US3248982A - Work feeding device - Google Patents

Description

y 3, 1966 D. E. SUTTON 3,248,982

WORK FEEDING DEVI CE Filed June 6, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 all ' INVENTOR DOA/AL!) 5 31/7 7' 0A/ ilzzwmww A r row/5V5 May 3, 1966 D. E. SUTTQN WORK FEEDING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1963 INVENTOR. DONALD E. SUTTON A TTOQNEHS' May 3, 1966 D. E. SUTTON WORK FEEDING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 6, 1963 MW ATTOPNEVS IN VEN TOR.

DONALD E SUTTON May 3, 1966 D. E; SUTTON WORK FEEDING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 6, 1963 ATTOENEr S mm w m Q E D BY Q May 3, 1966 D. E. SUTTON WORK FEEDING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 6, 1963 fiIvc INVENTOR. fidA/ALD 5 sr/rra/v BY MWWQ ATTOENC United States Patent 3,248,982 WORK FEEDENG DEVFIE Donald E. Sutton, Cornstoclr Township, Kalamazoo County, Mich, assignor to Hammond Machinery Builders, Inc., Kalamazoo, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed June 6, 1963, Ser. No. 285,954 11 Claims. (Cl. 83165) This invention relates to printers saws and particularly to a type thereof capable of sawing very thin but highly uuiform pieces from a body of printers type metal.

In the composing rooms of printing establishments, especially printing esetablishments such as newspapers setting large numbers of advertisements, it has long been a problem to secure in the printing forms bodies of type which are intended to appear in the finished printing in positions located at angles other than parallelity or 90 degrees with respect to the sides and ends of the printing form. For example, if in an advertisement it is desirable to have a number of legends appearing therein at varying angles with respect to the side edge of the page on which the copy appears, this has, in the past, presented a difficult task of angularly positioning the type used for the purpose.

In meeting this problem, there developed some years age a practice of setting the type in question in machine cast, or line cast, slugs (namely, such as type cast by Linotype, Intertype or Ludiow machines), then sawing off the type face of the slugs to a desired thickness and, finally, by use of an adhesive, fastening said sawed-01f type face in whatever position was desired to base material of suitable thickness. This has been convenient inasmuch as it parallels the method of handling eleven-point or socalled shell stereotypes which are fastened to base mate rial in a similar manner. This method of handling material to be angularly positioned is rapid and easy and lends itself readily to virtually limitless possibilities without appreciably increasing the time required to put the typecarrying base material together in a printing form.

However, this method, though highly desirable as above indicated and well known, has thus far been of only limited availability. Shell stereotypes are of a thickness of 0.152 inch and, accordingly, to use the sawed-01f type face on the same base material as is provided for the stereotypes, it is necessary to saw said type face to the same thickness, and to do so with great accuracy and uniformity. This has been possible by previously known equipment. However, photoengravings which are also widely used in many kinds of printing, including newspaper work, are made of a thickness of 0.065 inch and it is, accordingly, necessary to use base material, whether of single or composite nature, of a diiferent thickness than is used for stereotypes in order that the printing face of the photoengraving will be at the same distance as the printing face of a stereotype from the backing plate against which the form operates. This, also, is adequately handled by a present practice. However, it becomes impossible to use type face sawed at a thickness of 0.152 inch with photoengravings unless separate base material is provided, which latter is not convenient for obvious reasons.

It, therefore, becomes highly desirable to saw type face to a thickness of 0.065 inch in order to use the abovementioned arrangement technique with photoengravings but without the inconvenience of having to provide for the sawed type a base material of thickness different from the thickness of the base material used with the photoengravings.

Many attempts have been made in the past to saw type face to a thickness of 0.065 inch but thus far the attempts 3,248,082 Patented May 3, 1966 have, insofar as I am aware, been insufiiciently successful to warrant general commercial acceptance. Some previous attempts in this direction have utilized a band saw but this cannot be effectively controlled, particularly as it dulls, with suflicient accuracy to make an acceptable uniform cut.

Further, previous attempts in this direction have often confined themselves to the sawing of one type slug at a time. Having in mind the speed required in the composing room of a large metropolitan newspaper, it is selfevident that the sawing of only one type slug at a time is a highly ineflicient procedure. Accordingly, it is further desirable to provide means by which a multiplicity of said slugs may be sawed at a single time but the piece taken from each of them held within very close tolerances to the thickness specified, such as a thickness of 0.065 inch.

Accordingly, the objects of the invention include:

(1) To provide a printers saw capable of cutting very thin portions from a block of type metal with a high degree of uniformity.

(2) To provide a printers saw, as aforesaid, which will cut such thin portions from type slugs to a thickness as small as 0.065 inch.

(3) To provide a printers saw, as aforesaid, which will be sufiiciently automatic in its operation that the operator is required only to place type slugs into a loading location and actuate a starting switch, whereby the machine will then effect the gripping of the type sings, the feeding of them to the saw, the discharge of the sawedoff portion of the slugs to a convenient location for retrieval by the operator and the discharge of the scrap portion of the slug to a suitable zone for later collection and remelting.

(4) To provide a printers saw, as aforesaid, utilizing a circular saw, said saw being of sufficient rigidity that it will be capable of cutting said slugs with a high degree of uniformity.

(5) To provide a printers saw, as aforesaid, which can be readily adjusted to saw type slugs to a plurality of different thicknesses, particularly to either of 0.065 inch or 0.152 inch.

(6) To provide a printers saw, as aforesaid, which will be capable of handling a plurality of slugs simultaneously.

(7) To provide a printers saw, as aforesaid, which will be able not only to handle a plurality of such slugs simultaneously but also will out each of them to a thickness held within very close tolerances to the thickness specified.

(8) To provide a printers saw, as aforesaid, having Work holding and feeding mechanism which can be applied to a standard, or substantially standard, saw of previously known type and thereby hold at a minimum the modification required in a manufacturing plant for i the saw structure itself.

(9) To provide a printers saw, as aforesaid, which will be strong and sturdy and thereby capable of a long, useful life under severe operating conditions with but a minimum of maintenance effort.

(10) To provide a printers saw, as aforesaid, wherein the operation is completely automatic and thereby can be operated by any of the personnel normally found in a composing room.

Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with apparatus of this general type upon reading the following specification and upon an inspection of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary oblique view showing the front and one side of a device embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front view of said device.

FIGURE 3 is a partially broken, fragmentary, side elevational view of the left side of the device appearing in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a top view of said device.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line VV of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5a is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 5 and showing the parts thereof in a different position.

FIGURE 5b is a fragmentary view similar to FIG- URE 5a and showing the parts thereof in a still further different position.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line VI-VI of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a partially broken, fragmentary sectional view taken on the line VIIVII of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line VIII-VIII of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line IX-IX of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 10 is a schematic diagram of a control system usable with said device.

General description In general, the invention consists of a work holder and feeder to be mounted on the feeding table of a standard, or at least substantially standard, table saw. Said work holder provides spaced, substantially parallel, first and second positioning walls-of which at least one is movable toward and away from the other and clamping means operable to engage workpieces located between said walls. One of said walls provides a hard surface, such as a steel surface, and the other Wall comprises a soft and flexible surface, such as sponge rubber or resilient neoprene. A plurality of type slugs are placed with the type face portions thereof facing toward the hard-surfaced wall. The walls are then, by suitable means such as an air cylinder, brought together and the pressure applied to the bases of the several type slugs by the resilient wall urges all of them with substantially uniform pressure against the hard-surfaced Wall with a high degree of uniformity. The clamp is then closed and the slugs are held rigidly together. The hard-surfaced wall is suitably referenced to the saw blade so that the placement of the type faces of the slugs against said hard-surfaced wall will thereby place them with respect to the saw so that the saw will cut the desired thickness therefrom.

The clamp means and type slugs held thereby are now moved toward the saw and the part is cut as desired. The sawed type-face portions are permitted to fall into suitable trough means for delivery to a point of recovery. In the meantime, the table returns the sawn slugs to the point of beginning, whereupon an ejector device is operated manually or by suitable power means to eject the sawn slugs from the machine. Suitable air cylinders, together with controlling means therefor are provided for actuating the parts as desired.

Detailed description In connection with the ,following description certain terminology will be used for convenience in reference but it will be understood as for convenience only and as having no limiting significance. For example, the terms upwardly and downwardly will be used with reference to the normal position of operation of the apparatus which is also the position shown in FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings. The terms rightwardly and leftwardly will be used with reference to the drawings in connection with which such terminology is used. The terms forwardly and rearwardly will be used with reference to the direction of flow of material through the machine, the same being leftwardly in connection with FIGURES 3 and 4. The terms inward and outward will refer to directions toward and away from the geometric center of the embodiment of the invention here illustrated. Such terminology will also include derivatives of the words above expressly mentioned and words of similar import.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is illustrated in the drawings a preferred embodiment of the invention of which much is conventional and so will be illustrated only in general terms with the detailed treatment being reserved for the portions constituting the novel portions of the machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

There is shown in the drawings a base 1 of any convenient construction supporting a motor 2 (FIGURE 3) driving through a belt 3, a shaft 4 (FIGURE 1). Said belt is covered by a housing 6. 1

Said shaft is supported in suitable bearings, one of which is shown at 7 and supports for rotation in a conventional manner the rotary saw blade 8.

Said base 1 has a pedestal 11 (FIGURE 2) fixed thereon which supports for forward and rearward movement a reciprocable table 14 by means of a pair of ball ways 12 and 13. The table 14 has fixed to it a fixture head 16. The fixture head 16 carries on its rightward side a slug plate 17 (FIGURES 2 and 6) upon which may be placed a preferably vertical stack of type slugs 18. The fixture head 16 includes a horizontally aligned fluid pressure cylinder 19 actuatable by pressure fluid such as compressed air from the line 46. The cylinder 19 and a guide bushing 25 (FIGURE 6) fixed to the fixture head 16 support for axial movement a piston rod 21 which supports at its rightward end a batter plate 22. The rightward face of the batter plate 22 is covered with a resilient, as sponge rubber, pad 23 for contacting the stack of slugs 18. A spring 24 coaxial with the rod 21 urges said rod leftwardly away from the slugs 18.

A backup plate 26 is fixed to the pedestal 11 by means of the studs 28, nuts 29 and block 31. Shims 32 are preferably placed between the backup plate 26 and the block 31 to precisely space and maintain parallel the left- Ward face of the backup plate 26 and the radial plane of the saw blade 8 to accurately control the thickness 'of type face cut off by said saw blade. A batter shim 33 may, if desired, be secured to the inner face of the backup plate 26 and is required only for allowing lesser thicknesses of type face to be out without replacing the shims 32. A filler block 34 in contact with the inner face of the backup plate 26 adjacent the slug plate 17 may be used faces willregister with a uniform and continuous pressure against the batter shim 33, or backup plate 26 if no batter shim is used, even though there may be dimensional slugheight differences.

The fixture head 16 also supports a vertically aligned clamp pressure fluid cylinder 38 fed by pressure fluid, such as compressed air, from the line 47. The clamp cylinder and a guide bushing 37 support for axial movement a vertical piston rod 39 which is surrounded by and urged upwardly by a coaxial spiral spring 41. A horizontal clamp block 42 is secured to the lower end of the rod 39 whereby, when the clamp cylinder 38 is actuated, the clamp block 42 is urged downwardly to firmly contact the upper side of the group of slugs 18 whereby said slugs are held firmly fixed with respect to the slug plate 17 and, hence, with respect to the table 14.

The fixture head 16 also supports on the leftward end thereof a cam plate 48 (FIGURES 4 and 6) for purposes appearing hereinafter.

A table pres sure fluid cylinder 51 (FIGURES 3 and 4) is supported at its rearward end (left as seen in FIGURE 3) on a bracket 52 secured to the pedestal 11. The rod 53 of the table cylinder 51 extends forwardly therefrom and is secured at its forward end to the fixture head 16 by means of the plate 55 and screws 56 and 57. The cylinder 51 is connected at each of its ends to pressure fluid lines 58 and 59. Hence, retraction of the piston rod 53 of the cylinder 51 will cause the table 14 and the slugs 18 held thereon to move rearwardly with respect to the pedestal 11, whereby said slugs 18 are moved toward the saw blade 8 in a direction parallel to the plane thereof.

A hydraulic velocity control, or check, device 61 of any known type is secured to the cylinder 51 by means of the block 62 and has its actuating rod 63 secured by means of the nuts 66 and 67 to the fixture head 16. The device 61 limits the speed of rearward movement of the table 14 by the table cylinder 51 to a preselected rate, said rate being selectable by adjustment of the knob 69. The return, or forward, speed is not affected by the device 61 and is normally carried out at the full speed of cylinder 51.

Between the saw blade 8 and the belt guard 6 and above the bearing 7 there is provided an initial ramp 71 (FIG- URES 5 and 8) which slopes downwardly away from the saw blade 8 and which connects with a preferably horizontal planar surface 72. The surface 72 communicates with a subsequent ramp 73 (FIGURES 5 and 6) which slopes downwardly toward the front end of the machine and terminates in an essentially horizontal, lower surface 74. Hence, type faces sawn from the slugs 18 by the saw blade 8 slide down the ramp system comprising the initial ramp 71, horizontal surface 72 and subsequent ramp 73 and come to rest on the lower surface 74. The

. ramp 73 and surface 74 may, if desired, be of a perforated material for allowing chips accompanying the sawn type faces 18a to pass downwardly therethrough and into the base 1 of the machine whereat may be located a suitable removable container for catching said chips. An inner side plate 76 and an outer side plate 77 are fixed to the inner and outer edges, respectively, of said ramp system for defining a trough therewith. The inner side plate 76 is attached by means of the studs 28 and nuts 29 to the outside of the backup plate 26.

A shield 79 (FIGURES 1, 4, 5 and 6), preferably constructed from a tough, transparent material, such as plastic, is secured by means such as the screws 81 to the outer side plate 77 near the rearward end thereof. The shield 79 shields the saw blade 8 while still allowing the operator an unobstructed view of the sawing operation. The top 82 of the shield 79 is pierced by a compressed air and oil mist line 83 which is directed at the forward edge of the saw blade 8 for lubrication and chip-removal purposes. Another compressed air line 84 extends through the rear wall 86 of the shield 79 from a valve 87 to be described hereinafter for directing the sawn type faces 18a forwardly along the ramp system to the lower surface 74 thereof. A suitable aperture is provided between the lower edge of the front wall 88 of the shield 79 and the subsequent ramp 73 for allowing passage of sawn type faces 18a therethrough.

Anejector mechanism generally indicated at 91 (P16- URES 4 and 9) is provided for removing the sawn slugs 135 (FIGURE 55) from between the batter plate 22 and backup plate 26. An elongated support bracket 93 (FIG- URF- 8) is secured to the table 14 by any convenient means such as the screws 94 and has an upstanding wall 96 which is parallel with the surface of the saw blade 8. The wall 96 lies between the plane defined by the batter plate 22 when same is engaging the stack of type plugs 18 and the inner face of the saw blade 8. A horizontal flange 95 extends outwardly from the upper edge of the wall 96 over the saw blade 8 and is overlapped by the top Wall 82 of the transparent shield 79 to complete the shielding of said saw blade. Two horizontally spaced pairs of vertically aligned guide blocks 97 are fixed to the wall 96 by screws 99. The guide blocks 97 support for forward-rearward reciprocation an elongated ejector plate 162. Screws 104 fix a block 163 to the inner face of the ejector plate 102 intermediate the guide blocks 97 to define the rearward and forward limits of motion of the ejector plate 102. An ejector rod 106 extends forwardly from the block 1133 and terminates in a handle 107 at Cir the forward end thereof. Hence, forward movement of the knob 167 by the machine operator moves the ejector plate 182 from its rearward position (FIGURE 9) forwardly into the space between the batter plate 22 and backup plate 26 (FIGURE 51;) whereby the leading edge of the ejector plate 162 moves the sawn slugs 18b forwardly off the slug plate 17. The table 14 supports be tween its forward edge and the forward edge of the fixture head 16 a deflection plate 108 (FIGURES 3 and 4) for directing the sawn slugs 18b thus ejected into a hopper 109. The hopper 109 is secured to the front of the base 1 for catching the sawn slugs 181) thus ejected and directing same preferably into a suitable container located within the base 1.

The ejector plate 102 is biased rearwardly by means of a spiral tension spring 111 (FIGURE 9) which is attached at the forward end thereof to the block 103 by means of a screw 112. The other end of the spring 111 is secured to the rearwardly extending end of a plate 113 which at its forward end is secured to the upstanding wall 96 of the support bracket 93. The lower end of the block 10-3 has adjustably secured to its rearward face an actuator stud 116 which, when the ejector plate 102 is in its normal rearward position, contacts a limit switch 117. The switch 117 when not contacted by the stud 116 serves to prevent the starting of the machine as hereinafter described.

The aforementioned valve 87 (FIGURE 9) is sup ported on a plate 121 which is secured, by screws'122, to the upstanding -wall 96 of the support bracket 93 at the upper edge thereof and near the forward edge thereof. The plate 121 pivotally supports on a screw 123 a rocker arm 124. The rocker arm 124 has at its upper end an adjustable actuating screw 126 which is in contact with the actuating plunger 127 of the valve $7. The valve 87 is supplied by a compressed air line 128 and supplies the aforementioned line 84 as well as a line 129 which is directed at the slug plate 17.

A control box 131 (FIGURE 2) is mounted on the leftward side of the base 1 and contains suitable control means and pressure fluid sources, such as shown schematically in FIGURE 10 for purposes of illustration, for controlling the operation of the machine. A start switch 132 and an emergency stop switch 133 are mounted on the forward face 134 of the control box 131. The pressure fluid lines 46 and 47 from the batter and clamp cylinders 19 and 38, respectively, the pressure fluid lines 58 and 59 from the table cylinder 51 and the pressure fluid line 83 enter the box 131 to be controlled thereby. An electrical cable 137 connects the limit switch 117 to the control box 131. Roller-type switch actuators 138 and 139 (FIGURES 4 and 7) extend through the inner wall 141 of the box 131 for actuating suitable switches, not shown, which are contained therein. Said roller actuators are actuated by the cam plate 48 on the fixture head 16 as same is reciprocated by the table cylinder 51 and make known the position of the fixture head 16 to the aforementioned control means in the box 131. The electrical connections are conventional and need no detailing. An air pipe 143 (FIGURE 4) connected to any convenient source of compressed air, not shown, feeds the valve 87 through the line 128 and also feeds, through a filter 147, pressure regulator 146 and air line oiler 144 suitable pneumatic control means within the box 131. An air pressure gauge 148 is mounted on the pressure regulator 146 for monitoring the air pressure applied to the air cylinders 19, 38 and 51. An access door 149 is provided on the outer face of the box 131.

is in its rearwardmost position for closing the limit switch 117, the operator places a stack of type slugs 18 on the slug plate 17 whereby the type faces of said slugs are adjacent the batter shim 33 of the backup plate 26. The stack of slugs 18 may be held together by tape, if desired, for convenience in handling. A momentary depression of the start switch 132 energizes the saw blade 8 and causes the batter cylinder 19 to be activated whereby the piston rod 21 thereof moves toward the stack of slugs 18 and, hence, toward the backup plate 26. The pressure on the piston rod 21 is relatively light whereby the resilient pad 23 will be depressed by the type slugs 18 only sufficiently that the faces of the slugs 18 will be moved into firm, continuous contact with the batter shim 33.

The control means in the box 131 then energizes the clamp cylinder 38 to move the rod 39 and clamp block 42 downwardly to clamp the stack of slugs 18 to the slug plate 17 with suflicient pressure to insure the immobility of said stack on said slug plate during sawing. The batter cylinder 19 may then be de-energized whereby the spring 24 retracts the batter plate 22 and resilient pad 23. Concurrently, the control means energizes the table pressure fluid cylinder 51 through the line 59 to retract the rod 53 and, hence, to move the table 14, fixture head 16 and stack of slugs 18 rearwardly to ward the saw blade 8. The line 83 is energized with the table cylinder 51 because the air exhausted from the cylinder 51 through line 58 passes into line 83. The velocity control device 61 allows rearward movement of the table 14 at the desired velocity. While the stack of plugs 18 moves toward the saw 8, the backup plate 26 and the batter shim 33 attached thereto remain fixed, whereby the type faces of the slugs 18 slide therealong. The outer edges of the slug plate 17 and clamp block 42 are located s-ufliciently inwardly as to clear the saw blade 8 (FIGURES and 6).

Further rearward movement of the stack of slugs 18 causes same to contact thesaw blade 8 and to be cut thereby (FIGURE 5a) whereby the sawn type faces 18a are severed from the sawn slugs 18b of the stack of slugs 18. The sawn waste portions 18b of the slugs are retained between the slug plate 17 and clamp block 42. The type faces 18a fall away from the outer surface of saw blade 8 and the initial momentum carries the type faces 18a down the initial ramp 71, across the surface 72 and down the ramp 73 to the lower surface 74 where they are recovered for further handling. The majority of the chips resulting from the cutting operation are deposited directly into a waste container located within the base 1. The few chips that are deposited on the work surfaces are cleared when the ejector is operated. If the ramp 73 and lower surfaces 74 are perforated, the chips moving thereon drop through said perforations and into a suit-able container within the base 1.

After all the type faces 18a have been severed from the sawn slugs 18b, the table 14 continues to move rearwardly until the cam plate 48 (FIGURES 4 and 7) contacts the roller actuator 138 causing suitable control means within the box 131 to de-energize the saw blade 8 and to reverse the flow of pressure fluid to the table cylinder 51. The rod 53 then extends to return the table 14 and the sawn slugs 18b carried thereon to their forwardmost or starting position. As said forwardmost position is reached, the cam plate 48 trips the roller actuator 1-39 to de-energize the air pressure line 47 thus releasing the clamp cylinder 38.

The operator may now pull the ejector rod 106 forwardly' by means of the knob 107. This opens the limit switch 117 and insures that the machine will not be operated while the ejector plate 102 is in an interfering position with respect to the clamp block 42. Continued forward movement of the ejector plate 102 (FIGURE 5b) causes the forward edge thereof to pass between the slug plate 17 and the clamp block 42 and between the batter plate 22 and thebackup plate 26 to contact the rearward edge of the sawn slugs 18b and move same oil the slug plate'17. The sawn slugs 1812 then fall past the deflector plate 108 into the hopper 109 which channels same downwardly into a suitable container in the base 1. As the ejector plate 102 nears its forwardmost position, the block 103 pivots the rocker arm 124- in a counterclockwise direction (FIGURE 9) to actuate the plunger 127 of the valve 87 which energizes the air lines 84 and 129. Energization of the line 129 directs a jet of air onto the slug plate 17 to remove any chips therefrom whereby said plate will be ready for another stack of slugs 18. Energization of the line 84 causes a jet of air to pass along the 'bOlltOIIli of the ramp :71 (FIGURE 5) and across the surface 72 for moving forwardly any chips or sawn type faces 1 8a remaining thereupon.

The operator now releases the handle 107 whereby ejector plate 102 attached thereto is retracted rearwardly to its rest position (FIGURES 7 and 9) by the spring 111. Thus, the valve 87 is closed to de-energize the lines 129 and 84 and the actuating stud 116 on the block 103 contacts the limit switch 117 which closes the electrical control circuit and again renders it capable of operation. This concludes a cycle in the operation of the machine. The emergency stop switch 133 may be activated at any time during the running of the machine to shut same oif, as in the case of malfunction. Then, when desired, the machine may be re-energized to restart a work cycle by actuation of the start switch 132.

Suitable control means capable of operating the machine as above described due to the actuation of the switches 1 32 and 133, the roller actuators 138 and 139, and the limit switch 117 will be apparent to those skilled in the art. An example of such a control system is shown in FIGURE 10, for illustrative purposes only, and shows the state of the control system prior to the start of a cycle of machine operation. The operation of the control system shown is believed obvious from examining FIGURE 10 and reading the above description of machine operation. Hence, no further description thereof is'felt to be needed nor will be given.

It will be apparent that the operation of the machine can easily be made more fully automaticby providing suitable means for depositing stacks of slugs 18 on the slug plate 17, for actuating the start switch, for actuating the ejector plate 102 and for removing the sawn type faces 18a from the lower surface 74 of the ramp system.

Although a particular preferred embodiment of the in- Vention has been disclosed hereinabove for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that variations or modifications of such disclosure, which come within the scope of the appended claims, are fully contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printers saw for cutting a portion including the typeface from at least one type slug, the combination comprising:

a circular saw blade and frame structure rotatably sup porting said saw and means for driving same;

an abutment offset radially fromsaid saw blade and having a surface spaced axially from'the axially nearest surface of said saw blade a distance equal to the desired thickness of said type face portions;

a table adjacent said abutment movable with respect to said saw blade for feeding said type slugs to said saw blade and arranged to pass on the other axial side of said saw blade;

a first clamp having a substantially uniform plane resilient surface thereon positioned approximately in parallelism with said abutment for urging the type faces of said plurality of type slugs snugly and substantially uniformly against said abutment and a second clamp for clamping said slugs against said table, whereby' movement of said table toward said saw blade will carry said slugs against said saw blade to remove therefrom a type face strip ofthe desired depth.

2. The device defined in claim 1 including a planar shim disposed between said abutment and frame structure for determining the spacing between said surface and a-butment and said saw blade and in which said abutment is afiixed to said frame structure.

3. In a pnnters saw for cutting a portion including the type face from a multiplicity of type slugs, the combination comprising:

a circular saw blade and frame structure rotatably supporting said saw blade and means for driving same;

a movable feeding table for feeding said type slugs to said saw blade;

an abutment offset radially from said saw blade and having an alignment surface aligned parallel with said saw blade and spaced axially from the axially nearest side of said saw blade a distance equal to the desired thickness of said type face portions;

a slug table adjacent said abutment, having a surface positioned substantially perpendicular to said alignment surface, fixed with respect to said feeding table for movement therewith and arranged to pass on the other axial side of said saw blade;

a first clamp having a substantially uniform plane resilient surface thereon positioned approximately in parallelism with said abutment for urging the type faces of said plurality of type slugs snugly and sub stantially uniformly against said abutment, a second clamp having a clamping surface parallel with said slug table, whereby movement of said slug table toward said saw blade will carry said type slug against said saw blade to cut therefrom a type face strip of the desired depth.

4. The device defined in claim 3 including an ejecting device and means slidably mounting same in alignment with the portion of said type slug from which the type face portion is to be cut and means operating said ejecting device for ejecting from between said first clamp and said slug table a quantity of type metal from which the type face has been cut.

5. The device defined in claim 4 including means for preventing re-energization of the printers saw while said ejecting device is being operated.

6. The device defined in claim 3 including a guide plate mounted for movement with said feeding table and, when said slug table is located away from said saw blade, positioned substantially adjacent said other side of said saw blade; and

an ejector slide slidably mounted onto said guide plate and means for effecting sliding movement thereof at the will of the operator for ejecting spent slugs from said slug table after the release of both of said clamp means.

7. The device defined in claim 3 including a generally erect fixture upstanding from said feeding table for supporting said slug table and means including a pressureoperated cylinder mounted horizontally on said fixture for operating said first clamp and means including a second pressure-operated cylinder mounted vertically upon said fixture for operating said second clamp;

a third pressure-operated cylinder and means mounting same on the frame of the machine, the plunger of said cylinder being arranged parallel with the direction of travel of said feeding table and being connected to said fixture; and

an automatic sequencing means for, first, energizing said first cylinder, secondly, energizing said second cylinder, thirdly, de-energizing said first cylinder and energizing said third cylinder, fourthly, reversing said third cylinder and, finally, de-energizing said second cylinder.

8. The device defined in claim 3 including means for receiving the severed type face portions and for conveying same to a location below said saw blade.

9. The device defined in claim 3 including means for controlling the rate of the movement of the feeding table towards said saw blade, such means being arranged to allow substantially free return movement of said feeding table away from said saw blade.

10. In a printers saw for cutting the type face portion from at least one type slug along a plane substantially parallel to the type face surface thereof, the combination comprising:

a circular saw blade and frame structure rotatably supporting said saw and means for driving same;

an abutment offset radially from said saw blade and having a surface spaced axially from the axially nearest surface of said saw blade a distance equal to the desired thickness of said type face portions;

a table adjacent said abutment and movable with respect to said saw blade for feeding said type slug to said saw blade and arranged to pass on the other axial side of said saw blade;

clamp means for clamping at least one type slug against said table with its type face in contact with said abutment, said clamp means including a first clamp urging said slug against said abutment and a uniform resilient surface on the side of said first clamp adjacent said slug for contacting same, whereby movement of said table toward said saw blade will carry said slug against said saw blade to remove therefrom a type face portion of the desired depth.

11. The device defined in claim 10 wherein said uniform resilient surface is resilient neoprene.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,490,234 4/ 1924- Schokmiller 83-415 1,821,460 9/1931 Cheshire 83-412 2,126,380 8/1938 Folk 146-217 X 2,188,446 1/1940 Seybold 83-415 2,202,434 5/1940 Seybold 83-415 2,218,470 10/1940 Henderson 83-415 3,186,276 6/1965 Thomas et al 83-206 WILLIAM W. DYER, In, Primary Examiner.

J. L. SEITCHIK, J. 'M. MEISTER, Assistant Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. IN A PRINTER''S SAW FOR CUTTING A PORTION INCLUDING THE TYPE FACE AT LEAST ONE TYPE SLUG, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A CIRCULAR SAW BLADE AND FRAME STRUCTURE ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID SAW AND MEANS FOR DRIVING SAME; AN ABUTMENT OFFSET RADIALLY FROM SAID SAW BLADE AND HAVING A SURFACE SPACED AXIALLY FROM THE AXIALLY NEAREST SURFACE OF SAID SAW BLADE A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THE DESIRED THICKNESS OF SAID TYPE FACE PORTIONS; A TABLE ADJACENT SAID ABUTMENT MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SAW BLADE FOR FEEDING SAID TYPE SLUGS TO SAID SAW BLADE AND ARRANGED TO PASS ON THE OTHER AXIAL SIDE OF SAID SAW BLADE; A FIRST CLAMP HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM PLANE RESILIENT SURFACE THEREON POSITIONED APPROXIMATELY IN PARALLELISM WITH SAID ABUTMENT FOR URGING THE TYPE

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