Patent GB-673929-A (GB)
Title: Machine for assembling book components
IPC: B65H5/10
Filed: 1948-03-28
Abstract: 673,929. Assembling and pasting book components. SMYTH MANUFACTURING CO. March 24, 1948 [July 28, 1947], No. 8660/48. Class 100 (i). A machine for assembling book components comprises two longitudinally spaced holders for stacks of components, two superposed longitudinally extending shelves to the rear thereof, the lower shelf extending beyond the upper in both directions, two simultaneously acting means for lifting two respective series of successive single components from the tops of the stacks, means for gripping the single components of each series and transferring them rearwardly to pre determined longitudinally spaced positions, one on one of the extending portions of the lower shelf and the other on the upper shelf, and means for moving the successive single components of the first series on the lower shelf longitudinally into a position below the single components of the second series on the upper shelf to form successive pairs of components, which pairs are then moved longitudinally so that the upper component of each pair is moved beyond the upper shelf and engages the lower component on the other extending portion of the lower shelf. Feeding sheets.-The stack holders or mechanisms 24, Figs. 1, 2, 4, 7 and 12, and 26, Fig. 1, are of similar construction, arrangement and operation. The mechanism 24 supports a stack of signatures supported against rear guides 168, 170, and on plates 162 or 163. Blocks 186 abut the top of the stack at the front and carry vertically slidable rods 188 abutting the front of the stack. The blocks are longitudinally adjustable in bars 180 pivoted at 179, according to the length of the stack, and the bars 180 are laterally adjustable according to the width. The top sheet of the stack is intermittently raised to the position C, Figs. 13 and 14, by three or more suckers 306 adjustable longitudinally according to the length of the stack and supplied with suction through tubes 312 intermittently connected to a vacuum pump by a valve mechanism 316 operated by the main shaft 64. The shaft 64 is driven from a motor 50 and makes one revolution for each cycle of operation of the machine. The suckers are reciprocated to raise the sheets by slides 280 actuated by a cam track 298 on a gear 62 on the shaft 64, suction being applied on the upward stroke. The sheet is drawn backwards on to a shelf 34 extending the length of the machine by a gripper comprising a fixed jaw 348 and a movable jaw 350 carried on a slide 328 reciprocated in a housing 322 with a simple harmonic motion by a crank 344 on the shaft 64. The jaw 350 is spring-urged to closed position and is opened and allowed to close by a roller 360 on it engaged by the end of a member 356 normally sliding with the slide 328 but being moved relatively thereto to actuate the jaw at the end of each stroke of the slide 328 by means of a further slide 362 actuated by a cam track 384 on the gear 62.through a gear segment 372, portions 366, 364 of the slide 362 engaging a part 368 of the member 356 towards the ends of the strokes. The top of the stack is maintained at constant level by mechanism controlled by a feeler 250, Figs. 4, 7 and 11, engaging the top sheet. The stack A rises on the plate 162 which is supported at each end on one of two carrier bars 156 carried by chains 90, 94, 144, 148 driven from shaft 110, Figs. 1 and 10. A second stack B is placed on the plate 163 resting on brackets 276 and positioned to be raised at each end by one of two carrier bars 160 carried by chains 92, 96, 146, 150 driven from shaft 124. The chains are normally stationary, while the feeler 250 is intermittently raised by a rod 244, actuated by a cam track 258 in a disc 230 on the shaft 64, and allowed to fall on to the top of the stack. A lever 212, Fig. 10, is continuously oscillated by a shaft 210 actuated by a cam track 228 on the disc 230, and a stack 216 on a rock lever 198 is slidable in a slot in a link 214 pivoted to the lever 212, which does not normally rock the lever 198. When the level of the stack is lowered, the feeler 250 falls lower and the rod 244 abuts a lever 266 and rocks a bellcrank 208 out of the path of a lug 206 on rock lever 198. The lever 198 is rocked anticlockwise by a spring 200, and the next clockwise swing of the lever 212 rocks the lever 198 clockwise, causing pawls 199, 204 to actuate ratchets 197, 202 to turn the shafts 110, 124 to raise the carriers 156, 160, and restore the level of the stack. When the carrier 156 reaches the rods 188 and begins to raise them, a hand-wheel 196 is rotated to bring the top of the stack B against the plate 162, which is then manually removed and placed on the brackets 276 to be raised by the other carriers 156. The plate 162 now supports a lower stack, while the previous stack B becomes the upper stack on the plate 163. On the next cycle, a hand-wheel 194 is used. The plates 162, 163 are always raised by carriers 156, 160 respectively, and may be differently coloured correspondingly to colours of the corresponding hand-wheel. The sheets from the left-hand stack are deposited on a short upper shelf 36. Signature gatherers and the like.-The sheet on the shelf 34 is engaged by one of pushers 402 on a chain 400, and moved to the left, past a pasting station, to a position below a sheet on the shelf 36, when the pusher moves both sheets to the left, beyond the end of the shelf 36, the upper sheet then falling on to the pasted lower sheet and adhering to it and the sheets passing between rotating pressure rollers 432, 434 on to a conveyor 40 which carries them to the front of the machine for removal. The pushers 402 protrude through longitudinal slots in the shelves 34, 36. Pasting apparatus.-A pasting box 470 has a pasting wheel 472 rotated from the shaft 64, which pasting wheel co-operates with two driven rollers below the shelf 34 and protruding through a notch therein, to paste the upper surface of the sheet along a narrow zone adjacent the rear edge. The pasting wheel 522 of a second pasting box 520 is rotated out of contact with the sheet, which is raised at intervals against the wheel and so pasted along the front edge at some parts only. The sheet is raised by a finger projecting through a hole in the plate and reciprocated by means of a cam 538 on the shaft 64. The stacks may be used for signatures, endsheets or other book components. If signatures are placed in the stack 24 and end-sheets in the stack 26, the end-sheets and signatures are folded with the folds along the front edge, and the upper part of the end-sheet extends further back than the lower part, so that the lower surface of the rear edge of the upper part contacts the rear pasted zone of the signatures. Specification 673,930 is referred to.