US2641321A

US2641321A - Automatic paper punching machine

Info

Publication number: US2641321A
Application number: US20878A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles C Cruzan
Original assignee: WIRE O CORP
Current assignee: WIRE O CORP; WIRE-O Corp
Priority date: 1948-04-14
Filing date: 1948-04-14
Publication date: 1953-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 1970-06-09

Description

June 9, 1953 c. c. CRUZAN 2,641,321

I I AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHING MACHINE Filed April 14. 1948 e Sheets-Sheet 1 m IN VEN TOR. Q g /HES 6: C9020 June 9, 1953 c. c. CRUZAN AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1948 INVENTOR.

9,922,556. (kl/241v- BY O Q l I II I IIIIIIIIII lll l D O June 9, 1953 c. c. CRUZAN 2,641,321

AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHING MACHINE Filed. April 14, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 696015.; 6! 639020 c. c. CRUZAN 2,641,321

6 Shets-Sheet 4 Jim/r15: 62 024 June 9, 1953 AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHING MACHINE Filed April 14, 1948 June 9, 1953 c. c. CRUZAN AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 14. 1948 INVENTOR. 62419155 6. (kw/201v k mw bw 000 w C. C. CRUZAN AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHING MACHINE- June 9, 1953 e Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed April 14, 1948 T W ML.

n I I IM IIII IIIDIIIIIIU U l N l Ill Patented June 9, 1953 2,641,321 AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHING MACHINE Charles C. Cruzan, Salt Point, N. Y., assignor to Wire- Corporation, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application April 14, 1948, Serial No. 20,878

12 Claims.

The invention here disclosed releates to paper punching machines and particularly to machines of the type covered by United States Patents 2,114,259 of April 12, 1938, and 2,238,680 of April 15, 1941, for punching the perforations required for securing sheets in wire and plastic binders.

As disclosed in these patents, the sheets are punched, a group at a time, and the handling of these lift-s, as they are called, has required special training and skill on the part of the operator and the output of such machines has depended largely on the skill and attention of the operator.

Primary objects of the present invention are to effect the necessary separating and feeding operations, all automatically, and with an accuracy and speed not dependent upon any. individual skill or cooperation.

Special objects are to attain these results at a reasonable cost and with what may be considered relatively simple, mechanical structure adapted to run continuously over extended periods.

Particular objects of the invention also are to provide a machine of the characteristics mentioned which may be readily set up to handle different sizes and grades of paper stock and be otherwise readily adaptable to performing or carrying out different or special required operations.

Other special objects of the invention are to accomplish the purposes outlined Without greatly or objectionably increasing the bulk over machines such as heretofore employed in hand feeding opereations, thus to enable use of the new automatic machines in binderies having limited space.

Other desirable objects and the novel features of the invention are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate a present practical embodiment of the invention. Structure, how ever, may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and broadly claimed.

Fig. l in the drawings is a plan view of the machine with parts broken and some parts appearing in section;

Fig. 2 is a broken front elevation of the machine, with the upper tape frame shown in released and partly lifted position;

Fig. 3 is a broken sectional view on a larger scale showing the upper tape frame cammed upward and hooked in its fully lifted position;

Fig. 4 is a broken view of the right-hand end of the machine; 1 7

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail of the cam and cable connections for operating the Ijogger cooperating with the end stop;

"Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken sectional view on an enlarged scale illustrating particularly the lift gripping rolls, feed tapes, endstop and jog- E Fig. 7 is a fragmentary part sectional view illustrating details of the cooperating end'stop'and j r; A I

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged broken plan and front views, respectively, of the lift feed mechanism showing the feed slide and holdback clamp in retracted position; 3

Fig. 10 is a broken sectional view showingjthe slide advanced to push a liftfrom the bottom of the stack and the holdback clamp closedlto hold the overlying sheets in place while the lift "is slid out from beneath the same; J

Fig. 11 is a broken cross sectional detail of the slide construction as on substantially the plane of line ll--Il of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a perspective View of one of the punched lifts.

Figs. 13 and 14 are plan views of the feeder blade and clamp plate for adjustably securing the same;

Fig. 15 is a broken side elevation on an enlarged scale showing how the under surface ofthe feed blade or fbayonet may be relieved to avoid any tendency for jamming or wedging the sheets in the stack.

The punching portion of the machine isshown as of the same general design as disclosed inPatent 2,238,680, with a ram 15 carrying the punches, operating vertically in side. guides l6, l1, and actuated by a rocker l8 journaled in the side guides at 9 and connected by a pitman 20 with a crank or cam onthe drive shaft2l. ,A front stop 22, Fig. 1, determines the position of, the row of perforations 23 punched in a lift of .sheets such as illustrated at 24, Fig. 12. l

In the present invention the-sheets are stacked in quantity on a table 25 at one side ofithe feed table 26 directly in front of the punch'andfed out from the bottom of the stack, one. lift at .a time, to the punch mechanism. f

In the illustration the sheets 21 are confined in stack formation on the table 25 by upright angled

front corner guides

28, 29, and

rear guides

30, 31. These maybe adjustably'mounted'to' accommodate different size sheets asby beingsecured by'bolts 32 engaged in undercut grooves 33 in'the table top.

Separation and feeding of the group'o'f'sheets forming the lowermost lift is accomplished in the illustration by a slide 34 operating over the table top and having a tapered and sharpened forward edge portion spaced above the top a distance 36, Fig. 9, equivalent to the thickness of the lift and therefore adapted to penetrate the stack at the proper level to separate the sheets necessary to form the lower lift at.

This slide has a feed shoulder 3'! at the back of the separating blade portion 35 which, as shown in Fi s. and 15, will forward the separated sheets into the bite of a pair o; feeding-out

rollers

38,39,1igs2 and 6.

As shown in the latter'view, the

front stack guides

28, 25, are relievedat their lower ends'to form a gateway it for free passage of the separated lift to the pulling-out

rolls

38, 39.

To prevent dislodgement of the sheets overlying the separated lift, the feed slide is provided with means for holding back the next adjoining overlying layer of sheets in the form of a clamp ii having a tapered and sharpened forward edge to penetrate the stack at a level above the separated lower layer and pivoted ates to close down in gripping engagement with the thus separated upper layer of sheets.

The closing, automatic gripping engagement of the holdback clamp is effected, in the illustration. by providing it with an inclined cam shaped up" surface i l to engage the lower edge t} of a 4% extending across between the rear stack guides 30, 3 i.

To allow the feed slide the forward movement necessary to feed the separated lower lift after the upper layer has been gripped and held by the holdback clamp, the latter is shown mounted on a plate ll slidingly mounted at 48 in the main feed slide 3d.

The pivot 33 for the holdback clamp is shown carried by lugs or ears 35 on the slide plate ll and the latter is shown projected forwardly on the main slide by a compression spring 593 surrounding the rod 5i and bearing against the forward end of a guide sleeve 52 adjustably secured by clamp screw 51% on the main slide.

By releasing the set-screw and longitudinally adjusting guide sleeve 52, the tension of spring'dil may be adjusted to hold the clamp advanced under proper spring pressure to enter the stack sufficiently for a firm grip on the layer of sheets overlying the sheets forming the separated lower lift.

The holdback clamping blade il. is yieldingly held in open or raised position, as in Figs. 2 and 9, by a spring Ml bearing downward on the outwardly extended arm 55of this member ad justed as to tension by the overstanding thumbnut 55. l v

It will be noted in Fig. 9 that the under surfaces of both the lower separating blade and the upper clamping blade 4i are substantially parallel with the table to enter the stack smoothly without tearing the sheets and that the upper surfaces are inclined to act in a wedging capacity for lifting and separating the sheets.

The under surface of the lower, separating blade 85, however, preferably is relieved, back of the front end portion of the same, substantially as indicated at 35a in the detail view, Fig. 15, all the way back to the feed shoulder 37' so as to overcome tendency for the separated lift forming sheets 25. wedging against the face of the blade. This wedging tendency may be created by a slight springing of the thinned projecting portion of the blade away from and out '01: paralelism with the face of the table. The'relief in the under surface of the blade affords slight additional clearance for the sheets bacl; to the feed shoulder and eifectually prevents any wedging or jamming of the sheets beneath the blade.

The lift separating and holdbaol; members and H are carried, in the present disclosure, by a slidin'gcarriage made up of bars El, Fig. 11, operating in guide slots 53 in the table 25 and secured by through bolts 59 to the body portion 36 of the :ieed slide at the top, and to the underlying slide plate. to and operating plate El at the bottom, beheath the table.

The latter, as shown in Fig. 2, carries a wrist pin 62 engaged by one end or a link 33 whose opposite endis :pivotally connected at 55 with the .upper end of, a lever 65 pivotally supported at its lowerend at iit'and carrying a roller in cngagement with the groove 68 in a cam 69.

The cam 69 is driven in timed relation with the .punch mechanism, in the present disclosure by a chaindrive 19-, Fig. 4, from the main drive shaft '21 .ofthe punch to a parallel shaft "ii, connected the stack.

For finer adjustments the paper feeder secured on the slide carriage through the intermedia-c3; of a clamp plate 15 slotted at "It for pas-- sage of the through bolts 59, the base a l having longer slots 7? for these bolts.

Outer sets of bolts 18 serve to further secure the clamp plate to the base plate it, these bolts being shown arranged in pairs and applying pressure through thepads or washer-lilae clamp plates "19. The main clamp plate is shown as having elongated slots in its outer edges for the free passage of the pairs of bolts 13.

It will be seen that upon loosening bolts and Til the clamp plate '15 is released to permit bodily adjustment of the sheet feeder base 3 in respect to the barsE'i of the slide carriage, to the extent permitted by length of the slots El and 38. Spacer ribs Bl on the under side of the base plate operatingv through the slots 82 in the table top directly engage the tops of the slide bars ll"! so that tightening of the bolts 59 secures the plate 35 without binding it on the table.

Flat springs 33 are shown in Figs. 8 and 9 held beneath the heads of the inner sets of bolts 5% and bearing downward at their free ends on the forwardly or inwardly projecting portion oi the feeder'plate 3G to. prevent vibration and hold it downin smooth sliding engagement with the surface of the table.

The bottom lift 2d, separated as described and pushed out from beneath the layer of sheets held back above the same into the bite of the constantly running

feed rollers

38, 29, is adanced by the latter into the grip of the constantly running upper and lower companion feed tapes 8d, 85, operating over the feed table 26 in front of the punch. The upper set of tapes B l are-shown carried by

pulleys

36, 87, on

shafts

88,39, and the lower set of tapes onpulleys 96, 9!, on

shafts

92 and 93.

A special feature of the upper set of tapes is that they are mounted in a swinging frame t l pivoted at 95 on an axis correspondingto the axis of the upper feed roll shaft 88, Figs. 2 and 3, so that this complete set of tapes, as a single unit, may be swung upwardly clear of the lower tapes and so as to fully uncover the punch table.

To accomplish complete separation of the tapes the pivots 95 for the upper tape frame are arranged directly on the-ends of the sliding journal boxes 93 for the upper roll shaft 88 and the frame is provided with inclined hook shaped cams 97 which by engagement over rolls 98 at the upper sides of said journal boxes will effect lifting of the structure to an extent substantially as indicated in Fig. 3. The inclined lifting cams 91 are shown as terminating in hook portions 98a fitting over the rolls 98 to retain the parts in this position against the tension of the springs 99 operating to lower the journal boxes to effect cooperative engagement of the upper tapes. 84 with the lower tapes-85.

With this construction the feed table in front of the punch may be entirely cleared at any time by simply swinging the upper tape frame as upwardly in the manner indicated in Fig. 2, into the substantially vertical position shown in Fig. 3, where it will be releasably held so long as may be desired, by engagement of the hook cams 9?, 9811 over the supporting rollers 98, and in which relation the upper tapes, though they may continue to run, because of gear I08 still remaining in mesh with gear I'I, will be free of the lower tapes.

The drive for the upper and lower sets of tapes is provided in the machine illustrated by belt drive connections I00 from the motor IOI,

Fig. 1, which operates the punch mechanism, to

a horizontally extending shaft I02 carrying a spiral gear I03 in mesh with a corresponding gear I04 on the intermediate, back to front shaft I05, Fig. 2, carrying a gear I06 in mesh with a gear 01 on the lower tape drive shaft 92, gear I0? being in mesh with a gear I08 on the end of the upper tape drive shaft 88.

Gear I06 also as shown in Fig. 2, is in mesh with a gear I09 on the end of the shaft I I0 carrymg the lower feeding-out roll 38, and this gear I09 is in mesh with the gear III on the upper feeding-out roll shaft II2.

Thus a single cross shaft I is utilized to drive the feed rolls 38, 39, as well as both sets of lower and upper feed tapes.

To assure passage of the separated lift from the pulling-out rolls 38, 39, to the feed tapes, a

' guide H3, Fig. 6, is shown interposed between the rolls and the entrance end to the. feed tapes.

The lift of sheets 24 advanced by the feed tapes 84. 8'5, over the front of the punch table 26, is stopped in proper position in front of the punch dies by an end stop I I4, Figs. 1, 2, 6 and '7, projected upwardly past the feeder tapes by rocker arms H5 on a rock shaft H6 oscillated by lever arm II! and link H0 from a rock lever H9 pivoted at I20 and carrying a follower roll I2I in engagement with a cam surface I22 on the edge of the cam 59.

A spring I23 connected with the lever .II9

' acts to yieldingly hold the lever rocked into position with the end stop uplifted as in Fig. 6 and the lower roll I2I in engagement with the edge cam I22.

To register the sheets of the lift accurately against the end stop II4, a jogger I24, Fig. '7, is provided in the form of a lever pivoted at I25 on a slide I25 actuated by a lever I21 projectmg upwardly from a shaft I28 rocked by a spring I29 in a direction to advance the jogger, to the left in Figs. 6 and 7, and shifted in the opposite direction by a pull cable I30 connected with an arm I3I on the shaft and extending over a pulley-I32 to one end of a rock lever I33, Figs. 4 and 5, pivoted at I34 and carrying at the opposite end a roller I35 in engagement with an edge cam I36 on the shaft II.

The pivotal mounting of the jogger I24, as will be clear from Fig. '7, enables it to yield downwardly to a lift of sheets passing over the top of the same and to rise in back of the rearward edge of the lift, assisted by a spring I31. The cam I36 is timed to withdraw the jogger at a time when the lift is due to engage the end stop H4 and to then permit the jogger to come up against the back edge of the lift under pull of the spring I29. To permit necessary adjustments of the j ogger; the same isshown carried by a bracket I38 in Fig. '7, adjustably secured at I39 on the actuating slide I26.

The lift of sheets fed into position and registered by the jogger I24 in front of the press, is fed into position beneath the punches by a gage or jogger I40, Fig. 1, carried by a bar I4I slidingly guided in the machine and carrying a roll I42 at the back in engagement with a cam I43 on the main drive shaft 2|. This reciprocating bar is acted on at the front by a spring I44 and the parts are timed for this gage I40 to shift the sheets after they are registeredagainst the end stop II4 inwardly against the front stop 22 of the punch.

The front jogger I40 is shown in Fig. l as having an inwardly convergent guiding edge I45 for truing up any out of line sheets as they are advanced by the tapes into position for feeding into the punch. v

The end stop II4 remainsin upraised position while the front gage or jogger I40 is feeding the lift of sheets across the face of the end gage into the registered position in the punch, but as the punch head comes down and the sheets are perforated, this end stop may be lowered so that the lift will be free and ready to be fed by the tapes laterally out of the punch as soon as the punch head lets go of the perforated sheets.

Thusno time is lost and only a momentary stoppage of the lift occurs, just long enough for the sheets to be jogged, shifted laterally to the punch gage and punched, the constantly running tapes taking control and feeding the lift on out of the machine as soon as the punching is completed.

Actually the jogger I24, after registering the lift against theend stop II4, may rest while the lift is shifted laterally by the frontjogger I40 into thepunch and then, after the punch releases the stock, be advanced to start the lift out of the punch, thus to assist the tapes in carrying the punched lift on out of the machine. This is of advantage particularly in the case where the punches leave burrs at the edges of r the perforations which might tend to cause the sheets to stick to the punches, assuring that the lifts will positively start and be fed away by the tapes.

To prevent the layer of sheets overlying the bottom lift from shifting forward under the impulse of the clamping blade entering the stack, a so-called gate is provided in the illustration in the form of a bar I50, Figs. 1, 2, 4-. and 6, adjustably mounted on the cross bar I5I between the front stack guides'28, 29, by a bolt I52 and thumb screw 553. as horizontally slotted at I54 andthe gate as vertically slotted at 55, Fig. 4,'for passage of the small size.

The cross bar I5! is shown bolt :52, allowing for both lateral and vertical adjustment of the gate. Set screws 56, Fig. 4,

at the sides of the gate and bearing on top of the bar l5l, provide for accurate vertical adjustments of the gate substantially to meet the lower edge of the held back group of sheets overlying the bottom lift. Adjusted with its lower edge substantially at the parting line between the lower lift and the layer gripped by the holdback clamp, the gate assists this clamp in holding back the overlying layer of leaves and forms an abutment which will prevent forward shifting movement of this layer under the push of the clamp blade in entering the stack.

The gate 559 also is important in holding back 'the overlying covers in the case where the machine is used for feeding covers instead of lifts of sheets to the punch mechanism, the adjust- .ments described being utilizedto accurately set the gate for such purposes.

The upper feed tapes M- may be veriably tensioned toward the lower set of tapes, in the machine shown, by adjustment of the thumb screws ifil, Fig. 6, forming the abutments for the holddown springs 8t.

In similar fashion the upper feed roll 39 may be journaled in vertically slidable boxes tensioned by springs 58 held by thumb nuts 59. The independent adjustment of these thumb nuts at opposite ends of the roll is particularly advantageous when setting up the machine to handie sheets, covers or the like of different widths, it being desirable many times under such circumstances to apply greater tension at one end than at the other end of this feed roll.

The gage Hill which feeds the lifts into the punch is shown in Fig. 1 as adjustably secured at 586 on the reciprocating bar It! so that it may be set to different width sheets. In the illustration the sheets being punched are of relatively The adjustments of the various parts are such, though, that a wide range of sheet sizes may be accommodated in the same machine.

The lifts, as fast as they are released by the punch mechanism, are fedout by the tapes onto a suitable stacker such as indicated at Mil, Figs. 1 and 2, at the far end of the machine beneath the delivery end of the tapes and piled in the same order they were in in the supply stack, an important feature in handling numbered sheets, successive leaves of books or the like.

Operation Reviewing briefly, the sheets 2'! confined in stack formation by stack guides 23, 28, 3!, Figs. 1 and 2, are removed, one lift at a time, from the bottom of the stack by a slidingfeeder 34- having a blade 35, Figs. 5, 9 and 10, to enter the stack at the proper lift level and an abrupt shoulder 31 beneath and at the back of said blade to feed out the separated lift into the bite of the constantly running feeding-out or pulling-out rolls 38, as, Fig. 6.

The sheets above the separated lift are gripped and held by a second blade ii on the feed slide which enters the stack above the bottom lift and closes down into gripping engagement on the overlying sheets as it rides under the cam bar 45, Fig. 10. This holdback clamp being carried by the bar 4! slida-bly mounted on the main slide base '34, remains in gripping engagement with 8 the sheets while the feed slide continues and completes its inward feedingmovement.

The lift taken by the feeding-out rolls 38, 39, Fig. 6, is immediately advanced into the grip. of the companion feed tapes 8d, 85, and by the lattercarried up to the end stop li l. As the lift reaches this stop the jogger 1% comes up behind the back edge of the lift and registers or insures their squaring up against the end stop As registration is effected the reciprocating jogger Mil, Fig; 1, feeds the lift laterally into engagement with the'front stop 22 of the punch. The punch may be operated 'atrelatively high speed so that the dwell for punching need be momentary. To maintain or assist in maintaining the desired high speed operations, the end stop H4 may be lowered practically as soon as the punch takes hold of the paper so that when the punch in its retractive movement, lets go, the lift is immediately carried on out of the machine by the tapes. The tapes run constantly and so are ready at all times to take the lifts from the feeding out rolls 33, advance them to the punching station and then carry them clear of the punch mechanism. These tapes are tensioned to grip the lifts firmly enough to effect these operations butwith sufficient slip to permit momentary dwell of the lifts while they are being registered against the end stop IM, then shifted laterally into the punch and arrested there for the punching stroke.

The lifts and the sheets composing the lifts are held under proper control at all times. The entire automatic operations are rapid and accurate, the machine is of compactdesign and does not require much more space than the machines of the semi-automatic type first. mentioned. All parts are readily accessible for necessary. adjustments or substitution.

While the machine is primarily designed for separating and feeding sheets in lifts as described, it is realized that the machine may be used for such purposes as punching book covers or the like, and in which event a plain feed slide which will feed one or more covers from the bottom of the stack may be used in place of the lift separating blade and holdback clamp structure illustrated.

As the stack lowers in the hopper, from the feeding out of the stool; from the bottom, the stack may be replenished by simply addingfresh sheetsto the top of the stacln. The operation may thus be a continuous one and, since themachine can operate at high speed, high rates of production can be maintained. While the loweringof the end stop H l prior to the release of the lift by the punch contributes to the high speed action and may be a preferred method of operation, it is contemplated that this stop may be timed to let go the lift substantially at the same time as the punch.

'While the invention is of particular importance for perforating sheets and for that reason'has been so disclosed, it should be understood that the invention is of broader scope and has many other applications as, for example, in'connection with machines for trimming and for cutting the round corners on sheets. The terms employed herein have therefore been used in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense and are to be read accordingly except where the intent to restrict is plain orpossibly where state of the prior art may. impute a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A'paper feed device for an automatic paper punching machine having a punch for perforating a lift of sheets and comprising feed tapes running across the front of said punch, means for supporting a stack of sheets at the entrance end of said feed tapes, means for separating, feeding out and delivering a lift of sheets from the bottom of the stack to said feed tapes, an end stop for stopping a lift of sheets advanced by said feed tapes in'line with the punch, means for feeding a stopped lift of sheets laterally of the feed tapes into the punch and means for shifting the stop clear of a lift perforated by the punch.

2. A paper feed device for an automatic paper punching machine having a punch for perforatinga lift of sheets and comprising feed-tapes running across the front of said punch, means for supporting a stack of sheets at the entrance end of said feed tapes, means for separating. feeding out and delivering a lift of sheets from the bottom of the stack tosaid feed tapes, an end stop for stopping a lift of sheet-s'advanoed by said feed tapes in line with the punch, means for feeding a stopped lift of sheets laterally of the feed tapes into the punch, means for shifting the stop clear of a lift perforated by the punch and a jogger for registering the lifts against said stop.

3. A paper feed device for an automatic paper punching machine having a punch for perforating a lift of sheets and comprising feed tapes running across the front of said punch, means for supporting a stack of sheets at the entrance end of said feed tapes, means for separating, feeding out and delivering a lift of sheets from the bottom of the stack to said feed tapes, an end stop for stopping a lift of sheets advanced by said feed tapes in line with the punch, means for feeding a stopped lift of sheets laterally of the feed tapes into the punch and means for shifting the stop clear of a lift perforated by the punch, said lift separating, feeding-out and delivering means including a feed blade entering the stack at the bottom lift level and a holdback clamp for gripping the immediately overlying sheets when the bottom lifts are being shifted from beneath the same.

4. A paper feed device for automatic paper punching machine having a punch for perforating a lift of sheets and comprising feed tapes running across the front of said punch, means for supporting a stack of sheets at the entrance end of said feed tapes, means for separating, feeding out and delivering a lift of sheets from the bottom of the stack to said feed tapes, an end stop for stopping a lift of sheets advanced .by said feed tapes in line with the punch, means for feeding a stopped lift of sheets laterally of the feed tapes into the punch and means for shifting the stop clear of a lift perforated by the punch, said lift separating, feeding out and delivering means including a reciprocating slide having a feed blade penetrating the bottom of the stack and a clamp blade positioned to enter the stack above the feed blade and yieldably mounted on the slide.

5. A paper feed device for an automatic paper punching machine having a punch for perforating a lift of sheets and comprising feed tapes running across the front of said punch, means for supporting a stack of sheets at the entrance end of said feed tapes, means for separating, feeding out and delivering a lift of sheets from the bottom of the stack to said feed tapes, an end stop for stopping a lift of sheets advanced by.

10' said feed tapes in line with the punch, means for feeding a stopped lift of sheets laterally of the feed tapes into the punch and means for shifting the stop clear of a lift perforated by the punch, said lift separating, feeding out and delivering means includinga reciprocating slide having, a feed blade penetratingthe bottom .of the stack and a clamp blade positionedto enter the stackabovethe feed blade and yieldably mounted on the slide and a stationary member engaged by said clamping blade to close. the samei into gripping engagement with.

downwardly sheets above the feed blade. .6; A feed device for an automatic paper punching machine having punch mechanism compris-.- ing a stack supporting table at one side of said.

punch mechanism, stack guides on said table, a reciprocating sheet feeder on said table at the outer side of said stack guides, gripperrollsiat the base of the stackat the opposite side of said stack guides, a conveyor extending from said gripper rolls in front .of said punch mechanismported at one end and a hook cam at said pivotally supported end for lifting and supporting said frame with the tapes carried thereby separated from the companion tapes.

8. Feed mechanism for an automatic punch, comprising upper and lower sets of companion feed tapes operating across the front of the punch, a frame pivotally supported at one end and carrying the upper set of feed tapes, a hook cam at the pivotally supported end of said frame and a relatively stationary member positioned for engagement by said hook cam.

9. In a machine of the character disclosed, companion sets of upper and lower feed tapes, drive shafts for said tapes having intermeshing gears, vertically slidable journal boxes for the upper drive shaft, a frame for supporting the upper set of tapes pivotally engaged on said journal boxes, a hook cam carried by said frame and a fixed support positioned to be engaged by said hook cam to effect lifting movement of said journal boxes and said upper tape frame.

10. Feed mechanism for an automatic punching machine comprising means for supporting a stack of sheets in front of and at one side of said punching mechanism, sheet conveying means running from the base of said stack across the front of said punching mechanism, means for feeding sheets out from the bottom of said stack and delivering them to said conveying means, means for temporarily stopping sheets on said conveying means in front of said punching mechanism and means for shifting the stopped sheets laterally of said conveying means to said punching mechanism.

11. Feed mechanism for an automatic punching machine comprising means for supporting a stack of sheets in front of and at one side of said punching mechanism, sheet conveying means running from the base of said stack across the front of said punching mechanism,

of said sth'iak and delivering 1 them to said: conmeans including a'she'et'stop and means for shift "th'esa-nie' into'the path of movement of-sheets removing the same from said pathat'the comple tion of eachp'u'nohing= action of said punching deri'ied by saidsheet' conveying means and' then mechanism.

12: 'A'j' sheet feeder ofthe character disclosed comprisinga hopper for confining a stack of "15 sheets; a'-feed blade reciprocating at the foot of said'hopfie'r forfeeding sheets out from the'bot-j ton'i of th'e 'hopper, a; continuously. runningsheet conveiror for advancing'sheets removed from the tiottom ofthe' stack; a=stop for arresting sheet's on said conveyor, means for intermittently operating 1 on sheet'snrre'sted bysaid stop, means 'forretractingthe'stop-to 'enable sheets'to'be continued in movement by the conveyera'fter beinglactediupon by" said intermittently operating; mechanism? and movement to said sheets after retraction-'ofusaidf' stop.

CHARLES C. CRUZAN;

References Cited in the file of this-patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 267,574 Mundell et-al. 'Mzr.-14, 1882f 585,998 Adams July 61.138? 1,689,760 Young et'al. Oct. 30,1928 1,914,275 Mills -June,1'3 ,11933 2,067,913 Nordquist Jan. 19,1937 2, 07,650- Winkel Juiy 9,1940v 2,255,723 Sorensen Sept; 9'; 1941 2,292,960 Moon A'ug. 1'1',, 1'942 2,335,078 Osborn Nov; 23;.1943 2,347,254 Cox Apr. 25', 1944- 2 -,533,9 -14-.. Brandt -Q Dec; 12,1950: