IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SHEETS OF PAPER FROM A PILE, AND FEEDING OR MOVING THEM INTO OR THROUGH PRINTING, FOLDING, RULING, EMBOSSING, ENVELOPE MAKING, AND SIMILAR MACHINES.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cumming, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SHEETS OF PAPER FROM A PILE, AND FEEDING OR
MOVING THEM INTO OR THROUGH PRINTING, FOLDING, RULING, EMBOSSING,
ENVELOPE MAKING, AND SIMILAR MACHINES.”.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cumming at the Offico
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st March 1877.
JOHN CUMMING, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
Machinist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SHEETS OF PAPER
FROM A PILE, AND FEEDING OR MOVING THEM INTO OR THROUGH PRINTING, FOLDING,
RULING, EMBOSSING, ENVELOPE MAKING, AND SIMILAR MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object the separating of sheets of paper from a pile in
a certain and rapid manner, and the feeding or moving of the separated sheets
singly and successively into or through printing, folding, ruling, embossing, envelope
making, and similar machines.
The Invention consists in employing in combination a continuously revolving
roller with a feeding band or bands of vulcanised rubber passing round it and
round one or more other rollers, and with a stationary adjustable retarding surface
of vulcanised rubber, which retarding surface prevents the moving forward of more
than one sheet at a time.
The roller which, by means of the rubber feeding band or bands passing round it
first acts on the top sheet of the pile of paper, and which may be termed the
primary roller, is placed on the pile at or near the edge from which the sheets are
to be moved away; and sufficient pressure for the effective action of the primary
roller is obtained either by causing the pile of paper to be borne up against the
roller, which is held in stationary bearings, or by arranging the primary roller in
a frame or in guides so as to be pressed down on the pile by its own or added
weight, or by springs. In either case the parts are arranged so that after each
Din di

page_text: sheet is removed the pile moves up or the roller moves down in order that each
succeeding sheet to the last may be acted on in the same manner.
The retarding surface, the application of which constitutes an important part of
the present Invention, is in all cases adjusted in relation to the feeding bands
passing round the primary roller at the part where they pass forward from the
bottom of that roller to the next one.
Where there are two or more feeding bands a retarding surface is applied beneath
each, and has in connection with it separate screws to admit of its accurate adjust-
ment. The retarding surface is applied to correct any tendency of the top sheet to
carry forward the next sheet along with it through its frictional action thereon;
and the retarding surface is at one part of it adjusted so near the feeding band that
whilst only one sheet can pass, the resistance opposed by the retarding surface is
barely sufficient to keep back the next sheet without interfering with the propelling
action of the feeding band on the top sheet.
The rubber forming the retarding surface is stretched or otherwise fixed on a
metal or wood block, which is convexly curved from the part nearest the feeding
band towards the pile of paper, and in practice the sheets by acting frictionally,
each one on the next lower one, are gradually moved forward to the curved part of
the retarding surface, and thereby in a manner prepared for being taken up each in
its turn.
The primary feeding bands deliver each separate sheet in succession to rollers or
to endless tapes, or to endless blankets or cloths, arranged in ordinary well-known
ways to suit the purposes for which the sheets are separated and fed or moved
forward.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Cumming in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th August
1877.
JOHN CUMMING, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
Machinist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SHEETS OF PAPER
FROM A PILE, AND FEEDING OR MOVING THEM INTO OR THROUGH PRINTING, FOLDING,
RULING, EMBOSSING, ENVELOPE MAKING, AND SIMILAR MACHINES."
My said Invention has for its object the separating of sheets of paper from a pile
in a certain and rapid manner, and the feeding or moving of the separated sheets
singly and successively into or through printing, folding, ruling, embossing, envelope
making, and similar machines.
My Invention consists principally in employing in combination a continuously
revolving roller, with a feeding band or bands of vulcanized rubber passing round
it, and round one or more other rollers, and with a stationary adjustable retarding
surface of vulcanised rubber, which retarding surface prevents the moving forward
of more than one sheet at a time.
The retarding surface is in all cases adjusted in relation to the feeding bands
passing round the primary roller at the first part where they pass forward from
the bottom of that roller to the next one.
Where there are two or more feeding bands, as I generally prefer, a retarding
surface is applied beneath each, and has in connection with it separate screws to
admit of its accurate adjustment independently of the other or others. The
retarding surfaces are applied to correct any tendency of the top sheet to carry
forward the next sheet along with it through its frictional action thereon; and each
retarding surface is at one part of it adjusted so near the feeding band that whilst
only one sheet can pass, the resistance opposed by the retarding surface is barely
sufficient to keep back the next sheet without interfering materially with the pro-
pelling action of the feeding band on the top sheet.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append two Sheets of explanatory Drawings,
to be herein-after referred to, and representing different modifications of my
apparatus.
Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings are a plan and a vertical section of
one modification of my improved paper separating and feeding apparatus as applied
in connection with my improved ruling apparatus, this ruling apparatus being of
an improved kind, forming the subject of Letters Patent granted to me, and dated
12 May 1877 (No. 1854), and which will be particularly described in the Specifica-
tion relative thereto.
'
The pile of paper 1 from which the single sheets are to be separated and fed to
the ruling (or other) apparatus is placed on a holder consisting of two boards 2, 3,
fixed step-like on two or more brackets 4, which are centered on a transverse
horizontal spindle or shaft 5, fixed to the side frames 6 of the machine. The
brackets 4 are formed with counterbalancing arms 7, extending downwards, and
slotted for the attachment of adjustable weights 8, the arms 7 being also connected
by light springs 9 to the framing. The holder is balanced so that the boards 2, 3,
tend to rise and bear the pile of paper upwards with a nicely adjusted pressure
against the under side of the first feed roller 10, which is held in bearings in the
side frames 6. This roller 10, and the parts immediately connected with it, are
shown enlarged in section and elevation in Figures 5 and 6 on Sheet 2 of the
Drawings.
The roller 10 is a plain round iron bar, by preference of comparatively small
diameter, and fitted to turn with freedom in its bearings. It has passing round it
a number of endless feeding bands 11 of vulcanised rubber, which also pass round
a second and larger feed roller 12, which may be made principally of wood, and
which is formed with shallow grooves to receive the feed bands 11, so that where
they are in contact their outer surfaces may be flush with its surface between the
grooves. This second roller 12 is on a shaft carried in bearings in the side frames 6,
and having on one end a stepped pulley 13 to receive a driving belt from a counter-
part stepped pulley on a first motion shaft 14 below, the latter having fast and
loose pulleys 15 for a driving belt from any suitable prime mover or revolving
shaft. The feeding bands 11 are prevented from getting displaced laterally by
deep guides 16, which are fixed on a horizontal bar 17 fixed transversely between
the side frames 6.
The retarding surfaces used for preventing more than one sheet being carried
forward at a time by the rubber feeding bands 11, are applied to those bands
between the first and second rollers 10, 12, and metal blocks 18, having the
retarding surfaces on them are adjustably fixed beneath every feed band on a
bar 19 fixed transversely between the side frames 6. Each block 18 is fitted with
side plates, which projecting form a shallow groove to retain a band 20 of vulcanised
rubber (which band is at its non-acting part passed at one side of the block and
over pins), and it is the outer surface of this band which has the retarding action
and prevents more than a single sheet of paper from passing at a time.
At the part where the retarding band 20 approaches nearest the feeding band 11°
there is fitted in a socket in the block 18 a small block 21, shown separately in
side and end view in Figure 7, and which can be adjusted by a screw 22 with great
nicety so as to make the retarding surface or band 20 approach the feeding band 11,
more or less, according to the thickness of the paper that is being fed." The side
plates of the block 18 are also adjustable and can be made to project at the higher
part of the block, more of less, to lift the sheet of paper a little off the frictional
surface of the rubber band 20. The step-like form given to the paper holder or
boards 2, 3, causes the pile to be bended or "broken," and makes the sheets less
liable to adhere together, and a slightly turned-up strip of metal 23 is fixed along
the inner edge of the board 2 to give the starting edges of the sheets a slightly
upward direction. Immediately after passing the retarding blocks 18 the forward
edge of each sheet enters between two sets 24, 25, of endless tapes or cords, which

page_text: lead it round the second roller 12, and then round an upper and third roller 20,
which is driven by spur gearing from the second roller, and the sheet then passes
under the ruling pens 31.
The courses of the tapes or cords 24, 25, will be easily understood from Figure 2,
in which the directions of motion are shown by arrows.
Figure 8 on Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical section of a
modification of my paper separating and feeding apparatus, in which the pile 1 of
paper is placed on a stationary table or plate 28, the separating and feeding details,
which act exactly as in the modification already described, being carried by a pair
of movable brackets 29, which are centered at 30, so that they descend as the pile 1
of paper gradually diminishes, the first feed roller 10 with the feed bands 11 being
pressed in contact with the pile by the weight of the parts, which may be more or
less counterbalanced if found necessary. The second roller 12 is driven by a band
or gearing from a roller 30, the axis of which is the same as that on which the
brackets 29 are centered, and the sheets of paper passing between endless tapes or
cords 24, 25, proceed from the top of the second roller 12 to the roller 30, and thence
onwards to ruling or other apparatus.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original
and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,--
1. The combination of endless rubber bands (11) passing round pulleys (10, 12,)
with blocks (18), having adjustable rubber retarding surfaces, the parts being
arranged and acting substantially as herein-before described.
2. The arranging of the separating and feeding details on a frame or arms so
that they rest on the pile of paper, substantially as herein-before described with
reference to Figure 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
3. The mode, herein described and delineated, of constructing and combining
together the parts of the retarding blocks (18).
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cumming, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN CUMMING.
(L.S.)