Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Feeding Sheets of Paper and the like to Printing Presses and similar Machines,
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1900
[Communicated from abroad by TIE STANDARD MACHINERY COMPANY, of Mystic,
County of New London, State of Connecticut, United States of America,
Manufacturers.]
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Feeding Sheets of
Paper and the like to Printing Presses and similar Machines,
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 invention relates to that class of machines in which a body or bank of
combed out or feathered sheets is placed upon an upper supply table, and is
slowly fed therefrom to a lower feed table where the bank or pile of sheets is
acted upon by combing devices which act to further fan or feather out the top
sheets thus advancing the top sheet a greater distance than the sheets beneath
it, so that said top sheet may be separated from the pile or bank and fed forward
to machines or devices for further manipulating or acting upon the sheets. The
sheet separated from the pile is usually advanced to registering devices by which
it is brought into correct position to be taken by the grippers of a printing press
or transferred to other mechanism for further manipulation.
With this class of machines the mechanism for separating the sheets from
the bank is located under the supply table, and near the curved throat through
which the sheets pass from the supply to the feed table, and it has been custom-
ary to pivot the supply table at its front end so that said table can be swung up
when access is desired to the separating mechanism or other parts below the
supply table. When the supply table is thus swung up there is nothing to retain
the sheets upon the table, and it is therefore necessary to remove the sheets
which have not their ends so far advanced through the curved throat that they
will not be withdrawn by their own weight when the table is swung up. When
the feathered bank of sheets has been thus separated in the curved throat, it is
impossible to replace the removed portion of the bank in the correct relation with
the portion remaining, and it is therefore necessary to exhaust that portion of
the bank remaining upon the lower feed table, and in the throat and then thread
a new bank of feathered sheets through the throat.
It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provide a construction
in which access may be had to the separating and other devices under the supply
table without disturbing that portion of the bank of sheets which is in the
curved throat between the supply and feed tables, and this is accomplished by
forming the supply table in sections which are pivoted together. When access
is desired to the mechanism beneath the supply table the bank on the supply
table may be folded upon itself, and be supported by the forward section while
the rear section is swung up.
With the above class of machines it is sometimes found after threading up the
machine, or after running for some time that the sheets are not being delivered

page_text: in the proper relation to the side registering devices that is to say, the sheets
may be delivered too far from the side guides, and will not therefore be brought
against the guides by the devices for moving the sheets laterally, or they may
be delivered too near the side guides, and will then be crippled against the side
guides by the laterally moving devices, and in either case the sheets will not be
delivered to the printing press or other machine in proper register. Hereto-
fore when this has occurred, it has been customary to stop the machine and to
work the bank of sheets upon the tables laterally in relation to the feeding and
separating devices, and this was repeated whenever the sheets were being fed
out of proper relation with the registering devices.
A further object of the invention is to provide means for conveniently and
quickly adjusting the position of the bank of sheets with relation to the side
register devices, and this is accomplished by making the feeding table in sections
and rendering the rear section which supports the supply table and the separating
mechanism laterally adjustable.
In the class of machines referred to it has been customary to operate the devices
to which the top sheet is advanced by the comber or combers at regular intervals,
and to throw the comber or combers into operation at regular intervals, said
comber or combers being so controlled that they cease to operate upon the pile
of sheets when the front edge of the top sheet has been advanced into proper
position. The length of time the combers act, or the combing interval, will
therefore depend on the distance the top sheet must be advanced, which distance
will depend on the amount the pile or bank of sheets is feathered, or the distance
between the edges of successive sheets. In order that the sheets may be properly
separated from the pile and advanced to the devices for further advancing the
sheet, the pile or bank of sheets should be so fed to the combing devices that
the combing interval will be constant within certain limits. Since the action
of the combing devices gives several of the top sheets an advancing movement
which is greatest in the top sheet and gradually diminishes in the successive
sheets the sheets will be fanned out more and more and the combing interval
becomes longer and longer, and if there is no feed of the bank of sheets the
combing interval will increase until the front edge of the sheet will not be
advanced into proper position at the proper time. On the other hand, if suc-
cessive feeding movements of the bank of sheets takes place before the combing
devices have acted upon the sheets a sufficient number of times to fan out the
sheets to a proper degree the combing material will be gradually shortened until
the sheets will not be properly separated. The number of times that the comb-
ing devices must act before the sheets are combed or fanned out to the proper
extent will depend on the amount that the bank is feathered before it comes
under the action of the combing device which amount varies widely in the parts
of the bank. In order therefore that the combing interval shall remain sub-
stantially constant, there should be no feed of the pile or bank of sheets so long
as the combing interval is normal or below the normal, but the pile should be
fed as soon as the combing interval increases above a certain point. It is accord-
ingly one object of the present improvements to provide means for automatically
effecting this result, and this is accomplished by providing means for feeding
the pile or bank of sheets which is thrown into operation only when the combing
interval exceeds a certain amount.
A further object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient mechanism
for controlling the action of the combers upon the bank or pile of sheets.
In the accompanying drawings;
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view indicating the general character of
the machine in which the improvements are embodied.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of mechanisms for operating the combing rolls, and for
controlling the feed of the bank of sheets.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on line 4-4, Fig. 3,

page_text: Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of a modified form of mechanism for
controlling the feed of the bank of sheets.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation showing the sectional supply table and the
devices for adjusting the bank of sheets laterally.
Fig. 8 is a plan view of the same, and
Fig. 9 is a detail view.
Referring to the drawings in detail, (Figs. 1-6), 1 represents the feed table
to which the bank of feathered sheets 2 are fed from a supply table 3 which is
arranged above the feed table with its front end over the rear end of the feed
table. The bank of sheets passes from the supply to the feed table through a
curved throat formed between the feed wheels 4 and the curved guides 5 secured
to the rear end of the feed table. Pressure rolls 6 are located above the feed
wheels, and act to press the sheets against the feed wheels and ensure a positive
feeding of the bank of sheets. The bank upon the supply table rests upon end-
less bands 7 which extend along the upper face of the table, around the feed
wheels and back over guide 8 and roll 9. The bank of sheets upon the feed
table is acted upon by combing rolls 10, one only of which is shown, said rolls
being located at each side of the table, and being independently controlled so that
the combing roll or rolls at each side acts until the edge of the sheet at that side
has been advanced into proper position to be seized and removed. The combing
rolls act to comb out the sheets and advance the front edge of the top sheet into
position between the forwarding rolls 11 and 12. The rolls 12 are mounted
upon a shaft 13 which is raised and lowered at regular intervals by any suitable
mechanism, and the rolls 11 are mounted upon a shaft 14 which is constantly
revolved by any suitable gearing. As the front edge of the sheet comes into
position between the forwarding rolls, it acts upon a switch or other device
which controls the action of the combing roll and causes said roll to cease its
action upon the top sheet. The devices for operating and controlling the comb-
ing rolls is the same at each side of the machine, and therefore only the devices
at one side of the machine have been shown, and only one set of devices will
be described.
The combing roll 10 is secured to a shaft 15, which is mounted in an arm 16
supported on a constantly running shaft 17, and said shaft 15 is constantly
driven by gearing 17 carried by arm 16 and connecting said shaft and shaft 17.
The shaft 15 is connected to a rock shaft 18 by means of the toggle arms or
levers 19 and 20, which are pivoted together, the arm 19 being loosely mounted
on the shaft 15 and the arm 20 being secured to rock shaft 18. The rock
shaft 18 is mounted in arms 21 hung on a rod 22 extending transversely of the
machine. A clamp 23 is hung on the rock shaft 18 and is guided by the shaft 15
which passes through a slot in said clamp. When the front edge of the sheet
has been advanced into proper position between the forwarding rolls, the shaft 18
is rocked. The first movement of the shaft lowers the clamp 23 on to the pile
of sheets just back of the rear edge of the top sheet, and then continued move-
ment of the rock shaft raises the combing rolls off of the sheets. When the
next sheet is to be advanced to the forwarding rolls, the rock shaft is moved in
the opposite direction, and the combing roll first moved into contact with the
sheets and then the clamp raised.
The combing rolls are operated and controlled by mechanism which embodies
certain features of the present invention in their preferred form, which mecha-
The fock shaft 18 is connected to a
nism, in the form shown, is as follows:
reciprocating slide by means of a link 25, one end of which is pivoted to said
slide at 26, and the other end of which is pivoted to the end of an arm 27 secured
to the end of shaft 18. The slide consists of two bars or plates 24 and 28, one
of which, 24, is guided in a bracket 29 secured to the side frame 30. The bars
are further guided by means of a bushing or sleeve 31, Fig. 4 which surrounds
a constantly running shaft 32 and engages slots formed in said bars. The

page_text: slide is forced forward at regular intervals to throw the combing roll or rolls
into action by means of a cam 33 secured to shaft 32 and arranged to engage
a roll 34 on said slide. A spring 35 has one end secured to the bar 24 and the
other to the frame 30, and tends to hold the slide in its retracted position. When
the slide is advanced against the tension of spring 35 to throw the combing rolls
into action, said slide is held in this position until it is released by the action of
the front edge of the sheet by the following mechanism. An electro-magnet 36
is mounted on the stationary sleeve 31 between the bars 24 and 28. The sleeve 31
is secured to the bushing 55 to be described by a pin 551, Fig. 4. An armature 37
is arranged to slide over the face of the magnet 36 and is carried by a frame 38
provided with two arms 39 which are journalled on the sleeve 31 outside the
bars 24 and 28. Armature 37 is secured to frame 38 by a screw 308. The
frame 38 is connected by means of a link 39" to the end of a lever 40 which is
pivoted to the frame 30 at 41. The lever 40 is provided with a slot 42, and is
connected with the bars 24 and 28 by a pin 43 which passes through said bars
and said slot. The circuit of the electro-magnet, formed by the wires a, b and
the generator B, is provided with a controlling device located in the path of
the sheets so that said magnet is de-energized when the front edge of the sheet
engages said controlling device. In the form shown the controlling device is
a switch consisting of the contacts 44 and 45, one of which is carried by a
lever 45, the end of which is arranged in the path of the sheets. Another
switch C, consisting of the contact plate 46 and the spring contact finger 47, is
also included in the magnet circuit. This switch is controlled by a cam 48 secured
to the shaft 32 and arranged to engage the end of an arm 49 projecting from an
oscillating sleeve 50 which is provided with a second arm 51 arranged to engage
the finger 47. A spring 52 tends to hold the arm 51 in position to allow the
finger 47 to engage the plate 46 and close the circuit at this point. It will be
understood that either the magnet or armature may be the reciprocating part
without departing from this feature of invention.
The operation is as follows:
When the cam 33 strikes the roll 34, the slide is advanced to move the comb-
ing rolls into action. At this time the upper forwarding rolls 12 are raised and
the arm 49 rides on the cam 48 thus holding the finger 47 away from the plate 46
so that the magnet 36 is not energized and the armature 37 is free to slide over
the magnet. As the cam 33 forces the slide forward the lever 40 is swung on
its pivot 41, and, through the link 39", slides the armature 37 forward over the
magnet. When the combing rolls are fully down upon the pile of sheets, the
cam 48 passes from under the arm 49 allowing the finger 47 to close the circuit,
thus energizing the magnet so that the armature attaches itself thereto and
prevents the return of the slide. The combing roll now acts upon the top sheet
until the front edge engages the end of lever 45" and breaks the circuit. The
magnet then releases the armature 37 and the slide is retracted by the spring 35
thus throwing the combing roll out of action. Just before the rolls 12 are
brought down upon the sheet the point 53 of cam 48 strikes arm 49 and opens
switch C so that the combing roll will be thrown out of action before the for-
warding rolls begin to act, should they not have been thrown out before. The
magnet 36 may be held stationary by being secured to the fixed sleeve 31, but
it is preferred to loosely mount said magnet on said sleeve, and to yieldingly
hold it in position by a spring 36 which is secured to a pin 371 projecting from
said magnet, and holds said pin against a stop 381. With this construction,
should the circuit be accidentally closed before the armature had reached the
limit of its movement, the magnet will turn with the armature, and when
released will return to its normal position.
While it is preferred to use a magnet in the form of a disc and to oscillate the
armature about an axis, it will be understood that if desired the magnet may
be of different shape, and the armature be moved over the face of the magnet in

page_text: a path other than a curved path, or that the armature may be the stationary
part and the magnet moved.
The combing rolls act to comb or feather out the bank of sheets, and to in-
crease the distance between the edges of successive sheets, thus increasing the
distance through which the top sheet must be advanced, and unless the bank of
sheets is fed forward under the combing rolls, this distance may become so
great that the forwarding rolls will be thrown into action before the sheet
reaches them, or the combing rolls thrown out of action before the sheet has
been advanced into position. On the other hand, if the bank of sheets are fed
when the combing interval is normal or below the normal, the sheets will not
be combed out sufficiently, and two or more sheets may be fed to the forwarding
rolls at the same time.
Another feature of invention accordingly consists in providing mechanism for
automatically feeding the bank of sheets which acts only when the combing
interval exceeds a certain amount, and thus the proper timing and separation
of the sheets is effected. This feature of invention may be embodied in any
suitable mechanism, and in the drawings two forms of mechanism are shown
embodying this feature of invention. The preferred form of mechanism is
shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 and is as follows: The feeding wheels 4 are secured
upon a hollow shaft 54 which surrounds shaft 32, and is supported on bush-
ings 55 secured in the side frames. A worm wheel 56 is secured at one end of
the shaft 54 and is engaged by a worm 57 secured to a short shaft 58 which also
carries a bevel-gear 59. The gear 59 is engaged by a bevel-gear 60 secured to
a shaft til journaled in the frame 30. A ratchet wheel 62 is secured to the
shaft 61 and is arranged to be engaged by a pawl 63 pivoted to a pawl carrying
lever 64 loosely mounted on the shaft 61, and connected by a connecting rod 65
with a crank 66 secured to the shaft 31. The pawl lever is thus constantly oscil-
lated to carry the pawl back and forth over the ratchet wheel. When the comb-
ing interval is below a certain amount, the pawl is held out of engagement with
the ratchet wheel so that the shaft 61 remains stationary. When, however, the
combers remain in action beyond a certain length of time, the pawl is allowed
to engage the ratchet wheel and revolve shaft 51, thus operating the feed wheels 4
to feed forward the bank of sheets. The devices for thus controlling the action
of the pawl and ratchet mechanism are as follows: The pawl is provided with
a pin 67 which rests on the top of a guard 68 carried by a sleeve 69 loosely
mounted on shaft 61. The sleeve 69 is provided with a weighted extension 70
which rests upon a pin 71 carried by the pawl carrying lever 64 and holds the
guard 68 under the pawl as the pawl carrying arm is oscillated. The sleeve 69
is also provided with a lug 72 having a shoulder or notch 73 formed thereon.
A dog 74 is pivoted on the frame and is arranged to be moved into and out of
the path of the shoulder. The dog 74 is connected with and operated by an
arm 75, the free end of which rests on the top of bar 24 and is acted on by a
cam 76 on said bar. When the combing rolls are in action, the end of arm 75
rests on the top of slide 24, and the dog 14 is in position to engage the shoulder 73,
and when the slide moves back to raise the combing rolls, the cam 76 lifts the
arm 75 and raises the dog out of the path of shoulder 73.
Supposing the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 3, that is, the position
they occupy at the beginning of the.combing interval, and the combing interval
to be normal or below the normal, then before the crank 66 has moved far
enough to bring the shoulder 73 against dog 74 or to carry the pawl off of the
guard, the slide has been released and the cam has raised the dog 74 out of the
path of shoulder 73, thus allowing the guard 68 to move around with the pawl
and hold said pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel. Should, the
combers remain in action beyond a certain time, then, when the lever 64 is
swung forward, the dog 74 will engage the shoulder 73 and arrest the movement
of the guard 68, and the pawl will pass off of said guard and engage the ratchet

page_text: wheel. By making the guard adjustable in width, the amount of movement of
the lever 64 necessary before the pawl engages the ratchet wheel may be varied
thus varying the length of the combing interval before feeding of the bank of
sheets will take place.
In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown another form of mechanism for controlling the feed
of the bank of sheets by the combing interval. As shown in these views, a
gear 78 is secured to the shaft 54 and is engaged by a pinion 79 secured to a
shaft 80 which also has secured thereto a gear 81. The gear 81 is engaged by
a gear 82 which is secured to a frame 83 loosely mounted on a sleeve 84 secured
to the hub of a bevel-gear 85, which is loosely mounted on the shaft 32. The
sleeve 84 is the hub of a disc 86 provided with a lateral flange 87 upon the inner
face of which are mounted shoes 88. The shoes 88 are connected with the
flange 87 by pins 89, so that said shoes may have a slight radial movement on
said pins. Within the shoes 88 is an electro-magnet in the form of a disc 90
which is secured to a bracket 91. The frame 83 carries a bevel-gear 92 which
meshes with gear 85 and also with a similar bevel-gear 93 secured to shaft 32.
The circuit of the electro-magnet 90 formed by the wires c, d and generator D
is provided with a switch E consisting of the plate 94 and the spring finger 95.
An arm 96 projecting from a sleeve 97 is provided with a pin 98 which is
arranged to engage the finger 95. The sleeve 97 is mounted to rock on a rod 99
and is provided with an arm 100 arranged to be acted on by a cam 101 secured
to shaft 32. The sleeve 97 is also provided with an arm 102 which lies below
the bar 24 and is arranged to engage said bar when the cam 101 is out of en-
gagement with the arm 100. The bar 24 is provided with a notch or recess 103
which overlies the end of arm 102 when the bar is advanced and the combers
are in action.
The operation is as follows: When the circuit is broken at the switch E
the gear 93 acting through gears 92 and 85 rotates the disc 86, the gear 82 and
frame 83 being stationary. When the circuit is closed and the magnet 90 is
energized, the shoes 88 attach themselves to the magnet, and the disc 86, and
attached gear 85 are held from rotation. The gear 93 will now rotate gear 92,
and, since gear 85 is held from movement, the rotation of gear 93 will cause
said gear to travel around gear 85, thus rotating frame 83 and the attached
gear 82.
This movement of gear 82 will drive the shaft 54 and cause the feed
wheels 4 to feed forward the bank of sheets until the circuit is again broken.
When the cam 93 throws the combing rolls into action, the cam 101 is in engage-
ment with arni 100 and holds the switch open. During the combing the
recess 103 is above the end of arm 102 and should the cam 101 pass from under
the arm 100 before bar 24 is retracted to throw the combing rolls out of action,
the spring 104 will draw arm 96 away from finger 95 and allow the switch E to
close, and thus complete the circuit when the feed of the bank of sheets will
take place and continue until the bar 24 is retracted. When the bar 24 is re-
tracted, the arm 102 rides out of the recess 103 thus rocking sleeve 97 and
breaking the circuit. The cam 101 is so arranged that it will hold the switch
open until the combing has continued a certain time, and if the combing ceases
within this time, the bar 24 will be retracted before the arm 100 is released by
the cam, so that when said arm is released the bar 24 acting on arm 102 will
still hold the switch open, and no feeding of the bank of sheets will take place.
Thus no feed will take place until the combing interval exceeds a predetermined
amount, and when the combing interval does exceed this amount, the feeding of
the bank of sheets will take place, and the amount of feed will be proportional
to the length of the combing interval above the predetermined amount.
In Figs. 7 and 8 the construction of the supply table by which access may be
had to the separating and other devices under said table without disturbing the
bank of sheets in the curved throat, and the means for adjusting the position of
the bank of sheets with relation to the side register devices are shown. In these
figures A represents the cylinder of a printing press provided with the usual

page_text: front guides. The feed table 1 is arranged with its delivery end over the cylinder,
and in position to be engaged by the front guides. Near the delivery end of
the feed table are the side register devices 4" which may be of any usual construc-
tion. The sheets are delivered to the side register devices and the front guides
by the delivery rolls 11 and 12 located on opposite sides of the path of the sheets.
The feathered bank of sheets rests upon the feed table in the rear of the rolls 11
and 12 and the sheets are separated from the bank and fed successively to these
rolls by the action of the combing rolls 10 which are operated as hereinbefore
described.
The supply table is formed in two sections 112 and 113, the front section of
which is pivoted to standards 30 at 115 and is supported at each side by a brace 116
pivoted at 117 to the rear end of rib 116 secured to the under side of the section.
The brace 116 is also pivoted to a link 118 which is in turn pivoted to the
standards 30. The lower end of the brace 116 rests upon a stop 119 on the
link 118. The rear section 112 of the supply table is provided at each side with
a supporting bracket 113 pivoted at 117 below the surface of the front section.
Each bracket 113" is provided with depending arms 120 which engage the
braces 116 and thus support this section while allowing it to be readily swung
up into the dotted line position, Fig. 7. When it is desired to gain access to
the parts under the supply table without disturbing the bank of sheets in the
curved throat that part of the bank which is upon the rear section is folded
over onto the front section and the rear section is swung into the dotted line
position where it is supported in a vertical position by the engagement of its
front edge with the top of the front section. In setting up the machine for a
new class of work at which time there is no bank of sheets upon the tables, and
through the curved throat, the upper table may be swung up about its pivot 115,
the rear section being first swung up about its pivot so that the table may be
more conveniently handled and will occupy less space.
The upper supply table, the feeding devices for transferring the bank of slicets
to the lower feed table, and the devices for separating the individual sheets
from the bank, are all supported by the standards 30 mounted upon the rear
portion or section of the lower feed table. This section 121 of the feed table
which also supports the front end of the bank of sheets, is so mounted that it
may be adjusted laterally with relation to the front portion or section of the
feed table which carries the registering devices. As shown the rear section 121
rests upon transverse bars 122 secured between the side rails 123 and said sec-
tion is guided by bars 124 secured to its under surface and engaging the sides
of bars 122. A nut 125 is secured to the under surface of the section 121 and
is engaged by a screw rod 126 journalled in the side rail 123 and provided with
a squared outer end for receiving a wrench or operating handle. By turning
the rod 126 the bank of sheets and the devices acting thereon may be adjusted
laterally while the machine is running and the sheets presented to the delivery
rolls and register devices in the proper manner.
The front portion of the feed table may be hinged as at 127 to plates 128
secured to the side rails 123 as indicated in Fig. 7. The front part of section
121 is cut away as at 129, Fig. 8, to allow the lateral adjustment of said section.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
So controlling the mechanism for feeding a bank of feathered sheets to comb-
ing devices that the bank will not be fed unless the combing interval exceeds
a predetermined amount.
2—In a machine for folding sheets, the combination with a combing device,
mechanism for thowing said device into action, mechanism controlled by the
sheet for throwing said device out of action, mechanism for feeding a bank of

page_text: sheets to the combing device, and means for throwing said feeding mechanism
into action when the combing interval exceeds a predetermined amount.
3-In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing roll, of
mechanism for throwing said roll into action, mechanism controlled by the sheet
for throwing said roll out of action, mechanism for feeding a bank of feathered
sheets to said roll, and means for throwing said feeding mechanism into action
when the combing interval exceeds a predetermined amount.
4-In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a feed table, a supply
table above said feed table, a curved throat between said tables, feed wheels for
feeding a bank of feathered sheets through said throat, a combing roll above the
feed table, mechanism for throwing said roll into action, mechanism controlled
by the sheet for throwing said roll out of action and mechanism for operating
said feed wheels when the combing interval exceeds a predetermined amount.
5 In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing device, of
mechanism for feeding a bank of sheets to said combing device, mechanism for
intermittently throwing the combing device into action, means for preventing
the action of the feeding mechanism until the combing interval exceeds a pre-
determined amount.
"
6 In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with forwarding devices
acting at regular intervals, of a combing device, mechanism for throwing said
device into action at regular intervals, mechanism for throwing said combing
device out of action when the sheet is in proper position relative to the forward-
ing devices, mechanism for feeding a bank of sheets to the combing device, and
means for throwing said feeding mechanism into action when the combing interval
exceeds a predetermined amount.
In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with intermittently
acting forwarding devices, of a combing device for advancing individual sheets
to said forwarding devices, mechanism for intermittently throwing the combing
devices into action, mechanism controlled by the advanced sheet for throwing the
combing device out of action, mechanism for feeding a bank of sheets to the comb-
ing device, and means for throwing said feeding mechanism into action when
the combing interval exceeds a predetermined amount.
S-In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing device,
of devices for feeding a bank of sheets to said combing device, a pawl and ratchet
mechanism for operating said feeding devices, a guard for holding said pawl out
of operation, and mechanism for rendering said guard inoperative when the
combing interval exceeds a predetermined amount.
9 In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing device, of
devices for feeding a bank of sheets to said combing devices, a pawl and ratchet
mechanism for operating said feeding devices, a guard moving with said pawl
for holding said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet, a dog for arresting
said guard, and mechanism for simultaneously throwing the combing device and
dog out of operation.
10 In a machine for feeding sheets the combination with a combing device,
of a reciprocating slide for throwing said combing device into and out of operation,
devices for feeding a bank of sheets to said combing device, a pawl and ratchet
mechanism for operating said feeding devices, a guard for holding said pawl
out of engagement with said ratchet, a dog for arresting said guard, and a cam
on said slide for operating said dog.
11-In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing device,
of mechanism for throwing said device into action, an armature, an electro-
magnet, one of said parts being stationary and the other connected with said
mechanism and reciprocating therewith, a circuit for said magnet, means for
de-energizing said magnet while the combing device is being thrown into opera-
tion, and means controlled by the sheet for de-energizing said magnet.
12 In a machine for feeding sheets the combination with a combing device,
of mechanism for throwing said device into action, an electro-magnet, an arma-

page_text: ture, one of said parts being connected with said mechanism and arranged to
move over the face of the other part, a circuit for said electro-magnet, means
for de-energizing said magnet while the combing device is being thrown into
action, and means controlled by the sheet for de-energizing said magnet.
13 In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing device,
of mechanism for throwing said device into action, an armature connected with
said mechanism and reciprocated thereby, an electro-magnet, a circuit therefor,
means for de-energizing said magnet while the combing device is being thrown
into operation, and means controlled by the sheet for de-energizing said magnet.
14 In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing device,
of mechanism for throwing said device into action, an electro-magnet, a circuit
therefor, an armature connected with said mechanism and arranged to move over
the face of said magnet, means for de-energizing said magnet while the combing
device is being thrown into action, and means controlled by the sheet for de-
energizing said magnet.
15 In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing device,
of a slide connected therewith, a cam for advancing said slide, a spring for
returning said slide, an electro-magnet, a circuit therefor, an armature con-
nected with said slide, means for de-energizing said magnet while the slide is
advancing, and means controlled by the sheet for de-energizing said magnet
to release said slide.
16-In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing device,
of mechanism for throwing said slide into operation, a circular electro-magnet,
an armature mounted to oscillate about the axis of said magnet, and connected
with said slide, means including an electric circuit for energizing said magnet
to hold the combing device in action, and means controlled by the sheet for de-
energizing said magnet.
17 In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing device,
of mechanism for throwing said device into action, an electro-magnet, an arma-
ture connected with said mechanism and reciprocated thereby, a switch in the
magnet circuit, a cam for holding said switch open while the combing device is
being thrown into action, and a switch in said circuit arranged to be opened
by the sheet.
18 In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing device,
of a rotary cam for throwing said device into action, a stationary circular electro-
magnet, an armature mounted to oscillate about said magnet and operated by
said cam, a switch in the circuit of said magnet, a cam for operating said switch,
a switch in said circuit controlled by the sheet.
19-In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a combing device,
of a slide for throwing the same into and out of operation, a rotating shaft 32
a cam 33 secured to said shaft for advancing said slide, a spring for retracting
said slide, an electro-magnet 36 concentric with the shaft, an armature 37
arranged to oscillate about said magnet, connections between said armature and
slide, a switch in the circuit of the magnet, a cam 48 for operating said switch,
and a switch in said circuit arranged to be operated by the sheet.
20-The combination of a supply table comprising a front section and a rear
section pivoted thereto, a feed table below said supply table, a curved throat
leading from the front of the supply table to the rear of the feed table, and
mechanism for feeding a bank of feathered sheets from said supply table through
said throat.
21 The combination of a supply table, comprising a front section and a rear
section pivoted thereto, a feed table below said supply table, a curved throat
leading from the front of the supply table to the rear of the feed table, mecha-
nism for feeding a bank of feathered sheets from said supply table to said feed
5 table, and mechanism for separating the sheets from the bank on the feed table.
22-The combination with mechanism for feeding and reversing a bank of

page_text: feathered sheets, of supply table having a front section pivoted adjacent said
means, and a rear section pivoted to said front section.
23 The combination with mechanism for feeding and reversing a bank of
feathered sheets, of a supply table, having a front section, and a rear section
pivoted to said front section below the surface thereof.
24 The combination of a feed table having a front section and a laterally
adjustable rear section registering devices carried by the front section, and
mechanism carried by the rear section for separating sheets from a pile of
feathered sheets.
25-The combination of a feed table, having a front section and a laterally
adjustable rear section, registering devices on the front section, a supply table
supported by said rear section, mechanism supported by said rear section, for
feeding a bank of feathered sheets from said supply to said feed table, and
mechanism for separating individual sheets from the bank on the rear section of
the feed table.
26 The combination of a feed table having a front and a rear section, regi-
stering devices on said front section mechanism on the rear section for feeding
a bank of feathered sheets and separating individual sheets therefrom, and
means for adjusting the rear section laterally.
27-The combination of a feed table having a front section and a rear section,
a supply table supported by the rear section, a curved throat leading from the
front of the supply table to the rear of said rear section, feeding wheels forming
one side of said throat, combing wheels supported by said rear section, and means
for adjusting the rear section laterally.
Dated this 97th day at
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.