US2363766A - Pressure compensator for duplicating machines - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 28, 1944. R. A. WILLIAMS PRESSURE COMPENSAIOR FOR nurmcums mcnmns Filed Sept. 18, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Nov. 28, 1944. WILLIAMS 2,363,766

PRESSURE COMPENSATOR FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES 1 INVENTOR.

.Eoberi \fllon ro willz'ams au mmwfiu w aw, 7 Q1196 4- R. A. WILLIAMS 2,363,755

PRESSURE COMPENSATOR FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed Sept. 18, 1942 4 SheetS-Sheet 5 I INVENTOR. ji oberi u lonyo Williams.

361M 561mm W5: zz/sza.

Nov. 28,1944. R, A. WILLIAMS PRESSURE COMPENSATOR FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed Sept. 18, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Faber-i afllonyo Williams yaw, 4 87/6851.

pressure control therefor.

Patented Nov. v 28, 1944 PRESSURE COMPENSATOR FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Robert Alonzo Williams, Chicago, 111., assignor to Chicago, 111., a corpora- Ditto, Incorporated, tion of West Virginia Application September 18, 1942 Serial No. 458,782

9 Claims. (01. 101-132) The present invention relates to means for feeding copy sheets and copy sheet assemblies to a duplicating machine and particularly to means for feeding copy sheets to the drum of such a machine into engagement with a hectograph duplicating pad or band on the drum so as to take off copies from a copy ink design formed in reverse on the hectograph surface. A machine of the general type to which I refer is disclosed in. the. patent to Marchev No. 2,150,744. In my prior application, Patent No. 2,315,175, there is disclosed a feeding means which provides a downwardly converging paper guide chute with a stop plate that normally closes the chute in the pe- .applicationa resilient plate is provided as a part of the paper guide chute and it extends below the stop plate. The resilient plate is adapted to press 3 against the opposite wall of the chute with a light pressure to aid in maintaining proper alignment where a copy sheet assembly of the unit strip type i (a multiplicity of sheets arranged in overlapped, oflset relation so that a portion of each sheet is exposed) is being fed to the duplicating drum.

In machines of this type, employed for system Work, copy sheet assemblies of the unit strip type are often used. These assemblies naturally have a substantiallygreater thickness at their intermediate portions than at the sides. They are also of considerable weight and they vary somewhat in thickness. The resilient plate above referred to is of particular advantage in connection with such assembliesin maintaining alignment of the copy sheets of the assemblies as they are advanced to the drum. However, in my prior application above referred to the operation of the resilient plate is controlled directly bya roller riding on a cam that is affixed to the drum, the roller being connected to the plate by a lever arm that is pivoted to the adjacent side frame. The

.pressure of the plate under such "conditions is variable in response to wear of the roller and in blies that are being fed to the drum. It is the principal purpose of. the present invention to improve the mounting and operation of' the flexible plate whereby to obtain an accurate, uniform The more detailedobjectsand advantages of the invention will appear more fully from. the

' followingdescription, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred. form of the invention is shown. r

ubstan- Fig. 3 is a sectional view. similar to Fig. 1 bu taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4'-4 of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view the line 5-5 of Fig.2; 6 y

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on theline 6- 6 of Fig.2;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary. sectional view taken on the linel-J of Fig. l; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the control machine that is .employed for the resilient plate.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicatedby the same reference characters, l0 and H indicate side frame members at opposite sides ofthei machine, suitably supported from the main framework l2 of the'machine which isof'any approved type. Adrum 13 is rotatablysupported taken on on the framework by a transversely extending shaft M, such drum being. of segmental form with an opening atone side face portion, the drum being provided with means forholding a gelatin band l5 wrapped thereabout, comprising one or more supporting rollerslB and reels ll;

Between the frame members 10 and l I, a platen roller l8-is rotatably; mounted inposition by any suitable means,'such as the means shown by said prior Marchev Patent No. 2,150,744, by which means the roller is pressed yieldingly toward the drum so as to'have operative pressure relationship withthe gelatin band on the drum. A table or tray I9 is mounted in front of the drum at a slightly higher level so .as to support a pile of copy sheets or copy sheetassemblies in convenient'position for being fed by handto the sheet guiding and supporting means of themachine for being carried one at a time into impression relationshipto the gelatin band. i

ed for supporting a paper guide 22 in oblique position, each of the brackets being provided with a roller 23 rotatably mounted thereon in position of the frame It).

framework as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 for limiting the counterclockwise movement of the brackets in said figures. The paper guide 22 is preferably of the type disclosed by my Patent No. 2,285,135,

issued June 2, 1942, and the structure accordingly will not-be described'in detail. The arrangement is such that copy'sheets can'readily and easily be placed in position by hand one at a time so as to be supported evenly and smoothly thereon ready for a sliding movement downwardly on the guide when the support for the lower edge of the sheet is removed as hereinafter described. x

As is clearly shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the paper guide 22 normally stands in such position obliquely as to direct a copy sheet assembly downwardlythereon directly past the rear face of the platen roller I8 into engagement with a margin bar 24 of channel form supported by arms 25 fixedly mounted on a shaft 26 'journalled between the frame members I and II. The arms exten-d forwardly beyond the shaft 26 into position to engage a transversely extending bar 21 fixedly mounted in position between the frame members In and II, said arms being provided with cushions 28 in the form of rubber blocks. A coiled spring 29 on the shaft 26 normally holds the shaft 26 turned to the limit of its motion in clockwise direction in Fig. 3 for holding the margin bar 24 yieldingly in raised position directly below the platen roller I8, as shownin Fig. 3. On its outer end, the shaft 26 is provided with an arm 39 having a roller 3| rotatably mounted thereon in position to engage a cam 32 carried around with the drum. When the cam 32 engages the roller 3| as shown in Fig. 1, the continued rotation of the drum and cam causes the shaft 26 to rotate in counterclockwise direction in said figure so as,

quickly to move the margin bar 24 downwardly and forwardly from the position of the bar in said Fig. 1 to the position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the margin bar being held in this way out of contact with the gelatin floand I5 on the drum.

For directing a copy sheet assembly into en I gagement with the margin bar 24 as shown'in Fig. 3, a guide plate 33 is provided, mounted rigidly in position in front of the lowermost plate portion 34 into an aperture 4| in the end of the lever arm 38.

The other end of the spring is secured to a pin plate is adapted to engage-the lower surface of a boss on the side frame I6 when the stop plate 36 is in raised position. There is a pin 42a on the cam arm 39 against which the lever arm 38 is yieldingly held by the spring 46. Thus it is 6 possible for the lever arm 38 to swing in a counof the paper guide structure 22 in downwardly.

convergent position with respect thereto so as to direct the assembly into close proximity tothe rear face portion of the platen roller I8. At its intermediate portion, the plate 33 is cut out and bent forwardly to provide a flange 35 and so as to provide an opening in which a stop plate 36 is adapted to operate, such plate 36 being pivotally mounted between the side frames I0 and II by a shaft 3'! rotatably mounted in front of the plate 33, as is best shown in Fig. 3. Inthis arrangement, the lower edge portion of the plate is in the form of a bar extending across adjacent to the face of the platen roller "I8. A lever arm and light spring arrangement is provided, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, adapted normally to hold the plate I 36 in raised position (see Fig. 3) adjacent to the lower edge of the plate of the paper guide so as to support on edge a copy sheet assembly resting on said plate 36 and said paper guide The lever arm just referred to is indicated at 38and is keyed to the shaft 31 which in turn is journalled in the frame II). The lever arm 38 lies outside A cam arm 391s journale'd on the shaft 31 just 'outside'the lever arm 38' (see Figs. 6 and '7). The lever arm 38 is connected to the cam arm 39 by a spring 40 that'is hooked 75 terclockwise direction with respect to the cam arm 39 so that if the cam arm is released by its cambefore a sheet clears the stop plate 36 the plate will not be pressed against the sheet with sufficient force to damage it. The arrangement is such with respect to the adjacent parts that an operator can quickly and easily place a copy sheet assembly in position on the plate 36 so as to be supported evenly and smoothly thereby ready for a downward movement along the paper guide promptly when the plate 36 is swung downwardly out of supporting positionj Additional means is provided for assi'sting in the control of the movement of a copy sheet assembly to the drum. This means comprises a thin resilient pressure plate 46 which has its top edge fixed to a stiff angle bar 41. The angle bar 4'! is secured at its opposite ends to two supporting arms 48 Whichare duplicates, except that one is a right-hand and the other is a left-hand arm. These arms are fixed on the shaft 26 which in turn is journaled in the side frames I6 and II. An arm 49 is fixed to the shaft 26 outside of the frame I6. This arm is forked as illustratedin Figs. 7 and 8, one arm 59 being laterally offset and extending at substantially right angles to the other arm 5|. The arm 5| has a cam lever 52 pivoted thereto by means of a bolt 53. Intermediate the bolt 53 and the branching of thearm 59, the arm 5| is provided with a slot 54 extending transversely thereof and curved about the bolt 53 as an axis. A bolt 55p-asses through the slot 54 and through an aperture provided in the endof the lever 52 that overlaps the slot 54. A nut 56 is threaded onto the bolt 55.- The bolt 55 extends a substantial distance beyond the nut 56 and is connected by means of a spring 51 to the free end of the arm 56. This spring is under tension so that it tends to draw the lever 52 toward the free end of the arm 59. The other end of the lever 52 carries a cam roller 58 which is adapted to engage a cam 59 fixed to the drum I3.

The arms 48 are limited in the degree to which they can turn in response to turning of the shaft 20 by means of the arms 49 and 52 when the roller 58 engages the cam 59. The limiting means comprises two stop brackets 66 and 6| (see Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive) which are mounted on theside frames I6 and II, respectively.

The brackets 60 and 6| are essentially the same so a description of one is believed to be suflicient. Each bracket carries an adjustable stop pin 62 which is threaded into the bracket and which is provided with an enlarged head 63 carrying the bumper 64 of resilient material such as rubber, neoprene and the like that will yield slightly. A lock nut 65 is'provided for holding the stop pin 62 in adjusted position. When a machine is set up for a particular type of Work it is only neces- "sary to set the stop pins to thereafter positively control the advance of the plate 46 toward the opposite guide plate 33.

The lever arms 48 are normally yieldingly rged to a position withdrawing the plate 46 from contact with the other guide plate 33 by means of two springsGB which are attached to the arms at one end and which are attached at" the other end to two pins 61 that areprovided on the side frames l o and II. In order to limit the movement of the arms 48 in response to the pull of the springs 66' I provide on each of the arms'an adjustable stop pin 68 which will encgage a boss li provided on each of thesideframes H! and H and supporting the oppositeends of a cross bar 10. Alock nut ll is provided for looking the stops 68in position. l v

Theoperationbf the device is generally the same as that described inmy prior application butin order that the advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent I will describe the operation and the effect of the improvements. In'the original adjustment of the machine, before-beginning to make copies,- the stops 62 are set toenable the arms 48 to carry the plate 46 towardtheplate 33 sufficiently to obtain the proper pressure agains a sheet assemblythat is' being advanced to thedrum for duplication purposes. The stops 68 are also adjusted so as to provide ample clearance to permitt the copy sheet assembly to pass between the lower edges of the plates-33 and 46. In making copies the operator initially places a copy sheet assemblyin position againstthe guide 22 and allows it to drop between the plates 33 and 34 upontthe stop plate 36. Thestop plate 36 at this time isinl the dotted line position shown in Fig; 3 and the stop member 44 is in engagement with the bottom of the boss surface 45,"the roller 43 beingiyin the depressed portionlof the cam 43a.

As the drum rotates, the roller 43 moves along the-cam 4312 until it reaches the portion of larger diameter. At thispoirrt the roller 43 is moved outwardly and causes the arm 39 to swing in. a

counterclockwise direction (see Flgafildto thus move the plate 36 out ofJthe way and allow the ycopy sheet assembly to drop 'downinto the margin bar trough24.. As the drum continues t'ci rotate, the cam roller 58 strikes theic'am 59 and the lever '52 is moved outwardly, causing the arm 49 to turn about its axis, thereby rotating the shaft 20. The shaft 20.carries the arms 48 which in turn carry the plate 46. As the shaft 20 turns,

the arms 48 will be made to strike the stop pins 62 thus limiting the advanceof the plate 46 toward the plate 33 to the amount originally set i l as being necessary to give the proper grip on the copy sheets. The roller 58 will not have reached the high point ofthe cam 59. when the stoppins continue to turn about its pivot .53 against the tension of the spring 51 until the roller 58 does reach the highlpoint of the cam without-in any way changing the position of the plate 46. After the plate 46 has moved into engagement with the copy sheet assembly, the roller 3| engages the cam 32 to move the margin bar 24 from the full line position shown in Fig. 3' to the dotted :line position and the gelatin band l5 on the drum advances into engagement with the copy sheet assembly. The platen roller I8 presses the copy sheet assembly against the gelatin band on the drum and the assembly is drawn from between the guide plates 46 and 33 as the drum continues -to rotate. The plate 46 acts to keep the several sheets of the copy sheet. assembly properly aligned without exerting enough force on them to impede their advance.

It will be evident from the foregoingdescripkit he suflicient pressure exerted to move the arms 48 against thestopstz.

This apparatus hasthe advantage also that in theinitial laying of. the master copy on the hectograph pad the plate 46 may be set to bear so lightly as to not mar the master sheet that is applied against the hectogra'ph pad. A positive stop-'62 is thus provided for the plate 46, which stop is independent of the connections between the arms=48- and the cam roller 58 and cam 59. i

In the making of copies the adjustments must be quite close to enable one to feedthemaster copy to the drum without marring its surface,

and to thereafter feed copy sheet assemblies to the drum and hold themin proper relation. The present apparatus has been found to give the necessary nicetyof adjustment without danger of getting out of order in use. 4

- While there have been shown and described certain embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described in the appended claims, in which it is. the intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as possible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1.111 a duplicatingmachine, the combination of a drum rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis and having a recess in its peripheral surface, a platen roller rotatably mounted in position to press onssaid drum, an obliquely positioned paper uide along which copy sheet assemblies are adapted to move downwardly one at a time toward said platen roller, a bar extending across adjacent to the face of said roller, meanscomprising a thin resilient plate movably mounted in position for pressing a copy sheet assembly lightly against said bar and adapted to be flexed "readily for applying pressure effectively on different portions of the assemblyof difierent thickness, and adjustable means for limiting the move- 62 stop thearms 48. However, the lever 52 may .ment of said resilient plate toward said bar for peaking the mechanism effective with assemblies of different maximum thickness.

2. In aduplicating machine, the combination 0f a. drum rotatablymounted on a horizontal axis and, havinga recess in its peripheral surface, a platen rollertrotatably mounted in position to press onsaid drum, an obliquely positioned paper j guide along which copy sheet assemblies are :adaptedto move downwardly oneat a time toward'said platen roller, a plate rigidly mounted lin downwardly convergent position with respect to said paper guide in front of the guide and cut outintermediately so'as to leave its lower edge portion in the form of a bar positioned closely adjacent to the" face of the platen roller, a thin resilient plate movably mounted in positionfor pressing acopy sheet assembly lightly against saidbar and adapted to be flexed readily for applying pressure effectively on differs ent portions of theiassemblyof diiferent thickness, means for .movingjsaid resilient plate toward said b8;l'.,.1a,n'd;. adjustable means for limitting thesmovement ofsaid resilient plate toward the bar.

said barifor providing a predetermined clearancelbetween the resilient plate and the bar so as to prevent the application of excessivepressure on said resilient plate.

3. In a duplicating machine, the combination of a drum rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis and havingfa recessiinits peripheral surface, a platen roller rotatably mounted in position to press on said drum, an obliquelypositioned paper guide along which copy sheet assemblies are adapted to move downwardly one at a time toward said platen roller, a plate rigidly mounted in. downwardly convergent position with respect to .said paper guide in front of the guide and cut out intermediately so asflto leave its lower edge portionin theform of a bar positioned closely adjacent to the face of theplaten roller, a thin resilient plate movably mounted in position for pressing a copy sheet assembly lightly against said bar and adaptedto be flexed readilyfor applying pressure effectively on different portions of the assembly of different thickness, adjustable means for limiting the movement of said resilient plate toward said bar for providing a predetermined clearance between the resilient plate and the bar so as to prevent the application of excessive pressure on said resilient plate, and means for moving said resilient platetoward said bar and comprising an actuating member yieldingly mounted with respect to said resilient plate so as to permit the actuas to swing in unison, a; thin resilient plate mounted between said arms and extending transversely beyond the arms in position to swing toward and from said bar for pressing a copy sheet assembly lightly against the bar, said plate being bendable transversely and longitudinally and adapted to be flexed readily so as to apply pressure effectively on different portions of the assembly of different thickness, a third arm connected with said first-named arms for moving said resilient plate toward and from said bar, a i

fourth arm, pivotally connected with said third arm so as to have a limited swinging movement with respect thereto, means for giving said fourth arm a swinging movement in the direction for carrying said resilient plate toward said bar, and yielding means tending to move said fourth arm to thelimit of its motion with respect to said third arm for carrying said resilient plate toward said bar but adapted to yield for permitting the resilient plate to move in the direction away from 5. In a duplicating machine, the combination of a drum rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis and having a recess in its peripheral surface, a

platen-roller rotatably mounted in position to press on said drum an obliquely positioned paper guide .along which copy sheet assemblies are adapted toimove downwardly one at a time toward said platen roller, a bar extending across 5 adjacent to the face of said roller, arms swing ingly mounted at opposite sides of the machine and rigidly connectedtogether so as to swing in unison, a thin resilient plate mounted between said arms and extending transversely beyond the 'armsin position to swing toward and from said baryfor pressing a copy sheet assembly lightly against the bar, said plate being bendable transversely and longitudinally and adapted to be flexed readily so as to apply pressure effectively on difierent portions of the assembly of different thickness, yielding means tending to swing said arms in the direction for'carrying said resilient plate away from said bar, adjustable stopmeans for limiting the movement of saidarms inboth directions for controlling the movement ofsaid resilient plate toward and from said bar, a third arm connected with said first-named arms jfor moving saidresilient plate toward and-from said bar, a fourth arm pivotally connected with said third arm so as to have a limited swinging movement with respect thereto, means for giving said fourth arm a swinging movementin the direction for carrying said resilient plate toward saidbar, and other yielding means tending to move said fourth arm to the limit of its motion with respect to said third arm for carrying said resilient plate toward said bar but adapted to yield for permitting the resilient plate to move in the direction away from the bar independently of any swinging movement of said fourth arm.

6. In a duplicating machine, the combination of a drum, a platen roller rotatably mounted in position to press on said drum, a bar adjacent to said platen roller, and means to guide a sheet assembly past said bar to the drum and platen roller, including a plate movably .mounted to move toward and away from the bar for pressing sheets lightly against said bar, and means for moving said plate toward said bar comprising an actuating member and a yielding connection between the actuating member and the plate providing limited movement of the actuating member in a direction to urge the plate toward the bar without corresponding movement of the plate toward the bar. I

7. In a duplicating machine, the combination of a drum, a platen roller. rotatably mounted in position to press on said drum, a bar adjacent to said platen roller, and means to guide a sheet assembly past said bar to the drum and platen roller, including a plate movably mounted to move toward and away from the bar for pressing sheets lightly against said bar, and means for moving said plate toward said bar comprising an actuating member and a yielding connection between the actuating member and the plate providing 1, limited movement of the actuating member in a direction to urge the plate toward the bar with-. out corresponding movement of the plate toward thebar, and adjustable stop means limiting the approach of the plate to the bar.

8. In a duplicating machine, the combination of a drum, a platen roller rotatably mounted in position to press on said drum, a bar adjacent to said platen roller, and means to guide a sheet assembly past said bar to the drum and platen roller, including arms swingingly mounted at opposite sides of the machine and rigidly connected together so as to swing in unison, a thin resilient plate mounted between said arms and extending transversely beyond the arms-in posi tion to swing toward and from said bar for pressing a copy sheet assembly lightly against the bar, said plate being bendable transversely and,

longitudinally and adapted to be flexed readily so as to applypressure efiectively on difierent portions of the assembly of difierent thickness,

a third arm connected with said first-named arms for moving said resilient plate toward and from said bar, a fourth arm pivotally connected with said third arm 50 as tohave a limited swinging movement with respect thereto, means for giving said fourth arm a swinging movement in the direction for carrying said resilient plate to- Ward said bar, and yielding means tending to move said fourth arm to the'limit of its motion with respect to said third arm for carrying said resilient plate toward said bar but adapted to yield for permittingthe resilient plate tomove in the direction away from the bar.

9. In a duplicating machine, the combination of a drum, a platen roller rotatably mounted in position to press on said drum, a bar adjacent to said platen roller, and means to guide a sheet assembly past said bar to the drum and platen roller, including a thin resilient plate movably mounted in position forpressing a copy sheet assembly lightly against said bar and adapted to be flexed readily for applyingpressure effectively on different portions of the assembly of different thickness, adjustable means for limiting the movement of said resilient plate toward said bar for providing a predetermined clearance between the resilient plate and the bar so as to prevent the application of excessive pressure on said resilient plate, and means for moving said resilient plate toward said bar and comprising an actuating member yieldingly mountedwith respect to said resilient plate so as to permit the actuating mem-' her to move without corresponding movement of the resilient plate.

ROBERT ALONZO WILLIAMS.

Images