Patent GB-400364-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to collecting apparatus for printing or cutting machines
IPC: B65H31/32
Filed: 1932-07-15
Abstract: 400,364. Sheet-delivery apparatus. HOWE, A., 98, Cromwell Road, St. Andrews, and THRISSELL ENGINEERING CO., Ltd., 3, Lawrence Hill, both in Bristol. July 15, 1932, No. 20052. [Class 100 (i).] In a collecting and stacking device for use with printing &c. machines, comprising a stacker having a bottom consisting of movable plates or bars, the bars are alternately moved into the receiving position to collect the sheets delivered during the time necessary to change a tray, and then into the open position to permit the collected sheets to fall into the tray where succeeding sheets fall on to them, until the batch is complete. The sheets are delivered from the cutting-apparatus to grippers 12, Fig. 1, mounted on endless chains 10 passing round wheels 9, 11, the wheels 9 being driven from the cutter shaft 3 through a chain 2 and bevel gearing 6, 7. The grippers comprise levers 14 pivoted to the chains and carrying rollers 15 running on cam-bars 16 on the frame, and having a grip portion co-operating with a spring 17 to grip the sheet. The sheet is thus carried along until its leading edge strikes a stop guide 18 when the cam-bar 16 causes the grippers to release it and it drops vertically, thus avoiding smearing, into a tray 20. Between the conveyer and the tray bars 19 mounted on pivoted links 34, Fig. 2, are interposed automatically when the required number of sheets have been collected in the tray. The sheets then collect on the bars while the tray is being emptied or changed, after which the bars are opened again by a hand-lever 21. The device for automatically interposing the bars comprises a worm-wheel 22, driven from the chain-wheel shaft 5 and actuating a pawl lever 25, which rotates a wheel 28 and a cam 29, adapted to trip a trigger lever with a catch 33. The two bars 19 are connected by links 35 to a sliding member 37, oscillated by the spring- loaded lever 21. The trigger catch 33 engages a catch 39 on the slide 37 and holds the bars 19 apart against the tension of the spring, until it is tripped by the cam 29. In a modification shown in Fig. 3 the bars are both opened and closed automatically by a pendulum lever 42 linked to them at 41, and having pins 44, 45 which engage a weighted lever 47. The lever 47 is moved to and fro by cams 50, 51 engaging roller 49, and which are driven from the driven shaft 5. A spring acting over the dead centre position in a known manner may be substituted for the weight. In the modification shown in Fig. 4 plates 52 support the sheets and are moved in and out by levers 53, 54, oscillated by extensions 57 on a sliding shaft 56. The shaft 56 is held in either extreme position by catches and triggers 69, 70 and is slid longitudinally by a lever 59, driven by cams 61, which are rotated by worm gearing from the driven shaft 65. The lever 59 has a collar 66 sliding on the shaft 56 and springs 67 are arranged between the collar 66 and fixed collars 68. Rollers 72 on the cam 71 trip the triggers 70 at appropriate times so that, for instance, if the collar 66 is towards the right, it moves left compressing the spring 67 and then the right hand trigger 71 is tripped, the shaft 56 slides left and the tables 52 move apart, depositing the sheets 74 in the tray 75, and vice versa. By altering the relationship of the cams the ratio between the times during which the plates 52 are together and apart can be varied, and by varying the gearing between drive shaft and cams the number of sheets in each batch can be varied.