Improvements in Machines for Laying the Single Sheets of Paper in Gradual Steps from Underneath a Pile for Gumming, Black- bordering, and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Laying the Single Sheets of Paper
in Gradual Steps from Underneath a Pile for Gumming, Black-
bordering, and the like.
I, CARL BLANKE of Barmen, Rhenish Prussia, Germany, 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 :—―
Hitherto the laying of sheets of paper in gradual steps so that a small strip of each
sheet projects beyond the sheet lying upon the preceding one, as it is required for
gumming the edges of envelopes or for blackening mourning paper has been done
by hand labour nearly exclusively. A girl or a boy striking over a certain quantity
of sheets, lying in a pile, with a smoothing bone and so causing the sheets to arrange
themselves in steps.
Though the girls attain great expertness in this manipulation yet the quality of the
work done is not as desirable.
The projecting edges are unequal in width and the work done is not as exact as
when done by machinery.
Trials have been made to introduce machine work for hand labour by imitating the
latter in striking lightly and rapidly against the sheets of paper in one direction, but
this also does not give regular work and the distances of the sheets from each other,
the widths of the projecting edges are not equal. This is due to the want of a speed
regulator for the advancing sheets and to the varying pressure which is getting less
upon the lower sheets as the work goes on.
In designing my machine for laying the sheets in regular steps from underneath a
pile, I started from the following conditions:
1) In order to insure an exactly parallel position of the sheets the paper must be
transported and guided uniformly throughout.
2) When a cam disk or a polygonal disk is used, striking periodically against the
lower sheets of a pile, the advance of the sheets, will be quicker at the bottom than
towards the upper part of the pile, therefore a certain brake or pressure arrangement
must be provided at a certain spot to the advancing sheets in order to equalize the
distance from sheet to sheet.
3) From the moment when the steps are all of equal distance the transport of the
sheets must be uniform and equal throughout.
My machine based upon these principles is shown in the annexed drawing and
described hereafter.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through that part of a gumming machine where
the paper is laid in steps.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3 is a section through the carrier bands.
Fig. 4 is a section through the beater disks.
Fig. 5 is a section through the first pressure arrangement.
Fig. 6 is a section through the second pressure arrangement.
Figs. 7 & 8 are details of the I pressure arrangement.
Figs. 9 & 10 are details of the pile holder.
Figs. 11 & 12 are details of the If pressure arrangement.
Figs. 13 & 14 show schematically how the formation of the steps is gradually
made.
In the angle iron frame A of the machine I arrange the pullies B, B' of the carrier
bands D, the spindles C & C of which are adjustable both ways, horizontally and
vertically round these rollers I place the endless carrier bands D which move in the
direction indicated by arrows; they are driven by chain gear from the pulley E¹ of the
main carrier band of the machine."

page_text: The upper races of the carrier bands are supported at suitable places by bars F, F1
and a plate G respectively which hold them exactly horizontal and in the proper
height. In brackets H&H' are carried the cross bars I & I¹ which serve for holding
and supporting the jointed arms K and K' (see also Figs. 9 & 10) and they carry the
pile hars L which guide or hold the pile of sheets so that the latter can be adjusted at
will in a horizontal and vertical direction as will be seen best from Figs. 9 & 10.
The adjustableness of the bars L is necessary that they can be closely fitted to
various sizes and shapes of paper.
Between and below the pile bars, a little towards the front ones I arrange the
spindle M of the beater disks or drums N which is made adjustable in brackets
underneath the angle iron frame and upon it I fix the beater drums N between the
carrier bands D. The drums are provided with little antifriction rolls O projecting
a little beyond the circumference of the drums. The drums rotate quickly and thus
they imitate the strokes of the smoothing bone of hand labour, the rollers O are so
fitted in the drums that they themselves can rotate very easily round their own axis,
by the lightest touch and therefore they do not leave any marks or scratches on the
paper.
This is important; fixed cams would leave marks on the paper & spoil it.
The beater drum in the machine shown-is driven by chain gear from a wheel P
mounted upon the lower frame of the machine.
Between the four pile bars is placed a pile of sheets which are to be laid in steps so
that it is a little inclined as shown by Figs. 1. & 13 and then the machine is set to
work.
By the combined action of the carrier bands D which give support to the sheets,
and of the repeated beats against them from below of the rollers 0 of the beater
drums a gradual advance of the lower sheets from underneath the upper ones is caused
in such a manner that the speed of the sheets is accelerated as they get more and more
free from the pressure of the pile above them; the advance however is still less than
the speed of the carrier bands.
The sheets are therefore laid and arranged in steps, but their distances increase
as they are further away from the pile, and the work done is therefore not yet
perfect.
Other devices must be added by means of which the sheets are so arranged that
their distances from sheet to sheet will be uniform throughout and by means of which
the speed at which the sheets advance will be made equal to the speed of the carrier
bands themselves.
This is obtained by the arrangement of a pressure device fixed to a cross bar I¹ con-
sisting of the pressure rollers V fitted just above the bar and pressing upon the sheets
as they pass below it. This device is arranged as follows: an arm R (see Figs. 7 & 8)
mounted upon the bar I is provided with a dove tail groove into which is fitted a
forked piece U which can be turned on a pin S and adjusted vertically in a slot T and
which carries the friction rollers V. At the other end of the arm K is fixed a spring W
adjustable for light and heavy pressure by means of set screws X and pressing with
its free end upon a projection Y of the piece U.
By this means the roller V is continually and equally pressed upon the sheets of
paper advancing towards it & already arranged in steps; it causes a light pressure
upon them and therefore the lower sheets now advance a little quicker and move
uniformly, and they place themselves more evenly in distances from sheet to sheet
varying from to of an inch.
In order to attain almost absolute uniformity in the distances and increase the latter
somewhat, and also for the sake of making the speed of the sheets quite equal to that
of the carrier bands, I arrange a second similar pressure device behind the first one
at about one foot to 16 inches from this one. These pressure rollers ce l arrange
however so that their pressure is a little greater than that of the rollers V and I let
them act over the plate G upon the middle carrier bands or the sheets carried by these
respectively.
For that purpose I arrange upon the frame A the pieces or holding in slots and by

page_text: a link joint the forked pieces b (Figs. 11 & 12); springs d pressing the pieces b
downwards upon the paper.
The effect of these rollers is that the speed of the sheets is again increased a little
and made nearly or quite equal to that of the carrier bands themselves, so that when
leaving these rollers the distances of the sheets from each other, or the uncovered
edges of them are about uniformly of an inch in width.
It is hardly necessary to remark that by varying the pressure of the rollers the
distances can be varied."
The sheets when leaving the second pressure adjusting device lying very lightly
upon each other and meeting with no further obstacle, their distances from each other
will remain unaltered.
It may be added that behind the carrier rollers B' a bridge e is arranged which
guides the sheets into the rollers E whence they are led upon the main carrier band f
to the gumming apparatus.
This being of known design and presenting no new features it is not shown on the
drawing and needs no special description.
The machine described has proved a success and it does the work of 5 or 6 girls and
is capable of laying in steps of uniform distances from 350,000 to 400,000 sheets in
ten hours.
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 :
In machines for the automatic continual laying of sheets of paper in steps of equal
distances from edge to edge from underneath a pile the combination of one or more
beater drums N being provided with little projecting antifriction rollers O striking
against the lower sheets of the pile which is held between adjustable bars L, with
movable carrier bands D upon which the pile rests and causing the sheets to advance
by their combined action with the beats of the rollers O. Adjustable pressure rollers V
and c being used and arranged for regulating the speed of the sheets and the distances
of the same, for the sake of attaining uniform steps.
Dated this Twentieth day of October 1890.
CARL BLANKE.
Per Karl T. Mayer,
Agent.