Patent GB-694182-A (GB)
Title: Machine for interleaving folded sheet material
IPC: B42C1/10
Filed: 1950-08-10
Abstract: 694,182. Feeding and delivering sheets. AMERICAN GREETING PUBLISHERS, Inc. Aug. 10, 1950 [Aug. 10, 1949], No. 19898/50. Class 100(i) [Also in Group XXX] A machine for interleaving folded sheet material, especially envelopes and greeting cards, comprises a pair of conveyers disposed one above the other for supporting and feeding folded sheets stacked on edge with the folds uppermost, means for opening the fold of the foremost sheet of the stack on each conveyer, a series of evenly spaced radial driven blades mounted to turn in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis parallel with the feeding conveyers, each blade being adapted as it passes the conveyers in an upward direction to enter the opened fold of the foremost sheet on the lower conveyer and then, whilst carrying this sheet, to enter the opened fold of the foremost sheet on the upper conveyer, whereby the sheets taken from the conveyers by each blade will be interleaved, and a delivery conveyer provided parallel to and spaced from the feeding conveyers adapted to convey the interleaved sheets away from the path of the blades. Controlling sheet-feeding; pile supports. - Envelopes E, Figs. 2 and 7, are fed on edge along an inclined conveyer band 30 adjustable upwardly and downwardly upon a pair of inclined posts 42 slidable in guides 50 by a handwheel 49, worm 47, wormwheel 46 and pinions 44 which engage racks 43 secured to the posts 42. The conveyer 30, comprises a plurality of conveyer belts 52 driven by a pulley 58 at a high or low speed depending on the pressure exerted by the sheets on a spring-urged feeler lever 195 which extends between two microswitches, such that a decrease in pressure on the lever 195 causes operation of the switch 199, thus causing energization of a solenoid 173, Fig. 18. The solenoid 173 actuates a lever 171 against a spring 170 to move a disc 169 carried by a sleeve 168 out of engagement with a gear 165 and into engagement with a gear 166 so as to increase the speed of the belts 52, Fig. 7, until the lever 195 due to an increase in pressure by the sheet operates a switch 198 to de-energize the solenoid 173. The lower edges of the envelopes are supported by a band 57 driven through bevel gearing from the drive to the bands 52. A second conveyer 31, Fig. 6, supporting folded sheets C is horizontally disposed above the conveyer 30. The conveyer 31, which is vertically adjustable in a manner similar to the conveyer 30 is also driven at a high or low speed depending on the pressure exerted by the sheets on a feeler lever in a manner similar to conveyer 30. Rubber faced wheels 512 and 513 at the end of the conveyer and driven respectively by shafts 510 and 511 at a higher speed than the conveyer engage the sheets so as to break them apart if they tend to stick together, while the top edges of the sheets are engaged by plates 113 manually slidable in housings 111 carried by chains 110 driven at the same speed as the conveyer 31, the plates 113 being transversally retracted automatically before the sheets reach the end of the conveyer. Sheet carriers; separators; associating apparatus; signature gatherers.-As the envelopes E, Fig. 7, reach the end of the bands 52 a suction nozzle 186 rocked backwards and forwards by a lever 190 oscillated by a cam roller 192 engaging a cam 193, engages the flap of the foremost envelope and opens it outwards to permit an upwardly moving blade 33 to engage the fold. The blades 33, Fig. 2, are slidably mounted on a revolving wheel 34 secured to a horizontal shaft 51 driven by a worm wheel 136 and worm 137 from reduction gearing 142 driven by an electric motor 143. The inner end of each blade 33 carries a follower wheel 146 which engages a box cam 145, such that the arms are radially extended while taking an envelope E from the conveyer 30 and a sheet C from the conveyer 31. An arm carrying an envelope E, Fig. 7, engages the fold of a sheet C which has previously been opened by a suction nozzle 207 oscillated through a rotary cam, the next sheet being retained by a pair of fingers swung up in front of that sheet. Faulty-feed control devices.-In the event of a blade 33, Fig. 7, not taking an envelope E, the blade 33 engages a flexible electrical contact 201 to close a low voltage electric circuit which operates a relay controlling a high voltage circuit through a solenoid which actuates a lever to open a switch which de-energizes the motor 143 and applies a motor brake. Similarly in the event of a blade 33 carrying an envelope failing to take a sheet C, Fig. 6, from the upper conveyer, the motor 143 is stopped. In this case, a roller 230 contacts a member 508, thus completing a low voltage electric circuit which operates a relay controlling a solenoid which actuates a switch in the electric motor circuit, thereby stopping the motor 143 and applying the motor brake. The machine may also be stopped if the second sheet adheres to the sheet taken by the blade 33, since in this case the second sheet rocks a lever 241 to open a switch 243 which opens a control circuit to the motor 143. When a blade 33 fails to take either an envelope or a sheet C, a coloured marker is fed from a stack of such markers by an oscillating suction nozzle, the arrangement being that a marker is only fed when the two solenoids in the high voltage circuits operated by the contacts 201 and the roller 230 which detect the absence of a sheet are energized. The presence of a marker indicates to an operator that replacement by an envelope or sheet is necessary. Delivering in counted batches; receivers; gripper mechanism.-When the blades 33 carrying the interleaved envelope and sheets reach a substantially horizontal position, after rotating through about 180 degrees from their sheet-taking position, the blades are retracted by the box cam 145, while the sheets and envelopes are fed vertically downwards between two endless bands 290 and 291, Fig. 9, the outer edges of the sheets and envelopes being gripped by grippers comprising jaws 315 and 316, Fig. 21. The jaws 315 and 316 are spring- urged apart, but are closed at the appropriate time bv an abutment 319 to grip the sheets and envelopes until they reach a horizontal delivery table. The sheets and envelopes are moved along the table by flexible posts 36 projecting through the table. The posts 36 are mounted on blocks 338 carried by four chains such as 322, the speed of which may be adjusted by varying the size of a worm wheel 326 driven by a worm 327, the worm 327 being capable of being swung about the shaft 148 'for this purpose. The size of the compartments formed by the posts 36 may be varied by adjusting the positions of the posts, such that they are not in lateral alignment, thus varying the number of sheets in each batch. The tops of the posts 36 are engaged by triggers, such as 383, which hold them fixed during delivery of sheets and envelopes to the adjacent compartment; after delivery of a predetermined number of envelopes and sheets, the triggers are released by a rotary cam 370, such that the posts, due to their flexibility snap forwards. Air nozzles ensure that the folded sheets deposited on the delivery conveyer are forced forwardly against the posts.