Improvements in Feeding Apparatus for Printing Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 20th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feeding Apparatus for Printing Machines.
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:-
Our Invention consists of a new method of feeding paper to printing machines.
Our plan is to employ a roller with Rubber or Composition rings which is supported
on the top of the paper. One side being flat, moves with the cylinder of the Printing
Machine also a feeding table with a pair of rollers and also having several rollers
the tops of which are. supported a little above the level of the table and thus carry
the paper forward to the gages also one or more of the rollers are formed worin
shaped together with sliding side gages to adjust the paper sideways,
We will now describe the method in which it is to be performed in connection
with the Printing Machine. At the end of the Machine is a table on which the
paper is placed, which table is carried on the frame-sides of the machine. Above
the paper we have a revolving roller which has rings upon it of rubber or other
composition, or by preference we may cover the roller the whole length with rubber
or other composition. The roller is carried in sliding guide-bearings. The roller
has a flat surface upon it. We also have another roller carried in the same sliding
guide-bearings, which by preference is always hearing upon the paper. The sliding
guide-bearings are carried in suitable frame-work and secured to the machine sides
or table. The weight of the rollers and frame-work are supported by means of a
lever or other support to prevent undue pressure upon the paper. The first roller
is worked by means of chain, belt or other gearing and revolves with the cylinder
of the machine, and may be connected to the cylinder or otherwise. The amount of
travel can be regulated in proportion to the size of the sheet of paper to be fed.
We also attach guide-plates to the sliding guide-bearings which are suspended at
each end or hinged to rise or fall as the paper is taken off by the feeding roller.
The guide-plates are so arranged in connection with the rollers as to ensure that the
paper shall be properly fed to the feeding-table. The paper is then received by a
pair of rolls and thus carried forward down the feeding-board. The pair of rolls
are by preference connected to and form part of the feeding-board, and to ensure the
paper being carried along we fix two, three, four, five or more rollers to the feeding-
board. One or more of these rollers are formed worm-shaped, and thereby ensure
the paper being carried to the side and bottom feeding-gages. The whole of these
rollers are geared together by means of chain, rope, belt or equivalent, and are driven
with the motion of the machine. We also provide for tapes running on part or all
the rollers to more effectually assist the paper being fed to the gages. We also provide
a moveable side gage to regulate the position of the paper to the cylinder. When the
feeding-table rises to the cylinder and the bottom-gages drop, to prevent the paper
from being propelled forward we provide a roller or its equivalent which is free to
allow the paper to pass underneath it when the table is down, and which presses upon
the paper when the table rises and thus prevents the paper from moving until caught
by the grippers of the cylinder.
A Printing Machine does not necessarily mean a letterpress or lithographic printing
nachine, but may mean any class of machine for printing purposes.

page_text: COMPLETE 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:-
Our invention relates to apparatus for automatically feeding the paper into printing
machines, whether for type printing, lithography, or other purposes, and it consists
mainly in mounting in a vertically sliding frame a horizontal spindle carrying two or
more discs with caoutchouc or other adhesive peripheries which rest upon the pile of
paper, so that on having rotary motion imparted to them they feed the top sheet of
paper forward from the pile. A segment is cut off the periphery of the discs at one
point and their motion is so arranged that they only perform one complete revolution
at a time, coming to rest when the flat part of the periphery is presented to the pile
of paper, in which position they are not in contact with the latter, so that by their
rotation they feed the paper forward a certain distance until it is seized by gripping
rollers, and then in remaining stationary in the position described, allow the
remainder of the sheet to be drawn from under them. The period of rest is made to
correspond with that of the feeding cylinder of the printing machine so that the
sheets of paper are fed forward exactly in accordance with the motion of the cylinder.
In combination with the said sliding frame with feeding discs are other devices which
we will proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 shews a side elevation of the said feeding mechanism 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 a a Figure 1.
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 (" 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 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 or equivalent material
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 they feed the top sheet forward from the pile in the direction
of the arrow, until they arrive in the position shewn in Fig. 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 N'. The spindle O₁ carries a second pitch wheel 02 which
drives an equal pitch wheel P on a spindle P¹ carried by the sliding frame E, by a
pitch chain 0³.
The spindle P¹ carries a toothed wheel Q which drives a toothed wheel of equal
diameter R on the shaft K through an intermediate wheel S. Thus the wheels N
and O, O' and P, Q and R being equal the shaft K is made to rotate in the same
manner and at the same speed as the shaft of the cylinder M, so that when, on the
completion of one revolution, after feeding a sheet of paper into the machine the

page_text: cylinder M is brought to a stand still, the discs L are in like manner brought to a
stand still with their flat surfaces facing the paper.
When the discs L are in this position, the frame E is supported by means of other
discs or rollers R₁ resting upon the pile of paper, these rollers being smaller in
diameter than the discs Is so that when these begin to rotate and thus bear with their
circular periphery on the paper, the frame E with the rollers R¹ will be slightly
raised off the paper, leaving this to be fed forward by the discs L.
In order to prevent the discs L from feeding forward more than one sheet of
paper at a time, the sliding frame E carries a bar X the upper slightly rounded edge
of which is at the level of the top sheet of the pile, so that as this is pushed forward,
it will first strike against the rounded edge and will then slide over the same, while
the next sheet below, if it has been carried forward up to the bar will be held back by
the latter. To prevent the paper from rising before it comes in contact with the
bar X, a second bar Y is carried by the frame E, which bar projects somewhat over
the top sheet of the pile.
After passing the bar X 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 I will always be correctly fed into
the discs and roller, no matter what the position of the frame E may be.
The feed roller and discs c c' are continuously rotated in the direction of the arrows,
receiving such motion in any convenient manner from a continuously rotating part
of the machine, such as by a pulley and strap from a pulley e as shewn so that
as soon as the front edge of the sheet of paper reaches them they seize it and feed it
forward. In order to keep the sheet of paper in position as it passes over the plate a,
a second guide plate is provided, also pivotted at f¹ to the frame E and resting with
pins fat its ends on the plate a so that a small space is left between its edge and the
plate a for the paper to pass through thus keeping the paper down without actually
pressing upon it.
The distance of the feed discs and roller c c¹ from the discs L is so proportioned to
the circular periphery of the latter that these just cease propelling the sheet of paper
as they are passing into the position shewn, when the front edge of the sheet is seized
by the rollers c c. From the rollers c c¹ the paper passes on to the feeding table g
on which it is fed forward to the feeding cylinder M of the printing machine. For
this purpose the table g is formed with a number of slots in which run endless bands h
passing round the lower feed roller c and over pulleys i at the lower end, so that the
bands are at the same level as the table, and consequently in receiving motion from
roller c feed the paper forward on the table till it reaches the cylinder M.
The table g is slotted for the reception of the bands in order to allow of its removal
when required without interfering with the bands, the table being carried at its upper
and lower ends by pins resting on the framing as shewn.
The paper is kept in proper position during its descent on the table by guide
plates mounted adjustably on a bar j¹ carried by standards on the table g.
In arriving at the cylinder M the paper is stopped in the usual manner and seized
by fingers on the feeding cylinder, which carry the sheet up to the second feed
cylinder k, the arrangement of these parts being well known and requiring no further
description.
The feed dises e¹ are by preference formed with caoutchouc peripheries like L and
are situated in positions corresponding to these, such positions being regulated by the
position of the printed matter which may already exist on one side of the paper
sheets.
The degree of nip of the discs c¹ is regulated by screws 1.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In feeding apparatus for printing machines, the use of a vertically_sliding
partly balanced frame, such as E, carrying two or more discs, such as L, with
peripheries of caoutchouc or other suitable material which are cut away at one point,
such discs being made to rest with their circular periphery upon the pile of paper to
be fed into the machine and receiving periodical rotary motion in such manner that
when a sheet of paper requires to be fed in, the circular peripheries of the discs
move it forward until it is seized by continuously revolving feeding rollers such as c,
whereupon the discs L remain stationary with their flat part L₁ removed from the
paper so as to allow this to be drawn away beneath them, the frame E being made
to descend by gravity as the pile of paper diminishes, substantially as herein
described.
2. In combination with the sliding frame E and feeding discs L referred to in the
preceding claim the use of rollers or discs R' for supporting the frame E while the
discs L are in the position with their flat faces removed from the paper, substantially
as herein described.
3. In combination with the sliding frame E and feeding rollers L, of guide plates a
and for correctly guiding the sheets of paper to the continuously revolving feeding
roller and discs c c as the frame E descends, substantially as herein described.
4. The combination of the sliding frame E and periodically revolving feeding
discs L, the guide plates af the continuously revolving feeding roller and disc c c¹
and the travelling feeding bands on the table g, substantially as herein described.
5. The combination with the feeding cylinder M of a printing machine of
mechanism for supplying paper to such cylinder consisting of a vertically sliding
partially balanced frame E carrying feeding discs L that rest upon the pile of paper
to be fed in, and that receive motion from the cylinder M by pitch wheels and
endless chains, the bars X and Y for preventing more than a single sheet being fed
forward at a time, the guide plates af feed roller and discs e c¹, endless feeding
bands and adjustable guides jj arranged and operating substantially as herein
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of August 1889.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.