Patent GB-191508278-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Printing Presses.
IPC: B41F21/05
Filed: 1915-06-03
Abstract: 8278. Stokes & Smith Co., [Assignees of Reifsnyder, J. D., and Schwerdtle, H. G.]. Jan. 25, [Convention date]. Pile tables for sheet feeds; separators; registering-devices; sheet guides; dropping- roller and like feeds; delivery apparatus.- Relates to high-speed rotary machines specially applicable for printing simultaneously on several side-by-side sheets, for example unfolded envelope blanks, fed from separate piles, of the type in which the sheets or blanks are fed to alining-stops on the impression cylinder, and are then secured by grippers, and comprises means for feeding the sheets to the cylinder stops at a uniform speed higher than that of the cylinder, the grippers being held away from the cylinder during such feeding and subsequently closed on to the registered sheets. As shown, the piles of blanks 36, with a corner pointing in the forward direction, are arranged between adjustable fences, some of which engage notches in the blanks, on a feed-plate 26, which is reciprocated in a feed frame 22 by links and levers from a crank on the shaft of the forme cylinder 16. The front ends of the piles of blanks are supported on tensioned bands passing round a suction roll 42, which serves to separate the lowest blanks and direct them between itself and adjustable fingers or guides to forwarding rolls .one of which carries a pinion 53 and is constantly driven from the impression cylinder 17 through an intermediate pinion 51, the other or upper roll being carried from a rock-shaft oscillated by an adjustable arm 59 from an adjustable cam 57 on the forme cylinder, whereby it is lowered to grip the sheet on the constantly-driven roll at any desired time. The feed-frame 22 is mounted on a pivot 23 and can be raised, as shown by dotted lines, by a quadrant 24 and worm 25, to give access to the impression cylinder. The forwarding-rolls are driven at a considerably higher speed than the peripheral speed of the impression cylinder, so that the sheets are crowded against stops 148, Figs. 5 and 6, and accurately alined, the blanks 149 buckling or bending downwards. The stops are feathered for adjustment on a shaft 141 mounted in a recess 78 on the impression cylinder, and are locked after adjustment by rocking the shaft 141 to press a part 147 of the stops against a radial face of the gap in the impression cylinder. The shaft 141 is so rocked by a screw 145 engaging the arm 144. The grippers 50 are adjustably secured to a shaft 130 mounted in the recess 78 in the impression cylinder, and are closed by a spring-pressed pin 132 and opened to receive and deliver a blank by an adjustable cam 134. A cap on the suction roll 42 is connected by a pipe 181 to the pump 175, apertures being provided to produce and relieve the suction as the roll rotates. The Specification as open to inspection under Section 91 (3) (a) comprises also means for taking off and delivering the sheets or blanks. The printed blanks are removed from the impression cylinder by suction ducts in segments 18 adjustably secured to a hollow rotating shaft communicating at one end through an adjustable swivel cap and other connexions with the main shaft. The suction ducts engage the blanks at their forward end adjacent the grippers and convey them round until these ends are brought against upstanding front fences on a delivery table, on to which the blanks fall, adjustable side and rear fences on the table ensuring their correct piling. The hollow shaft near to its end and the swivel cap are provided with apertures for producing and relieving suction in the ducts at the required times, the connexions being effected through a tube connected by a pipe with the hollow shaft 151 and serving all the segments through separate pipes. Any segment can be cut out of action by a cock provided in the duct. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.