US678068A - Signature-feeder for book-sewing machines. - Google Patents

Description

No. 678,068. Patented m a, 190:.

w & TBEVETTE. SIGNATURE FEEDER EUR B OOK SEWING MACHINES,

(Amliqasion filed Aug. 20, 1900.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES] PA ENT -O cn.'

WENTWORTH G. TREVETTE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO TREVETTE MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SIG NATURE-FEEDER FOR BOOK-SEWINIGIMACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,068, dated July 9, 1901.

Original application filed March 5, 1900, Serial No. 7,314. No. 27,445.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WENTWORTH G. TREV- ETTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signature-Feeders for Book-Sewing, Stapling, and Like Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of devices that areespecially intended for use in connection with book-sew ing, stapling,and other like machines for feed ing the signatures to the sewing, stapling, or other fastening devices and holding them while being so operated upon. With this class of machinery the signatures are generally arranged in a pile at. one side of the machine and the operator takes them from the pile, places them upon the feeder one by one, and by the feeding device the signatures are successively delivered to the sewing or fastening devices, and when the feeding device is used in connection with a book-sewing machine it must be withdrawn after each signature is sewed, because the signatures must be fed continuously and sewed together in successive order in order to form the book.

In all book-sewing machines the mode of feeding, or rather the rapidity with which the signatures can be fed tothe sewing-de vices, practically governs the speed at which the machine may be run, and therefore in reality limits and determines the capacity of the machine. Furthermore, the operations of the prior feed devices have beennecessarily continuous, requiring great quickness and accuracy on the part of the operator to properly place the signatures upon the feed-arm, and hence necessitates the employment of a skilful operator to get moderately satisfactory results.

Myinvention has among its primary objects to avoid the necessity for the employment of skilled operators for feeding the signatures and to enable a substantial increase in the capacity of the machine by unskilled operators over the prior forms of machines with skilled operators, whereby the capacity of the feeding-machine, and therefore of any sew-.

Divided and this application filed August 20, 1900. Serial (N0 model.)

ing-machin'e in connection with which it may be used,may be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled, depending solely upon the dexterity of .the particular operator.

A further primary object of my invention is the provision of separate and independent I feeding mechanisms for successivelypresent- 3 ing the signatures to the needles with the minimum expenditure of time and energy, whereby afresh signature may be placed in 7 position on one of said feed devices while the d her one is holding another signature While itisbeing stitched or fastened. v A further'objeet of my invention is to have such separate and independent signaturefeeding mechanisms successively pass by and momentarily pause at a temporary support for the signatures to receive'a'fresh signature on, its way to the fastening devices of the sewing or other machine in connection with which my feed mechanism is employed.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the saddle; and Fig. at a diagrammatic view showing the path of movement of the feed-arms.

- Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings. I '1 may here state that the shape of the frame of the machine for supporting my feed mech- 85 anism is immaterial, that shown in the drawings being selected as aform in which I have practically embodied the invention and in connection with a novel book-sewingmechanism which forms the subject-matter of an application for Letters Patent filed'by me March 5, 1900, Serial No. 7,314, of which said application this application is a division.

I have not attempted to illustrate and shall not describe in detail the book-sewing mechanism because my feeding devices are adapted for use in connection with any book-sewing, stapling, or other machine of like class to which it is desired to feed the signatures for fastening. So, also, the means for driving or applying power to the operating parts of my machine is immaterial and would vary according to the particular machine in connection with which my feeding devices are employed, it being only necessary to see that the parts are operated in proper time to produce the desired results.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the side frames, which may be of any suitable configuration, dimensions, and arrangement and united together in any well-known or convenient manner, so as to form a support for the operating parts of my device. Below the table B is arranged the mechanism for operating the feed-arms O and D, which are preferably two in number, extending horizontally across the front of the machine forward of the frames and are in the shape of gibbet arms, being respectively supported at opposite sides by vertical posts E, each mounted upon the forward end of a pair of horizontal guide-rods F, disposed in the same vertical plane one above the other. As these feed-arms and their operating mechanisms are exact duplicates, a description of one and the reference-letters applied thereto will suffice for both.

The guide-rods F are supported at oppositp ends in horizontal bearings G, formed upon vertical sleeves H, loosely mounted upon vertical guide-bars I and rigidly connected together by a cross-bard. It will thus be seen that the guide-rods F are free to have a horizontal longitudinal movement in their bearings G and may also have imparted thereto a vertical bodily movement through the intermediary of bearing-sleeves H, which slide freely up and down upon their guide-bars. This capability of movement is provided so that an orbital travel may be imparted to the feed-arms carried by the guide-rods. The orbit traversed by the feed-arm is indicated diagrammatically with substantial correct ness in Fig. 4, the arrows showing the direction of movement of the arm in traversingits orbit.

I am aware that it is old in the art to provide a plurality of feed-arms which are radially mounted upon and revolve with a shaft forming a common center for said arms; but in referring to the orbital travel of the feed-arms of my device I have reference to the travel of independent arms that is, arms not mounted upon a common centerin which travel all parts of the feed-arm move bodily and in substantially the same degree through a certain orbit as distinguished from such prior constructions, in which the arms are mounted radially upon a common center, about which they rotate. To produce this movement of the feed'arm, I provide a system of cams and camlevers that are more clearl y illustrated in Fig. 2. The bodily vertical movement of the guiderods is produced by means of the cam-lever K, connected at one end by apin-and-slot connection with the cross-bar J at the center of length thereof, and at its opposite end pivoted at L to the rear side of the frame A of the machine. Pivotally connected with the lever K, between its ends, is a cam-arm M, carrying a roller N thereon near the opposite end thereof, which roller travels in a camway 0, formed in the face of a cam-wheel P, rigidly mounted upon a shaft Q, journaled in the frame of the machine. The lower end of the cam-arm M is provided with a longitudinal slot R, through which the shaft Q passes, thus afiording a guide for the said arm in its movements induced by the cam.

To produce the horizontal longitudinal movement of the guide-rods F, I provide a lever S, a cam-arm T, and a cam-wheel U, provided with a camway, which are duplicates in construction and mode of operation of the lever K, cam-arm M, and cam-wheel P, the cam-wheel U being also rigidly mounted on the shaft Q, while the lever S is piv oted near the bottom of the side frames of the machine, so as to stand in a nearly upright position. The upper end of the lever S carries a pin or roller V,engaginga straight camway W in a yoke X, rigidly secured to the guide-rods F.

I propose to so arrange the camways of the cam-wheels P and U,which rotate in unison,as that part of the time during each revo lution of the shaft both a horizontal and a vertical movement shall be imparted to the guide-rods,and consequently to the feed-arm, and at other times only one of said movements shall be imparted thereto, while still at other times no movement shall be imparted thereto, the feed-arm at such time being momentarily at rest. Without describing in detail the movements as produced I will state that if the cams are so arranged as to impart to the feed arm substantially the orbital travel illustrated in Fig. 4, which any skilled mechanic can readily produce, the results sought by me will be attained. At the two points indicated by a the feed-arm is at rest, the lower indicating the point at which it receives the signature corresponding to the dotted position shown in Fig. 2 and the upper indicating the point at which the arm holds the signature up to the needles during the sewing operation,corresponding with the position of the feed-arm shown by the full lines in Fig. 2.

It will be observed that starting, say, at the point of rest (indicated by the lower the orbital travel as produced by the mechanism illustrated in my drawings will carry the feed-arm horizontally and then vertically to a second point of rest, (indicated by the upper then vertically downward, transversely, and vertically upward to the first point of rest. We have thus a travel horizontally or transversely, then upward vertically, then downward vertically, then transversely, and last vertically upward to the starting-point. This movement of the feed-arm in this orbit I termfta five-motion movement, It .will also be understoodthat the feed-arms are intended to alternate with each other in their movements, so as to successively receive the signatures and carry the same to the needles.v In the drawings I have shown two of these feed-arms, which I have before stated are in the shape of gibbet-arms, which, although they extend nearly across the machine, will pass each other in traversing-their orbit, because as one goes up the other goes down in dilferent planes. Operating in conjunction with these feed-arms is the station ary saddle Y, secured to a bracket-arm Z, extending from one of the side frames A of the machine, said saddle being substantially V.- shaped in end view with the apex uppermost, as will be seen by an .inspection of Fig. 2. The inner side of the saddle at the inner end thereof-that is, the end toward the feedarmsis cut away, as shown at a in Fig. 3, so as to permit the feed=arms to come up underneath the front side of the saddle and pass out of the back side through the cut (1, thus insuring that the feed-arms will come up as close as possible to the saddle to insure ease in sliding the signatures from the saddle onto the arms while the latter are momentarily at rest on a line with the saddle, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The peculiar mode of operation of the feedarms is of the utmost importance in a machine of this class, as the operation of these arms, or rather the mode of feeding, practically determines the speed at which the machine may be run, and therefore limits and determines the capacity of the machine. The advantages of the described arrangement of the feed-arm and saddle are that they allow the attendant or feeder to place thesignatures in position to be presented to the nee dles for sewing with a minimum expenditure of time, of energy, and skill, thereby enabling signature with the left hand, bring it forward,

and hold it suspended for a time, afterward grasping it with the right hand and carefully placing it on the feed-arm, which must remain in position inactive a sufficient length of time to allow this to be done properly and uniformly each time. With my invention,

however, the signature is picked up by the feeder with his left hand and thrown carelessly across the saddle, where it remains until the moving arm presents itself, when it is slid onto the arm bya simple sweep of the right hand. It will thus be seen that as soon as the signature has been thrown across the saddle the left hand isfree to. reach for another signature, not being compelledto hold the signature suspended, and passit to the right hand, while the time that the feed arm must remain at rest to receive the signa: ture is reduced to the minimum, and, in fact, is merely momentary, being scarcely appreciable and little more than sufficient to change plified that this time is reduced to the mini-,

mum. The machine can be allowed to run very rapidly, and the product of the machine as compared with other machines as heretofore constructed and operated is increased two, three, and even four fold, according to the'dexterity of the individual operator,while at the same time a mere novice can feed the machine more rapidly than a skilled operator can feed a machine of prior constructions. To insure the best results, a gage b of some suitable construction should be secured to the upper edge of the feed-arm, so as to insure the stopping of the signatures at the proper place upon the arm when slid thereon.

For clearness of illustration I have shown diagrammatically in the drawings the position of the needle-gage c and the usual springpacker 61, both of which may be of any suitable construction and may operate in any desired manner, as they form no part of this invention, being fully described and claimed in my application before mentioned, ofwhich this case is a division.

The shaft Q, as before stated, may be operated in any suitable manner; but for convenience I have shown a portion of the driving mechanism fully described in my aforesaidapplication, comprising a bevel-gear -e, mounted upon the end of the shaft Q and meshing with the corresponding bevel-gear f,

secured to the lower end of a counter-shaft g, which latter carries a worm-wheel (not shown) meshing with a worm it, upon the power-shaft e', to which power may be applied by the beltpulleys j or in any other suitable manner.

Of course other modifications may be made and will necessarily be made in applying my invention to different machines, and obviously numerous changes in the form and construction of the parts of my machine may be l. A signature-feeder for book-sewing, sta

pling and like machines comprising a feedarm, a post carrying said feed-arm, and means &

for non-rotatively moving said arm and its supporting-post in an orbit from a point of rest first transversely and then upwardly to a second point of rest, then downwardly, transversely and again upwardly to the first point of rest, said second transverse movement beingin a plane below the line of said first transverse movement and for causing a momentary pause of said arm at the first point of rest to receive a signature and again at the second point of rest to hold the same during the operation of the signature-fastening devices, substantially as described.

2. A signature-feeder for book-sewing, stapling and like machines, comprising a sta tionary saddle affording a temporary rest for the signatures, a rigidly-mounted feed-arrri and means for imparting a vertical and horizontal orbital travel to said arm and for causing said arm to momentarily and successively pause in line horizontally with said saddle and adjacent to the signature-fastening devices, substantially as described.

8. Asignature-feederforbook-sewing, stapling and like machines comprising a plurality of oppositely-disposed supporting-posts, each of said supporting-posts being provided with a feed-arm supported at one end by such post the free ends of said arms extending toward each other and means for causing said feed-arms to travel in the same orbit, substantially as described.

a. A signature-feeder for book-sewing, stapling and like machines, comprising a stationary saddle for temporarily supporting the signatures, a rigidly-mounted feed-arm and means for moving said arm horizontally and vertically but simultaneously and successively, so that said arm will be caused to bodily traverse an irregular orbit, said actuating means being adapted to cause a momen tary pause of the arm in line with the saddle and horizontally adjacent to the signaturefastening devices, substantially as described.

5. A sign ature-feeder for book-sewing, sta- =4 and a system of cams and levers for operating said rods and bearings so as to impart an irregular orbital travel to said arm and for causing said arm to momentarily pause in line with the saddle and adjacent to the signature-fastening devices, substantially as described.

6. A signature-feeder forbook-sewing, stapling and like machines, comprising a p1urality of independently-mounted feed-arms,each 6o feed-arm being carried upon an independent support, and means for causing said arms to travel in the same orbit and for causing the same to successively and momentarily pause to receive a signature and to hold the same adjacent to the signature-fastening devices, substantially as described.

7. A signature-feeder for book-sewing, stapling and like machines comprising a plurality of independently-supported and independ- 7o ently-actuated feed-arms and means for causing said arms to successively travel from a signature-receiving point to a point adjacent to the signature-fastening devices and then back to the signature-receiving point, substantially as described.

W ENTWORTH G. TREVETTE. lVitnesses:

M. E. SHIELDs, J. E. HALLENBECK.

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