942. g, TALBQT 7 2,280,731

I SHEET FEEDING AND TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3,1940 7 Shuts-Sheet 6 Y jzzwamz 0.229250 April 21,1942.

SHEET FEEDING AND TRANSFERRING MEANS Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 R. c. TALBOT 2,280,731

Patented Apr. 21, 1942 Richard 0. Talbot, Joliet, n1., assignor to Wright:

Automatic TobaccoPacking Machine pany, Durham, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Original application August 3, 1940, Serial No.

Divided and this application March 12, 1941, Serial No. 383,035

18 Claims. (Cl. 271-12) The present invention relates to improvements in sheet feeding and transferring means, and is applicable generally to the feeding of sheets such as stamps or labels from a magazine and transferring them to a point where they are to be applied to bottles or other containers, or otherwise employed or operated upon.

The invention is more particularly adapted for feeding and transferring revenue stamps or other sheet-like objects to bottles in a machine of the type shown and described in my prior application Ser. No. 350,782 filed August 3, 1940, of which this application is a division.

,In the drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a bottle stampin machine having applied thereto stamp feeding and transferring means constructed in. accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top'plan view of the machine as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the driving means for the machine, this view being a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an elevation, on an enlarged scale'and partly in section, of the stamp feeding and gumming mechanism and a portion of the stamp transferring means which conveys the stamps to the bottles on the turntable;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the cams which oscillatev the stamp magazine and control the operation of the stamp gripper;

Fig. 8 is a detail vertical section taken through the lower portion of the stamp magazine on the line 8-8 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a detail vertical section taken on th line 99 in Fig. 8;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are detail views of the stamp magazine and stamp gripper, showing the successive relative positions of these parts while removing the stamp from the magazine and engaging it with the gripper;

Fig. 13 is a detail vertical section through the stamp magazine. taken on the line l3|3 in Fig.

Figs. 14, 15 and 16 are detail vertical sections through the stamp gripper, on an enlarged scale, showing diagrammatically the manner in which the gripper removes a stamp from the magazine and delivers it to the stamp transferring means Fig. 17 is a top plan view of the stamp gripper;

Fig. 18 is a detail section l8-|8in Fig. 14;

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary detail section taken on the line Ill-l9 in Fig. 16;

taken on the line Fig. 20 is a detail view of the mechanism cooperative with the stamp transferring means for releasing the stamp therefrom when positioned above a bottle on the turntable;

Fig. 21 is a cross section taken on 2|2| in Fig. 20;

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of. one of the stamp carriers on the stamp transferring means;

Fig. 23 is a detail section taken longitudinally through one end of one of the stamp carriers, indicating by the dotted and full lines the operathe line tion of one of the stamp impaling pins; and

Fig. 24 is a perspective view of a form of stamp which the machine is adapted to apply to bottles.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the different figures.

The bottle stamping machine, to which the present invention is shown applied as an example of one manner of using the invention, comprises a frame I which supports a track I5 which extends lo'ngitudinally thereof, and a bottle conveyor l6, comprising an endless chain ll. having platforms l8 thereon for supporting the bottles, is arranged to travel longitudinally along this track in a direction from the left toward the right in Fig. i. This conveyor chain passes around a driving sprocket is mounted in suitable bearings at one end of the main frame and which drives this conveyor chain continuously in the direction stated, and the other end of this conveyor chain passes around an idler sprocket (not shown), suitably mounted on or adjacent to the machine. The sprocket i9 is driven continuously by a chain Ell which passes around a sprocket wheel 2! fixed on ashaft 22 to which the sprocket I9 is fixed.

Thev bottles, resting upright on the platforms of this conveyor chain are guided, as they are advariced thereby, by pairs of rails 25 the inner ends 25 of which are curved inwardly to introduce the bottles, in upright position, to a turntable 29 the upper surface of which is on the same levelwith the upper bottle supporting surface of the bottle conveyor [6. Another pair of bottle guiding rails 30 are provided for guiding the bottles as they are discharged from the turntable and conveyed by the conveyor l6 to'the delivery end of the machine. The tracks 30 have curved portions 3!! which extend outwardly from the turntable for the removal of the stamped bottles therefrom and the return of the bottles to the conveyor I6. The travel of the bottle conveyor I6 from the left to the right of the machine as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will advance the bottles entering the machine at the left to the turntable 29 and, after the bottles have been stamped and are discharged from the turntable, the bottle conveyor will continuously advance the stamped bottles to the discharge end of the machine where they may be received by a suitable table or other means for packing or other disposition.

The turntable 29 is supported on and secured to the upper side of a horizontal gear wheel 35 so that it rotates in unison with this gear wheel, and the gear wheel 35 is supported rotatably on the main frame and on a shaft 39 the upper end of which is fixed to a part 3 of the frame of the machine, as by a bracket 40. The gear 35 is driven by a gear M which is fixed on the upper end of a shaft 42 journalled in suitable bearings in the main frame, and the lower end of this shaft is connected by bevel gears 43 to a horizontal shaft 44 which is journalled in suitable bearings in the main frame. The shaft 44 is driven by'suitable reduction gears 45 from a horizontal shaft 46, and the latter is driven continuously during the operation of the machine by any suitable means such as an electric motor 41 which may be connected by a belt 48 to a belt pulley 49 on the shaft 46. sprocket wheel 50 fixed thereon and around which the chain for driving the bottle conveying chain I1 passes. Accordingly, the turntable and the bottle conveying chain will be driven continuously, and preferably the ratio of gearing is such as to cause the turntable and bottle conveyor to advance the bottles at the same speed.

The bottles are introduced from the bottle conveyor I5 onto the turntable 31 by a turnstile 55 so that they will be arranged in an annular series thereon and in properly spaced circumferential relation to be operated upon by an annular series of stamp afllxing devices 38 which may be like those disclosed in my aforesaid prior application and mounted above and rotated in unison with the turntable, and the stamped bottles are removed from the turntable and returned to the bottle conveyor I6 by a turnstile 64. The turnstile 55 is fixed'to a shaft 56 mounted adjacent to the edge of the turntable and driven by a gear 58 meshing with an idler gear 59, the latter meshing with another gear 6I which is of the same diameter, and is fixed to a shaft 62 on which the turnstile 64 is fixed, the gear 6| meshing with and beingdriven by the turntable gear 35 so that rotation of the turntable will rotate the turnstiles 55 and 64 in proper timed relation with the turntable to place the bottles thereon and remove them therefrom.

The stamp affixing devices are mounted in an annular series above the turntable 29, these devices rotating in unison with the turntable and applying and affixing stamps to the tops of the bottles. The construction and mode of operation of these stamp affixing devices is disclosed more fully in my aforesaid prior application, detail illustration thereof being deemed unnecessary for the purposes of the present invention.

The means provided by the present invention for feeding sheets, such as the stamps A, in the form of strips as shown in Fig. 24, comprises a magazine in which the sheets or stamps are placed in stacked relation. This magazine, as shown, comprises a rear wall I20, front wall The shaft 44 also has a,

sections HI and I22 which form a vertical slot finger I26 the lower end of which is fixed to the bottom wall I and the upper portion of which extends vertically between the front plates I2I and I22 and is engageable yieldingly against the edges of the stack of stamps in the magazine, the stamps resting on the bottom wall I25. The

bottom wall I25 terminates short of the wall I24,

thus providing an opening through which the lowermost stamps in the stack may be removed successively from the magazine, and a suction plate I21 is mounted in this opening, this suction plate having a suction aperture I28 which is open at the upper side of the plate so that it will underlie a stamp resting on the suction plate, the suction plate having a passageway I29 therein leading from the suction opening I28 to a nipple I30 to which a flexible suction hose I-3I may be attached. The suction plate, as shown in detail in Fig. 8, is mounted on a shaft I32 which is journalled in a bearing I33 formed in or attached to the lower portion of the magazine plate I20, and this shaft has an arm I34 clamped or otherwise fixed thereon; this arm carrying a. roller'l35 which controls the operation of the suction plate relatively to the magazine. The magazine is pivoted at its upper corner above the suction plate to a relatively fixed bracket I38 which may be bolted or otherwise secured to a supporting plate I31, by a shaft I38 which is fixed by a flanged coupling I39 to said upper corner of the magazine. The shaft I38 is jourvnalled to rotate in bearings I40 in the bracket I36 and it has an arm I fixed thereon and pivotally connected by a pin I42 to the upper end of a cam yoke I 43. The lower end of this cam yoke straddles and is guided by a block I44 mounted loosely on a shaft I45, and the cam yoke carries a roller I46 which operates in the cam track I41 of a cam I48, the latter being suitably fixed to the shaft I to rotate therewith and operating to swing or oscillate the magazine to and fro about the shaft I38 as an axis. The shaft I45 is mounted in bearings in brackets I50 and I5I which are bolted or otherwise secured to the underside of the plate I31, and the bracket I50 has a cam I52 fixed to a side thereof, the

' roller I35 on the arm I34 attached to the suction plate operating in this cam and thereby controlling the operation of the suction plate. The cam I52 may be of rectilinear form and inclined as shown in Figs. 4 and 9 at such an angle that the upper face of the suction plate 121 will be maintained in a horizontal position, or substantially so, during the to and fro oscillation of the magazine by the shaft I38, as shown diagrammatically in Figs. 10, l1 and 12. The shaft I45 is driven continuously through bevel gears I55 from a shaft I56 the upper end of which is journalled in a bearing in the bracket I5I, and the shaft I58 is driven continuously by a pinion I51 which is fixed thereon and meshes with the gear H which drives the turntable, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The plate I31 which carries the stamp feeding mechanism, including its operating shaft I45 and the driving shaft I56, is supported by rods I58 and braces I59 on the frame member 3.

suction stroke of the pump being timed to take place immediately prior to the swing of the magazine toward the gripper wheel, whereby a suction will be produced at the aperture I28 which will hold the adjacent end of the lowermost stamp in contact with the suction plate as the magazine swings, thereby separating the lowermost stamp from the rest of the stamps in the stack. A spring finger I26 attached at its upper end to the front of the magazine and having its lower end inturned supports the stack of stamps above the one separated therefrom.

A revoluble gripper cooperates with the suction plate of the magazine to remove the stamps successively therefrom. This gripper comprises a substantially circular wheel or disk I65 which is suitably fixed to the shaft I 45 and is located adjacent to the suction plate. The wheel or disk I is grooved circumferentially, as shown at I68, and the major portion of its periphery is circular and provides a pair of stamp supporting edges I61 on its periphery which are preferably recessed at their outer sides to operate in a channel formed between a pair of stamp guides I58 supported by ayoke I68 a portion of these guides extending from the top of the gripper to the bottom thereof, concentrically of the gripper, and a continuation of these guides forming horizontal tangential extensions I69 supported in properly spaced relation by a bracket I68, as shown in Fig. 14. These stamp guides have grooves I10in their inner faces which, in the curved portions of these guides, are concentric with the periphery of the gripper wheel I65 and are directly opposite to the stamp supporting surfaces I81 thereon, as shown in Fig. 19, and these grooves I10 extend longitudinally along the inner sides of the guide extensions I851. The grooves I10 form channels in which the edges of the stamps are guided to travel as they are withdrawn from the magazine, it being understood that the grooves are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the stamps. A portion of the periphery of the gripper wheel I55 is notched at I11 and this notch has a jaw I12 fixed thereinto extend transversely of the gripper wheel. A gripping finger I13 is mounted to swing in the groove I66 at the notched side of the gripper wheel, this finger being fixed to a shaft I14 which is mounted rotatably in the gripper wheel and is provided with an operating arm I15 which is fixed thereto and carries a controlling roller I16. The end of the finger I13 has a jaw I11 thereon which is adapted to engage the relatively fixed jaw I12 in the gripper wheel, and a tension spring I18 attached at one end' to the finger 113 and at its other end to a relatively fixed pin I10 in the gripper wheel tends to swing the jaw I11 into engagement with the jaw I12 and thereby grip the end of a stamp between them.

The operation of the gripper finger I13 is controlled by a cam I80 which is fixed by a set screw or other suitable means in the bearing I8I in the bracket I50, the shaft I being rotatable centrally of this cam, and the roller I15 controlling the gripper finger riding around the periphery of this cam and being held in contact therewith by the spring I18 as the gripper revolves. The cam I80 is of such a shape and it is so set relatively to the gripper finger as to cause the gripper finger to drop onto the jaw I12 when the gripper finger reaches the top of 'the gripper wheel, as shown in Fig. 14, and to remain in contact with the jaw I 12 until the gripper finger passes the lower side of the gripper wheel at which time the gripper finger will be retracted from the jaw I12, as shown in Fig. 16.

The stamp magazine is so located relatively to the gripper wheel and the cam I48 is shaped to so oscillate the magazine as-to cause the suction plate I21 to separate an end of the lowermost stamp in the magazine from the stack and to introduce the end of the stamp into a position to be gripped between the jaw I12 and the gripper finger 113 while the gripper revolves continuously,

the rotation of the gripper wheel acting to withdraw the gripped stamp endwise from the magazine, after which the magazine retracts from the gripper wheel. This operation takes place at each revolution of the gripper wheel. As shown in Fig. 10 the stamp magazine is in its normal retracted position and the gripper wheel I65 has reached the position shown in this figure in its rotation. As the gripper wheel continues to revolve, the cam I48 swings the magazine on the shaft I38 as a center so that the suction plate I21 approaches the top of the gripper wheel, as shown in Fig. 11. During ths swing of the magazine, the bottom thereof is tilted upwardly but the suction plate I21 is maintained in a horizontal position by the action of the cam I52 on the cam roller I35, in consequence of which the end of the lowermost stamp adjacent to the gripper wheel is separated from the remainder of the stamps in the magazine, the end of the stamp projecting slightly beyond the free end of thesuction plate, and the suction plate, which is sufiiciently narrow, enters the circumferential groove I68 in the gripper wheel behind the jaw I12. A moment later, as the jaw E12 reaches its tion plate I21, due to the speed at which the magazine is oscillated, will have substantially overtaken the jaw I12 and brought the end of the stamp into a position to overlie it, at which moment thegripper finger I13 is allowed to drop by the cam I onto the end of the stamp and to thereby grip it between the jaw I11 on the gripper finger and the jaw I12 under the action of the spring I18, as shown in Fig. 14.

The stamp gripped by the jaws I12 and I13 is carried, by the rotation of the gripper wheel I65; from the upper side thereof around the curved guides I68 and to the lower side of the gripper wheel, the stamp being guided by the circular rims I61 on the gripper wheel on which the stamp rests and by the grooves I10 in the guides in which the edges of the stamp travel. The stamp is thus drawn by the gripper wheel from the magazine by its leading end, and when this end of the stamp reaches the lower side of the gripper wheel it is engaged by means which transfers the stamp from the gripper wheel to the devices previously described which apply and aflix the stamps to the bottles.

The stamp or other sheet transferring means provided by the present invention comprises an endless chain I which may be an ordinary roller chain, this chain passing around the sprocket 82 on which the stamp applying and afilxing devices are mounted and around an idler sprocket i86 which is rotatable on a vertical shaft supported by a bracket I81 which fits in gibs I88 on the underside of the plate I 31, an adjusting screw I89 being mounted on the plate I31 and arranged to operate upon the bearing bracket I01 to adjust the sprocket I66 to take up slack or adjust the tension of the chain. Thechain I 05 carries at intervals along its length a series of stamp carriers I99 all of which may be of the same construction, each carrier having a saddle portion I9I by means of which it is bolted or otherwise fixed to links in the chain H95, and each carrier is in the form of a yoke having guiding fingers l92 projecting from one'side thereof, and having a pair of shafts I93 rotatably mounted in the yoke near its ends, these shafts carrying hook like pins or needles i90. Each shaft I199 is provided'with a spring I95 which acts thereon to swing its respective pin upwardly, and each shaft is provided with a block I96 which is fixed thereon and has an arm arranged to engage the respective yoke arm I92 and thereby arrest the swing of the pins when they assume substantially vertical positions. One of the shafts I93 has a cam I91 fixed thereon which is turned upwardly, and the other shaft I93 has a cam I98 fixed thereon and which is turned downwardly.

The chain I85 and the stamp carriers thereon are guided as they travel between the idler sprocket I06 and the sprocket 82 by rails I99 which are supported by brackets 200 fixed to a plate 20I, the latter being supported rigidly from the plate I31 by a suitable number of rods 202.

The chain during its travel passes between the rails I99 while the yokes I90 are suspended be- 20.I,'as shown in Fig. 5.

j Normally and as the stamp carrying yokes approach the gripper wheel I65, the pins I94 will be upturned and held in such position by the springs I95. As the leading pin on a yoke passes beneath the gripper wheel I65, the pin I94 on its leading end will project above the plane of the leading end of the stamp as it is brought to the lower side of the gripper wheel I65 and, while the leading end of the stamp is still gripped by the jaws I12 and I11, this pin will pierce the leading end of the stamp, immediately following which the gripper finger I13 is opened to release the leading end of the stamp, as shown in Fig. l6. The chain I85 and the stamp carrying yokes thereon are driven from the sprocket 82 so that they will advance at the same peripheral speed as that of the gripper wheel I65, and after the leading'end of the stamp has beenreleased by the gripper wheel the stamp is drawn through the curved guides I69 and then through the straight guide extensions I69 by the pins I94 on which it is impaled, the stamp being guided by its edges which engage in the grooves in the guide extensions I69, and when the rear or trailing end of the stamp approaches a point directly-beneath the gripper wheel, the trailing pin I94 is retracted or lowered by engagement of its depending cam I98 which comes into contact with a cam 205 which is located in its path, thereby causing this trailing pin to be lowered and as it reaches a point directly beneath the center of the gripper wheel I65, the cam I96 reaches the end of the cam 205 and the spring I95 is thereby caused to snap this pin upwardly so as to pierce the trailing end of the stamp, as shown in Fig. 14. Fig. 4 shows the cam I98 as it is riding on the cam 205. In order to prevent damage to the stamp carrying mecha- 75 nism in the event the machine is turned backwardly for inspection, adjustment or other purposes, the cam 205 is carried by a plate 206 which is pivotally connected to the upper ends of a pair of parallel links 201, the lower ends of these links 1 being pivotally mounted on plates 208 attached to the underside of the plate MI. The plate 206 is normally held in its raised operative position against a stop pin 209 by a tension spring 2"), this spring however being yieldable to permit downward deflection of the cam 205 should the stamp carrier chain be moved backwardly.

The stamp, impaled upon and thus suspended between the upturned pins I94 of the stamp carrier, is conveyed by the chain "I to the periphery of the sprocket 92, and as each stamp carrying yoke commences its travel around the periphcry of the sprocket 82 it introduces the stamp between the top of a bottle as the same is fed onto the turntable 29 by the turnstile 55 and one of the stamp applying and afiixing devices of the annular series which rotate with the turntable, it being understood that at this time the respective stamp applying and affixing device is in its fully elevated position. The moment the stamp applying and affixing device has descended and pressed the middle of the stamp upon the top or mouth of the bottle, the pins I94 are retracted to release the ends of. the stamp. This releasing means is shown in detail in Figs. 20 and 21. It comprises a plate 2l0 bolted or otherwise fixed to the outer chain guiding rail I99 and having a pin 2 located in the path of the cam I91 on the shaft of the leading pin I94 so that as this cam engages the pin 2| I, the leading pin 94 is swung downwardly, thereby retracting this pin from the leading end of the stamp. Another plate 2I2 is bolted or otherwise fixed to the outer chain guiding rail I99 and this plate carries a pin 2I3 which is arranged in the path of the downturned cam I on the shaft of the trailing pin I94 so that as the stamp carrier advances this ca'm will engage the pin 2I3 and will be deflected thereby in a direction to retract the trailing pin I94, thereby releasing it from the trailingend of the stamp. The pins 2 and 2I3 are preferably so located as to cause both pins to be simultaneously retracted to release both ends of the stamp. In order to avoid damage to the stamp carrying mechanism in the event the ma chine is turned backwardly for inspection, adjustment or other purposes, the pins 2 and 2I3 are carried by levers 2I4 and 2I5 respectively which are pivoted at 2I6 and 2I1 respectively on and 2I3 without obstruction.

As each stamp is drawn around the gripper wheel I65 it is provided with a strip of glue or other adhesive on that side of the stamp which is to be applied to the bottle.

roll 225 is driven from the shaft I45 by a gear 228 fixed on said shaft and meshing with a gear 229 fixed on the glue roll shaft 225. In order to enable the glue transfer roll to be adjusted relatively to the gripper wheel and the stamp there on, the bracket 221 which carries the glue transfer roll is pivoted at 230 to a bracket 23I which is bolted or otherwise fixed to the underside of the plate I31, a portion of the pivoted bracket 221 projecting to one side of the pivot 230 and being acted upon by a compression spring 232 between it and the bracket-23L and an adjusting screw 233 is threaded through the plate I31 and bears on a portion of the bracket 221 at the opposite side of the pivot 230, adjustment of thescrew 233 in one or the other direction moving the glue transfer roll 225 toward or from the periphery of the gripper wheel I65. roll receives glue or adhesive from a glue roll 235 which rotates in contact therewith. This glue roll is fixed on a shaft 235 which is journalled in a bracket 231, the latter being slidable on gibs 238 secured to the underside of the plate I31 so that the glue roll 235 may be adjusted toward and from the glue transfer roll 225. The glue roll 235 is provided with suitable means for supplying it with glue or other adhesive, a glue pot 240' being shown in the present instance which is of cylindrical form and having lugs 24I at its ends which are slidable adjustably in slots 242 in the bracket 2-31, the glue pot having a slot 243 in a side into which the periphery of the glue roll 235 may extend and thereby pick up glue or adhesive from the pot, and the pot being adjustable toward and from the glue roll by a pair of screws 244 threaded in the bracket 231 and bearing on the lugs 24I, compression springs 245.

in the bracket 231 and threaded into the gib 238 on the underside of the plate I31.

If desired, means may be employed for moistening the stamps before they are applied to the bottles in order to soften the stamps and thus render them more pliable and thereby facilitate their application to the bottles so that they will lie in intimate relation with the bottles. Such means may consist of a brush 260 (Fig. 4) mount-' The glue transfer the turntable by the turnstile 55, the bottles will be placed on the turntable in positions immediately beneath the respective stamp applying and affixing devices.

The stamp conveyor chain I85, which is driven from the sprocket 82 and hence at a speed corresponding with the speed of rotation of the row of bottles and the stamp applying and affixing devices, is supplied withgummed stamps A successively by the gripper wheel, the stamps being impaled upon the pins I94 so that they are suspended between these pins, and the stamp conveyor chain carries the stamps to the stamp applying and aflixing devices in a path which is tangential to the circular ath of rotation of said devices, the stamps being thus introduced successively between the top of each bottle on the turntable and the respective stamp applying just been introduced operates to apply the stamp ed above the path of travel of the stamps as they are advanced by the chain I85 toward the bottles, this brush being located in a position to brush over the stamps as they are suspended between and advanced endwise by the pins I94, and supplied with water at a suitably slow rate through a hose 26I leading from a suitable reservoir 262.

In the operation of the machine, the bottle conveyor is driven continuously to convey the bottles from the left toward the right in Figs. 1 and 2 by the motor 41 which also operates to rotate the turntable 21 and the sprocket 82 continuously and to also drive the stamp feeding shaft I45 continuously as well as to operate the pump 25I continuously. The turnstile feeds the bottles successively around the curved portions 25 of the guide rails onto the'turntable while the latter revolves, thereby placing the botties on the turntable in an annular row, and as the stamp applying and aflixing devices 38 carried by the sprocket B2 are also rotated in unison with the turntable and are spaced circumferentially thereof at intervals corresponding to the intervals at which the bottles are placed on to the top of the bottle, immediately following which the pins 2H and 2I3 operate upon the stamp carrying pins I94, incident to the travel of the chain I85, and retract or withdraw them from the ends of the stamp, thereby releasing the ends of the stamp for application to the bottle.

The stamp feeding means, including guides to engage the edges of the stamps and thereby guide them while they are being conducted by the gripperwheel to the stamp transferring means, insures the placing of the stamps in properly alined position on the carrying pins, and such alinement of the stamps is maintained until the stamps are placed on the bottles.

The means provided by the present invention for transferring the stamps from the stamp feed ing means to the bottlesor the like for application thereto not only enables the stamps to be readily brought into applyingposition between the bottles or other containers and their affixing devices, but by carrying the stamps endwise while suspended by their ends on carrying pins, applying of the stamps uniformly and evenly to the bottles or other containers is ensured. By withdrawing the pins from the ends of the stamp immediately after they stamp has been applied to the bottle or other container, the stamp is released from its carrier without tearing and thus mutilating the ends of the stamps.

Although the sheet feeding and transferring means has been herein described as applied to. a

it is to be understood that, in the broader aspects of the invention, references in this specification to stampsare intended to include such labels or similar strip-like or sheet-like objects, and that the invention is not limited in its use to the stamping or labelling of bottles but is applicable to various containers in which such strip-like or sheet-like objects are to be fed and supplied.

I claim:

1. Sheet feeding means comprising a magazine to contain a stack of sheets, a rotatable gripper wheel, means for separating a sheet from the stack in the magazine, means for relatively moving the magazine and gripper wheel to bring an end of the separated sheet into a position to r be gripped by the gripper wheel, and means for rotating the gripper wheel unidirectionally to engage said sheet and remove it from the magazine.

2. Sheet feeding means comprising a magazine to contain a stack of sheets, means for separating a sheet from the stack in the magazine, a rotatable gripper wheel carrying a gripper, means for moving the magazine to bring an end of the separated sheet into position to be gripped by the gripper on said wheel, and means for rotating said gripper unidirectionally to grip the sheet and remove it from the magazine.

3. Sheet feeding means comprising a magazine to contain a stack of sheets, means for separating an end of a sheet from the stack, a rotatable gripper wheel carrying a gripper to grip said'end of the sheet and withdraw it from the magazine, and a guide extending around a portion of the gripper wheel and having means for engaging the edges of the sheet and thereby guiding it.

4. Sheet feeding means comprising a magazine to contain a stack of sheets, a separator carried by but movable relatively to the magazine for separating the lowermost sheet from the stack, a rotatable gripper wheel carrying a gripper,

means for moving the magazine and separator toward the gripper wheel, means for operating said separator during the movement of the magazine to separate a' sheet and bring an end thereof into position to be engaged by said gripper, and means for operating said gripper to engage an end of the separated sheet and withdraw it from the magazine.

5. Sheet feeding means comprising a pivotally mounted magazine to contain a stack of sheets, a rotatable member carrying a gripper, means mounted to swing with the magazine about its pivot for separating an end of a sheet in the magazine from the rest of the stack therein, means for swinging the magazine and said separating means toward said member during its rotation to bring the separated end of the sheet into position for engagement by the gripper, and means for operating the gripper to grip the end of the sheet at the moment of engagement of the gripper therewith.

6. Sheet feeding means comprising a magazine to contain a stack of sheets and having a suction member pivoted at one end of its bottom to en- 0 gage an end of the lowermost sheet, means for lowering said suction member periodically, and a reciprocatory pump connected to said suction member and operative on its suction strokes during the lowering movements of said suction member to separate the lowermost sheet from the remainder of the stack.

'7. Sheet feeding means comprising a pivoted magazine to contain a stack of sheets, a member. pivoted on the magazine and operative to separate a sheet from the stack in the magazine, a gripper to engage an end of the sheet separated by said member and withdraw it from the magazine, and means operative by pivotal movement of the magazine for operating said sheet separating member.

8. Sheet feeding means comprising a gripper, a magazine to contain a stack of sheets and pivoted to swing at its lower end toward and from the gripper, a member carried by the lower portion of the magazine for separating the lowermost sheet from the stack therein for engagement by the gripper, and means for operating said member and guiding it toward the gripper during the swing of the magazine.

9. Sheet feeding means comprising a gripper; a magazine to contain a stack of sheets and pivoted on a substantially horizonal axis to swing at its lower end toward and from the gripper, a sheet separator pivoted on the lower portion of the magazine, and means for maintaining the separator in a substantially horizontal position during the swinging movements of the magazine.

10. Sheet feeding means comprising a gripper, a magazine to contain a stack of sheets and pivoted on a substantially horizontal axis to swing at its lower end toward and from the gripper, a sheet separator pivoted on the lower portion of the magazine, and means including a relatively stationary cam for maintaining the separator in a substantially horizontal position during the swinging movements of the magazine.

11. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel having a peripheral groove and carrying a gripper, a magazine to contain a stack of sheets and mounted to swing its lower portion toward and from the gripper wheel, a sheet separator mounted on the lower portion of the magazine for lowering and raising movements and having a relatively narrow portion to enter the peripheral groove in the gripper wheel, and means for lowering the separator during each swing of the magazine toward the gripper wheel to separate a sheet from the stack and position its end for engagement by the gripper.

12. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel carrying a gripper, means for feeding an end of a sheet to the gripper, and guides extending around a portion of the periphery of the gripper wheel and having grooves therein to receive opposite edges of the sheet and through which the sheet is drawn by the gripper.

13. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel carrying a gripper, means for feeding an end of a sheet to the gripper, and guides extending around a portion of the periphery of the gripper wheel and having grooves therein to receive opposite edges of the sheet for directing it past adhesive applying means and through which the sheet is drawn by the'gripper. 14. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel, spaced guides extending around a portion of the periphery of said wheel, a gripper on said wheel operative to grip an end of a sheet and draw it around said-wheel between said guides, and transferring means movable past the gripper wheel and carrying devices operative to receive the leading and trailing ends of the sheet as they are drawn between said guides.

15. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel, spaced guides extending around a portion of the periphery of said wheel, a gripper on said wheel operative to grip an end of a sheet and draw it around said wheel between said guides, and transferring means movable past the gripper wheel and carrying pins opera-- transferring means movable past the gripperwheel and longitudinally of the tangentially extending portion of the guides and carrying pins one of which is arranged to pierce the leading end of the sheet as it is drawn by said gripper and the other of which pins is arranged to pierce the trailing end of the sheet, and means 1" or operating the gripper to release the sheet after the first-mentioned pin has pierced the leading end of the sheet, the pin which pierces the leading end of the sheet being operative to complete the drawing of the sheet '.between said curved portion of the guides and to draw it through the tangentially extending portion of the guides.

17. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel, spaced guides a portion of each of which is curved and. extends around a part of the periphery of said wheel and another portion of which extends substantially tangentially from said periphery, a gripper on said wheel operative to grip an end of a sheet and draw it around the curved portion of the guides, transferring means movable past the gripper wheel and longitudinally of the tangentially extending portion of the guides and carrying pins one of which is arranged to pierce the leading end of the sheet as it is drawn by said gripper and the other of which pins is' provided with means for snapping it into piercing engagement with the trailing end of the sheet, said pins suspending the sheet between them and operating to advance the sheet endwise between the tangentially extending portion of the guides,

18. Sheet feeding means comprising a rotatable gripper wheel, spaced guides a portion of each of which is curved and extends around a part of the periphery of said wheel and another portion of which extends substantially tangentially from said periphery, a gripper on said wheel operative to grip an end of a sheet and draw it around the curved portion of the guides, trans- Ierring means movable past the gripper wheel and longitudinally of the tangentially extending portion of the guides and carrying pins one of which is arranged to pierce the leading end of the sheet as it is drawn by said gripper and the other of which pins is provided with a cam for snapping it into piercing engagement with the trailing end of the sheet, said cam being yieldable into an inactiveposition when said transferring means is moved backwardly.

RICHARD C. TALBOT.

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