US397314A - Means for collecting and evening up sheets for printing-machines - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No ModeL T w. SCOTT. MEANS FOR GOLLEGTING AND EVENING UP SHEETS FOR PRINTING MAGHINES.

Patented Feb.

N. PFHRS. PholwLilhOgYflphar. Washingmn. D. C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. SCOTT.

MEANS FOR COLLECTING AND EVENING IIP SHEETS FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

No. 397,314. Patented Feb. 5,1889.

N PETERS. Pholo-Lithographcr, Washingwu. n. C.

NTTED STATES PATENT rrrcJE.

VALTER SCOTT, OF PLAINFIELD, NE\V JERSEY.

MEANS FOR COLLECTING AND EVENING Ul? SHEETS FOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,314, dated February 5, 1889. Application filed November 21, 1887. Serial No. 255,714. (No model.)

T 0 aZ Z- whom it may concern..-

Be it known that l, VALTER SCOTT, of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Means for Collecting and Evening Up Sheets for Printing-h[achines, of .which the following is a specification.

Printing-presses have been made in which the sheets as delivered are imposed or laid one upon the other and passed in a group to the folding apparz'ttus. ln presses of this kind I have found that the second imposed sheet is generally slightly to the rear of the first sheet, and so on, their forward edges not exactly coinciding. This arises partly from the fact that the cylinder around which the first sheet is wrapped is thereby increased in diameter and the front edge of the second sheet comes slightly behind the edge of the first sheet, and so on.

The object of my invention is to gradually lessen the time consumed in passing the sheet from the cutting-cylinders to the imposingcylinder while collecting each group of sheets, so that the forward edges of such sheets are exactly in line with each other, and in addition to this I even up the group of sheets while laying out flat and before the folding-blade commences to act upon the same, thereby bringing all the sheets exactly into the proper position and obviating any difficulty that might arise from the conveying-belts slightly disarianging the sheets or changing the relative positions of one to the other previously to folding the same.

In the drawings,Figure is a diagrammatic elevation illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the folding device at the line to m, Fig. l; and Figs. 3 and at illustrate modifications in the arrangements of the belts and devices that convey the sheets to the imposing-cyliinler. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the gearing that drives the cutting and collecting cylinders, and Fig. 0 is a detached view of a modification of the evencr.

The impression-cylinder is'represented at A, and the plate or type cylinder at B, and

the cutting-cylinders C and D are provided with a slot and knife, respectively, of any usual character, for perforating the web of paper. The cutting-cylinders O and D are upon the shafts C and D respectively. These cutting-eylinders D are shown of one-quarter the diameter of the type-cylinder B, so as to be adapted to cutting up the printed web into four pages or sections each revolution of the type-cylinder; but the proportion may vary according to the number of sheets to be grouped together and form one signature in the folding apparatus.

The imposing or collecting cylinder F-is upon a shaft, F1 and is adapted .to receive two, three, or more printed sheets and deliver the same when the proper number have been collected or grouped together. This imposing-cylinder may be of any desired construction and provided with penetrating-points or gripping-fingers, as are well known. I have, however, shown a plain cylinder and provided endless belts 9, running around the pulleys 3 +t 5, and against the portion of the periphery of the said cylinder, so as to hold the sheets in place as they are accumulated.

The belts S and. 1), passing around the bulleys 6, 10, ll, 1), l3, and 14, respectively, serve to convey the punctured web from the cutting-cylinders O D to the collecting-cylinder F, and the belts 8 press the web of paper toward the cylinder F, and each sheet is separated from the web when the forward end comes in contact with the collecting-cylinder F, the speed thereof being greater than the speed of the cutting-cylinders C D, thereby tearing the sheet off the web at the punctures the moment the front edge of such sheet is nipped by the belt 8 against the top surface of the cylinder F. After the proper number of sheets has been accumulated the switch 0 causes the delivery of such sheets to the folding apparatus, hereinafter described, such switch being swung at the proper time by a cam or other suitable device act-ing upon the rod 16 of the crank upon. the shaft of the switch, as usual.

The collecting-cylinder F is rotated, preferably, by a train of gears, E, from the cuttingcylinders C D, as indicated in Fig. 5, there being a smaller wheel, 18, upon the shaft 19 and a larger wheel, 20, gearing into the wheel on the shaft F of the collecting-cylinder F, so that this cylinder F has a greater surface speed than the cutting-cylinders C D.

Upon the shaft 19 are lever-frames 22, can rying the journals of the collecting-cylinder IOO F, and also of the rollers 33 l l) and switch 0, so that these parts can all be swung upon the shaft 19, and there is a comtecting-rod, 2?, with a pin in the cam upon the axis of the type-cylinder 13, by which the frames 22 and the collecting-cylinder 1 :an be swung forward and baclnvard each revolution off the printing-cylinder, and the shape of the cam 26 is to be such that the first sheet of the group of sheets will reach the collecting-cylinder l when the same is :l'arthest away from the eutting-cylinders .l), and then the said collectingcylinder l will be swung toward the cutting-cylinders l) the proper distance to cause the front end of the second sheet to coincide exactly with the front end of the first sheet, and this operation will, be coi'ltinued for the third and fourth sheets, or [or as many sheets as there are in the group, after which the group of sheets is delivered and the collecting-eylinder will he swung away from the cutting-cylinders .l) ready to commence receiving another set or group ol. sheets.

It will be thus seen that the distance between the collecting-cylinder and the cuttingevlinder is lessened each sheet: of the group of sheets, and then the distance is increased to the normal position as each group of sheets is delivered, so that the colleeting-cylinderis in position for receiving the first sheet of the next group. It is not necessary to move the collecting-cylinder i as the same effect is produced by shortenin the dist ancc traveled by the sheet or the time consumed in the movement of the sheet, as illustiated in Figs. 3 and 4.

In Fig.

u the roller S is upon the lever or frames 2: at the ends of the shafts lit, and

the connecting-rod passes to the cam 20, as before, and the roller is is thereby moved toward or l'rom the cu tting-cylinders D, and the belts H and 9, passing over and against this roller S, nip the sheet and tear the same from the web at the perlomtions, and the sheet is accelerat j-d thcrcl iy and passes to the colleating-cylinder l, which cylinder remains in a lixed position. ,llence as the roller S is moved toward the cutter Cl) the second sheet will be caught and accelerated at an earlier period than the lirst sheet, and so on [or the third and l'ourth sheets, and according to the extent ol? motion given to the roller Slietn'mm the nipping of one sheet and the next, so the sl'leet will reach the collccting-cylinder h sooner or later, and its front edge can he thereby made to coincide with the l'rontedge ol the previous sheet or belappcd thereon, il desired.

The lJet]mrc-descri'l)ed object can he effected by shortening the length of the bells t4 and 5) between the entthig-cylinders (,l l) and the colleetingeylinder l progrtssively, to lessen the distance traveltafl by the sheets in succession. \Vith this object in view the rollers '12 and 30 should be mounted in spring-bearings to allow them to yield as the nipping-roller S is moved away from the cutting-eylinde'rs U l), and to take up the slack in the reverse direetion.

The group of sheets as delivered from the collccting-eylinder F, by the switch 0' passes beneath the rods 56 and upon the bolts 32, that are around the rollers iii} 34?, and. by them they are conveyed up to the gage or stop N, and duringthis movement the vibrating lingers G have been swung back out of the way. These lingers G are upon a crossshalt, an, that is provided with a crank and connecting-rod, 3'7 to a cam, K ,prelerabl y upon. the shaftof the impression-cylinder A. The shape of this cam is such that the lingers occupy the position, indicated by dotted lines until. alter the group of sheets has passed alongbeneath them, and thenthe said lingers are brought up against the rea r edges ol the sheets and rapidly swung hack and l'orlh by the corrugated portion of the cam l\', so asto straighten up and even the sheets, causi the front edges olf them all. to come into cc tact with the stop N, al'ter which the lioldiit blade )l is brought down to carry the ecnlt ol'. the group of sheets in between the folding rollers ll, and deliver such group ol sheets as a signature ready for binding, or such group as folded passes to any suitable aniparalus for giving :uldilional l'olds.

The stop N may be hung on pivots and made to vibrate by a cam or other suitaljile device, as illustratcl'l in Fig. (3, to aid in evening up the sheets as they lie one on the other. In this case the st op N becon'ies the vibrat ing cvener.

The folding-blade M isconiweted at its ends to the slides it), which move in vertical slideways it upon the frame ol' the machine, and there is a revolving shaft, V, upon which are grooved cams l,'receiving pins or rolls 4:2 upon the respective slides l-(l, so as to force down the folding-hlznle M suddenly and at the proper moment to fold the sheets after they have been pro icrly evened up against the stop N.

It is prelemble to employ rods -.l-.l, sliding through guides -l-5 and having around them springs -.l-li, that act against the nuts -l-7 to counlerpoisc the slides and lolding-blade and cause the movement of the parts to be more u n il'orm.

Fly making use of the eam.l',ael.ing directly upon lhe slides of the folding-blade, I am enabled to move such l'olding-blade rapidly al tcr the sheets have been. evened up for foreing them through between thelolding-rollers ll, and the motion given to the blade will be more steady and. accurate in consequence of the cams acting directly at the ends, and the folds will he even and accurate, and there will he the necessary time for the delivery of such sheets and for the rising of the loldingdiilade before the next group of sheets is (ilellvered [from the eollceting-eyl inder.

The cutter upon the cylint'ler I) may entirely separate the sheet instead of simply perforating it, and rods may take the place of some of the tapes or belts, as well-known in printing-presses. I

The evening-up lingers act upon the sheets as they lie in position immediately before the folding operation regardless of the position of the folding-rollers to the fingers.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combinz'ttion, with the type and impression cylinders and the cutting-cylinders, of the collecting-cylimler and the rollers and tapes or belts for conveying the sheets from the cuttingscylinders to the collecting-cylinder, and mechanism, substantially as specified, for discharging the groups of sheets successively from the collecting-cylinder, one of the rollers or cylinders being movable laterally during the gathering of each group of sheets to lessen the time occupied in the travel of the respective sheets of the group from the cutting-cylinders to the collectirig-cylinder, so as to bring the ends of all the sheets in the group of sheets in line with each other upon the collecting-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a press for printing from a web of paper, of euttiirg-cylinders for perforating the paper, a eollecting-cylinder, and belts for ctmveying the paper from the cutting-cylimler to the collecting-cylinder, the swinging lever-frames 22 and shaft 19, carrying the same, the connecting-rod 25, and cam 20, for swinging such frames progressively during the delivery of each group of sheets and varying the delivery of the respective sheets in the group to bring their ends into line with each other upon the collecting-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination,with the cutting-cylinders (f .l) and the delivery-belts S and 9 and their rollers, of a eollecting-eylinder, F, the belts 2, passing partially around the same, the rollers for carrying such belts 2, the lever- ;frames 32 and their shaft 19, for supporting the collectiiig-eylinder, and mechanism, substantially as specified, for swinging the leverl'rames gradually during the collection of each group of sheets to bring the collecting-cylinder nearer to the cuttirig-cylinders, and thereby insure the proper position of the sheets one upon the other in the group of sheets around the eolleeting-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

a. The combination, with the cutting-cylinders, the collectingeylinder, the conveying belts and rollers, and a switch for delivering the groups of sheets from the collecting cylinder, of conveying-belts for receiving the sheets from the collecting-eylinder, a stop, N, against which the front edges of the sheets are arrested, and vibrating fingers acting against the rear edges of the sheets to even up the same, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the belts 32 and their rollers, of the stop N, vibrating fingers G, shaft 3b, carrying the same, connectingrod 37, and cam K, for vibrating the fingers, and a folding-blade, M, and rollersl'l, for folding and delivering the groups of sheets, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination,with thefolding-bhnle M, of the pair of slides 4.0, supporting the folding-blade, and the pair of slideways 4-1 on opposite sides of the frame of the machine, and the revolving shaft and cams, also upon opposite sides of the machine, for moving the slides and blade, and the folding-rollers ll, substantially as set forth.

'7. The combination,with. the fohling-blade M, of the slides 40, supporting the foldingbladc, the slideways ail. on the frame of the machine, the cams J, and revolving shaft 36, for moving the folding-blmile, and the rods and springs for counterpoising the foldingblades and slides, substantially as specified.

8. The combination, in a paper-folding ma chine, of the rollers H H, the folding-blade M, the parallel line of vibrating fingers G, acting on one edge of the sheets, and mechanism, substantially as specified, for giving motion to the parts, and the stop N, whereby the sheets after being superimposed are evened up and folded, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with the type and impression cylinders and the cutting-cylinders, of the collecting-cylinder and the rollers and tapes or belts for conveying the sheets from the cutting-cylinders to the collecting-cylinder, and mechanism, substantially as specified, for discharging the groups of sheets successively from the collecting-cylinder, one of I the 'rollers or cylinders being movable laterally during the gathering of each group of sheets to lessen the time occupied in the travel of the respective sheets of the group from the cutting-cylinders to the collectingcylinder, so as to bring the ends of all the sheets in the group of sheets in line with each other upon the colleeting-cylinder, and the foldii'ig-blade M, the rollers H, and a stop, N, for folding the groups of printed sheets, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination, with mechanism, substantially as specified, for collecting and superimposing sheets of paper, of the-foldingblade and rollers, a vibrating evener acting at the front and back edges of the sheets after they are superimposed to cause said sheets to coincide with each other, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 16th day of November, 1397.

\VALTER SCOTT.

\Yitnesses:

GEO. 'l. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. Mom.

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