US2492818A - Apparatus having relatively movable members and fastening mechanism therefor - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet l W N Q A. A. SAUL FASTENING MECHANISM THEREFOR Original Filed April 5, 1941 APPARATUS HAVING RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBERS AND Dec. 27 M49 N mi NN INVENTOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. SAUL l||||| Ill! l\||| lllllllllllilllI -NN NNN h M FASTENING MECHANISM THEREFOR TILT-E APPARATUS HAVING RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBERS AND Dec. 27, 1949 Original Filed April s, 1941 INVENTQR Aa/ga/sfA 5611/ NNN 1949 A. A. SAUL APPARATUS HAVING RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBERS AND FASTENING MECHANISM THEREFOR Original Filed April 3, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 2?, 1949 SAUL APPARATUS HAVING RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBERS AND FASTENING MECHANISM THEREFOR Original Filed April 3, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 27 1949 APPARATUS navmo RELATIVELY Mov- ABLE MEMBERSAND FASTENINGMECHA- NISIVI THEREFOR August A.'Sa1il, Ross l ownship,Allegheny coiinty, Pa., assignor to Miller Printing Machinery'Cm, Pittsburgh, Pa; a corporation of Pennsylvania ()riginal application April 3, 1-941, Serial ;No.

Dividedand this application August 17,1945, Serial No. 610,974

(CLZ'YI SS "fi Cla'ims.

This invention relates to apparatus having relatively movable members and -fastening 'mechanism therefor. It embodies a number of improvement features in apparatus having relatively movable members and iast'eningmechanism therefor which may be employed in connection with material handling apparatus but which are also of great utility in other mechanisrns and in the field of machinery generally. "The invention will be illustrated as embodied in material handling apparatus and specifically in sheet delivery apparatus for printing resses. Sheet delivery apparatus is apparatus for handling sheets relatively to a printing press while the press isin operation. While the word delivery is sometimes used to relate particu larl-yto thehandling of thesheets from the press after they have been printed or otherwise acted upon therein, in the present application, unlessthe context otherwise requires, the word delivery is used in a broadersense and applies to the handling of sheets or other material to -a printing press orother mechanism acting thereon as well as handling the same away from such press or other mechanism.

The particular mechanism shown in the drawings is a sheet delivery mechanism for delivering sheets which have :been :printed orotherwise acted upon in a-printingorlike press away from such ;press and piling the same. The delivery mechanism is itself bodily movable toward and from the press. Such movement'is through suitable-control and operating devices-and is accompanied-by operation of connections between the delivery and press. Means are provided for initiating and terminating relative movements between the deliveryand press in predetermined manner. Means are provided for stopping relative movement of the delivery and press toward each other before they reach cooperative positibia, and fastening mechanism is provided for fastening the delivery and press together incooperative position. The fastening mechanism preferably comprises portionsadapted to be carried respectively by the delivery and press or other relatively movable members, one of such portions beingadapted to lie behind the other to 'draw said -mei nlcaers' together, and means for advancing the "first mentioned portion and also moving the same transversely to position it behind the=other portion and then retracting the first -mentioned portion to draw the members together. Desirably the fastening mechanism comprises afastening 6 2 member having an engaging portion, an eccentric mounting for theiastening member whereby it can be advanced and retracted, a fulcrum member and means for urging the fastening member against the fulcrum member while the fastening member "is being advanced and re-- tracted whereby the engaging portion of the fastening member ar-takes of transverse movemerit simultaneousl with advance and retraction.

This application is a division of myjcop'ending application Serial No. 386,651, new Patent No. 2,4003%, dated May '28, 1946 I V Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will'become apparent as the lollow'ing description of a resent preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention, in which I t Figure 1 is a side'elevationa'l view of sheet de livery apparatus with a portion broken away;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse-cross sectional view taken on theline 11-11 of Figure 1 but with parts omitted for clarity; v

Figure -3 is a detail view of a portion of the structure of ,Elsure 1 with parts omitted for the sake of clearness vand showing certain parts in one operative position; 7 k

Figure 4 isa view similar toFigureB showing the parts -in "a differentoperative position;

:Figure 5 is 1 a fragmentary horizontal; cross-sectional view taken on the line V-V of Figure 2; and

'Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal :cross-sectional view to' en1arged :scale taken on the :line VI--VI of :Figure 5.

Referring 'now more particularly to the drawings, a printing press is indicated diagrammat ically at 2 but is not shown in detail since the present invention does not relate to the 'press structure "per se. The press may print upon sheets passed therethro'ugh or it may be equipped with cutting and creasing blades or other instru mentalitie's' for acting on the sheets. 'Adapted to cooperate withthe press and'deliver'sheetsthere fromis a-delivery mechanismdesignated general- 1y by reference numeral "3; The delivery apparatus, which will be hereinafter referred 't'o'in1'- ply as a delivery, comprises opposed slde 'framfe members "and cross frame membersfi connected together to support and contain the delivery mechanism, 'The delivery 'is' separate "from the press and is adapted to be moved 'in "a "straight;

line toward and away from the press into and out of cooperative relationship with respect thereto. This provides a working space between the press and delivery. The delivery and press are relatively movable and while in the structure shown the press is stationarily mounted and the delivery moves over the floor the reverse might by the case or the press and delivery might both move.

Extending away from the press and stationarily mounted upon the flooris a supporting and guiding track 6 upon which one side of the delivery is supported and guided through rollers I. The delivery and track have interfitting portions 8 and 9, respectively, as shown in Figure 2, to insure proper positioning of the delivery at all times and prevent tilting thereof. At its opposite side the delivery carries a wheel I through which it is supported directly upon the floor. The delivery has bearings II and I2, respectively, wherein are rotatively journaled shafts I3 and I4, respectively. The shaft I3 is connected through a universal joint I5 with a screw I6 extending toward the press, and the shaft I4 is connected through a universal joint I! with a screw I8 extending toward the press. Fixed to the shafts I3 and I4 are sprockets I9 and 20, respectively. Journaled in the delivery are stub shafts 2| and 22 carrying idler sprockets 23 and 24, respectively. Mounted in the delivery is an electric motor 25 whose shaft 26 carries a bevel pinion 21. The bevel pinion 21 meshes with a bevel gear 28 fixed to a driving shaft 29 journaled for rotation in the delivery and to which is also fixed a drivin sprocket 30. A sprocket chain 3| meshes with the sprockets 30, 23, I9, and 24, as shown in Figure 2. The mountings for the idler sprockets 23 and 24 may be such that these sprockets or one thereof may be shifted to suitably adjust the tension of the sprocket chain 3 I The press 2 comprises a base 32 having fixedly mounted therein nuts 33 and 34 with which the screws I6 and I8, respectively, are in threaded engagement. The screws I6 and I8 are of the same size, hand and pitch and the sprockets I9 and 20 are of the same size, so when the motor is operated both of the screws I6 and I8 will turn in the same direction at the same speed and will cooperate in exactly similar manner with the respective nuts 33 and 34 through which they pass. Since the nuts 33 and 34 are fixedly positioned in the press base, driving of the screws by the motor 25 will inevitably result in movement of the delivery toward or from the press depending upon the direction in which the motor armature turns. Preferably the motor is a reversing motor so that it may be driven in either direction. Consequently when it is desired to move the delivery toward the press the motor is driven in one direction and when it is desired to move the delivery away from the press the motor is driven in'the opposite direction.

Pivoted to the body of the delivery 3 by a cross shaft 35 is a frame 36 carrying one end of each of a plurality of endless conveyors. The frame 36 is adapted to be swung about the pivot 35 from its generally horizontal operative position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, to its raised inoperative position as shown in Figure 4. Means are provided for raising the frame 36 automatically upon movement of the delivery away from the press and for lowering the frame into operative position upon movement of the delivery toward the press.

,Mounted in the delivery frame is a shaft 89 having fixed thereto a manually operable control handle which is positioned outside the frame. Also fixed to the shaft 89 inside the frame is a pinion 9|. Mounted in the delivery frame is a shaft 92 to which is fixed a gear segment 93 meshing with the pinion 9|. Thus turning of the handle 99 causes through the pinion BI and the segment 93 turning of the shaft 92 through 2. limited angle.

Fixed to the shaft 92 is an eccentric I01. Surrounding the eccentric I0? is an eccentric strap I08 forming one end of an arm I09 having an upwardly facing hook H0 at its opposite end. Mounted in the delivery frame is a stationary fulcrum pin I I I. The arm I09 has a lateral projection II2 which underlies the fulcrum pin III. The arm I09 is normally urged upwardly by a coil spring II3 connected to the arm at II4 and to the delivery frame at H5. The press has a latch plate I I6 with which the hook I I0 is adapted to cooperate to mechanicall latch the delivery to the press during operation.

As the parts are shown in Figure 1 the center of the eccentric I0! is generally to the left of the center of the shaft 92. When the delivery is to be moved away from the press the handle 90 is turned through two revolutions in the counter-clockwise direction viewing Figure 1 and this turning of the handle is accompanied by rotation of the shaft 92 to a limited extent in the clockwise direction. Such clockwise turning of the shaft 92 swings the eccentric upwardly and toward the right viewing Figure 1. But since the fulcrum pin III is stationary such swinging of the eccentric causes the arm I09 to pivot about the fulcrum pin I II and the hook or latch IIO moves downwardly and disengages from the latch plate I I6 on the press. This severs the mechanical connection between the delivery and press and frees the delivery for movement away from the press.

When the delivery is away from the press and ready to be moved back toward the press the handle 90, eccentric I01 and arm I09 are moved to the position shown in Figure 1. As the delivery approaches the press the inclined forward surface II! of the hook IIO rides down on the latch plate II6. For reasons presently to be explained the delivery ordinarily stops a fraction of an inch away from the press so that it does not move quite far enough for the arm I09 to swing back up under the action of the spring II3 to engage the latch I I0 over the latch plate II6 as shown in Figure 1. When the parts are thus positioned the handle 90 is turned in the counterclockwise direction somewhat less than two complete revolutions. This, as above explained, is accompanied by turning of the shaft 92 and movement of the center of the eccentric I01 generally upwardly and toward the right viewing Figure 1. But the lateral component of such movement moves the arm I09 as a whole to the right sufficiently for the latch IIO to clear the plate H6 and when this has occurred the spring 3 pulls up the latch into latching engagement with the plate I I6. The handle 90 is then turned back in the clockwise direction to the position shown in Figure 1, which swings the eccentric I01 downwardly and toward the left. This tends to move the arm I09 to the left, but since the opposite end of the arm is firmly hooked or latched to the press the result is that during such clockwise turning of the handle 90 the delivery is by the arm I09 through the eccentric I0! drawn up firmly and tightly against the press.

While only a single arm I09 and associated mechanism have been described aboveIw r-efer to employ two such arms, one adjacent each side of the delivery, th e two arms being identical and operating synchronously. This causes the delivery and press to be drawn together firmly adjacent both side frames.

It has been explained above that operation of the motor 25 in one direction or the other causes rotation of the screws I6 and I8 to move the delivery toward or from the press. cult is controlled by four switches, one for closing the circuit to start the motor in one direction to move the delivery out, a second for opening such circuit to stop outward movement of the delivery, a third for closing the circuit to start the motor in the reverse "direction to move the delivery in, and arfourth for opening such circuit to stop inwar-d movement of the delivery. The delivery 'beirig -in= theout position, the handle 90 is turned in the clockwise direction to the position bf Figare 1 Fixed to the shaft 92 is apairof switch operatingarmsIIB and H9. When the handle 90 is moved as above described the arm I1 8 operates a switch I which closes the motor circuit to operate the motor in the direction to "cause the delivery to move inwardly toward the press. The switch -I 20 is mounted on the frame'of the delivery adjacent the shaft 92 and in position to'be operated by the arm I I8 upon movement of the handle 90 as just explained. v The delivery continues its inward movement until a switch operating member HI on the press operates a'switch I22 on the delivery which opens said motor circuit ah'd s'tops inward movement of the delivery toward the press. The switch member IZI are so positioned that the switch I22 is operated to stop the deliver a fraction of an inch before it reaches its fully operative position adjacent the press as above explained. Thereafter manipulation of the handle 90 as above explained draws the delivery up tight against the press.

When the delivery is to be moved out away from the press the handle 99 is turned to the position shown in Figure 4. This is done by turning the handle in the counter-clockwise direction from the position of Figures 1 and 3 through two revolutions. This causes the switch operating arm H9 (see Figure 6) to swing upwardly and operate a switch I23 carried by the delivery adjacent the shaft 92 to close the circuit which operates the motor in the direction opposite that in which the delivery is moved in toward the press. Consequently the delivery moves outwardly away from the press. This movement is accompanied by downward movement of a link 61. Such link carries a switch operating arm I 24, which when the delivery has reached its full outward position operates a switch I25 carried by the delivery adjacent the link 6?. Operation of the switch I25 opens the circuit and the delivery stops.

The handle 90 controls the motor for moving the delivery and the mechanical connection or latch for holding the delivery in place against the press. When the delivery is in, as shown in Figure 1, turning of the handle 90 through two revolutions in the counter-clockwise direction releases the latch I It and initiates operation of the motor to move the delivery out. The handle 9|] also initiates operation of the motor to move the delivery in and positions the arm I 99 to adapt it to cooperate with the press when the delivery moves in. The delivery automatically stops a fraction of an inch short of its ultimate posi- The motor cir- H I22 and switch operating tion and againthe same handle simply by being turned somewhat less than two revolutions first in the counter 'clockwise direction from the position shown Figure 1 and then back in the clockwise direction to that same position causes the hook III] to draw the delivery firmly up against the press. Thus aminimum of manual effort is needed to move the delivery toward and from the press.

The handle '90 has a grip portion I92 having an inwardly projecting pin I93 urged inwardly by aspring (not shown). The side frame carries a hollow outward projection I94 into which 'the pin 1'93 is adapted to project when the handle is stationary to hold it in position. To o erate the handle the grip portion 1 92 is 'gra'sped and pulled outwardly and'th'e handle turned and after com motion of the turning operation the pin 1'93 is positioned opposite the hollow *outward projec' tion I94 and the grip portion I92 released to hold the handle in place.

While I have shown and described a' present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the same is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

-1. Fastening mechanism comprising a fa's'tn' ing member having an engaging portion, an eccentric mounting for said fastening member whereby it can be extended and" retracted, yield= able means urging-said fastening member to about said eccentric mounting and 'lne'aiis "coop" crating with said fastening member causing the same to tilt upon turning of said eccentric mount- 2. Fastening mechanism comprising a fastening member having an engaging portion, an eccentric mounting for said fastening member whereby it can be advanced and retracted, a fulcrum member and means for urging the fastening member against the fulcrum member while the fastening member is being advanced and retracted whereby the engaging portion of the fastening member partakes of transverse movement simultaneously with advance and retraction.

3. Fastening mechanism comprising an elongated fastening member, an eccentric mounting for said fastening member whereby it can be ad vanced and retracted, a fulcrum member and a spring for urging the fastening member against the fulcrum member while the fastening member is being advanced and retracted whereby the fastening member simultaneously slides against the fulcrum member and partakes of angular movement thereabout.

4. In combination, a pair of relatively movable members, means for moving said members relatively toward cooperative position adjacent each other, means for stopping said relative movement, said last mentioned means having a control portion positioned in the path of movement of a portion of at least one of said members to be engaged thereby upon movement of said member toward said cooperative position and located along said path at a point such that when it is so engaged said relative movement is stopped with said members slightly farther apart than when in said cooperative position, fastening means connected with one of said members and means for extending said fastening means to engage the other member and then retracting said fastening means to draw said members into said cooperative position.

5. In combination, a pair of relatively movable 7 members, means for moving saidrnembers relatively toward cooperative position adjacent each other, means for stopping said relative movement, said last mentioned means having a control portion positioned in the path of movement of a portion of at least one of said members to be engaged thereby upon movement of said member toward said cooperative position and located along said path at a point such that when it is so engaged said relative movement is stopped with said members slightly farther apart than when in said cooperative position, a control device having a portion sequentially movable to two positions, means operable by the control device in one of said positions to initiate operation of said first mentioned means and means operable by the control device in the other of said positions after said relative movement is stopped to further relatively move said members into said cooperative position.

6. In combination, a pair of relatively movable members, means for moving said members relatively toward cooperative position adjacent each other, means for stopping said relative movement, said last mentioned means having a control portion positioned in the path of movement of a portion of at least one of said members to be engaged thereby upon movement of said member toward said cooperative position and located along said path at a point such that when it is so engaged said relative movement is stopped with said members slightly farther apart than when in said cooperative position, fastening means con- 'nected with one of said members, said fastening means having a portion adapted to lie behind a portion of the other member to draw said members together, and means moving said portion of the fastening means non-parallel to the direction of said relative movement to position it behind said portion of the second mentioned member and retracting said portion of the fastening means to draw said members into said cooperative position.

" AUGUST A. SAUL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 209,785 Winkel Nov. 12, 1878 453,004 Hix May 26, 1891 846,129 Morse Mar. 5, 1907 1,216,414 Calkins Feb. 20, 1917 1,427,730 Fournier Aug. 29, 1922 I 1,438,757 Goddard Dec. 12, 1922 1,517,995 Langenau et a1 Dec. 2, 1924 1,670,569 Claybourn May 22, 1928 1,952,028 Hehle et a1 Mar. 20, 1934 2,036,151 Lang Mar. 31, 1936 2,170,025 Jordhoy Aug. 22, 1939 2,378,654 Pekny June 19, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 528,288 France Nov. 9, 1921

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