Improvements in Feeders for Perforating Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feeders for Perforating Machines.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18,
Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by the P. & P. Feed
Gauge Company, of No. 53, River Street, City of Chicago, in the County of Cook,
and State of Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturers, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to means for advancing the sheets to be perforated by
a perforating machine, the proper distance and holding them. in regular form.
while the perforating operation takes place.
The primary object of this invention is to provide means for holding the block
or pile of paper in the desired position with relation to the line of perforating
needles or punches and advancing them with accuracy and speed the desired
distance for forming one or more lines of perforations at either equal or unequal
distances apart as the nature of the work requires.
With these ends in view the invention consists in certain features of novelty
in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts by which the said
objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing, are attained all as fully
described with reference to the accompanying drawings and more particularly
pointed out in the claims.
In the said drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the table of
a perforating machine and its superstructure showing the same equipped with
the improved feeding device, the section being taken on the line 1-1 Fig. 2.
Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, part of the table being broken away.
Figure 3 is an enlarged end elevation of the feeding mechanism looking
towards the feeding end of the machine, an intermediate portion being broken.
away.
Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 4-4 Figure 1,
looking in the opposite direction.
Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view of one of the clamps partly in section,.
a portion of the carriage being also shown in section.
Figure 6 is a detail plan section of one end of the carriage and one of the side
rails, showing the locking dog and one of the stops, and
Figure 7 is a side elevation of one of the stops and the graduated bar in which
it is held, the locking dog or latch being also shown in section.
1 represents the table of an ordinary perforating machine, 2 the rising and
falling head or bar which carries the perforating needles or punches 3, 4 the
stripper, and 5 the female die arranged upon the table 1 and being of the usual
or any suitable construction,
Located along opposite sides of the table parallel with each other and also
parallel with the line of movement which the paper takes when pasing through
the perforating machine are two bars or rails 6-7 more clearly shown in
Figures 2 and 3, each provided in its upper surface with a rack 8 upon which

page_text: latter rest a pair of cogs or pinions 9, the outer edges of the bars 6-7 being
provided with upwardly projecting flanges 10 for holding the pinions 9 in place.
The pinions 9 are mounted upon and keyed to a transverse shaft 11 journaled in
suitable hangers or boxes 12 formed on the upper edge of a transverse bar or
casting 13 having a horizontal flange or foot piece 14 and constituting a carriage
for holding the edges of the paper or sheets to be advanced under the perforating
needles. The ends of the bar or casting 13 are provided with horizontal tongues 15
which engage in longitudinal grooves formed in the opposed faces of the bars 6-7
as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4, thus holding the carriage down and at the
same time preventing one end being pushed in advance of the other.
The horizontal foot piece or flange 14 of the carriage is arranged in close
proximity to the surface of the table 1 and is comparatively thin so as to be
easily slipped under one or more of the sheets to be perforated and the sheets
are held securely on this foot piece while the carriage is advanced
back and forth by means of suitable clamps. These clamps prefer-
ably consist of one or more presser feet 16 having a stem 17 passing up-
wardly through a box 18 containing a spring 19 which presses upon a shoulder 20
formed on the stem 17 and thus forces the presser foot 16 downwardly against the
Hange 14 and holds the paper in place. In order that these presser feet 16 may
be released at the will of the operator the upper end of each of the stems 17 is
pivoted to a thumb lever 21 fulcrumed in a standard 22 on the top of the
casting 23 which supports the box 18 and the outer end of this lever 21 is pro-
vided with a catch or dog 24 which engages under a tooth 25 formed on the back
of the casting 23 when the free end of the thumb lever 21 is depressed. In order
that these catches or dogs 24 may be automatically and if desired simultaneously
released without requiring the operator to release the paper as he holds it in
position for the engagement of the presser feet 16, the dogs 24 are provided with
downwardly extending tail pieces 26 which are adapted to be struck by trip
lugs 27 revolving with the shaft 11, such lugs being formed on or projected from
collars 28 adjustably secured to the shaft 11 by screws 20 or other suitable means.
The usual method of inserting the paper under the presser feet consists in first
raising the presser feet and locking them by means of their dogs or catches 24
and then inserting the block or pile of paper as far under the presser feet as it
can be pushed, and the act of pushing the paper back against the carriage will
also force the carriage towards the operator and revolve the shaft 11 and as a
consequence trip the dogs 24 and permit the presser feet to simultaneously
descend upon the paper without requiring the operator to release his hold upon
it until it is firmly gripped by these clamps on the carriage.
In order that the clamps having the presser feet 16 may be adjusted longitudin-
ally of the carriage for adapting the machine for use for various widths of sheets,
the castings 23 are adjustably secured to the bar 13. This may be best accom-
plished by providing the face of the bar 13 with a longitudinal dovetail or other
suitable groove as more clearly shown in Figure 5 and locating on the back of
each of the castings 23 a rectangular tongue 30 which fits into the dovetail
groove and thus prevents the casting 23 from twisting while the screw 31 passing
through the casting and engaging in a dove-tailed nut 32 located in the dove-
tail groove, drives the casting 23 firmly against the face of the bar 13 and binds
the parts together, there being always a slight space between the opposed faces
of the tongue 30 and nut 32. When the castings 23 are adjusted the collars 28
may also be adjusted longitudinally of the shaft 11 so as to be in position to strike
the tail pieces 26.
It is often the case that the printed matter of the form to be perforated is
not exactly parallel with the edge of the sheet and this necessitates the sheet
being advanced to the perforating needles at a slight angle to the line of per-
forations, and in order to provide for this contingency the carriage is provided
with an adjustable gauge bar 33 arranged in the corner formed by the bar 13
and the flange 14 and being in such a position that the rear edges of the sheets

page_text: will abut thereagainst as the operator slides them under the presser feet 16.
This gauge bar 33 is let into a slight rabbeted portion or groove 34 formed in the
upper face of the flange 14 and being of sufficient width to permit the bar 33
being adjusted bodily back and forth or swung outwardly or inwardly at either
end so as to present a face for the abutment of the sheets that will be parallel
with the rear edges of the sheets while the edge of the form on the sheets will
be parallel with the line of perforating needles. This longitudinal gauge bar 33
may be provided with any suitable means for adjusting it or holding it to its
adjustment. This bar is shown as provided at or near each end with a set
screw 35 threaded in the plate 13 and having a reduced end 36 passing through
horizontal slots 37 in the gauge bar 33 and having heads 38 counter sunk in the
outer face of the gauge bar, thus forming means for the independent adjustment
of the ends of the gauge bar. If desired the gauge bar 33 at or about its mid-
length may be provided with a set screw 39 working in a suitable slot 40 in the
foot flange 14, for holding the gauge bar down in place in the rabbeted portion 34
and thus insuring against the gauge bar buckling or bending upward and per-
mitting the sheets to engage thereunder. Ordinarily however this may be pre-
vented by letting the gauge bar into the face of the flange 14 as shown.
The gauge bar 33 is for the purpose of truing up the rear edges of the pile or
block and their side edges may be trued up by any suitable gauge 41, which may
te adjustably held to the bar 13 by means similar to that already described for
holding the casting 23.
The side rail or bar 6 is provided with a longitudinal dovetail groove 42 in
which is located one or more dovetail blocks 43 each having formed thereon or
secured thereto a projection 44 which extends outwardly beyond the vertical
plane of the inner face of the bar 6 and forms a stop for arresting the carriage
at the proper position for holding the sheets to be perforated. In order that the
carriage may be thus arrested and at the same time advanced past any number
of these stops 44, the carriage is provided with a spring catch which automatic-
ally engages therewith when the carriage is moved in one direction but slips
past the space when moved in the other direction. This catch consists of a
sliding bolt 45 preferably cylindrical and having its outer end beveled so as to
engage with and slide over the beveled surface of the dog 44 but when encounter-
ing the dog on the other side will be arrested thereby. This bolt is located in
a box or casing 46 formed on the back of the plate 13 and containing a spiral
spring 47 surrounding a stem 48 of the bolt and pressing the bolt normally out-
ward. The bolt may be withdrawn at the will of the operator by means of a
sliding thumb piece 49 (see Fig. 3) having a slot 50 fitting over a tongue 51
cast on the back of the plate 13 and receiving a screw 52 whose head holds the
slide 49 in place. The end of the thumb piece or slide 49 is connected by a
spring wire or rod 53 to the stem 48 in such a manner as to hold the bolt 45
normally in the position shown in Figure 6 with its beveled surface presented
to the beveled surface of the dog 44 when moving towards it so that by means
of a pin 54 running in a slot 55 in the box 46 and a notch 56 at the end of such
slot, the bolt 45 when withdrawn may be locked in position, the pin 54 being
turned upwardly into the notch 56 and held there by the friction induced by the
spring 47, but as soon as the spring 47 is further compressed by a pull on the
thumb piece 49 the rotative tendency of the spring rod 53 will trow the pin 54
down into the slot 55 and permit the spring 47 to force the bolt 45 out into its
normal position.
The dogs 44 may be set at any adjustment to suit the character of the work to
be done, it being understood that where a single sheet is to be provided with a
number of lines of perforations arranged at the same distance apart the paper
or pile of paper will be inserted under the presser feet 16 and the gauge bar 33
adjusted as before described and after the paper is firmly clamped by such presser
feet the carriage will be moved forward until the first one of the stops 44, that
is, the one nearest the operator, has been passed and then by pulling the carriage

page_text: backward the catch 45 will engage with the stop 44 and hold the carriage for
the proper position for the first line of perforations. After making the first
line of perforations the carriage is advanced towards the perforator until the
catch 45 slips over the stop 44 whereupon the carriage may be pulled back
firmly against the stop 44 for holding the paper in position for the perforator,
and so on for each succeeding line of perforations, the carriage being advanced
beyond each stop and then brought back against it. The stops 44 are of course
set the required distance apart for each job and are held in place by set screws 57
passing through the blocks 43 and abutting against the inner side of the dove
tail groove 42, and in order to better determine the position of the stop 44 the
latter is provided with an upwardly extending index or pointer 58 which points
to suitable graduations indicated on the face of the bar 6 as shown in Figure 7.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. In a feeder for perforating machines the means substantially as herein
described whereby the travelling carriage which supports and moves the sheets
is locked in position while the sheets are being perforated on certain lines, sub-
stantially as set forth.
2. In a feeder for perforating machines the means substantially as herein
described whereby the clamps which hold the paper on the moving carriage are
automatically tripped by the movement of the carriage, substantially as set forth.
3. In a feeder for perforating machines the means substantially as herein
described whereby the sheets are supported from below and clamped on top while
moving backward or forward with the carriage, substantially as set forth.
4. In a feeder for perforating machines the means substantially as herein
described whereby the gauge bar has its edge below the surface of the flange
which supports the sheets from below and is at the same time independently
adjustable at opposite ends, substantially as set forth.
5. In a feeder for perforating machines the combination of a carriage for
carrying the sheets, clamps supported on said carriage and being adjustable trans-
versely of the line of movement of the carriage, latches for holding said clamps
disengaged, and trips for releasing said latches, adjustable with said clamps,
substantially as set forth.
Tatad this and dox of Oatahan 1800