Improvements in Machines for Gathering Signatures for Book Binding.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1396-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Gathering Signatures for
Book Binding.
I, DAVID MCCONNELL SMYTH, residing on Maringo Street Pasadena, in the
State of California, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The folded sheets that are associated together in book binding are usually known
as signatures, and these signatures have to be brought together in succession in
composing the volume that is to be bound.
In the present invention I make use of a range of receptacles for receiving
the piles of folded signatures, and these signatures stand vertical, or substantially
50, and usually the bottoms of the receptacles are inclined so that the signatures
slide down progressively as one signature at a time is taken from the end of the
pile in composing the volume; and in some instances a follower is employed to
hold up the pile of signatures at the back end, and at the delivery end of each
pile there are stops that support the signatures near the edges, and usually there
is a holding lip at the bottom of the receptacle to catch the bottom edge of the
folded signature.
Adjacent to the end of the pile of signatures is a sucker in the form of a nipple
or open end, and the air is exhausted in the sucker as it is brought up against
the end signature in the pile, and a movement is given to the sucker to detach and
draw away from the pile the end signature, and then the sucker action is arrested
by admitting air into the sucker and the signature falls, and usually a stripper is
applied to arrest the signature as the sucker moves back and the signatures are
caused to fall in succession so as to compose the pile of signatures for each volume.
In one form of this machine the boxes or receptacles are in one or more straight
ranges, and the signatures as they are drawn away from the piles fall upon a
signature slide and they are caused to progress along such slide by the action of
forwarding pins or similar devices, and this signature slide is at an inclination
and provided with a fence at one edge, and as the signatures are moved along
progressively they are added to until a complete volume or pile is obtained at the
end of the signature slide by the successive additions.
In some instances I arrange the receptacles upon a circular bed and move them
around progressively, and there may be two or more circular beds one above the
other for containing the receptacles, or the receptacles can be sustained and moved
in any desired manner so that the piles of signatures are acted upon by the
sucker, and the signatures as they fall are guided or acted upon by a deflector
so as to ensure the proper laying of one signature upon another.
Where the apparatus is in a circular form I employ as many suckers as there
are receptacles, and a corresponding number of boxes into which the signatures are
associated in regular order, and cams are employed for giving motion to the suckers
as the circular table or other holder for the receptacles is moved progressively.
In the circular machine it is advantageous to carry around the boxes containing
the piles of signatures and to take a signature from each box in succession and
drop the same into the stationary receptacle, and there may be as many stationary
receptacles as there are boxes, there being a signature taken from the pile in each

page_text: Where the receptacles are in a straight line the fingers or pushers that give
motion to the signatures are fitted with a slider and a cam by which the fingers
receive a greater movement at one reciprocation than at the next, so that the piles
of signatures as they are delivered upon a table at the end and pushed back by
pushers, stand staggered, or one pile of signatures projecting further than the next,
so as to facilitate the separation of the piles as they may be taken as volumes or
parts of volumes for the purposes of binding..
Dated this 4th day of August 1806
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Machines for Gathering Signatures for
Book Binding.
I, DAVID MCCONNELL SMYTH, residing on Maringo Street, Pasadena, in the
State of California, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 folded sheets that are associated together in book binding are usually known
as signatures; and these signatures have to be brought together in succession in
composing the volume that is to be bound.
In the present invention I make use of a range of receptacles for receiving the
piles of folded signatures and these signatures stand vertical, or substantially so,
and usually the bottoms of the receptacles are inclined so that the signatures
slide down progressively as one signature at a time is taken from the end of the
pile in composing the volume; and in some instances a follower is employed to
hold up the pile of signatures at the back end, and at the delivery end of each
pile there are stops that support the signatures near the edges, and usually there
is a holding lip at the bottom of the receptacle to catch the bottom edge of the
folded signature.
Adjacent to the end of the pile of signatures is a sucker in the form of a nipple
or open end, and the air is exhausted in the sucker as it is brought up against the
end signature in the pile, and a movement is given to the sucker to detach and
draw away from the pile the end signature, and then the suction action is arrested
by admitting air into the sucker and the signature falls, and usually a stripper
is applied to arrest the signature as the sucker moves back and the signatures
are caused to fall in succession so as to compose the pile of signatures for each
volume.
In one form of this machine the boxes or receptacles are in one or more straight
ranges, and the signatures as they, are drawn away from the piles fall upon a
signature slide and they are caused to progress along such slide by the action-of
forwarding pins or similar devices, and this signature slide is at an inclination
and provided with a fence at one-edge, and as the signatures are moved along
progressively they are added to until a complete volume or pile is obtained, at the
end of the signature slide by. the successive additions.
In some instances I arrange the receptacles upon a circular bed and move them
around progressively, and there may be two or more circular beds one above the
other for containing the receptacles, or the receptacles can be sustained and moved.
in any desired manner so that the piles of signatures are acted upon by the sucker,
and the signatures as they fall are guided or acted upon by a deflector so as to
ensure the proper laying of one signature upon another.

page_text: Where the apparatus is in a circular form I-employ as many suckers as there
are receptacles, and a corresponding number of boxes into which the signatures
are associated in regular order, and cams are employed for giving motion to the
suckers as the circular table or other holder for the receptacles is moved
progressively.
In the circular machine it is advantageous to carry around the boxes containing
the piles of signatures and to take a signature from each box in succession and
drop the same into the stationary receptacle, and there may be as many stationary
receptacles as there are boxes, there being a signature taken from the pile in each
receptacle as it passes by the stationary box.
Where the receptacles are in a straight line, the fingers or pushers that give
motion to the signatures are fitted with a slider and a cam by which the fingers
receive a greater movement at one reciprocation than at the next, so that the piles
of signatures as they are delivered upon a table at the end and pushed back by
pushers, stand staggered, or one pile of signatures projecting farther than the next,
so as to facilitate the separation of the piles as they may be taken as volumes or
parts of volumes for the purposes of binding.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the revolving table and other parts.
Fig. 2 is a plan view.
Fig. 3 is a section in larger size showing the sucker and the parts acting
with it.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of one edge of the table.
Fig. 5 is an elevation at the rear of the supporting posts showing the adjustable
gauge, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same.
:
Figs. 7 to 13 represent the gatherer when constructed with the boxes in line
instead of being arranged circularly, and
Figs. 14 to 18 show a similar machine with a wooden frame.
The machine is made with any suitable bed plate or frame and the central
shaft A is provided with a hub and arms B extending to the inclined rim or table; C
which is divided up into any desired number of sections or receivers for the
signatures; the numbers, of course, may vary according to the number of
signatures in the book and each receptacle or holder is to be of the proper width
for receiving the folded sheet or signature which preferably rests upon the folded
top edges, the folded back edges of the signatures advantageously coming to the
left, and the circular table is to be rotated progressively by any suitable mechanism,
such, for instance, as a screw pinion E acting upon a wheel E¹ upon the shaft A of
the table, or the table may be moved intermittently the necessary space for each
signature by the action of a ratchet and pawl or other.device.
"
Around the rim of the table, vertical stops or posts 3 are fastened at proper
distances apart, so that the back edge of the folded sheet will rest against one post
and the opposite or loose edges of the signature will rest against the next post; and
it is advantageous to apply guide bars 2 upon the inclined rim of the feed table and
parallel to the radius between which bars the signatures are received, and a
follower L is adapted to slide downwardly by gravity between these guide bars 2
and sustain the pile of signatures in position as well as causing them to move down
the inclined rim of the table. as the signatures are removed successively, as
hereafter described; and it is also advantageous to employ sheet guides D attached
to the vertical stop posts 3 and projecting inwardly, so that the folded back edges
of the signatures rest against these radial sheet guides. These posts, or one post
in each pair, can be connected to the table by slots and screws so as to be adjusted
to accommodate different sizes of signatures.
If the parts before described only were made use of the signature might drop off
the edge of the inclined rim of the table. To prevent this, holding lips 4 are
provided which extend out horizontally or nearly so at the bottom or edges of the
inclined sheet holding table, so that the lower signature in each pile may be held up
by such lip 4.

page_text: Upon the inner side of each vertical stop post, a variable stop 5 is provided, let
into the post so that the surface of the stop coincides with the inner or back
surface of the post; and it is advantageous to make these stops eccentric and secured
by a screw, so that by loosening the screw, the eccentric stop can be partially
rotated, so that its edge will project a greater or less distance, as required, beyond-
the edge of the vertical stop post so as to become a holder for the folded back-edge
of the lower signature..
It will now be understood that the signatures are to be placed in piles in their
regular order upon the inclined rim of the table, and that this table is to be
revolved progressively and a sheet taken out from each hulder or box in
succession by the means hereafter described, so as to gather the signatures in
regular order.
A tube F which is preferably flexible is connected to any suitable exhaust or
suction apparatus so that a vacuum or partial vacuum is maintained in such tube,
and this tube is connected with a standing tube G supported by the bed of the
machine, and upon the tube G is a tubular sleeve H having an arm 10 and a
spring 11 by which the sleeve H is turned so that its tubular sucker I is swung
towards the signature in the pile of signatures; and it is advantageons to make
in the tube G and in the sleeve H adjacent to the sucker arm I, openings that act
as valves, so that when the sucker I is moved against the signatare in the pile of
signatures, the valve opens for the exhaust or suction to take place, and as
the sucker is swung back and the sleeve H partially rotated the suction or vacuum
is shut off.
To give the movement to the sleeve H and sucker any desired mechanism may
be employed; I however have represented cams M around the rim of the table.
acting upon a pusher bar 12 extending to the arm 10, and these cams are properly
shaped so that the required movement is given to the sleeve and sucker arm and
at the right time, so that the sucker arın comes up against the outer surface of the
lower signature in the pile of signatures and grasps the same by the sucking action,
and the sucker immediately moves back, drawing with it the signature so as to
pull the folded edge thereof out from behind the eccentric 5 and draw the lower.
folded edge off the holding lip 4, and the movement of the table liberates the
louse edges of the folded signature from behind the receding vertical stop
Fost 3 and the signature is carried away bodily from the circular and revolving
table.
By cutting off the exhaust, the sheet is liberated from the sucker, but to ensure
this operation and to make the action more rapid, I employ a stripper K in the
form of a vertical plate against which the folded signature is moved by the action
of the sucker, such stripper being notched or provided with an opening for the
passage of the sucker, and the signature is held by the stripper while the sucker
draws entirely away, so that the sheet falls vertically and adjacent to the stripper K,
and there is a deflector N with its inclined upper edge closely adjacent to the rim
of the table and behind which the cams M pass, and the lower end of this deflector
is inclined outwardly, so that as the bottom end of the folded signature falls upon
such deflector, it is moved outwardly and the signature falls into a box or
receptacle P that is of a size corresponding to such folded signature, and by the
repetition of the operations before described, the signatures are removed in
succession from the holders upon the revolving table and delivered so as to lie flat
- one upon the other within the box P and in their regular order, and these folded
and gathered signatures can be removed by band or otherwise from the receptacle,
the same being preferably taken out from the bottom of the receptacle in volumes.
or packages.
It is to be understood that in large books one of these gathering machines cau
be employed for associating together the signatures up to a certain number
representing the capacity of the machine, and that the balance of the signatures
of the volume or book can be gathered in another machine and the two groups or
packages of signatures brought together in forming the volume.

page_text: The followers L may be acted upon by springs to move such followers and thé
signatures towards the vertical stop posts 3 if desired, and where such springs are.
made use of, the circular table may be level instead of inclined for the reception of
the signatures.
In one machine there may be one table and its various appliances or the shaft A
may be extended upwardly and receive upon it a second table, or there may be a
number of such tables. I have indicated the position of a second table at B.
'
When the second table is used, it is only necessary to extend the tubes G and H
and provide a second arm or sucker I for the upper table, and the stripper K
answers for two or more tables when simply elongated upwardly because the
signatures in falling will be one above the other and will slide down the deflector N
one after the other.
Having reference to the form of machine represented in Figs. 7 to 18, it will be
observed that the ranges of boxes are straight instead of being circular; and I
remark that in this form of a machine there may be but one range of bixes, as
shown, or the machine may be made to contain two or more ranges one over the
other.
The boxes are formed with bottoms B and side partitions A, and the range of
boxes is supported upon the end frames C and longitudinal bearer B', and any
desired number of boxes may be provided in the range. I have represented six.
of such boxes in Figs. 7 and 8 and five in Fig. 14, and the stops 4 are provided at.
the lower edges of the boxes to arrest the lower edges of the signatures, and it is.
advantageous to apply similar stops near the upper portions of the boxes and upon
the inner faces of the partitions A, and there are steady bars D with projecting.
spring fingers that hold the upper portions of the folded signatures in position, and
the inclinations of the boxes may be such that the signatures slide down towards:
the delivery ends, or springs may be employed acting against followers for
moving the piles of signatures along.
Each stop 4 is preferably made of a round piece of sheet metal with an eccentric
hole and attaching screw, so that it can be moved around and adjusted to project.
more or less in steadying the end signature in the pile of signatures.
The steady bars D, Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13, are pivotally attached to the
supporting arms so that they can be swung into any desired positions according to
the sizes of the folded signatures. The steady bar D, Figs. 15 and 16, extends.
along in front of the boxes.
"
The suction tube E passes along in front of the range of boxes, and the arms.5
are at the ends of the shaft F so that the suction tube E can be swung towards
and from the signatures, and the rubber nipples 9 project from the suction tube and
are brought up against the end signature in each pile of signatures in the boxes by
the swinging of the arms 5 as the rock shaft F is moved by the action of a cam n,.
Fig. 9, upon the driving shaft V, or by the arın 6, link G and bent lever. H,
Figs. 14 and 16.
This driving shaft V, Figs. 7 and 9, may be driven by a pinion 31 to the gear
wheel 32, such pinion 31 being rotated by suitable power to the pulleys 33,. and
upon the shaft V a crank is provided with a connecting rod to the piston of the
pump cylinder 34, there being a pipe 35 from such pump cylinder and a flexible-
connection 36 to the suction tube E, and the parts are so timed that the piston will
rise and apply suction as the tube E and nipples come up to the signatures, and
then the suction tube will be swung back, and the signatures will be relieved by
the downward movement of the piston in the pump cylinder.
The signature slide I is in the form of a trough, the fence L. being at the outer
side of this trough so that the signatures as they are relieved will drop into the..
trough and rest against the fence, and along in front of the fence is the forwarding.
bar O, Figs. 7, 9, 10 and 13, having upon it fingers o, there being as many fingers o
as there are boxes, and this forwarding bar O has upon it a sliders that receives.
motion from the link h, lever H and a crank pin t, and this slider s, is moved freely
backward and forward upon the forwarding bar O, but there is upon this forwarding

page_text: bar Oa pinu in the cam slot in the slider, so that as the slider is drawn back, the
pin u and bar O remain stationary until the slider as it draws back acts by the
incline of the cam slot to partially rotate the forwarding bar O and swing
the fingers o outward and away from the signatures, and in this position the bar
and fingers are drawn back; and when the crank pin t, and lever H commence to
move in the opposite direction, the slider slips along upon the rod and the cam slot
thereof turns the rod or bar. O, swinging the fingers o in between one pile of
signatures and the next, and then the fingers carry the piles of signatures towards
the delivery end a distance as great as the width of one of the boxes, and at the
delivery end of the machine the table 'P, which is on line with the bottom of the
signature slide I, receives the piles of signatures that have been gathered
progressively from the boxes, and this table P is slotted transversely, and the
pushers e upon the shaft R act against the pile of signatures and carry the same
back and laterally upon the table.
I have
The shaft R is represented as having on it a crank arm R' that carries the
pushers e, and this crank arm may be moved in any desired manner.
represented an arın fand link extending from the rock shaft F so that the pushers'e
swing back out of. the way as the suction tube is moved towards the range of
signatures, and the reverse.
From the foregoing it will be apparent that the signatures are accumulated from
one end to the other of the machine, and the pile as delivered from the signature
slide contains as many signatures as there are piles of signatures in the boxes, and
where the number of boxes is sufficient to hold a volume, the pile of signatures
may be pressed backward in succession and subsequently separated for binding in
piles corresponding to the number of signatures in the volume, but it is often
advantageous to keep one pile of signatures easily separable from the next pile of
signatures, whether the pile composes a complete volume, or only a portion of a
volume, and with this object in view, I provide for giving to the forwarding bar O
a greater movement at one reciprocation than at the next, and for this purpose the
revolving block i is pivoted upon the sliders and it is provided with a four-toothed
ratchet, and there is a stationary spring on the fence L, which engages this
ratchet, and the position of this revolving block upon the slider s is such that when
it is turned into line with the slider, the stud u comes against the end of the
revolving block, and hence the forwarding bar O is moved forward a greater
distance and carries one pile of signatures so much farther, and when turned cross-
wise to the slider at the next movement, the stud u is not engaged until the slider
at the bottom of the slot contacts with such stud u, and the next pile of signatures
is not carried so far, hence these piles of signatures will occupy staggered positions
upon the table P with the ends projecting alternately, as illustrated in the plan
. Fig. 8, and hence they can be lifted off or separated with great convenience, and a
book can be made up by placing these piles together in those cases where it is
necessary to make use of two machines in consequence of the number of signatures
in the book being greater than the number of boxes in the machine.
Where the signatures are large, the upper portion of such signatures might fall
over the suction tube E and then not drop quickly into the signature slide. To
prevent this difficulty, the fingers p are connected to the suction tube and extend
upward and opposite the signatures in each pile of signatures, and I remark that
the rear portion of the signature slide extending up as an incline and terminating
beneath the boxes A, see Fig. 13, acts as a guide in directing the signatures as they
drop, so that the descending signatures pass in behind the other signatures in the
signature slide as they are accumulated progressively. One or more guide wires r
may be used to steady the signatures above the outer edge of the signature
trough.
In the machine shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13, the signatures stand nearly
vertical, but in Figs. 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 they lie upon the inclined supporting
bars K and the folded back edges of the signatures rest against the fence L and

page_text: the signatures have to be dropped successively one upon the other, and to bring
them into the proper position, I prefer to employ a rod N extending along the
machine and held by the supports 14, so that the signatures assume the position
shown in Fig. 18, as the suction nipples separate from them and allow them to fall,
and the slide bar O carrying the fingers 13 is beneath the signature slide I, and
this slide I is moved backward and forward by a pin 8 in the slotted bent lever H,.
and there are inclined slots 15, see Fig. 17, in the bar O and pins 16 in the signature
slide I, so that as this slide I is moved, the end of the bar O stops against the
support P and the pins 16 in the inclined slots cause the pins or fingers 13 to
descend and then the slide I and bar O are drawn back beneath the signatures in
the other direction, and the bar O is stopped against the support P and the pins 16
lift said bar O and fingers 13 and then they carry the signatures along in their
piles from one position to the next as the slide I is moved the other way, and the
piles increase by the signatures that are added successively, and the end pile as
delivered contains one signature from each box.
If desired, a cock 10 may be provided in the suction tube E and a stop 11
against which the handle 17 strikes to open the suction as the nipples come up
against the signatures, and the stop 12 acts against the handle 17 to shut off the
suction and to admit air into the tube E to allow the signatures to drop. Suitable-
power is employed to move the lever H or its rock shaft 7 and give motion to the
respective parts.
In some instances it is the most convenient to have the signatures pass away to
the right hand end of the machine instead of to the left hand end, in which case
the table P, Figs. 7 and 8, will be at the right hand end instead of the left hand
end as shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
First. The combination in a machine for gathering signatures, of a range of
receptacles for receiving and holding piles of such signatures substantially vertical,
means for moving the receptacles around progressively, a sucker and means for
moving the same substantially horizontally aud drawing the end signatures laterally:
from the piles of signatures and a deflector upon which the signatures are dropped
in succession from the sucker and by which such signatures are guided as they fall
by gravity, substantially as specified.
Second. The combination in a machine for.gathering signatures, of a range of
receptacles for receiving and holding piles of such signatures substantially vertical,
means for moving the receptacles around progressively, a sucker and means for
moving the same substantially horizontally and drawing the end signatures laterally
from the piles of signatures, a stripper for stripping the signatures from the
suckers, and a deflector upon which the signatures are dropped in succession from
the sucker and by which such signatures are guided as they fall by gravity,
substantially as specified.
Third. The combination in a machine for gathering signatures, of a range of
receptacles, means for revolving the same around progressively, each receptacle
having a sheet guide against which the folded back edges of the signatures rest,
a stop to come outside such signatures as they stand substantially vertical, a sucker
and means for moving the same towards and from the signatures for drawing off
the end signature laterally from the pile of signatures, a stripper for stripping the
signature from the sucker, and a receptacle into which the signatures are dropped
successively, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination in a machine for gathering signaturės, of a table;
means for revolving the same, a circular range of receptacles on such table each
having a sheet guide against which the folded back edges of the signatures rest,
and a stop to come outside the said back edge as the signatures stand substantially.
:

page_text: vertical, a sucker and means for moving the same substantially horizontally and
drawing the end signature laterally from the pile of signatures, a stripper for
stripping the signature from the sucker and a receptacle into which the signatures
are dropped successively, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination in a machine for gathering signatures, of a table, means
for revolving the same, a circular range of receptacles on such table, each having
a sheet guide against which the folded back edges of the signatures rest, and a
stop to come outside the said back edge as the signatures stand substantially
vertical, a sucker and means for moving the same substantially horizontally and
drawing the end signature laterally from the pile of signatures, a stripper for
stripping the signature from the sucker and a receptacle into which the signatures
are dropped successively, a deflector near the edge of the table for guiding the
signatures into the receptacle, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The combination in a machine for gathering signatures, of a table, means
for revolving the same, a circular range of receptacles, each receptacle having a
sheet guide against which the folded back edges of the signatures rest, an adjustable
stop to lap more or less over the folded edge of the end signature for holding such
signature in a substantially vertical position, a sucker and means for moving the
saine to draw the signature laterally and from behind the stop and a receptacle into
which the signatures are delivered in succession, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. The combination with a range of boxes for holding piles of signatures,
of a suction tube and a nipple opposite each pile of signatures, means for moving
the tube and nipple to draw off the end signature and a receptacle into which the
signature is dropped, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The combination in a signature gathering machine, of a range of
receptacles for receiving and holding the signatures, a pipe and suction nipples
upon the same adjacent to each receptacle, means for moving the pipe nearly
horizontally and towards and from the range of receptacles for drawing the end
signature in each receptacle bodily and laterally from the pile of signatures, and
means for separating the signatures from the nipples closely adjacent to the range
of receptacles so that such signatures fall by gravity, and a signature slide upon
which such signatures fall and means for gathering such signatures into piles,
substantially as set forth.
"Ninth. The combination with an inclined table and partitions forming boxes for
receiving piles of signatures, of a suction tube having nipples, means for sustaining
and moving such suction tube nearly horizontally towards and from the piles of
signatures and for exhausting the air, and a signature slide below the boxes upon
which the signatures fall by gravity, and means for moving the signatures along
upon the slide between the dropping of one set of sheets and the next, substantially
as specified.
Tenth. The combination with a range of receptacles for holding the piles of
signatures, of a suction tube and a nipple opposite each pile of signatures, a rock
shaft and arms for carrying the suction tube, and means for moving such suction
tube nearly horizontally and towards and from the piles of signatures and with-
drawing the end signature laterally in each pile simultaneously by the suction action,
and means for relieving the suction and dropping the signatures, substantially as
specified.
Eleventh. The combination with a range of receptacles for holding the piles of
signatures, of a suction tube having a nipple opposite each pile of signatures, and
means for moving such suction tube nearly horizontally towards and from the piles
of signatures and withdrawing the end signature laterally in each pile by the
suction action, and means for relieving the suction and dropping the signatures
and a delivery bar or stripper with which such sheets are brought into contact,
substantially as specified.
Twelfth. The combination with a range of receptacles for holding the piles of
signatures, of a suction tube having a nipple opposite each pile of signatures, a
rock shaft and arms for carrying the suction tube, and means for moving such

page_text: suction tube nearly horizontally towards and from the piles of signatures and with-
drawing the end signature laterally in each pile by the suction action, and means
for relieving the suction and dropping the signatures, a delivery bar or stripper
with which such sheets are brought into contact and a signature slide upon which
the signatures are dropped, substantially as specified.
Thirteenth. The combination in a signature gatherer, of receptacles in which
the piles of signatures are held, lips or stops for holding the edges of the end
signatures in the piles, a suction tube and means for moving the same nearly
horizontally so as to withdraw the end signatures from the piles laterally and
drop the same into receptacles or upon the signature slide, substantially as
specified.
Fourteenth. The combination in a signature gatherer, of receptacles for the piles
of signatures, mechanism for withdrawing the end signature laterally from each
pile and dropping them edgewise, a signature slide and fence upon which the
signatures fall, and mechanism acting upon each group of signatures between the
fall of one lot and the next to move the groups of signatures along on the slide,
substantially as specified.
Fifteenth. The combination in a signature gatherer, of receptacles for the piles
of signatures, a vibrating exhausting device for detaching the end signatures
laterally in the piles and dropping them, a stationary delivery bar or stripper near
the piles of signatures, a signature slide below the same for receiving the signatures,
and forwarding pins or fingers and means for moving them laterally and also
longitudinally of the signature slide for moving the sets of signatures along the
slide progressively, substantially as specified.
Dated this 16th day of November 1896
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.