Patent GB-802265-A (GB)
Title: A process for the production of cigarette picture cards and like stiffeners
IPC: B65H35/00
Filed: 1955-03-22
Abstract: 802,265. Sheet-delivery apparatus. ROWLANDS, T., and MOLINS MACHINE CO., Ltd. June 21, 1956 [March 22, 1855], No. 8284/55. Class 100(1) [Also in Group XVII] Cutting apparatus; delivering in counted batches. In a process for the production of sets of cigarette cards and like stiffeners a suitably printed sheet is divided into strips parallel to the edge which is the leading edge during printing, said strips being thereafter divided transversely to produce separate stiffeners, the strips from one half of the sheet eadh containing half a set of stiffeners and the strips from the other half of the sheet each containing the other half set of stiffeners. As shown in Fig. 1 each printed sheet 51 consists of five sets of fifty cigarette cards. These sheets are fed from a pile 53 (Fig. 2) over a conveyer 54 with their longest edges parallel to the direction of feed to a slitting machine 55 which includes a plurality of rotary slitters such that each sheet is divided in two strips of a length equal to twenty five card widths and of a width equal to a single card length. The strips are delivered to a descending pile delivery device 56, the five left-hand strips containing cards numbered 1-25 and the five right-hand strips containing cards numbered 1-50. The two sets of strips are collected separately and placed in the feed piles of two cross-cutting machines, one of which is shown in Fig. 5. The strips are fed in a direction parallel to their shortest edges from a magazine 120 by reciprocating teeth 121 to feed rollers 126. The strips are then engaged by pushers 58 on a conveyer 59 and fed to rollers 130, 131 which comprise cutting discs whereby each strip is divided into twenty-five pieces. The roller 131 is provided with suitable grippers 132 for delivering the stiffeners to a magazine board 133. For separating the cards into batches of a predetermined number separating spacers 134 are laid on a slip 140 and held by an arm 141 having an operating handle 142. When the handle is depressed the arm 141 is raised to allow the spacer to fall on to the surface of roller 131 and be guided into position on the board 133. Sheet collating machines. Fifty batches of each numbered card are thus collected and these are placed in fifty identical magazines 164 one of which is shown in Fig. 10. The collating machine includes a rotating shaft 158 extending longitudinally of the magazines and provided with a plurality of cams 160 which co-operate with two armed levers 162. The cam levers are arranged in pairs on short shafts 163 (Fig. 9) whereby each cam controls two magazines. The levers 162 are connected to carriages 172 so that the latter are reciprocated to feed cards from the bottom of the pile by means of a tooth 171 fixed on each carriage. The cards are fed between a driven roller 168 and a spring biased roller 167 to an endless conveyer 151 having pushers 154 fixed thereon at intervals for pushing the cards along the surface 169 of the collating machine. The conveyer is suitably driven so that each time a card is fed from a magazine any given pusher has progressed far enough to engage a card from the next subsequent magazine, thus collating the cards into sets of fifty. Each magazine 164 is provided with a handle 186 fixed to a stirrup 177 pivoted at 178 and having unturned lugs 179. When the handle is swung upwards the lugs 179 engage the bottom of the stack of cards and lift them clear of the tooth 171 thus preventing feeding of cards. When the machine is initially started the magazines are sequentially put into operation so as to avoid the initial formation of incomplete sets of cards. At the end of the conveyer 151 a completed set of cards is engaged by pushers 201 (Fig. 16) on an endless chain 199 driven in timed relation to the conveyer 151 through suitable gearing. The pushers 201 deliver the sets on to a vertically reciprocating platform 204, a second cam-operated pusher 205 ensuring proper transfer. The platform 204 is carried by frame 210 which is vertically reciprocated by a link 211 operated by a cam 215 (Fig. 17) the stroke of the platform being sufficient to push the set to the level shown in Fig. 17 where it is supported on fingers 217 the latter being withdrawn during upward movement of the set by the action of cam strips 220 on the frame 210 which engage tappets 221 pivoted to the levers 218 on which are formed the fingers 317. The cards are held by a spring-loaded plunger 224 until five sets have been delivered. The five sets are then transferred to the pasition shown in chain lines at 225 in Fig. 17 by a pusher plate 226 fixed to a carrier 227 which is pivoted at 228 to a slide 229. The slide reciprocates in a guide 230 and is operated by a cam 234 through links 231, 232. For lifting the pusher plate 226 during its return movement so as to clear the next set of cards 216 a lever 235 is provided pivoted at 236 and having a cam operated link 237 attached thereto. As the batch moves to the position 225 it passes between side plates 241 on to a pair of thin plates 243 which are pivoted for hinging movement but normally kept horizontal by torsion springs 244. These plates are pivoted to a swinging arm 245 operated by a cam so that the batch of five sets is positioned over a wrapping strip 246 for subsequent wrapping (see Group XVII). Specifications 429,670, 484,402 and 644,668 are referred to.