US2673498A

US2673498A - Sheet counter for paper sheet handling machines

Info

Publication number: US2673498A
Application number: US281230A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth A Wagner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-04-08
Filing date: 1952-04-08
Publication date: 1954-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 1971-03-30

Description

March 30, 1954 K. A. WAGNER SHEET COUNTER FOR PAPER SHEET HANDLING MACHINES Filed April 8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR flfswn/s r 14. MG/VE Q BY E M9 ATTORNEY March 30, 1954 K. A. WAGNER SHEET COUNTER FOR PAPER SHEET HANDLING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8, 1952 INVENTOR" fiwlvsrw 4 lKva/vse,

ATTORNEYS,

Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE SHEET COUNTER FOR PAPER SHEET HANDLING MACHINES This invention relates to sheet counters for paper sheet handling machines, such as printing presses or folding machines, and more particularly to an improved rotary counter for a folding machine for marking folded sheets issuing from the machine at intervals of a predetermined number of sheets.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved sheet counting attachment for a sheet folding machine Which can be easily mounted thereon without material modification of the machine structure for marking folded sheets issuing from the machine at intervals of a predetermined number of sheets; which rides upon the folded sheets and does not damage them in any way; which accurately counts th sheets as they issue from the folding machine and marks each predetermined numbered sheet so that the sheets can be easily arranged in piles or stacks with the same number of :sheets in each stack; and which is simple and durable in construction,economical to manufacture, easy to install, and effective and efficient in operation.

Other objects and advantages will become ap parent from a consideration of the fol-lowing description and appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan View of a paper sheet folding machine showing a sheet counter illustrative of the invention operatively mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the machine and counter illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional View on the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure .5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational View of a sheet counting element with a portion broken away and shown in cross section to better illustrate the construction of the element;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 6-5 of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a perspective View of a sheet riding roller constituting an operative component of the assembly.

on the line With continued reference to the drawings, the

illustrated sheet folding machine, generally indicated at Ill, has at its rear or discharge end a substantially horizontal-1y disposed table II provided with a longitudinally extending opening of rectangular shape which an endless conveyor, generally indicated at I2, is mounted for receiving thereon and moving folded sheets in a direct-ion away from the folding machine.

The conveyor 12 comprises rollers I3 and. i4

journaled on the table one at each end of the opening in the table and extending transversely across a portion of the width of the table, and an endless belt It of flexible material trained over the rollers and having its upper flight disposed in the opening in the table substantially flush with the surface of the table. At least one of the rollers is driven from the mechanism of the folding machine so that the belt is continuously driven in a direction such that its upper flight moves toward the discharge end of the machine. The belt it receives folded paper sheets Iii in partially overlapping relationship, as illustrated in Figure 1, and moves the folded sheets toward the discharge end of the machine to a stacking table I? disposed at the end of the table I! remote from the discharge end of the machine lil.

Rails [8 and it rise above and extend longitudinally of the table ll one at each side of the table and a shaft 28 extends transversely across the table across the conveyor l2 at a level above the table and conveyor belt and is supported at its ends on the rails 18 and [9.

The shaft 28 is supported at one end in a bearing 2! on the rail l3 and is supported at its other end in a bearing 22 slidably mounted on a rod 23 which extends longitudinally of the rail I 9 on a level above the rail is and is secured at its ends to the rail it? by brackets, as indicated at 215.

Roller arms, severally designated 25, 26 and 27 are :pivotally mounted each at one end on the shaft 2% at spaced apart locations along the shaft and extend from the shaft toward the discharge end of the folding machine H3, and

rollers

28, 29 and 39 are journaled on the

arms

25, 26 and 2?, respectively, at locations spaced from the shaft 28 to ride on the upper surfaces of the folded sheets 55 issuing from the machine so as to maintain the stack of partially overlapping sheets in a flat condition.

An arm 3! is mounted on the shaft 26 by a bearing collar 32 connected to the arm and surrounding the shaft at a location adjacent to the inner side of the conveyor it and this arm extends substantially perpendicularly from the shaft 2c in a direction away from the discharge end of the machine.

A stub shaft 33 the shaft 26 in a direction away from the discharge end of the machine it and is disposed substantially parallel to the shaft 20 and to the table H.

A disc 35 of substantially circular shape is centrally journaled on the stub shaft 33 over the conveyor l2 adjacent to the inner edge of the latter. This disc 35 is provided around its periphery with a series of teeth 36 which are all of substantially the same size and are inclined in the same direction relative to related radii of the disc. There are a predetermined number of the teeth 36 corresponding to the number or folded sheets which it is desired to assemble in each separate stack of sheets. The disc is provided with a radially disposed bore 3'! extending inwardly of the disc from the pointed outer end of one of the teeth 36, an aperture 33 being provided through the disc at the inner end of the bore 37. A marking element 39, such as a soft pencil or crayon lead, is frictionally mounted in the bore 3'! with its outer end exposed beyond the outer pointed end of the corresponding tooth 36 and with its inner end disposed within the aperture 32 so that the lead can be adjusted outwardly of the disc a its outer end is worn down.

The disc teeth 35 are so inclined that as a stack of overlapped folded sheets 55 issues from the machine and is carried along upon the conveyor 12, the forwardly disposed, exposed edge of each sheet engages a tooth 35 of the disc and rotates the disc through such an angle that the forward edge of the next succeeding sheet will engage the next succeeding tooth of the disc. The disc is thereby rotated by engagement of succeeding teeth by the succeeding edges of sheets of the stack issuing from the machine. Each time a tooth adjacent to the marking element 39 is engaged by a sheet, a mark is made on the edge of the sheet and the sheets spaced apart at intervals of a predetermined number of sheets are thus marked as the overlapped sheets issue from the machine.

Washers id and H are mounted on the stub shaft 33 one at each side of the disc 35, and a nut 42 is threaded onto the stub shaft at the side of the disc 35 remote from the arm 3! and bears against the washer 4B. A look nut i3 is also threaded onto the shaft and bears against the nut 42 so that the nuts 62 and l3 are locked on the stub shaft. Clamp nuts M and 55 are threaded onto the shaft between the disc 35 and the arm 3| in opposed relationship to each other and a compression spring as surrounds the stub shaft between the clamp nut .3 and the washer 4|, so that the Washer t8, the disc 35, and the washer M are compressed together. This arrangement act as a friction brake for the disc 25, resisting free rotation thereof and insures that the only rotation of the disc is that imparted to it by the engagement of the edges of the sheets It with the teeth of the disc.

A lever dB is disposed between the clamp nuts 44 and. 45 and has an elongated slot therein receiving the stub shaft 35. A roller 59 is journaled on one end of the lever 43 and bears on the folds of the overlapped paper sheets it near the disc 35 to maintain the paper sheets in a flat condition and prevent the folds thereof from curling upwardly when they contact the teeth of the disc 35. The pressure of the roller 50 on the paper sheets can be adjusted by moving the lever 48 longitudinally thereof relative to the stub shaft 33 and clamping the lever in adjusted position by tightening the

clamp nuts

44 and 45 toward each other.

A rigid arm 5| extend upwardly from the shaft 20 adjacent to the bearing collar 32, and a contractile coil spring 52 is connected at one end to the arm 5! at the upper end thereof and is connected at its other end to the stub shaft 33 at a point adjacent to the arm 3|. The spring 52 acts to prevent excessive pressure of the disc 35 upon the paper sheets 16 issuing from the sheet handling machine. The arm 3| may be one of the

roller arms

25, 26 and 21 carrying the sheet

flattening rollers

28, 29 and 30, such arm being merely rotated through an angle of I degrees so that it extends rearwardly from the shaft 20 instead of forwardly from this shaft. In such case, the sheet flattening roller of the arm 3| will be removed and replaced by a paper guide shoe 53. An aperture provided in this shoe receives the stub shaft 33 instead of the axle of the sheet flat ening roller. A shoe 54 corresponding to the shoe 53 is illustrated in Figure 3 as mounted on the arm 25 carrying the sheet flattening roller 28.

If desired, an extension 55 may be provided on the arm 3i extending from the bearing collar 32 toward the discharge end of the machine l0 and a counter-weight 56 may be mounted on this arm extension for adjustment longitudinally of the latter to control the action of the spring 52 on the disc 35.

With the above described simple attachment sheets issuing from the machine can be marked at intervals of a predetermined number of sheets, as indicated at 55 so that, as the sheets leave the machine they can be arranged in piles or stacks with a predetermined number of sheets in each pile or stack.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope or the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a sheet folding machine having a horizontal table, a horizontal endless conveyor extending along the table substantially in the plane of the table, a shaft extending across the table and across the conveyor, means mounting said shaft on the table in upwardly spaced relation to the table and to said conveyor, means connected to said conveyor for moving folded sheets on the conveyor toward one end of the table with the folds of succeeding sheets projecting upwardly from the conveyor, at least one roller arm pivoted on said shaft and having a sheet flattening roller at the side of said shaft remote from said one end of the table, another arm pivoted on said shaft and having a portion positioned at the side of said shaft adjacent to said one end of the table, a stubshaft on said portion of said other arm extending parallel to said shaft, a marking disc journalled on said stubshaft, said disc having circumferentially spaced teeth having edges arranged to be engaged by folds of sheets advanced by the conveyor toward said one end of the table whereby the disc i rotated on said stubshaft with the periphery of said disc bearing upon the sheets, and a marking penoil mounted on said disc in line with one of the said tooth edges for marking a sheet engaging said one edge.

2. In a marking attachment for a sheet folding machine wherein the sheet are advanced in overlapped relation and with folds of succeeding sheets projecting upwardly from the sheets, a shaft adapted to be mounted across the machine and above the sheets, an arm pivoted on said shaft and extending radially therefrom, a marking disc journalled on said arm with its axis parallel to said shaft, and with its periphery bearing upon sheets on the machine, said disc having peripheral and circumferentially spaced teeth having edges arranged to be engaged by folds of succeeding sheets so that advancement of the sheets serves to rotate the disc, and a marking pencil on the disc in line with one of said KENNETH A. WAGNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lee Mar. 28, 1911 Lindbladh Mar. 5, 19 8 Teall Jan. 7, 1919 Swick Oct. 26, 1920 Straubel July 21, 1925 Cannon Jan. 19, 1932 Rice Nov. 13, 1945