Patent GB-331926-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in machines for assembling newspapers, periodicals, and the like
IPC: B65H39/00
Filed: 1929-04-13
Abstract: 331,926. Hepp, F. April 13, 1929. Delivery apparatus; signature gatherers; sheet-separators.-In a machine for assembling folded sheets, of the kind provided with means for taking sheets from separate piles and opening the folds to enable an inserting blade to pass into the fold, the sheets are taken from the bottoms of the piles by devices which engage the corner formed by the longitudinal and transverse folds, peel the sheet diagonally from the pile, and feed it into the path of the inserting- blade. The sheets are folded both longitudinally and transversely to produce a thickened corner E, Figs. 1 and 6, which is disposed outwardly on the piles, the piles being supported on plates 1. The plates 1 preferably slope outwards and their inclination is adjustable so that the weight of the pile is taken off the corner E as far as possible. The lowermost sheet is engaged by needles 6 carried by an arm 7 slidable in a sleeve 113 on a bell-crank lever 112 actuated by a continuouslyrotating cam 110. The arm 7 is connected to a second bell-crank lever 114 actuated by another continuously-rotating cam 111, the resultant path of movement of the needles 6 being elliptical in shape. In addition to, or in lieu of the needles, the arm 7 may be provided with a suction device connected by a pipe 198, Figs. 6 and 11, to an aperture in a non-rotatable valve member 192, the aperture being connected, at the correct time, with a similar aperture in a second non-rotatable valve member 291, connected to a suction device, by an opening in a continuously-rotating gearwheel 193. The corner E of the lowest sheet is thus bent downwardly to permit the insertion, between it and the pile, of one of a pair of horns 3 on a rotating disc 4, Figs. 3, 5, and 6. The horns project helically forward and upward from the disc and are located adjacent openings 5 therein. The sheet is thus bent downwardly, and the disc as it rotates takes the weight of the pile off the lowest sheet. The sheet is bent by the disc towards a pair of feed-rollers 8, 9, the roller 8 being provided with a finger 11, Fig. 9, connected to a crank 38 on a continuouslyrotating shaft carried by the roller, the arrangement being such that the finger engages the corner E and directs it between the rollers 8, 9, which peel the sheet from the pile and feed it, corner first, to a table 15. The table is provided with a downwardly-bent portion 16, through a slot in which toothed discs 17, Figs. 3 and 4, project to engage the corner of the sheet and direct it upwards on to the table along which it is fed by means of rollers 18, 19, the roller 19 being resiliently held in engagement with the roller 18. Further feeding-rollers 22, 23 are pro. vided, the roller 23 being carried by a bell-crank lever 24 actuated by a link 139 and continuouslyrotating cam 141 to raise the roller when the sheet has been fed forward to stops 41. The shaft 28 of the roller 9 is provided with a gear. wheel 27, Fig. 4, meshing with a gear-wheel 26 on a stud 47, the two gear-wheels being pro. vided with outwardly-directed nozzles 30, Fig. 5, adapted to be placed at the correct time in the rotation of the gear-wheels, in communication with apertures in valve-members 31, 32 connected to a suction apparatus. The nozzles engage the corners of the sheet to separate the two halves formed by the second fold so as to ensure that the sheet is split and passed on to blades 25<1>, 25<2>. These blades are fixed in the machine and are arranged to diverge both longitudinally and transversely from the point 25<3>. The table 15 is provided at the outer end with a hinged flap 42 in order to lift the fold of the sheet thereon into the path of the inserting- blade. After the roller 23 is lifted, an arm 40, Fig. 3, controlled by a cam on the shaft 28, drops on the sheet and prevents its further movement.. The inserting-blades 45, Fig. 5, are mounted on a disc 46 secured to a sleeve 89 rotatable on a bolt 87 by bevel-wheels from the main shaft 86. The blades 45 pass between the blades 25<1>, 25<2> and engage the sheet thereon, carrying it along between the blades 25<1>, 25<2> of the next feeding-device and inserting it into a sheet mounted thereon, the whole being then carried forward until the sheets are engaged by cam-controlled grippers 50, Fig. 1, rotating at a greater speed than the blades so that the assembled sheets are removed. The assembled sheets are delivered to oppositely-rotating pairs of rollers 56, 57, Fig. 14, which co-operate with rollers 65 carried by pivoted levers 64 controlled by cams 178 on the main shaft 86. The roller 65 co-operating with the roller 56 is normally held out of action by a catch 181 controlled by an electro-magnet. If a sheet fails to pass between the rollers 8, 9, contacts 184, Fig. 9, thereon engage, energize the magnet, and reverse the position of the catch 181 to throw the roller 56 into action and feed the incompletely assembled sheets out of the machine. When the contacts 184 are separated by a sheet passing between the rollers, the catch 181 is returned to normal position. When the inserting-blade passes into the fold of a sheet, the flap 42 of the table and the stops 41 are rocked downwardly through the action of a cam 156 on a shaft 94.