US2359852A - Printing machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 10, 1944. Y L H. MORSE 2,359,852

PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 21, 1941 14 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 10, 1944. L. H. MORSE PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 21, 1941 14 Sheets-Sheet 2 WNQ wkw $6 Z2 for: lay/revue H Manse M W Jizarneys Oct. 10, 1944. H. MORSE PRINTING MACHINE Filed Ju ly 21, 1941 14 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jilarruys Oct. 10, 1944. MORSE I 2,359,852

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Oct. 10-, 1944. H. MORSE PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 21, 1941 14 Sheets-Sheet 5 Oct. 10,1944.

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Oct. 10, 1944. L, H. MORSE 2,359,852

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Filed July 21, 1941 14 Sheets-Sheet l2 fim/erz/or: [aw/War 17 /%0ne 3 20% Oct. 10, 1944. H. MORSE 2,359,852

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jhVTZfOK' Z awrerzca 1? 1/1 0766 Jy 20% M W vfffornqys Patented Oct. 10, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE PRINTING MACHINE Lawrence H. Morse, Mentor, Ohio, assignor to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application July 21, 1941, Serial No. 403,282

56 Claims. (Cl. 101-56) This invention relates to printing machines of the kind through whicha series of printing devices are fed to printing position where printing impressions are made therefrom, and more particularly the invention relates to the automatic feeding of sheets, forms, booklets and the like to the printing position to have printing impressions made thereon from the printing devices.

opes, folders and the like for distribution, as well as in the production of office forms, shop tickets,

tax forms, accounting forms, and the like. Thus in many instances it is desirable to employ the machine for a series of printing operations wherein the sheets or forms are manually loing position, and an object ancillary to the foregoing is to enable an automatic sheet feeder to be quickly and easily placed in or removed from an operative relation with respect to a printing machine.

In the use of printing machines of the afore- -chine of the aforesaid character, the sheet feeding means must b adjusted to conform to not only the size of the sheet upon which the printing impressions are to be made, but also to provide for proper lateral and transverse location of the printing impression upon each sheet. iiluch adjustments must, of course, be made in an accurate manner, and in prior sheet feeding mechanisms the arrangement has been such that recated at the printing position, while in other instan'ces it is desirable to feed envelopes, booklets, sheets or forms automatically to the printing position, thereby to attain greater production speed. Since the use of an automatic sheet feeding means with such aprinting machine attains such a high rate of production, it is found that in most business establishments where such automatic sheet feeding is employed, the volume. of work to be performed by the use of such an auto- .matic sheet feeding means does not consume all of the available operating time of the printing machine, and as a result it would be possible, were it not for difl'iculties and objectionable features inherent in prior sheet feeding-means, to utilize the printing machine for other types of work during the intervals between periods of use ofthe automatic sheet feeding means.

In the prior use of printing machines ofthe aforesaid character it has been found thata'utomatic sheet feeding means have been difficult to I mount in an operative-association with the printing machine, and hence it has been impossible as a practical matter to utilize the printing machine in manually fed printing operations during these idle intervals between the periods of use of the automatic sheet feedin means. 'tant object of the present invention is, therefore, to enable a printing machine to be readily set-up for automatic feeding of sheets or forms to printmoval of the sheet feeding mechanism from its operative relation with respect to the printing machine has, in effect, destroyed at least a part of these adjustments, thereby rendering it necesobject of the present invention is, therefore, to enable all of the adjustments which are made on a sheet feeding mechanism to be preserved, or remain undisturbed, when the sheet feedin mechanism is removed from its operative relation with respect to the printing machine, thereby to enable the operator to quickly and easily return the sheet feeding mechanism to its operative relation to the printing machine.

When an automatic sheet feeding mechanism is. used with a printing machine of the aforesaid performed adjustments is the adjustment of the An imporposition of the printing impression laterally of the printed sheet, and another object of the invention is to enable such adjustment of the location of the printing impression laterally of the sheet to be readily and easily attained; and a further object related to the foregoing is to enable an operator, after a particular lateral or vertical adjustment of the printing impression has been once established, to re-establish this adjustment in a simple and effective manner.

It is often desirable to produce bills and the like having a series of duplicate or related printing impressions thereon, as for example a multiple section public utility bill, where it is desired to print the customers name on the bill proper, on the customers receipt, and upon the accounting stub, and in such instances it is necessary to advance each such bill in a step bystep manner past printing position so that the desired number of duplicate or related impressions may be made at the desired positions on the sheet or form; and

to enable such work to be performed readily and conveniently by a conventional printing machine of the aforesaid character is still a further object of this invention.

It will be recognized, of course, that several different types of sheets or forms may be employed by a particular business establishment and that the business establishment may wish to prepare all .of these different sheets or forms with the same printing machine and through the use of the same automatic sheet feeding mechanism. The sheet feeding mechanism may, of course, be provided with a series of stop fingers which are rendered effective in succession upon the advancing sheet or form to cause the same to come to rest successively in the different desired relationships with respect to the printing position, and another, object of the invention is to enable the number of stops employed on an automatic sheet feeder to be readily varied as required for different types of work.

Another object is to enable a multiple stop mechanism to be readily correlated with the operation of the sheet separating and advancing means of the automatic sheet feeder; and a further object related to the foregoing is to enable the sheet separating means and the sheet stop mechanism to be readily correlated with the operative cycle of the printing machine with which it is associated.

' Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic sheet feeding device of the aforesaid character which may be constructed in a particular form and size to accommodate sheets within the average range of sizes, and which may be readily modified to provide for the feeding of relatively high or long forms and for the printing of the printing impression relatively -close to either the upper or lower margin of such relatively long or high forms.

Other and related objects are to provide a novel drive mechanism in such an automatic sheet feeder; to enable the drive mechanism of such asheet feeder to be readily adjusted;- to provide for convenient and effective adjustment of the sheet calipering means in such a machine; to provide a simple and efiective detecting means for detecting the failure of the mechanism to feed a sheet or for detecting the feeding of more than one sheet; to provide a conveniently adjustable supply magazine for a sheet feeder of the aforesaid character; to associate a receiving or collecting magazine with the sheet feeder in a simple and effective manner; to simplify the adjustment of the longitudinal guides of the sheet feeder and of the feeding belts thereof; to provide a simple and effective sheet stop means in such a sheet feeder and to construct such stop means and its driving mechanism so that the sheet feeder constructed in a basic form may be readily adapted for the use of a multiple impression stop means; and to so construct and relate the driving mechanism of the separating means and the sheet stop means that where a multiple impression stops means is employed the operation of the stop means and the sheet separating means may be readily correlated.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and by reference to the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show preferred embodiments and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying those principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a printing machine equipped for the automatic feeding of sheets, envelopes, business forms or the like in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the printing machine and sheet feeding means of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the automatic sheet feeder after removal from its operative association with relations to the printing machine;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental view showing I taken along the line 5-5 of Fig 2 and showing the relationship of the supplyhopper to the sheet separating and advancing means;

Fig. 6 is a fragmental plan view taken along the line 6..6 of Fig. 5 and showing details of the switch mechanism whereby the detecting of faulty machine operation serves to stop the operation of the machine;

operative elements located beneath the supply hopper;

Fig. 8 is a fragmental the mechanism of Fig. 4 from a different angle;

Fig. 9 is a schematic wiring diagram illustrating the relationship of the various control elements embodied in the machine;

Fig. 10 is a fragmental plan view showing th left-hand rear portion of the printing machine and illustrating the manner in which the drive mechanism of the printing machine is adapted for association with th sheet feeder.

Fig. 11 is a fragmental vertical sectional view taken along the line I I-I I of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 isa fragmental vertical sectional view taken along the line I2|2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a fragmental side elevational view of the printing machine showing the manner in which the automatic sheet feeder is operatively associated with the printing machine;

Fig. 14 is a fragmental horizontal sectional view taken along the line [4-H of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a fragmental perspective view illustrating the sheet guiding and advancing means and the associated sheet stop;

Fig. 16 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line l6l6 of Fig. 15;

perspective view showing- Fig. 17 is a fragmental front elevational view of the mechanism employed to impart timed Fig. 20 is a fragmental plan view similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating an alternative construction of the frame of the automatic sheet feeder whereby added utility may be imparted to the sheet feeder;

Fig. 21 is a fragmental plan view similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating still another alternative construction for the frame of the sheet feeder whereby the utility of the sheet feeder may be increased;

Fig. 22 is a fragmental perspective view showing the. modified frame construction embodied in the arrangement of Fig. 21;

Fig. 23 is a fragmental perspective view illustrating alternativ frame construction embodied in Fig. 20;

Fig. 24 is a fragmental plan view of an altemative embodiment of the automatic sheet feeder whereby a sheet or form may be brought to rest successively in a plurality of different positions so that a plurality of spaced printing impressions may be made thereon;

Fig. 25 is a fragmental front elevational view of the automatic sheet feeder shown'in Fig. 24;

Fig. 26 is an enlarged front elevational view of the ratchet and pawl mechanism of Fig. 25, the parts being shown in a different position;

Fig. 27 is a fragmental vertical sectional view taken along the line 212'I of Fig. 25;

Fig. 28 is, a fragmental vertical sectional view taken along the line 28-28 of Fig. 24; v

Fig. 29 is a fragmental sectional view taken along the line 2929 of Fig. 24; and

Fig. 30 is a fragmental vertical sectional view taken along the line 3030 of Fig..'24.

General description easily placed in an operative association with the printing machine I00 or may be quickly and easily removed from such operative association when an operator wishes to use the printing machine without the automatic sheet feeder. The sheet feeder 400 is constructed and arranged so that it may be adjusted to provide for the automatic separating and feeding of sheets, booklets, forms and the like of various sizes and shapes, and is also constructed and arranged so that the desired printing impressions may be made upon such sheets or forms in a variety of different positions which may be obtained by suitable adjustment of the automatic sheet feeder. In accordance with the present invention the construction and arrangement of the automatic sheet feeder 400, and its relationship to the printing machine I00 are such that when a particular adjustment of the sheet feeder 400 has been established and when a particular relationship of the automatic sheet feeder 400 to the printing machine. I00 has been determined, the automatic sheet feeder may be removed from its operative relationship with respect to the printing machine without de- I00 and a unitary automatic sheet stroying any of theseadjustments, and by reason of this construction and arrangement of the automatic sheet feeder the operator may remove the automatic sheet feeder at will and may readily return the automatic sheet feeder to this relationship so asto resume the automatic feed ing of the sheetswithout the performance of complicated adjusting and set-up operations such as have been heretoforerequired.

The printing machine The printing machine I00 is of the type wherein a plurality of individual'printing devices each bearing printing means thereon, are advanced in the present instance, is desk-like in form so as to provide a table top T which afiords a supporting and working surfac upon which sheets,

forms and the like may be supported beneatlithe platen mechanism P for the performance of the desired printing operations.

In so far as the broader aspects of the present invention are concerned, the particular form and construction of the printing machine I 00 are immaterial, but forpurposes of disclcosure I have herein illustrated the printing machine I00 as being of the form and construction illustrated in the copending application of Carl J. Hueber, Ser. No. 388,998, filed'April 17, 1941. As disclosed in the aforesaid copending application, the printing devices are advanced one by one from the bottom of the magazine M beneath the table top T so as to come to rest in register with a printing opening'which is provided in the table top T beneath the platen P so as to cooperate with the platen mechanism in defining the printing position of th printing machine. After each printing device has passed into and from printing position, the printing devic is discharged from printing postion so as to be refiled in collector means such as the drawer K.

Further, with respect to the broader aspects of 1 thepresent invention, the printin devices employed in the printing machine may be of many different types, but the printing machine which is shown herein is particularly adapted for the use of printing devices of the character disclosed,

for example, in Gollwitzer Patent No. 2,132,412, patented October 11, 1938. However, the invention may also be used with printing machines employing other types of printing devices, as for example those shownin Gollwitzer Patent No. 1,992,661, patented February 26, 1935. Furthermore, the invention may also be utilized with printing machines which employ printing devices of the character comprising a frame enclosing a thin sheet of stencil paper or the like.

In the printing machine herein illustrated, the platen mechanism P is supported in an operative relationship above the table top by means of a printing frame I04, the specific construction of which is illustrated and described in the copending application of Carl J. Hueber, now Patent No. 2,275,439, patented March 10, 1942, the printing frame I04 being disposed so as to project upwardly from the table top at a point located a considerable distance rearwardly and to the right of the printing position, so that the printing frame I04 extends in a forward direction toward printing position at an angle of substantially 45 with espect to the forward edge I of the table top I. The magazine M is located just to the right of the vertically extending portion of the printing frame I04, and the printing devices are advanced along a relatively complex path beneath the table top '1- to printing position, as disclosed in the aforesaid copending application Ser. No. 388,998. The advancing movement of the printing device is accomplished in a step by step manner such that each printing device comes to rest at a plurality of different stations along the printing device guideway, and the first of these stations comprises a sensing station S at which suitable identifying means such as index tabs carried on the printing devices may be sensed. The sensed presence or absence of selected identifying means on the printing device at sensing station. S may be rendered effective to control the operation of the platen mechanism P when the printing device from which the sensed identification is derived reaches printing position, and the means'employed in the present printing machine for accomplishing this result are fully disclosed and claimed in copending application of Carl J. Hueber, Ser. No. 392,151, filed May 6, 1941, and reference may be had to said application for disclosure of one form of'selector means which may be employed in the utilization of the present invention.

The platen mechanism P, in so far as the broader aspects of the present invention are concerned, may be of many different forms, but I have herein illustrated the platen mechanism as being of the form which is incorporated in the printing machine shown in copending applications Ser. No. 350,678 and Ser. No. 388,998, and this platen mechanism is described in detail in the copending application of Carl J. Hueber, Ser. No. 361,530, filed October 1'7, 1940. For present purposes it is necessary only to point out that the platen mechanism P comprises a, carriage C supported for reciprocation from front to rear along tracks provided beneath a head I06 carried on the forward end of the printing frame I 04, and a platen roller PR. is supported on and carried by the carriage C. The platen roller PR is d1sposed in a horizontal position at right angles to the path of reciprocation of the carriage C and the platen roller PR is supported by means such as toggles so that the platen roller may be shifted from a normal elevated or inactive position to a lower or active position wherein the platen roller may be effective to press a sheet or the like into cooperating printing relationship with respect to a printing device disposed at printing position;

stroke of the carriage C the platen roller PR is withdrawn to its elevated or inactive position so that the sheet upon which the printing impression has been made may be removed from printing position andreplaced by a. new sheet.

In a printing machine such as the printing machine I00, the various operative cycles of the printing machine are in most instances initiated by selective manipulation of control means such as a plurality of foot pedals I20, I2I and I22, which are disposed near the floor beneath the frame IOI. The foot pedals I20, I2I and I22, serve selectively to initiate different types of sin- .gle cycle operations of the actuating means which is provided in the printing machine, and this actuating means is fully disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 388,998, and reference may be had to said application for the details of structure and operation of such actuating means.

For purposes of the present disclosure it is suflicient to point out that the printin machine I00 has a motor IIO (Fig. 9) energized through a switch III controlled by a plunger II2 disposed in a recessed forward panel II3 of the printing machine frame. The motor I I0 serves through a speed reducing means including a pair of belts II 4, to constantly drive a pulley II5, this pulley being mounted on a shaft I' I 6 mounted within the means for the drive shaft II6 are carried by a The platen mechanism P is, in the form herein i disclosed, arranged so that the platen roller PR is in its elevated inactive position when the carriage C is in its at rest or rearward position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When a printing operation is to be performed, the carriage C is actuated through a forward-or idle stroke by means of actuating mechanism indicated generally at fill, and in the course of the forward or idlestroke of the carriage C, the toggle means which support the platen roller PR are actuated to shift the platen roller to its lower or active position. This active position of the platen roller PR is reached at substantially the time when the carriage C completes its forward stroke, and the platen roller is latched in this lower or active position so that in the return or rearward stroke of the carriage C, the platen roller PR may be rolled across the sheet to effect the desired printing operation. Near the end of the rearward one-revolution cycle.

supporting bar I I8 which forms part of the frame IOI and is disposed beneath the table top T near the rear edge thereof as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, and the shaft IIB is located in a horizontal position just forwardly and slightly below the supporting bar II8. As hereinbefore pointed out the pulley H5 is constantly driven during the use of the printing machine, and this pulley runs loosely on the shaft H6. The driving connections from the shaft IIG to the various operative mechanisms of the printing machine are arranged for conection to the shaft H6 and the drive pulley II5 selectively as the several mechanisms are to be operated, and to this end a plurality of clutches are associated with the shaft II6. Only one of these clutches is shown herein, this clutch being what may be termed the master clutch I30 whereby the constantly driven pulley H5 is operatively connected 'to the shaft IIG to impart rotative movement thereto when such rotative movement of the shaft I I 6 is required for the actuation of one or more of the operative mechanisms of the machine. While the clutch I30 is fully described in the aforesaid copending application Ser. No. 388,998, it will be observed that this clutch is of the one-revolution type having a driven member I3l fixed to the shaft H6 and carrying a clutch pawl I32. The clutch pawl I32 is normally urged 'by a spring (not shown) into engagement with a driving member which in the present instance comprises the hub of the'pulley H5, and when the pawl I32 is in its operative engaged relation, the driven member I3I is rotated in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 11 of the drawings. Such rotation is terminated by a stop lever I33 which is urged by means of a spring I34 into an active position wherein it is engaged by the projecting end of the clutch pawl I32 near the end of the desired The one-revolution cycle is initiated by momentary withdrawal of the stop lever I33, thereby to release the clutch pawl I32 fo spring biased movement to its operative enat printing position.

pose the foot pedal I2I is so arranged that mo-- 'mentary depression of this pedal causes' the master clutch I30 and the platen clutch ,to bemodifies the operation of I22.

. gaging relation with respect to the driving hub operate the platen feed mechanism P through an operative feeding cycle. The arrangement for control of these clutches is such that whenever the clutch of the printing device feeding means or the clutch of the platen mechanism are to be.

engaged, the master clutch I 30 is also engaged so as to impart the requisite rotative movement to the drive shaft H6.

The foot pedal I20 is in the present instance arranged to initiate operation of the printing device feeding means only, so that this foot pedal is sometimes termed the skip pedal in a machine of this character, in that it serves to cause a printing device to be fed through printing posi-' tion without the performance of a printing operation with respect to such printing device. To this end the foot pedal I20 is arranged to cause operative engagement of the master clutch I30 and th printing device feed clutch. The foot pedal IZI is arranged when it is momentarily depressed to initiate operation of the platen mechanism only, so that the foot pedal I2I is often termed the repeat pedal, since it serves to cause repeated printing operation of the platen mechanism while the same printing device remains To accomplish this purengaged thereby to operate the platenclutch through its operative printing cycle.

' The foot pedal I22 is arranged when momentarily depressed to cause simultaneous or timed ,7 operation of the'printing device feeding means and of the platen mechanism P, and since such operation results in the perfonnance of but a single printing impression from each printing device, the foot pedal I22 is often termed the consecutive pedal of the-printing machine.

aforesaid copending application Ser. 'No. 388,998,

embodies means whereby the printing device of the printing machine, is fully disclosed in said copending application Ser. No. 388,998; Since reference may be had to said copending application for details of construction and operation of the auto-stop mechanism it will suflice for present purposes to point out that the auto-stop mechanism is under the control of a plunger I42 mounted in a recess in the front panel I I3 of the printing machine, and when the auto-stop control plunger I42 is withdrawn in an outward direction, means is effective to actuate themechanism associated with the consecutive pedal I22 so as to produce the same controlling result as would follow from continued depression of the foot pedal I22. Thus the platen mechanism and the'printing device feeding mechanism will, in theabsence of a dominating action of the selector mechanism controlled by the sensing means Sf operate continuously'so long as the auto-stop plunger I42 is retained in its withdrawn position. Means is provided for returning the auto-stop plunger I42 to its inwardposition, thereby to terminate the continuous operation'of the printing machine, and as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9 of the drawings, this means comprises a solenoid I43 which when energized isoperable to cause inward movement of the auto-stop ML The solenoid I43 is arranged so as to be energized f whenever an undesirable operating condition "is detected byany one of a plurality of detecting means which may be provided in the machine. Thus wires I44 and I45 and an intermediate conditioning switch I46 serve to connect one ter'mi- A nal of the solenoid I43 to one side of the motor circuit between the motor H0. and the control switch III. The other side of the motor circuit is connected by means of a wire I41 to one terminal of a controlswitch I48, the other terminal of the switch I48 being connected to the other terminal of the solenoid I43 by the wire I49. The switch I48 may, of course, be controlled by any desired detecting means, but as herein shown this switch is governed by a detecting finger I50 which; as disclosed in the aforesaid copending application 388,998, is"arranged to-operate as a I detecting-means associated with'the magazine feeding means may be automatically disabled in certain cycles in a predetermined sequence such that a plurality of printing impressions may be made from each printing device. Such automatic control mechanism may be termed the multiprint mechanism of such a printing machine, and such mechanism is in the present machine rendered operative or inoperative under M to detect the feeding of the last printing de- ,vice from the magazine M, Thus when the' last printing device is fed from the magazine M the detecting finger I50 moves through an additional stroke to the left ,so as to engage one blade of the normally open switch I48 and thereby close this switch. The normally .open conditioning switch I46 is arranged so as to becontrolled by the auto-stop plunger I42 so as to'beclosed when -the printing machine is operating continuously the control of a plunger I40 mounted in a recess in the front panel H3 of the printing machine frame. Thus the operation of the multiprint mechanism of the printing machine due to appropriate setting of the control plunger the consecutive pedal In the association of the automaticsheet feeding means and the printing machine in accordance with the present invention, use'is also made of a means for automatically stopping the operation of the printing machine when certain -un desired conditions are detected, and this means,

which may be termed the auto-stop mechanism under the control of the auto-stop means, and hence when the switch I48 is closed by the detecting finger I 50, the solenoid I43 isenergized and the auto-stop plunger is thereby actuated to its innermost position, so as to stop -the.continuplication Ser. No. 392,151,1fled May 6, 1941.

This selector mechanism is rendered active'or in.- active through the medium of a control plun'ger I52 disposed in the recessed front panel H3, and as pointed out in said copending application Serial No. 392,151, the action of the selector mechanism may be varied in certain respects through appropriate setting of a control plunger I53 mounted in the front panel H3, The controlling action of the selector mechanism is such that when the sensed presence or absence of the selected identifying means on a particular printing device indicates that this printing device is to be skipped, the selector mechanism prevents engagement of the platen clutch in the cycle in which this printing device is to reach printing position. This dominating controlling acton of the selector mechanism also modifies the action of the machine when the machine is being operated or controlled manually by means of the consecutive foot pedal I22.

The automatic sheet feeding means In accordance with the present invention the automatic sheet feeding means 400 is constructed and arranged so as to constitute a self-contained unit in so far as the primary and most frequently performed adjustments of the sheet feeder are concerned, and the construction and arrangement of the sheet feeder is such that it may be readily moved into or out of the desired operative relationship with respect to the printin; machine without destroying any adjustments or set-up arrangements which have been made in the sheet feeder.

To this end the sheet feeder 400 embodies a framework upon which all of the operative mechanisms of the sheet feeder are mounted, and this framework is adapted to be moved as a unit into and out of operative relationship with respect to the printing machine. In the form herein shown this framework comprises a pair of spaced leg structures 40I and 402 between which a bridging structure 403 is supported, the bridging structure 403 and the leg structures 40I and 402 being so related that the bridging structure 403 may extend across the table top T from end to end thereof with the leg structures 40I' and 402 extending downwardly toward the floor beyond the opposite end edges of the table top T. Thus when the bridging structure 403 is in posltlori across the table top T of the printing machine I00, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the'drawings,'the various operative mechanisms mounted on the frame structure of the sheet feeder 400 are in a predetermined operative relationship to the printing machine I00 as well as to each other, while when the sheet feeder 400 is re-' moved from this operative relationship with respect to the printing machine I00, the elements of the sheet feeder remain undisturbed in the desired operative relationship to each other and the sheet feeder is supported by the leg structures 4M and 402 at substantially the height which these elements occupy when the sheet feeder 400 is associated with the printing machine. Thus the removal of the sheet feeder 400- from or its replacement in an operative relationship to the printing machine. is facilitated, and in accomplishment of this purpose the leg structures are preferably provided with casters assaese tionship with an advancing means, and from the advancing means the sheets are fed one at a time to a suitable guide means and an associated feeding means whereby each sheet is advanced along the bridging structure 403 and across the table top T to printing position, at which point the advancing movement of the sheet is interrupted momentarily for the performance of the printing operation thereon. The feeding means then advances the sheet along the guideway toward the other end of the sheet feeder where the sheet is deposited in a suitable collecting means. The sheet separating and advancing means and the sheet stop means are operated in timed relation to the operation of the printing machine, and are suitably connected to an operative portion or mechanism of the machine to attain this desired timing. The means which have herein been describedgenerally as forming elements of the present sheet feeder may, in accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, take many different forms and may be interrelated in many different ways, but I have herein disclosed one form of each of these means and a particular relationship thereof which I have found to be advantageous, it being understood that those skilled in the art may make many changes and variations in such means and in their relationship without departing from the scope of the claims appended hereto.

In the automatic sheet feeder 400 as disclosed herein the feeding movement of the sheets, forms, or the like progresses from left to right across the table top T of the printing machine, and the supply means for containing the sheets, forms or the like, comprises an adjustable supply hopper M0 disposed above the plane of the bridge structure 003 and somewhat to the left of the "4 whereby the sheet feeder may be rolled along the floor in. the. requisite shifting movement thereof.

. left-hand leg structure 40l.

The sheet separating means of the present automatic sheet feeder 400 are disposed just to the right of the supply hopper 4| in a mounting structure 4 so that sheets separated and fed one by one by the separating means in a right-hand direction from the supply hopper 4I0 are advanced into an adjustable guideway 4I2 which extends entirely across the bridging structure from left to right. The guideway 4I2 has suitable advancing means associated therewith and this advancing means in the present instance comprises one or more endless fabric belts 4I3 and a hold-down means 4I4 which maintains each sheet in operative frictional engagement with at least one of the belts 4I3. Thus when a sheet has been fed into the guideway beneath the hold-down means and on top of one or more of the belts 4I3, this sheet is advanced to the right across the table top in accordance with the driven speed of the belts M3. The means for interrupting such movement of the sheet when it reaches printing position comprises a stop mechanism 5 which is lowered into an active position in the path of the advancing sheet at the proper time in the machine cycle. After the performance of the printing operation the stop element M5 is retracted or elevated so that the sheet is again actuated and advanced to the right by the belt or belts H3, and when the sheet reaches the end of the upper run of the belts, it is discharged into a collecting or receiving means such as a receiving hopper MG disposed on the framework of the sheet feeder just to the right of the right-hand leg structure 1 When a sheet is fed from the supply hopper

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