Improvements in Automatic Apparatus or Attachments for Feeding Letterpress or Lithographic Printing, Machines, or-for Folding, Ruling, Calendering, Label, and other Machines of a like nature, with Paper or other Material.
Year: 1890

page_text: he decision of the Comptroller-General, of the 24th day of October 1892,
allowed, under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883, an Amendment
of this Specification.
Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus or Attachments for Feeding
Letterpress or Lithographic Printing, Machines, or-for Folding,
Ruling, Calendering, Label, and other Machines of a like nature,
with Paper or other Material.
I EDGAR ARNOLD PALLISTER of 2 Wade Street Wade Lane Leeds in the
County of York, Label Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:-
The object of my invention is to feed to printing and other machines (hereinafter
for the sake of brevity referred to as printing machines), sheets of paper or other
material, from a pile, singly sheet by sheet, in an automatic manner, so as to dispense
with the constant attendance on such machines of operators.
My invention comprises:-1st. Means for holding down the pile of paper at
suitable times. 2nd. Means for separating the topmost sheet from the rest of the
pile. 3rd. Means for carrying or feeding forward the separated sheet to the printing
machine or intermediate carrying apparatus, and lastly to means for detecting a
mis-delivery or non-delivery of a sheet, or when there is need for a renewal of
material.
For the purpose of holding down the pile of paper I employ a lip or holding
down device, hereinafter called the " lip," which is attached or connected to two
vertical sliding bars, rods, or supports. These latter are raised and lowered at
suitable times, so that the lip rests upon the front edge of the pile whilst the top-
most sheet is being separated or more strictly speaking partially separated from the
rest of the pile, and is raised to admit the separated sheet being fed forward. The
mechanism for raising the vertical sliding bars is or may be actuated from some
convenient moving part of the printing machine, and so arranged that the height to
which the lip is raised above the level of the topmost sheet remains each time
approximately the same, whatever may be the thickness of the pile of paper.
The vertical sliding bars or rods besides supporting the lip, are or may be
connected together with a cross bar, and such bar may form the support or carrier
for a fixing or attachment, through and by which the rake hereinafter to be referred
to, is supported, guided and adjusted. A reciprocating horizontal motion is
imparted to the rake by connecting the handle of the same with any suitable moving
part of the printing machine; the arrangement being such that the horizontal
reciprocating motion can take place at any variable height as determined by the
thickness of the pile of paper.
The rake (the head of which extends across and alternately bears upon the pile
of paper), in its movement towards the front edge of the pile, separates or partially
separates the topmost sheet; and is raised and lowered by the action of the vertical
movement of the before, mentioned vertical sliding bars or rods. The underside of
the rake head may be flat or rounded; and dressed or partially dressed with sand
paper, emery cloth, india rubber or other suitable material. I prefer however to

page_text: provide the underside of the rake head with a series of pegs, fixed or removable,
and upon or round them and projecting slightly below them, I fit or place india
rubber or the like material, or the pegs may be of solid rubber.
The rake head is attached to its handle with a swivel arrangement, to allow
it to bed itself and press uniformly upon the paper, and the adjustment of the said
pressure is controlled by an arrangement of runners, spring and screw, in the fixing
or attachment through which the rake handle moves.
For the purpose of feeding forward the separated or partially separated sheet, I
provide feed rollers or runners and shafts for the same, carried in bearings fitted in
the vertical sliding bars or cross bars. A continuous rotary movement is imparted
to either or both shafts by any convenient means. The position of the feed rollers.
or runners in the vertical sliding bar or cross connecting bar is such, that when the
sliding bars are at the top of their stroke, the contact line of the two rollers is
approximately in line with the front edge of the partially separated sheet; and the
straightening out of the sheet, previously curved by the rake, projects the edge of
the sheet sufficiently forward to be caught by the feeding rollers, which feed it to
the printing machine or intermediate carrying apparatus. To assist the straightening
out of the sheet, I may attach a loose or slotted bar arranged so as to remain on
the topmost sheet a little longer than the rake, in order to prevent the loosened
sheet slipping or straightening out in a backward direction.
In order to detect a misdelivery or a non-delivery of a sheet of paper, or when
there is need for a renewal of material, I provide the following mechanism, whereby
the misdelivery or nondelivery of a sheet of paper is arranged automatically to
bring about a stoppage of the machine. Such mechanism, or more strictly the
controlling or detecting part of such mechanism, is conveniently arranged close to
the impression cylinder of the printing machine. The controlling or detecting
portion of the stop mechanism, consists of a light arm or lever, hereinafter called
the detector. lever, provided on its underside with a tongue or projection; which
(when the sheet of paper is in proper position to be seized hold of by the impression
cylinder), rests upon the sheet of paper. If owing to a non- or mis-delivery of a
sheet, the sheet of paper does not come into position under the tongue, then the
latter drops down into a correspondingly placed recess formed in the table or
support for the sheet of paper. The difference in the two positions of the detector
arm or lever is arranged to cause the interlocking or engagement of two parallel
bars or rods, to one of which a constant reciprocating movement is imparted for
every revolution of the impression cylinder; so that when this interlocking takes
place, this reciprocating movement is also transmitted to the second parallel bar,
which for the sake of distinction is referred to as the "stop" rod. By means of
intermediate levers and links this motion is caused to traverse the belt from the
fast to the loose pulley of the printing machine. As the motion and force which
can conveniently be imparted to the stop rod is often limited, I provide an arrange-
ment consisting of a loosely pivotted and heavily weighted fever, a release rod
actuated from the stop rod, and a catch lever fixed or keyed to the axis of the just
mentioned loosely pivotted weigh lever; this arrangement being inserted between
the "stop" rod and the belt shifting guide or fork, in order to increase both the
force and motion transmitted to the belt fork.
As a modification of my improved apparatus I may employ in place of the above
mentioned reciprocating rake, a roller, rotated or partially rotated at suitable times,
so as to bend or curve up the front edge of the topmost sheet for the purpose of
separating or partially separating it. from the rest of the pile. This roller is so
connected or carried from the vertical sliding pieces or the cross bar joining them,
that the pressure of the roller upon the topmost sheet can be adjusted by a tension
device.
00
L
1
*
12000

page_text: Improvements in Automatic Apparatus or Attachments for Feeding
Letterpress or Lithographic Printing, Machines, or for Folding,
Ruling, Calendering, Label, and other Machines of a like nature,
with Paper or other Material.
I EDGAR ARNOLD PALLISTER of 2 Wade Street Wade Lane Leeds in
the County of York Printers' Engineer 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:-
The object of my invention is to feed to printing and other machines, (herein-
after for the sake of brevity referred to as printing machines), sheets of paper or
other material from a pile, singly sheet by sheet, in an automatic manner, so as to
dispense with the constant attendance on such machines of operators.
My invention comprises:-1st. Means for holding down the pile of paper at
suitable times, 2ud. Means for separating the topmost sheet from the rest of the
pile, 3rd. Means for carrying or feeding forward the separated sheet to the
printing machine or intermediate carrying apparatus, and lastly to means for
detecting a mis-delivery or a non-delivery of a sheet, or when there is need for a
renewal of material.
For the purpose of holding down the pile of paper I employ a lip or holding
down device, hereinafter called the lip, which is attached or connected to two
vertical sliding bars or supports. These latter are raised and lowered at suitable
times, so that the lip rests upon the front edge of the pile, whilst the topmost sheet
is being separated, or more strictly partially separated, from the rest of the pile,
and is raised to admit of the separated Sheet being fed forward. The mechanism
for raising the vertical sliding bars is or may be actuated from some convenient
moving part of the printing machine, and so arranged that the height to which the
lip is raised above the level of the topmost sheet, remains each time approxi-
nately the same, whatever may be the thickness of the pile of paper (see
Specification 1534088).
The vertical sliding bars or rods besides supporting the lip, are or may be con-
nected together with a cross bar, and such bar may form the support or carrier
for a fixing or attachment, through and by which the rake, hereinafter to be referred
to, is supported, guided, and adjusted. A reciprocating horizontal motion is imparted
to the rake, by connecting the handle of the same with any suitable moving part
of the printing machine; the arrangement being such that the horizontal recipro-
cating motion can take place at any variable height as determined by the thickness
of the pile of paper.
The rake, (the head of which extends across and bears upon the pile of paper),
during its movement towards the front edge of the pile, thereby separates or
partially separates the topmost sheet. The rake is raised and kept raised during
its backward movement, and lowered and kept lowered during its forward move-
ment, by the vertical motion of the before mentioned sliding bars. The underside
of the rake head may be flat or rounded, and dressed or partially dressed with sand
Or the underside of
paper, emery cloth, india rubber, or other suitable material.
the rake head may be provided with a series of pegs, fixed or removable; and upon
or round them, and projecting slightly below them, I fit or place india-rubber
rings, caps or cylinders, or the pegs themselves may be made of solid rubber.
The rake head is attached to its handle with a swivel arrangement, to allow it to
bed itself and press uniformly upon the paper, and the adjustment of the said
pressure is controlled by an arrangement of runners, spring, and adjusting screw in
the fixing or attachment through which the rake head passes.

page_text: As a modification of my improved apparatus I sometimes employ, instead of the
just mentioned reciprocating rake, a roller or series of rollers mounted on a shaft,
and carried like the rake from the before mentioned lip or cross bar. Such shaft
is rotated or partially rotated at suitable times, so as to bend or curve up the top-
most sheet, for the purpose of separating or partially separating it from the rest of
the pile. The attachment of the shaft to the lip or cross bar is such, that by means
of a spring and adjusting screw, the pressure of the roller, or rollers upon the top-
most sheet can be controlled or regulated.
For the purpose of feeding forward the separated or partially separated sheet, I
provide feed rollers or runners, and shafts for the same, carried in bearings con-
nected to the vertical sliding bars, lip, or cross bar. A continuous rotary movement
is imparted to either or both shafts by any convenient means. The position of the
feed rollers or their attachment to the vertical sliding bars, or lip, or cross bar is
such, that when the sliding bars are at the top of their stroke, the contact line of
the two rollers is approximately in line with the front edge of the partially separated
sheet, and the straightening out of the sheet, previously curved by the rake.or
rollers, projects the edge of the sheet sufficiently forward to be caught by the
feeding rollers, which feed it forward to the printing machine or intermediate
carrying apparatus. To assist the straightening out of the sheet, I attach a loose
or slotted bar arranged so as to remain on the topmost sheet a little longer than the
rake or roller, in order to prevent the loosened sheet slipping or straightening out in
a backward direction.
In order to detect a mis-delivery or a non-delivery of a sheet of paper, or when
there is need for a renewal of material, I provide the following mechanism, which
automatically detects the same, and brings about a stoppage of the machine. The
detecting or controlling part of such mechanism is most suitably arranged close to
the impression cylinder of the printing machine. It consists of a light arm or
lever, hereinafter called the detector lever, which is provided on its under surface
with a tongue or projection, which latter (when the sheet of paper is in proper
position to be seized. hold of by the impression cylinder), rests upon the sheet of
paper. If owing to a non- or mis-delivery of a sheet, the sheet of paper does
not come into position under the tongue, then the latter drops down into a
correspondingly placed recess formed in the table or support for the sheet of
paper. The difference in the two positions of the detector arm or lever is arranged
to cause the interlocking or engagement of two parallel bars or rods, to one of
which a constant reciprocating movement is imparted for every revolution of
the impression cylinder. This latter bar may conveniently be the register bar,
and will hereinafter be referred to as such. When the interlocking or engage-
ment of the two parallel bars takes place, the reciprocating movement
transferred to the second bar, which for the sake of distinction, is hereinafter
referred to as the stop rod. By means of intermediate levers and links, this motion
is caused to traverse the belt from the fast. to the. loose pulley of the printing
machine, or to actuate an alarm or call bell. As the motion and force which can
conveniently be imparted to the stop rod is often limited, I provide an arrangement
consisting of a loosely pivotted and heavily weighted lever, a release rod actuated
from the stop rod, and a catch lever fixed or keyed to the axis of the just mentioned
loosely pivotted weighted lever. This arrangement is placed between the stop rod
and the belt shifting fork, in order to increase both the force and motion transmitted
to the latter. This latter arrangement may be simplified by keying the weighted
lever on its shaft, and. also the catch lever on the same in close proximity to the
lever actuating the release rod (or the release, lever). The release rod is then
dispensed with.
15
And in order that my invention and the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed may be more readily and clearly understood, reference is given to the
accompanying drawings and to the letters and marks thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan looking down on the top of a
feeding apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.in. which the

page_text: roller modification for separating the topmost sheet is employed. Fig. 3 is a
longitudinal section on line A A Fig. 2, in which however the rake arrangement
for separating the sheets is shewn. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on lines B B
Fig. 3, and CC Fig. 1. Figs. 5 f 6 are illustrations of details to be hereafter
referred to.
In all the above illustrations the same letters and figures of reference are employed
to denote the same or corresponding parts.
DD are the side frames of the printing machine and EE the side brackets
carrying the table F, on which the pile of paper G to be fed forward is placed.
H, H, are side brackets carrying the vertical sliding rods I, I, K is the lip or
cross bar bolted to the top of the vertical sliding rods I, I, L L are the separating
rollers covered with rubber, sand paper, or other biting material, and which are
mounted on the shaft M, carried in adjustable bearings N, N. The bearings N, N
are capable of sliding vertically in guides formed in the ends of the brackets O,
attached to the lip or cross bar K. The position of the bearings can be adjusted
by means of the screws P, P, provided with milled heads; and flat springs R, R,
which bear upon projecting lips formed on the sides of the bearings serve to press
the separating rollers L L upon the pile of paper. If desired a set screw may be
arranged to adjust the tension of the flat springs.
By means of levers S and T connecting link U, and connecting rod V, an
oscillating rotary motion is imparted to the shaft M, and consequently to the
separating rollers L, L. The connecting rod V is actuated at suitable times by
cam or other arrangement from any convenient moving part of the printing machine.
When desired' the connection of the link U to the lever S may be made adjustable
by means of a slot in the end of the lever S, so that the amount of motion (rotary)
of the separating rollers can be regulated.
Adjustable brackets W, W, bolted to the vertical sliding rods I, I, carry the
feed roller shafts X and Y in slot bearings formed in the brackets W, W. The
feed roller shafts X and Y may be rotated by means of a chain wheel fitted
on one of the shafts, and a chain passing to a chain wheel; this latter being
fitted on any convenient rotating shaft of the printing machine; or by any other
convenient means.
The vertical sliding bars I, I, are lifted at proper times by means of a cam fitted
on the main shaft or other suitable moving shaft of the printing machine, through
any convenient arrangement of levers and connecting rods, by which I mean, for
example, an arrangement such as that shown in the drawings annexed to my former
Specification No. 15340 of 1888 hereinbefore referred to, where there are (referring to
Fig. 2 of the said drawings) a cam g, a levers, a lifting-slide q, a friction or biting
roller and a vertical plate o, this plate being fixed to the vertical rods and the lever's
being connected by a short connecting rod to the slide q.
a is the detector lever, (with or without a tongue,) and the recess for the same
to drop into. c is the register bar on which is mounted a lever d, hereinafter
designated the stop lever. e is the stop rod, on which the double armed detector lever
is mounted loosely. is a spring to return the stop rod e to its normal position. The
register bar is moved in one direction by the lever g, and in the opposite direction
by the spring. The motion of the stop rod e in the direction indicated by the
arrow, is transmitted to the lever i, vertical shaft k, and release lever ; and these
are brought back to their normal position by the spring m. n is the weighted
lever keyed on the horizontal shaft o, and this latter is connected by any con-
venient arrangement of levers and rods to the belt shifting fork of the printing
machine. is a catch lever keyed on the shaft o, which catches beneath or
interlocks with the release lever 1, and which so long as it is held by the release
lever, retains the weighted lever n in its raised or horizontal position.
In Figs. 3 and 4, K is the lip or cross bar, g the horizontally reciprocating rake
(see also Fig. 5,) mounted with a swivel or pin attachment g' on the rake handle. » is
the rake handle, capable of moving to and fro in the roller bearing formed in the
centre of the cross bar K. s is the bottom roller, mounted in fixed bearings formed

page_text: on the cross bar. t is a top roller, carried at the free end of a forked lever
hinged at u. An adjustable weight v, (or a spring ²), tends to raise the rake head
from the pile of paper. This is counteracted by the pressure of the screw w, which
bears upon the upper side of the above mentioned forked lever, by means of which
also the pressure of the rake upon the pile of paper may be adjusted. By means
of the levers & and y, mounted on the shaft z, (carried in brackets attached to the
cross bar ), a to and fro motion is imparted to the rake handler and ráke from
a cam fitted to the end of the impression cylinder axle, through the intervention of
a connecting link. Or other convenient means may be used for actuating the lever Y,
care being taken to allow for the up and down motion of the cross bar. a', a', are
the pegs on the rake head covered with rubber or formed of rubber."
The operating of my invention is as follows: The pile of paper G is placed in
position on the table F, and the main shaft of the printing machine rotated until
the lip rest on the top of the pile of paper. The main shaft is further rotated
until the lip occupies its highest position, when the brackets W W are adjusted on
the vertical sliding rods I, I, so that the contact line of the feed rollers X and Y
is in line with the topmost sheet of the pile. The cross bar is again lowered, and
the printing machine started. Whilst the lip is resting upon the front edge of the
pile, the rake (or the separating rollers) move in the direction indicated by the
arrow, Fig. 3, thereby bending the topmost sheet into the position indicated in Fig. 3.
The vertical sliding rods then rise, lifting the lip off from the pile of paper.
The
slotted bar rests somewhat longer on the topmost sheet, preventing this
straightening out in a backward direction. In the case of the separating rollers,
owing to the adjustment of the screws P, the separating rollers remain in contact
with the topmost sheet somewhat longer than the lip, and effect the same object.
When the cross-bar has reached its highest position, the contact line of the feed
rollers is opposite the edge of the topmost sheet, which in consequence of the
straightening out of said sheet is caught between the feed rollers and fed on to
the tapes cc, or other carrying device of the printing machine, which transmits
the sheet to the gripping mechanism of the impression cylinder. When the sheet
is quite clear away from the feeding rollers, the vertical sliding rods lower the lip
on to the second, (now the topmost) sheet of the pile, and the above operations of
separating and feeding forward are repeated with the second sheet.
If the feeding mechanism has misdelivered or not delivered a sheet, so that the
end of the detector lever over the recess is unsupported, this end of the detector
lever falls into the recess, and the opposite lighter end rises, and comes in line or
interlocks with the stop lever d on the register bar; the motion of which (in the
direction shewn by the arrow), is imparted to the stop rod e, and thence by means
of the lever i, and vertical shaft, to the release lever 1, thereby freeing the catch
lever P₁ and allowing the weighted lever n to fall and rotate the shaft o, which..by
means of any convenient mechanism actuates the belt shifting fork and stops the
printing machine. An alarm or call bell may also be set in operation by the above
movements. During the interval between the back end of a sheet leaving the
recess and the front edge of the next coming into position over the same, the
forward end of the detector. lever is prevented from dropping into the recess, by
the passage of the stop lever d over the lighter end of the detector lever; the ends
of the light arm of the detector lever and of the stop lever being curved or rounded
so as to prevent the interlocking of these levers when the register bar is moved back
by the spring h.
I wish it to be understood that the accompanying drawings are intended as
illustrations merely sufficient however to enable any printing machine maker to
carry out my invention; and I do not limit myself to the relative proportions of the
mechanism shewn; nor do I limit myself to the intermediate mechanism shewn or
described for connecting or actuating the various parts of my said feeding apparatus
to or from the printing or other machine, since these may and will vary according
to the design of the printing or other machine to which my invention is applied,
but

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1° The arrangement of vertical sliding bars or rods, with the lip, the rake, (or
separating rollers,) and the feeding rollers all mounted thereon and partaking of
one common vertical motion, the arrangement being such that the feeding rollers are
alternately raised and lowered so that the contact line of said rollers is each time raised
approximately to the level of the topmost sheet whatever may be the changing thickness or
height of the pile of paper.
20 The arrangement of vertical sliding bars or rods, with the lip and the rake,
(or separating rollers), all mounted thereon and partaking of one common vertical
motion.
30 The arrangement of vertical sliding bars or rods with the lip and feeding
rollers all mounted thereon and partaking of one common vertical motion.
4° The arrangement of feeding rollers alternately raised and lowered, so that
the contact line of said rollers-is-each-time-ruised-approximately to the level of
the topmost-sheet, whatever may be-the-changing thickness or height of the pile
of paper.
The mounting of the rake on its handle with a pin or swivel-attachment;
substantially as-and-for the purpose herein set forth.
6° 4° The arrangement of a horizontally reciprocating rake, carried in the
vertically moveable lip or cross bar; and also in combination with the arrangement
of levers and shaft, (carried from said lip or cross-bar), for actuating the same.
7°-The roller-bearing and tension arrangement fitted in the cross bur or lip.
So The construction-of-separating rake with pegs-covered with--or-formed of
rubber.
9° The arrangement of slotted-bar on-the-end of the rake handle, substantially
as and for the purpose-herein-set forth.
10°-The detector lever supported by the sheet of paper, when the same is under
the lever but enpable of falling, when no sheet is under the same, for the purpose
herein set forth.
1° 5° The detector arrangement consisting of detector lever a mounted on a
stop rode, recess b, and stop lever mounted on a reciprocating rod " also
the same in combination with vertical shaft and levers substantially as herein set
forth.
1° 6° In combination with the apparatus referred to in the preceding claim the
weighted lever released by the action of the detector lever; also the intermediate
mechanism connecting the same, for the purpose herein set forth.
137 The general arrangement construction and application of my improved
feeding apparatus substantially as and for purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1891.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON, A.R.S.M., Wh. Sc.,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for Applicant.