US2888262A - Front guide mechanism - Google Patents

Description

May 26, 1959 E. M. MONTGOMERY FRONT GUIDE MECHANISM 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Aug. 20, 1956 Hi 0. H f a. 8 bx om E \1; mm m m 2 0 o S nv -ww 1 Q 0 O W G H O M vm an? l 2 mm @Q 2 0m 3. vm 3 mm INVENTOR.

e m H 0 W A m E /M y 1959 E. M. MONTGOMERY 2,888,262

FRONT GUIDE MECHANISM Filed Aug. 20, 1956 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VELE.

IN VEN TOR.

B E/mer' M. Monfgomer'y W a /regs United States. Patent O FRONT GUIDE MECHANISM Elmer M. Montgomery, Brookfield, 11]., assignor to Miehle-Goss-Dexter, Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Application August 20, 1956, Serial No. 605,033 4 Claims. (Cl. 27160) The-present invention pertains in general to flat bed and cylinder presses for printing and/or die cutting stifi sheets of cardboard or the like material. The invention is directed more specifically to registering mechanism for registering stifi sheets of material after the individual sheets :have been completely separated and advanced from a stack thereof and prior to their being fed into the press.

Because of their stifi, relatively inflexible nature, sheets of cardboard and corrugated board cannot be wrapped around an impression cylinder like ordinary paper stock to receive a printing or die cuttingimpression. Therefore, conventional feeders which separate and feed sheets from the top of a pile to grippers which carry the sheet around the impression cylinder, cannot readily be used. In such cases, therefore, bottom sheet feeders are usually employed to feed the sheets directly into the bite between the cylinder and bed so that the sheets are not curved or distorted beyond the maximum limits of elasticity. .While the latter class of feeders virtually eliminates problems pertaining to the separation and feeding of cardboard sheets, they greatly increase the difiiculty of maintaining accurate register of the sheets which is so essential in quality work, particularly when a subsequent die cutting operation must register accurately with a preceding printed impression.

In virtually all bottom sheet feeders, little or no attempt is made to obtain front edge registration of the sheets. This is due to the fact that as each sheet is advanced it is under positive control of the pusher fingers which engagethe rear edge of the sheet and project it into the bite of coacting feed rollers which in turn-advance the sheet directly into the bite of the printing or die cutting members. Such operation, in efiect, constitutes, rear edge registration of the sheet, and is wholly dependent upon the relative positions of the pusher fingers. Obviously, such practice is not conductive to accurate register in subsequent operations which are dependent upon conventional front edge registering mechanism.

Moreover, the absence of front register guides increases the need for critical adjustments of the pusher fingers in order that the sheets will be positioned properly relative to a:corresponding register point on the form or cutting die so that the sheet will not be advanced or retarded with respect to the die as it advances in timed relation therewith into the bite of the coacting members. In other words, the absence of front edge register guides not on'ly'increases the problem of maintaining the parallel relation of the sheet with respect to the form or cutting die, but also the timing of the sheet with respect to the motion of the form or cutting die.

It also will be evident that corrective adjustments'of the pusher fingers can only be made when the press is shut down and, therefore, a great deal of productive time must be sacrificed before the precise and final setting'is obtained. i .With my novel registering mechanism it is possible to capitalize on all of the advantages afiorded by bottom terial without sacrificing accurate front edge registration of the sheets. Moreover, due to the novel motion im-' parted to the front register guides, critical adjustments of the pusher fingers are no longer required and cor rective adjustments of the guides can be made while the press is in operation. Another important advantage of the mechanism resides in the fact that substantially one half of the complete cycle of operation of the'press is utilized for the registering operation thereby providing I ample time to accurately position each sheet.- I

It is a primary object of my invention,'therefore, to provide registering mechanism, particularly adapted for use in conjunction with bottom sheet feeders, which is of' relatively simple construction, efficient in operation, and economical to manufacture. Another object of my invention is to provide registering guides which have rearward motion to eifect regis-I ter of a sheet in the registering zone and forward motion to-remove them from the path of the registered sheet.

A still further object is to provide register guides which have rearward motion in a path substantially parallel to the plane of the sheets to effect register of the sheets and forward motion in a parabolic path generally perpendicular to the plane of the sheets, to quickly remove them from the path of the sheets. I i

A still further object is to provide registering guides' having adjustable members for varying the lay of the registered sheets and which are adjustable while the machine is in operation.

:Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein; 3

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention; I a Figure 2 is a "view substantially along line II-'--II of Figurel;

Figure 3 is an end view along the line III III of Figure 1, showing the register guide actuatingmechan'ism; Figure 4 is a sectionalview on the line 'IV-'-IV of Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a schematic view showing the path of moveinent of the register guides. 1 e

i In Figure 1, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention as incorporated in a conventional die cutting and creasing press with only that portion of the press being shown which is essential to a clear understanding of the various elements involved. .-Thepress as shown is of the two revolution type 'wherein abontinm is provided with rollers 14 adjacent each corner'thereof which support the bed for reciprocation below the impression cylinder on horizontally disposed parallel tracks 16.

Immediately to the rear of the impression cylinder and slightly above the path of the reciprocating bed is a register table 17 on which the sheets S are supported while they are being registered and until they are advanced into the bite between the bed and cylinder as the forward on its die cutting stroke.

The means whereby the sheets are separated from a stack and advanced to the front edge of the register table have not been shown because they form he of the bed moves present invention. It will be understood, however, that any conventional feed mechanism that will advance a single sheet to the registerposition during each forwarddisclosed, for example, in the copending application Patented May 26, 1959 3 Serial Number 603,974, filed August 14, 1956, and which isadapted to engage and advance each succeeding bottom sheet of a pile until it is completely removed from beneath the stack of sheets and is in position with its leading edge adjacentfront register guides 18 at the forward end of theregister table. The sheet remains at rest in this advanced position during the entire return stroke of the bed andthus ample time is provided for effective and accurateregistrationof the sheet before it is advanced into the bite of the cylinder and bed. After the sheet is registered and immediately before the bed 11 starts its next forward stroke, a feed roller 19 drops down into position on the sheet to maintain it in its registered position as the front register guides 18 are raised out of the path thereof. Then, as the bed starts its forward stroke, the feed roller 19 is rotated in timed relation therewith and at the same surface speed as the bed to advance the sheet directly into the bite between the cylinder and the die cutting form 13. For a more complete description of the feeder mechanism and the function of the feed roller 19, referencefmay be had to the above identified copending application.

The. two front guides 18 are each comprised of an intermediate hub portion 80, a depending sheet engaging finger 81 and an oppositely projecting bifurcated extension .82. The guides are pivotally mounted on a transverse supporting shaft 22 which is located above the front edge of the register table 17. The latter shaft is adapted to bBxOSClllfiiCd, relative to said front guides, about the axes of eccentric journals whereby to move the sheet engaging fingers 81 in, a rearward direction from a sheet stop or neutral position to engage and register each succeeding sheet on the feed table and while the bed moves on its return or inactive stroke and then in a forward and upward; direction out of the path of the sheets as the bed reverses its direction and starts on its active or die cutting stroke.

The shaft 22 is provided with eccentric journals 23 at each end thereof, see Figure 2, which are rotatably mounted in the side frames 24 and 25 and it also carries a lever 26 by means of which it is oscillated about the axes of the eccentric journals so as to impart the above mentioned oscillating motion to the front guides 18 in timed relation to the movement of the bed.

Above the shaft 22 and arranged parallel therewith are two- shorter shafts 27 and 28. Those shafts areadapted to fit into the grooves 29 formed in the extensions 82 of the respective front guides so as to control said guides and maintain them in a predetermined angular position for agiven angular position of the supporting shaft 22. As will become evident from the following description, the shafts, 27, 28 also function as pivots about which the guides-.18 ;are oscillated when the shaft 22 is oscillated about its eccentric journals so as to move the sheet engaging fingers 81 between their sheet registering and inoperative positions. The diameters of the shafts 27 and 28 are such that they fit snugly into the grooves 29 without any free play, but not so tightly as to prevent relative sliding motion of the guides as they move through the various positions and pivot about the axes of said shafts.

The shafts 27 and 28 also are provided with eccentric journals 30, 31, and 32, 33 respectively, and are mounted for angular adjustment about the axes of said journals whereby to adjust the pivot axes of the front guides angularly about the supporting shaft 22 and which in turn advances or retracts the register position of the sheet engaging fingers 81. Shaft 27 is journaled in the side frame 25 and the depending bracket 34 and shaft 28 is similarly journalled in the side frame 24 and a corresponding bracket 35. The brackets in turn are secured to the bottom face of a transverse channel member 36 secured to the frames 24 and 25.

As'can be seen best in Figures 1 and 2, the shaft 22 is arranged to be oscillated about the axes of its eccentric journals by means of a continuously rotating cam 37 having an irregular contour and being mounted on the transverse supporting shaft 38 and which cam imparts. oscillating motion, through a roller 39, to an arm 40 of a bell crank that is pivoted at 41 on a bracket 42 secured to the channel member 43. This motion which is variable due to the contour of the cam, is in turn transferred to the shaft 22 through the connecting rod 44 connected between the free end of arm 40 and the lever 26 on said shaft.

The other arm 46 of the bell crank carries a rod 47, the free end of which is slidably mounted in a pivoted boss 48 on the bracket 42. A compression spring 49 mounted about the rod 47, exerts pressure between the boss 48 and a collar 51 on the rod 47 to maintain the roller 39 in intimate contact with the cam 37.

The cam 37 is arranged to rotate through one complete revolution for each cycle of ope-ration of the press and is driven by means of a worm gear 52 secured to the end of the cam shaft 38, see Figure 3. This gear in turn meshes with a worm 53 on the shaft 54 which maybe driven from any convenient source .from the main drive of the press.

From the description thus far it will be evident that as the cam 37 rotates, a corresponding oscillating motion will be imparted to the shaft 22 and, because of the eccentric journals 23, this motion of the shaft will impart a swinging motion to the guides 18 about the axes of the control shafts 27 and 28 causing the depending ends of the guides to move rearwardly at a relatively slow speed from their sheet stopping position, indicated at A in Figure 5,v to the sheet registering position B and thence forwardly and upwardly at an accelerated speed to a retracted position C to allow the registered sheet to pass into the bite between the bed and cylinder during the die cutting stroke of the bed.

The rearward motion imparted to the guides 18, for the purpose of registering sheets while they are at rest onithe register table 17, is of particular advantage when processing cardboard or the like material, especially when a bottom sheet feeder is used. In such case, the pusher fingers of the feeding mechanism need only advance the sheet until its leading edge is within the relatively large register zone whereupon the guides 18 move rearwardly to register and position the sheet relative to the cutting die on the reciprocating bed. Therefore the adjustment of the pusher fingers, which can only be made when the press. is stopped, is not critical because the rearward, registering motion of the guides compensates for any. inaccuracy in the setting of the pusher fingers.

Moreover, the register guides may be adjusted if need b-ewhile the press isin operation, to bring the sheets into'register without stopping the press. These adjustments are accomplished manually by mechanism associated with the control shafts 27 and 28 and which mechanism is adapted to adjust said shafts angularly about the axes of their respective eccentric journals whereby to vary the pivot axis of the guides 18.

With particular reference to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that shafts 27 and 28 have secured thereto levers 56 and 57 respectively which are connected by means of rods 58 and 59 to corresponding levers 61 and 62 on the actuating shafts 63 and 64. Both of the latter shafts extend beyond the frame member 24 and each one has gear teeth 66 and 67 formed thereonfor meshing relation with worm gears 68 and 69 rotatably mounted in the gear housing 71. The shafts 72 and 73 of the worms are provided with handwheels 74 and 75 by means of which each shaft 27 and 28 can be adjusted independently.

From the above description it will be apparent that adjustment of the handwheels 74 and/or 75 imparts corresponding rotary motion to the respective shafts 27, 28 .and, by virtue of the eccentric journals on said shafts, such rotary motion produces a shift in the position of the respective pivot axes of the front guides 18. This shift of the pivot axes in turn causes the guides to pivot about the supporting'shaft 22, whereby to vary the register position of said guides relative to the register table 17 and the cutting die 13.

It will be obvious that a corresponding adjustment of both handwheels 74, 75 will result in advancing or retracting the register position of the sheets parallel with the cutting die whereas the adjustment of only one handwheel, will vary the register position of the sheets angularly with respect to the cutting die.

The guides 18 must be adjustable axially on the shaft 22, in order to accommodate different size sheets and provisions must be made to lock the guides in their adjusted position while permitting them to swing thereabout as the shaft 22 oscillates.

Therefore, the guides 18 are mounted on bushings 76 having flanges 77 at one end and which project beyond the opposite edge of the guides, see Figure 2. A retainer 78 is fitted onto the free end of the bushing to retain the front guide in position and the retainer is locked, in place with a socket head screw 79. The latter is threaded in the retainer 78 and projects through an opening provided in the bushing 76 to engage the shaft22 and lock the complete assembly in position on said shaft. Adjustments can be made quickly by releasing the screw 79 whereupon the guide can be moved to the desired position.

A brief description of the device is as follows.

A sheet S is advanced on the register table 17 as the bed 11 moves forward on a die cutting stroke and until the leading edge of the sheet is within the limits of the registering zone adjacent the front guides 18. In other words the pusher fingers of the feeder do not have to be adjusted with any great precision since it is only necessary to move the leading edge of the sheet adjacent the front guides which compensate for any inaccuracy in the setting of the pusher fingers by moving rearwardly to register and position the sheet relative to the form 13 on the bed 11.

The cam 37 is timed so that as the bed 11 reverses the direction of motion, the high part of said cam will engage the cam roller 39 thereby imparting oscillating motion to the shaft 22 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure l, to impart rearward motion to the front guides to move them from their sheet stop position A to the sheet registering position B in a path substantially parallel to the plane of the register table 17. This registering action of the guides 18 takes place during the greater portion of the return stroke of the bed 11.. Prior to the bed reaching the end of its return stroke, however, the feed roller 19 drops down into engage-- ment with the sheet S thereby pressing the sheet between said feed roller and its coacting idler roller 20 to hold the sheet in its registered position.

As the bed 11 approaches the end of its return stroke, the low 'part of cam 37 moves under the roller 39 whereupon the spring 49 urges the bell crank in a clockwise direction causing shaft 22 to be oscillated in a. reverse direction, counter-clockwise as viewed in Figure 1. This motion causes the register guides to move from the register position B through the stop position. A to an inoperative position C in a parabolic path which is generally perpendicular to the plane of the register table 17, out of the path of the sheets as the bed 11 commences its next forward stroke. feed roller 19 is actuated in unison with the bed to proj'ect the sheet into the 'bite between the cylinder and the form 13 precisely in timed relation with the movement of the bed so that the sheet will be in exact register with the die cutting form 13. The roller 19 isadapted to advance the sheet at the same speed as the bed as it moves on its forward stroke.

If it is found that the initial setting of the front guides does not provide for precise register of the sheet with. respect to the cutting die 13, adjustment of the handwheels 74 and 75, Figure 4, can be made immediately At this point the while the press continues to operate to rotate urea- 1, trol shafts 27 and 28 and thereby vary the pivot of the front guides so as'to advance or retract either guide separately or both guides simultaneously, to there by correct the lay of the sheet on the register table.

While I have herein described and disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that changes in the arrangement and operation ofthe respective elements may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and which wilbcome within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: v

, 1. Mechanism for registering sheets on the feed table of a die cutting or the like sheet processing machine comprising, eccentric journals, a supporting shaft .disposed transversely above the feed table and being mounted for oscillation about the axis of said eccentric journals, a plurality of front guide members loosely mounted on said shaft and having sheet engaging fingers which intercept the plane of said table, an extension on each guide member extending above said shaft, adjustable control means interconnected with said extension and constituting a pivot axis about which said front guides are oscillated, said control means maintaining the sheet engaging fingers in a predetermined position for a given angular position of the supporting shaft, and cam means for oscillating the supporting shaft in one direction at one speed and in the opposite direction at a different speed about its eccentric journals to in turn impart relative oscillating motion to said guide members about their pivot axis whereby to move the sheet engaging fingers rearwardly at one speed from said predetermined position to engage and register a sheet on the feed table and then forwardly and upwardly at a different speed out of the path of said sheet.

2. Mechanism for registering sheets on the feed table of a die cutting or the like sheet processing machine comprising, eccentric journals, a supporting shaft disposed transversely above the feed table and being mounted for oscillation about the axis of said eccentric journals, front guide members loosely mounted on said shaft and having sheet engaging fingers that intercept the plane of said table at a sheet stop position, a bifurcated extension formed integral with each guide member and extending above said shaft, adjustable control means coacting with the bifurcated extension and constituting a pivot axis about which said front guide members are oscillated, said control means maintaining the sheet engaging fingers in said sheet stop position for a given angular position of the supporting shaft, and cam actuated means for oscillating the supporting shaft in one direction at a relatively slow speed and in the opposite direction at an accelerated speed to in turn impart relative oscillatory motion to the guide members about their pivot axes whereby the sheet engaging fingers are caused to move in a rearward direction at a relatively slow speed from the sheet stop position to engage and register a sheet on the feed table and then in a forward direction at an accelerated speed through the stop position to a retracted position out of the path of said sheet.

3. Mechanism for registering sheets on the feed table of a die cutting or the like sheet processing machine comprising, eccentric journals, a supporting shaft disposed transversely above the feed table and being mounted for oscillation about the axis of said eccentric journals, front guide members loosely mounted on said shaft and having sheet engaging fingers which intercept the plane of said table, said fingers having a sheet stop position, a sheet register position and a retracted position, a bifurcated extension formed integral with said members and extending above said shaft, adjustable control means having coaction with said extension to maintain said fingers in their sheet stop position for a given angular position of the supporting shaft, said control means constituting a pivot axis about which said guide members are oscillated, and cam actuated drive means for oscillating the supporting shaft in one direction at a relatively slow speed and in the other direction at an accelerated speed about its eccentric journals to in turn impart relative oscillating motion to the front guide members about their axes whereby the sheet engaging fingers move at a relatively slow speed from the sheet stop position to the sheet register position and thence at an accelerated speed through the stop position to the retracted position, the respective axes of the eccentric journals, the supporting shaft and the control means being so disposed that the motion of the fingers is substantially parallel to the plane of the feed table between the stop position and the register position and generally perpendicular to said plane between the stop position and the retracted position.

4. Mechanism for registering sheets on the feed table of a die cutting or the like sheet processing machine comprising, eccentric journals, a supporting shaft disposed transversely above the feed table and being mounted for oscillation about the axis of said eccentric journals,

front guide members adapted to be oscillated by said supporting shaft and having a sheet stop position, a sheet register position and a retracted position, said guide members each including a depending sheet engaging finger, an intermediate hub portion and a bifurcated extension, each front guide member being mounted by its hub portion on the supporting shaft for relative rotation, an adjustable eccentrically journalled control shaft coacting with the bifurcated extensionof each member to provide a pivot axis for the member about which it will oscillate, said control shafts maintaining the respective sheet engaging fingers in the sheet stop position for a given angular position of the supporting shaft, and cam actuated means for oscillating the supporting shaft in one direction at a relatively slow speed and in the opposite direction at an accelerated speed to in turn impart relative oscillating motion to the guide members about their axes whereby to cause the sheet engaging fingers thereof to move at a relatively slow speed in a path substantially parallel to the plane of the feed table between the stop and the register positions and at an accelerated speed in a parabolic path generally perpendicular to said plane between the stop position and the retracted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 145,890 Morris Dec. 23, 1873 1,345,742 Blaine July 6, 1920 1,922,040 Harrold Aug. 15, 1933 2,152,624 Cazes Apr. 4, 1939 2,753,184 Backhouse July 3, 1956 2,821,911 Mestre Feb. 4, 1958

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