Patent GB-190217625-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Machines for Addressing and Sorting Newspapers, Magazines and the like.
Inventor: RICHARDS GEORGE LIVINGSTON
Filed: 1902-08-11
Granted: 1902-10-23
Abstract: 17,625. Lake, H. H., [Richards, G. L.]. Aug. 11. Addressing-machines; feeding sheets; deliveryapparatus.-Relates to machines for addressing newspapers, magazines, &c., and for assorting them into lots of predetermined numbers for despatch to various localities or other treatment. Fig. 1 shows a front elevation in section, and Fig. 3 a side elevation, of an addressing and sorting machine. The newspapers &c. are placed in quantity on an elevator consisting of two series of platforms 18 carried by two pairs of endless chains 19 running on sprocket-wheels on shafts 20. The lower shafts 20 are driven by worm gear from a shaft 17, driven, through a clutch 95, by a belt 16 from a shaft 12 geared to a driving-shaft 11. The gearing is interchangeable to vary the speed of the shaft 12 in relation to the shaft 11. The two platforms 18 of each pair are on the same level, as shown in Fig. 1, and support a pile of newspapers &c. The platforms have side pieces on guides 18<1> for regulating the position of the newspapers &c. The newspapers &c. are carried up by the platforms to the addresser 22, which, in the machine shown, consists of an apparatus for attaching address slips. The address strip is on a reel operated by ratchet mechanism, and passes in contact with a band running through a paste receptacle, and thence out over a fixed cutter-bar, with which co-operates a pivoted cutter-bar 83, which cuts off the address slips and applies them to the successive newspapers &c. The means for actuating the addresser is driven through a clutch 88 by a chain 87 from a shaft 86 driven by a chain 89 from the part 11<1> of the shaft 11. As each newspaper &c. is addressed, it is fed off the top of the pile by pivoted feed-fingers 24, having points or needles for engaging the paper, and mounted on carriages reciprocated on guide rods 25 by arms on a shaft 28 rocked by an arm 29, rod 30, lever 31, and eccentric 32 on the shaft 11<1>. As the carriage reaches the end of its forward movement, the finger 24 is engaged by a stop pin and lifted from the paper, and is engaged by a latch 34 and held lifted during its return movement. At the end of the return movement, the finger is released from the latch by a tripping-rod 35 depending from a lever 36 loose on the shaft 28. The papers are fed on to moving feed-belts 37 carried by pulleys on shafts 38, 39, the shaft 39 being driven by a belt 41 from a shaft 40 geared to the shaft 11. The papers drop from the belts 37 into one of a series of compartments formed by uprights 43 on a delivering-conveyer 42, formed of two sprocket chains running on wheels on two shafts, one of which 45 is driven, at intervals, to change the receiving - compartment, through a clutch 48 by a chain 47 from the shaft 11. Statonary side guides 44 prevent the papers from falling off the conveye. The number of papers delivered into each compartment of the conveyer 42 is determined by the assorting-mechanism. This comprises one or more chains or controllers 64 pas ing, round guide-wheels on shafts 65, 66, from one set of reels 53 to another. The set of reels 53 are movable along the sha ts 51, 52 so that any one of the controllers 64 may be moved into operative position. The controller consists of a chain, Fig. 10, the links of which have side pallets 67, except at intervals, and the lengths of the sections between these intervals corresponds with the number of papers delivered in each lot. The series of addresses on the address strip should be arranged in sections or groups corresponding to the sections of the chain 64. Either of the pul!eys 53, or sets of pulleys, may be driven to wind up the chain 64 by a slipping belt from a shaft 56 or 57. These shafts are driven from shafts 58. 59, either of which may be driven by gearing from the shaft 11<1>, movable gears 60, 63 being provided for placing either shatt 58 or 59 in or out of gear. The guide-wheels on the shafts 65, 66 serve to feed the chain 64, as these shafts are geared by chains to the shafts 56, 57. The chain 64 passes over a table 68 having an opening under which is one end of a lever 50 connected by a rod 49 to the clutch 48. On the end of the lever 36 is a depending tripper 69 having bevelled sides, and, when a link or secti on of the chain 64 having no pallets 67 reaches the table 68, the end of lever 36 is drawn down by a spring 70, its tripper 69 passing through the opening in the table 68 and operating the lever 50 to engage the clutch 48 to drive the conveyer 42 until another of its compartments comes into position to receive a batch of papers. The next link having a pallet engages and raises the tripper 69, and the clutch is again disengaged, and remains so until another gap in the pallets of the chain reaches the table 68. The lever 36 also raises the tripper-rod 35 out of operative position, and the feed of the sheets is thereby arrested until the tripper 69 is raised. An extension 93 of the lever 36 also operates to disengage the clutch 88 to stop the operation of the addresser until the tripper 69 is raised. The clutch 95 is operated, to stop the upward feed of the elevator if such feed is too rapid, by a rod 96 connected to an arm of a rockshaft 97 having another arm carrying a depending tripper 99 engaged by the top of the pile when it rea hes a certain height. A clutch 11<2>, which normall connects the two parts 11, 11<1> of the driving-shaft, is cnntrolled by.a tripper 102 looated over the pile. When the tripper 102 is not held raised by the papers on the elevator, it operates to disengage the clutch 11<2>, and stop the motion of the shaft 11<1> and parts driven thereby, until the papers again engage and lift the tripper 02.' The clutches 48. 95, &c. each consist of a pair of discs, one of which is fixed upon the shaft, and the other is loose and is driven by the belt or chain. The fixed disc carries a pivoted spring-pressed. lever adapted to engage a pin on the driven disc. This lever projects beyond the disc, and may be engaged, to disengage the clutch, by a pivoted hook 75 operared by the rod 49 or corresponding clutchoperating mechanism. The feeding and assorting mechanism may he used with other suitable addressing-mechanism, or may be used without an addressing-mechanism, and may also be used in conjunction with folding and wrapping devices. The controller 64 is so constructed that links may be readily removed and inserted at any point.