Patent GB-206653-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in automatic blank feeding apparatus for cup forming machines
IPC: B65H1/18
Filed: 1922-10-02
Abstract: 206,653. Rogers, F. H., (Vortex Mfg. Co.). Oct. 2, 1922. Feeding sheets. - Sheets or blanks are fed automatically from a pile to a cup forming machine such as is described in Specification 176,963, by a suction separator assisted by a buckling device which deposit the top blank on to a fixed table from which the sheets are taken by a sheet carrier in the form of reciprocating grippers and deposited on a movable table fitted with blank guides. The movable table with the aid of a fixed rod with an inclined front directs the separated blank to the forming dies. The blank feed separating means is operated from the movable table which is driven by the cup forming machine, and means are provided for keeping the pile table at the correct height. Sheet-carriers; feed-tables'; guides; registering- devices.-The top blanks are separated from the pile which is in the position A, Fig. 4, and is carried by the separator and deposited in position B on a fixed table 19 beneath which slides a table 21, Figs. 1 and 4, which is reciprocated by a lever 24 freely mounted on a shaft 25 oscillated from the driving shaft of the forming dies 8, motion being communicated from the shaft 25 to arm 24 by connections 27, 28, 29, 30, as shown in Fig. 1. A reciprocating gripper slide 62 operated by a lever 41 oscillated by a link 40 and an adjustable connection 59, 60 advances the separated blank from position B over table 19 under a retaining spring 45 into position C on the tables 21 against a stop flange 47 and in front of stops 46, 51. The grippers now release the blank, and the table 21, which is moving towards the dies, feeds the blank into the grip of the dies, a rod 50 supporting the front of the blank and guiding it into the dies. The table 21 is formed integral with a slide 53, Fig. 9, provided with a rack connected by a pinion 118 to a rack 119 which is connected to yoke 120 sliding on fixed guide rods 104, 108, and also operates other yokes 109, 160 on the guide rods. The yoke 109 operates the pile-elevating mechanism described below, and the other two yokes which are connected by a spring 161 operate the sheet separating devices. Grippers and gripper mechanism.-The grippers on the slide 62 are operated by toggle levers 72. 73, Fig. 1, operated by adjustable screws 79, 77 to close and open the grippers respectively. Pile-supports.-The blanks are supported on an inclined table 187 which is normally connected to an adjusting screw by means of two half-nuts on spring-controlled handles which can be operated to release the nuts when it is desired to adjust the table quickly. The table is guided on vertical posts by rollers and fixed guides for positioning the blanks are provided. The table 187 is fitted with means for keeping it automatically raised in the form of a ratchet 96, Fig. 4, operated by a spring pawl 98 on a bell-crank lever 100, which is normally kept pressed by a spring against a fixed stop. The lever 100 is operated to raise the table by a rod carried by the yoke 109, and a roller 117 on a lever 115, Fig. 5, controls the elevation of this operating rod in accordance with the height of the pile so as to prevent the lever 100 from being operated if the pile is at the required height. Sheet-separators, - The sheets are separated and carried to the table 19 by a suction separator 173 mounted in oscillating arms 177 carried by the yoke 160, the separation of the top Sheet being assisted by air blasts from a nozzle 192 controlled by a valve 194, and by a sheetbuckling member 149, Fig. 5, connected to a weighted arm 145 which lowers the buckler on to the pile, the buckler 149 being then given an inward movement by a screw 156, to buckle the sheet as shown in Fig. 5. A valve 162 is then moved to connect the sucker to a vacuum pump, and the suction device is then raised and moved by the yoke 160 to carry the sheet to the table 19. The operating arm 190 of valve 162 is then operated to connect the separator to the atmosphere, and the sheet is released. The movement of the arms 177 is controlled by a sliding cam, and in addition to the pivotal motion of the arms 177, the separator is given a pivotal motion with respect to the arms to an extent which is controlled by pins 180 moving in slots 179.