Improvements in Feeding Apparatus for Printing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1890-Accepted, 7th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feeding Apparatus for Printing Machines.
We, EDWARD THOMAS CLEATHERO, of 34 Malpas Road, Brockley, in the County
of Kent, Engineer, and JOSEPH ARTHUR NICHOLS, of 20 Devonshire Street,
Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Stationer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
more
Our Invention relates to a construction of apparatus for feeding paper into
printing machines described in the Specification to our application for Letters
Patent dated 20th November 1888 No. 16850, which apparatus consisted of a nearly
balanced vertically sliding frame resting upon the pile of paper from which the
printing machine was supplied and carrying on a horizontal shaft two or
feeding discs having a circular surface cut away in one part, which discs were
intermittently rotated by the feeding cylinder of the printing machine, so as, by
means of their circular periphery, to feed forward the top sheet of the pile until
this was seized by feeding rollers, whereupon the feed discs remained stationary
with their cut away part out of contact with the paper, so as to allow of the
drawing away from under them of the other part of the sheet. Our present improve-
ments upon this arrangement are as follows:-Instead of allowing the vertically
sliding frame to rest with rollers or discs upon the pile of paper while the feed discs
remain stationary out of contact with the paper, we provide means whereby, when
the said discs are out of contact, the frame is clamped to the fixed guides, so as to
be held in a suspended position without any support from the paper.
According to one arrangement for this purpose we provide on the sliding-frame
spring arms which, when the feed dises are passing out of contact with the paper
pile, just before they become stationary, are acted upon by cams on the upper shaft
from which the feeding discs receive their motion, which cams press the springs
firmly against the fixed guides of the sliding frame, and thus hold the latter securely
in a suspended position without resting in any way upon the paper pile.
Another improvement relates to means for "fluffing" the top sheet of paper,
that is to say, partially raising it from the next one, just before it is fed forward,
in order to insure that only one sheet at a time shall be fed into the printing
machine.
For this purpose we provide arms on a spindle receiving motion in such manner
that when the feeding discs are out of contact with the paper, the said arms receive
a motion in the contrary direction to that of the feed discs, and are at the same
time made to press lightly with an elastic or yielding surface upon the top sheet
of paper, thereby rucking up the front end thereof so as to separate it from the.
next sheet below, after which the fluffing arms recede again and allow the top
sheet to drop down into its flat position again.
The arrangement of these fluffers and the mode of imparting the requisite motion
thereto can be variously modified. According to one arrangement, the fluffing arins
are fixed on a shaft on which the feed discs are also mounted loose. To the feed
discs are fixed pitch wheels driven by pitch chains from an upper shaft that receives
motion from the feed cylinder of the printing machine in the manner described in
the Specification to our before mentioned application. This shaft carries a cam or
finger acting upon a wiper on a toothed wheel gearing through an intermediate
wheel with a toothed wheel on the shaft of the fluffing arins, so that the said cam
tends to turn the fluffer shaft and its fluffers in the contrary direction to that in
which it turns the feed discs by the pitch chains and wheels. The position of the
cam of the upper shaft is so arranged relatively to the position of the gap of the

page_text: feed discs, that in commencing their motion for feeding forward the top sheet of
paper, they do not come in contact with the latter until after the fluffers have been
first moved in the contrary direction by the cam of the upper shaft, whereby they
are made to ruck up the front part of the paper under the feed discs, and are then
made to recede again by means to be presently described, so as to allow the paper to
drop down again into the flat position. The said return motion of the fluffers is
effected partly by means of a spring acting on the before mentioned toothed wheel
carrying the wiper, so as to turn it back again as soon as the cam, in rotating, has
left the wiper, and partly by a toothed segment gearing with a toothed wheel at the
opposite end of the fluffer shaft, which segment has an arm acted upon by a second
cam on the upper shaft.
At the front edge of the paper pile is a vertical weighted plate having a curved
beak that slightly overlaps and bears upon the edge of the top sheet. When the top
sheet is fluffed as above described, the fluffers draw the edge of the top sheet from
under the beak, which then bears upon the next sheet, so that when the fluffers recede,
and the top sheet falls down again, its edge will pass over the curved upper surface
of the beak ready to be fed forward by the feed discs. In order still further to insure
that only the top sheet shall be fed forward, we provide at the rear edge of the paper
pile an upright carrying one or more slides that bear with their weight upon the
extreme rear edge of the pile, so that, while offering little resistance to the withdrawal
from under them of the top sheet, they bear upon the next one and prevent it from
being moved forward by the mere frictional contact with the top one.
The extent to which the top sheet of paper requires to be fluffed to separate it from
the next one varies with different kinds of paper, and to afford such variation we
provide on the table carrying the paper pile a moveable frame carrying a vertically
sliding roller extending across the paper, resting with its weight upon the top sheet,
and so arranged in any known manner that it will freely turn in the direction for
allowing the paper to be drawn from under it by the feed discs, but is prevented from
rotating in the contrary direction. According as the paper requires to be more or
less fluffed, the frame with this roller is shifted nearer to or farther from the fluffers,
so that these in fluffing the top sheet, raise it from the next sheet to the point where
it is held down by the roller.
In order to insure that the top sheet, after having been fluffed shall have descended
into the flat position before it is seized by the feed discs, the bosses of the latter
carry curved arms so formed that they strike against the fluffed paper and push it
down before the feed discs come in contact.
Fixed guide bars are provided over the front edge of the paper pile for guiding
the top sheet correctly on to the pivotted guide plate which conveys it to the
feeding rollers described in the before mentioned Specification, and other fixed guide
bars are provided over the inclined table with travelling tapes that feed the papers
into the printing machine.
According to another arrangement of the above described feed discs and fluffing
arms, I dispense with the independent motion of these parts, and arrange the same
in such a manner that both the feed dises and the fluffing arms are fixed on one and
the same shaft, this having motion imparted to it in such a manner that it first
causes the fluffing arms to perform their movement in the direction for fluffing the
paper, and then revolves in the contrary direction for bringing the feed discs into
action. The requisite motion in contrary directions may be imparted to the shaft
from the printing machine in various ways; thus according to one arrangement, the
fly wheel of the feed cylinder carries a crank pin connected by a link to a rack rod
gearing with a pinion connected to its shaft by ratchet gear, so that the rack can only
rotate the shaft through the ratchet in one direction.
The rack carries a tappet which, when it is travelling in the contrary direction, comes
in contact with a wiper on the shaft and thus turns the shaft through a short distance
in the contrary direction to that in which it is rotated by the rack and pinion motion.
The shaft imparts motion to the shaft of the feed apparatus by a pitch. chain and
I

page_text: wheels, so that the short backward motion thereof imparts to the shaft carrying the
feed disés the required short reverse motion for fluffing the paper, while the longer
rotary motion in the other direction effects the forward feed of the paper by the
discs.
I
COMPLÉTE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feeding Apparatus for Printing Machines. ..
We, EDWARD THOMAS CLEATHERO, of 34 Malpas Road, Brockley, in the County
of Kent, Engineer, and JOSEPH ARTHUR NICHOLS of 20 Devonshire Street. Islington
in the County of Middlesex, Stationer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
f
Our Invention relates to a construction of apparatus for feeding paper into printing
machines described in the Specification, to our application for Letters Patent dated
20th November 1888, No. 16850 which apparatus consisted of a nearly balanced
vertically sliding frame resting upon the pile of paper from which the printing
machine was supplied and carrying on a horizontal shaft two or more feeding discs
having a circular surface cut away in one part; which discs were intermittently rotated
by the cylinder of the printing machine, so as, by means of their circular periphery,
to feed forward the top sheet of the pile until this was seized by feeding rollers,
whereupon the feed discs remained stationary with their cut-away part out of contact
with the paper, so as to allow of the drawing away from under them of the other part
of the sheet. Our present improvements upon this arrangement are as follows:-
Instead of allowing the vertically sliding frame to rest with rollers or discs upon the
pile of paper while the feed discs remain stationary out of contact with the paper, we
provide means whereby, when the said discs are out of contact, the frame is clamped
to the fixed guides, so as to be held in a suspended position without any support from
the paper.
According to one arrangement for this purpose we provide on the sliding-frame
spring arms which, when the feed discs are passing out of contact with the paper pile,
just before they become stationary, are acted upon by cams on the upper shaft from
which the feeding discs receive their motion, which cams press the springs firmly
against the fixed guides of the sliding frame, and thus hold the latter securely in a
suspended position without resting in any way upon the paper pile.
Another improvement relates to means for "fluffing" the top sheet of paper, that
is to say, partially raising it from the next one; just before it is fed forward, in order
to insure that only one sheet at a time shall be fed into the printing machine.
For this purpose we provide arms on a spindle receiving motion in such manner
that when the feeding discs are out of contact with the paper, the said arms receive
a motion in the contrary direction to that of the feed discs, and are at the same time
made to press lightly with an elastic or yielding surface upon the top sheet of paper,
thereby rucking up the front end thereof so as to separate it from the next sheet
below, after which the fluffing arms recede again and allow the top sheet to drop
down into its flat position again.
The arrangement of these fluffers and the mode of imparting the requisite motion
thereto can be variously modified. According to one arrangement the fluffing arms
are fixed on a shaft on which the feed discs are also mounted loose. To the feed
discs are fixed pitch wheels driven by pitch chains from an upper shaft that receives
motion from the feed cylinder of the printing machine in the manner described in
the Specification to our before mentioned application. This shaft carries a cam or
finger acting upon a wiper on a toothed wheel gearing through an intermediate wheel
with a toothed wheel on the shaft of the fluffing arms, so that the said cam tends to
turn the fluffer shaft and its fluffers in the contrary direction to that in which it turns
the feed discs by the pitch chains and wheels. The position of the cam of the upper
.

page_text: .
shaft is so arranged relatively to the position of the gap of the feed discs, that in
commencing their motion for feeding forward the top sheet of paper, they do not
come in contact with the latter until after the fluffers have been first moved in the
contrary direction by the cam of the upper shaft, whereby they are made to ruck up
the front part of the paper under the feed discs, and are then made to recede again
by means to be presently described, so as to allow the paper to drop down again into
the flat position. The said return motion of the fluffers is effected partly by means
of a spring acting on the before mentioned toothed wheel carrying the wiper, so as
to turn it back again as soon as the arm in rotating, has left the wiper, and partly by
a toothed segment gearing with a toothed wheel at the opposite end of the fluffer
shaft, which segment has an arm acted upon by a second cam on the upper shaft.
At the front edge of the paper pile is a vertical weighted plate having a curved
beak that slightly overlaps and bears upon the edge of the top sheet. When the top
sheet is fluffed as above described, the fluffers draw the edge of the top sheet from
under the beak, which then bears upon the next sheet, so that when the fluffers
recede, and the top sheet falls down again its edge will pass over the curved upper
surface of the beak ready to be fed forward by the feed discs. In order still further
to insure that only the top sheet shall be fed forward, we provide at the rear edge
of the paper pile an upright carrying one or more slides that bear with their weight
upon the extreme rear edge of the pile, so that, while offering little resistance to the
withdrawal from under them of the top sheet, they bear upon the next one and
prevent it from being moved forward by the mere frictional contact with the top
one.
The extent to which the top sheet of paper requires to be fluffed to separate it from
the next one varies with different kinds of paper, and to afford such variation we
provide on the table carrying the paper pile a moveable frame carrying a vertically
sliding roller extending across the paper, resting with its weight upon the top sheet,
and so arranged in any known manner that it will freely turn in the direction for
allowing the paper to be drawn from under it by the feed discs, but is prevented from
rotating in the contrary direction. According as the paper requires to be more.or
less fluffed, the frame with this roller is shifted nearer to or farther from the fluffers,
so that these in fluffing the top sheet, raise it from the next sheet to the point where
it is held down by the roller.
In order to insure that the top sheet, after having been fluffed shall have descended
into the flat position before it is seized by the feed discs, the bosses of the latter may
carry curved arms so formed that they strike against the fluffed paper and push it
down before the feed discs come in contact.
Fixed guide bars are provided over the front edge of the paper pile for guiding
the top sheet correctly on to the pivotted guide plate which conveys it to the feeding
rollers described in the before mentioned Specification, and other fixed guide bars
are provided over the inclined table with travelling tapes that feed the papers into
the printing machine.
According to another arrangement of the above described feed discs and fluffing arm,
I dispense with the independent motion of these parts, and arrange the same in such a
manner that both the feed discs and the fluffing arms are fixed on one and the same
shaft, this having motion imparted to it in such a manner that it first causes the
fluffing arms to perform their movement in the direction for fluffing the paper, and
then revolves in the contrary direction for bringing the feed discs into action. The
requisite motion in contrary directions may be imparted to the shaft from the
printing machine in a manner to be hereinafter described; with this arrangement
the feed discs may themselves be made to constitute the fluffers as will be presently
described. According to one arrangement, the fly wheel of the feed cylinder carries
a crank pin connected by a link to a rack cod gearing with a pinion connected to its
shaft by ratchet gear; so that the rack can only rotate the shaft through the ratchet
in one direction.
The rack, carries a tappet which when it is travelling in the contrary direction,
comes in contact with a wiper on the shaft and thus turns the shaft through a short

page_text: and wheels, so that the short backward motion thereof imparts to the shaft carrying
the feed discs the required short reverse motion for fluffing the paper, while the longer
rotary. motion in the other direction effects the forward feed of the paper by the discs.
On the accompanying drawings are shewn a construction of the feeding apparatus,
with the above described improvements applied thereto; in order that these may be
readily understood we will generally describe the entire machine, although in some
parts this is the same as described in our specification No. 1685088.
Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the said feeding mechanisin together with so much
of a printing machine as is necessary to explain the action of our invention.
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan.
Fig. 3 shews a cross section at x Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 to 8 shew enlarged details.
Fig. 9 shews a modification.
To the frame A of the printing machine, which may be of any known construction,
is fixed a table B which carries at C the pile of paper C¹ to be fed into the machine,
and which has fixed on either side standards D, between which is the vertically sliding
frame E provided with rollers F F¹ which bear against the sides of the standards so
as to guide the frame as it moves up and down. The frame E is suspended by a
cord G from one end of a beam H carried by a transverse bar I connecting the two
upper ends of. the standards D. The other end of the beam H carries a weight J
which is made to nearly balance the weight of the sliding frame E with the parts
attached thereto. In bearings on the frame is mounted a spindle K on which are
fixed two or more discs L, the peripheries of which are made of caoutchouc and which
have a flat side at L. When the circular parts of the discs are presented to the
paper sheets at C, they rest upon the paper, exerting a slight pressure thereon equal
to the excess of weight of the sliding frame over the balance weight J, so that on
their being rotated in the direction of the arrow II they feed the top sheet forward
from the pile in the direction of the arrow III until they arrive in the position shown
in Figure 1 in which the flat part faces the paper, and they then remain stationary
with such flat surface removed from the paper, this action being effected by the
following mechanism.
The shaft of the feeding cylinder M of the printing machine carries a pitch wheel N,
which drives an equal pitch wheel O on a spindle O¹ carried by a bracket on the
framing, by a pitch chain N¹. The spindle O₁ carries a second pitch wheel O2 which
drives an equal pitch wheel P on a spindle P¹ carried by the sliding frame E by a
pitch chain 03.
As the cylinder M of the printing machine makes one complete revolution and
then remains stationary.until another sheet of paper is to be fed into the machine, it
follows that the wheel P and shaft P¹ in like manner make one complete revolution
and then remain stationary.
The shaft Pt drives the shaft K carrying the discs L through gearing Q, R, S, T,
situated at the right hand end of the frame as shewn in the end and front view of this
part at Figures 6 and 7.
The wheel Q is fixed on shaft P¹ while R S are connected together as will be
presently described and are mounted loose on a pin E¹ fixed to the frame E, and T is
fixed on shaft K.
The discs L, besides their function of feeding each sheet of paper forward to the
printing machine, perform the further function of "fluffing" each sheet just before it
is fed forward, that is to say, raising its front end up so as to separate it from the
next sheet below, and thus prevent two sheets being fed in simultaneously, for. which
purpose the discs are turned from the position shown in full lines, a certain distance
in the direction of the arrow I towards the position, shewn in dotted lines at Figure 5,
whereby it pushes the front edge of the paper in a backward direction, and as the
back part of the paper, is held down by the roller U the front part of the sheet will be
raised up as indicated by the dotted line. After this motion. has been effected, the

page_text: discs are turned back again in the direction of the arrow II and then feed the sheet
of paper (which sinks down flat again) forward in the manner above described, their
rotation being continued until they again arrive with their flat surface opposite the
paper.
As these movements of the disc L have to take place while the shaft P¹ and wheel Q =
are performing one revolution, it will be seen that the shaft K and discs L must
revolve at a quicker speed than the shaft PI and wheel Q; for this purpose the
wheels Q and R are made of equal diameter, while the wheel S is made about one
third larger in diameter than the wheel T gearing therewith.
For producing the backward motion of the discs L, for "fluffing" as above described, 1
there is provided, in addition to the above described gearing, other gearing Q, R¹,
S¹, T, V, at the left hand end of the frame, as shewn in the end and front views of
this part, at Figures 4 and 5.
The toothed wheel Q¹ fixed on shaft P¹ drives wheel S¹ through wheel R and to
wheel S¹ is fixed a tappet V₁ which, when in the position shewn, comes in contactil
with the stud T2 on disc T¹ which is fixed on the shaft :K, so that by the rotation of V1
in the direction of the arrow it drives T¹, and consequently the shaft K with discs L
in the contrary direction to that in which they are driven by the gearing Q, R, S, T.
In order to allow of this reverse motion at the right moment for "fluffing" the :sheet
of paper to be fed forward, the wheels R S of the gearing that drives the dises L in
the forward direction, are not connected rigidly together but through a spring
catch W pivotted to R and gearing with a notched disc V. fixed to S. The wheel. Q
carries a stud Q2 which, when the wheel arrives in the position shewn at Figure. 6,
after completing a revolution, presses upon the tail of the catch W,.and disengages it
from the disc V, so that the wheel S being now disengaged from Q, shaft K with
discs L is free to be rotated in the contrary direction by the gearing Q, R, S¹, T¹,
when the shaft P and wheels Q Q¹ commence their next rotation.
.
Such rotation of the discs L in the contrary direction will continue until the
tappet V¹, in rotating passes beyond the stud T2; by the time this has taken place,
the rotation of Q will have freed the catch W from the stud Q2 and will at the same;
time have rotated wheel R and the catch W in the direction of the arrow Fig. 6,
while the wheel S is simultaneously being rotated in the contrary direction by wheel T,
and these motions are so timed that immediately after V1 has cleared T2, the catch
will meet and enter the next notch in the disc V, so that by the continued rotation
of Q, the shaft K and discs L will now be rotated in the direction of the arrow II
Fig. 6, for feeding the next sheet of paper into the printing machine, which feed will
take place as soon as the dises L'arrive in the dotted position shown in Fig. 6. This
motion will continue until the wheel Q has completed its revolution, thereby bringing
the several parts into the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6.
'
While the dises L are feeding the sheet of paper forward, it will be seen that they
support so much of the weight of the sliding frame E and of the parts connected
thereto as is not balanced by the weights J, so that as soon as the circular part of
discs leaves the paper after having fed it forward, the frame E must be supported by
other means in order to allow of the discs being brought into the position shewn,
with their flat faces removed from the paper.
1.4
This support is given by spring pressing arms l, pivotted to the sliding frame E
and acted upon by cams m on the shaft P1 in. such manner that as soon as the
circular periphery of the discs L leave the paper, the arms have their ends pressed
with sufficient force against the fixed guides D, to hold the frame in the position
shewn, and are kept in this position until the discs begin to feed forward the next. :
sheet of paper.
As the discs L are uncontrolled as regards their rotation in the backward direction
at the time when the whels R and Sare disengaged, any inadvertant rotation in
such direction to an extent that would interfere with their proper action before they
are acted upon by the tappet V1 is prevented by providing on the disc T¹ a stop T3,15
which, on the disc turning backward through a small arc, would come in contact
with V¹ and thus prevent any further rotation.

page_text: The extent to which the paper sheets require to be "fluffed" varies with different
kinds of paper; in. order to afford such variation, we provide on the table C a
moveable frame n carrying a vertically sliding roller U extending across the paper
and resting with its weight upon the top sheet, the roller being free to turn in the
direction in which the paper is fed forward but prevented from turning in the
contrary direction by a loose jamming roller U¹.
According to the extent to which the paper sheet requires to be fluffed the frame n
is moved towards or away from the discs L, so that these, in fluffing the top sheet,
raise it from the next sheet to the point where it is held down by the roller U.
Instead of effecting the "fluffing" operation by a reverse motion of the feeding
discs, this might be effected by separate fluffing arms fixed on the shaft K as shown
in dotted lines at K¹ Figs. 1, 5 and 6, or said fluffing arms might be upon a separate
shaft placed in front of the feed disc shaft and actuated by the gearing
Q, R, S, T, V₁, in the manner described. Both the feed discs and the fluffing
arm are by preference made adjustable in position along their shaft or shafts in order
to suit the printed matter that may already exist on one side of the paper to be
fed forward in cases where the printing machines to which the feed mechanism is
applied are not perfecting machines.
In order still further to ensure that only the top sheet shall be fed forward, we
provide at the back edge of the paper pile an upright o carrying one or more slides o¹
that bear with their weight upon the extreme rear edge of the paper, so that while
offering but little resistance to the withdrawal from under it of the top sheet, it bears
upon the next one with sufficient force to prevent it from being drawn forward by
the mere frictional contact with the top one.
To the frame E. is fixed a transverse bar p which is situated close in front of the
paper pile and which has a series of notches which are closed by a thin metal
plate pl; (shewn more clearly in the part plan Figure 8) in these notches are loosely
sliding tongues 9 having curved beaks that project over and rest with their weight
upon the paper pile the beaks being provided with a rubber cushion in order to
increase their hold on the paper. When the top sheet is fluffed as described, its
front edge is drawn from under this beak, which then bears upon the next one with
sufficient friction to prevent it from being drawn out with the top sheet.
When the top sheet falls back again after being fluffed, its edge will pass over the
curved beak of q, which, together with the curved upper edge of the plate ppl will
direct the sheet correctly between the guide plates a and f that guide it to the
nipping rollers c c₁; as the second sheet of paper is retained under the beak of q, it
will be seen that should, notwithstanding the above described devices for retaining it,
when the top sheet is fed forward, the frictional contact between the two still be
sufficient to drag the second sheet forward, its movement will be at once stopped by
its front edge coming in contact with the inner surface of the slides q.
After passing the bar p the paper fed forward by the discs L is received on a guide
plate a which is pivotted at a¹ to the frame E so as to rise and fall with it, and rests
with arms a2 on pins on the inner faces of brackets 6 which carry the feeding
roller c and feed discs c¹ bearing thereon, so that the plate a in gradually descending
at a', as the frame E descends with the diminishing pile of paper, will always present
its front edge to the meeting line of the feed roller c and discs c¹ and thus the
sheet of paper which is being fed forward by the discs L will always be correctly
fed into the discs and roller, no matter what the position of the frame E may be.
This arrangement, as also the further arrangement of the plate f, feed discs c c¹
and feeding table are the same as described in our patent 1685083, and need not be
further described.
In order to prevent the sheets of paper from rising up as they are delivered on to
the table g by the feed rollers and discs c c we provide wire guards y, carried by a
bar y passing across the table and fixed to standards y².
Fig. 9 shews a modified arrangement of the feed discs and fluffing arms, whereby,
although these are both carried by the same shaft, they have independent motion
imparted to them, so that the fluffing arms receive their fluffing motion in the

page_text: "
opposite direction the motion of the feed discs, which only revolve in one
direction.
For this purpose the feed discs are carried loose between collars on the shaft K
and are each driven direct from the shaft P¹ by means of pitch wheels P2 and chains.
The fluffer arms & are fixed on the shaft K and receive their fluffing motion by the
following means. On the driving shaft P¹ is an arm t with roller adapted to act on
a wiper on a toothed wheel u mounted on a pin on the framing, which wheel gears
through an intermediate wheel with a toothed wheel won the shaft K. The arm tis
in such a position relatively to the feed discs, that when these are about in the
position shewn, and are moving in the direction of the arrow, the arm t comes in
contact with the wiper u¹ and in turning the wheels w w through a certain distance,
causes the fluffing arms in turning in the contrary direction to the feed discs, to
fluff the paper before these come into action.
When the roller of the arm t has passed away from the wiper ¹, a spring x
attached at one end to wheel u and at the other end to the frame E, draws the
wheel back into the position shewn, and thereby also turns the gearing vw,
shaft K and fluffer s back into the original position. It is preferred, for bringing
the fluffer arms back as described, to have, in addition to the spring, gearing at the
other end of the frame, consisting of a cam on shaft P¹ acting on a wiper on a toothed
quadrant or wheel gearing with a toothed wheel on the shaft R.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for feeding paper into printing machines of the kind herein
referred to, the use of fluffing arms or equivalent devices carried either on the same
shaft as, or on a separate shaft from the feed discs and which, before the feeding
discs commence feeding the paper forward, impart a backward motion to the front
end of the top sheet of paper, so as to "fluff" it for the purpose of separating
it from the next sheet, substantially as herein described.
2. The use in combination with the fluffing device referred to in the preceding
claim, of a roller or equivalent device pressing upon the top sheet of paper at an
adjustable distance from the front edge thereof, so as to regulate the extent of the
fluffing action, substantially as described.
3. The use for supporting the rising and falling frame of the feeding apparatus in
a raised position when the feed discs are out of contact with the paper, of pressing
arms carried by the moveable frame and made by a cam action to automatically
press against the fixed guides of the frame when this requires to be held suspended,
and to release their hold on the guides when the feed discs come into action,
substantially as described.
.
4. In feeding apparatus such as is above referred to, the use of vertically sliding
fingers pressing upon the rear edge of the paper, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
5. In feeding apparatus such as is above referred to, the use of vertically sliding
tongues with beaks that are made to press upon the front edge of the paper,
substantially as herein described.
6. The combined arrangement of mechanism herein described with reference to
Figs. 4 to 7 of the drawings for imparting the feeding motion to the feed discs and
the fluffing motion either to the same discs or to separate fluffing arms.
7. The combined arrangement of mechanism herein described with reference to
Fig. 9 of the drawings, for imparting independent movements to the feeding discs
and the fluffing arms.
Dated this 15th day of Me 1800