A Delivery-adjusting Device for Printing and other Sheet-fed Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 5th Oct.. 1895
AU
A Delivery-adjusting Device for Printing and other Sheet-fed
Machines.
I, JOHN STANLEY HOWDEN, of 10, Whitechapel, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Printer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to adjust, knock-up, or square-up into a straight
and symmetrical pile the separate sheets delivered by the automatic flyer of a
printing or other sheet-fed machine.
To this end, I provide a set of pushers to act on two sides of the pile, in order to
straighten up the pile against a set of gauges or stops appropriately fixed in relation
to the remaining two sides of the pile; it being understood that the "pile" in all
cases consists of separate sheets of paper or other material.
I obtain for these pushers a reciprocating motion by gearing them up to any
suitable moving part of the printing or like machine, and the action of the pushers
is as follows:-
Immediately after the sheet is deposited by the flyer, and whilst the flyer is
returning for the next sheet, I cause one of my pushers—namely, the back-pusher-
to move up to and to true up the deposited sheet against the stop on that side of
the pile opposite the said back pusher; the back-pusher now retires and the
side-pusher advances and similarly trues the sheet up against the stop on the
opposite side.
The adjustment of the delivered sheet is now completed; and the same operation
is repeated for each sheet deposited from the flyer.
"
In the case of "Wharfedale or other printing machines in which the gate or
lath flyer is used, I obtain the motion of my pushers-both back and side-pushers-
preferably by fixing an arın at each end of the gate-rod and extending from these
arms appropriate links or levers to each of the pushers.
The pushers are guided in slotted or grooved brackets fixed on the delivery
board.
The
For the gauges or stops grooves are provided, preferably, by fixing metal strips
on the delivery board, or by grooving the board in any other suitable way.
gauges or stops may be clamped at any desired point in these grooves, in order to
suit various sizes of sheets. The pushers may also be similarly adjusted when
necessary.
A peculiarity of my invention, when applied to machines having the gate or lath
flyer, is that, by a special arrangement of the links or levers, I obtain from the
back-pusher an additional knock to each sheet after the side pusher has performed
its adjustment. In this case each sheet has :-first, a knock from the back-pusher,
then one from the side-pusher, and finally the above-mentioned additional knock
from the back-pusher. This extra knock may or may not be practicable in the
case of types of flyer other than the gate-flyer; but wherever it is practicable
I preferentially apply it as an extra precaution, even though the apparatus may be
efficient without it. This point will depend on the special nature of the machine to
which my adjusting device may be applied, the said extra knock not being
absolutely necessary, though advantageous where practicable.

page_text: My device may either be applied to a machine as an attachment after the
completion of such machine, or be incorporated into the original construction of
the said machine. In the latter case my device may be more or less modified in
detail.
1
1
100
A Delivery-adjusting Device for Printing and other Sheet-fed
Machines.
I, JOHN STANLEY HOWDEN, of No. 10, Whitechapel, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Printer, 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 object of this invention is to adjust, knock up, or square up into a straight
and symmetrical pile the separate sheets delivered by the automatic flyer of a
printing or other sheet-fed machine.
I effect this object by a set of pushers arranged so as to act on each such sheet
immediately after it is delivered from the flyer, and to push the said sheet-of
paper or other material-up against fixed stops..
I will now describe my invention by reference to the accompanying 2 sheets of
drawings.
Sheet I. gives a complete general view of my invention as fixed on a. delivery
board of a letterpress printing machine, and Sheet II. shows certain parts in
greater detail.
Sheet I. is referred to throughout, unless otherwise stated.
A on Sheet I. represents the said delivery board, and B represents the flyer rod,
or gate rod, of the printing machine. Both A and B already exist on the printing
machine, and it is to these parts that my apparatus is attached, as a general rule.
On the board AI fix a number of strips of any suitable material-preferably of
iron or steel substantially in the manner indicated at C, in order to form grooves
on the board, in preference to cutting grooves into the board. On Sheet II.,
at C 3, I show an end view of these strips, by which it will be seen that a nib or
flange is provided for clamping purposes; the clamping screw is shown in
position (C4).
I fit into these grooves metal upright stops of the form (approximately) shown
at d on both Sheet I. and Sheet II. These upright stops are clamped at any
required point in the grooves by the bolt and wing-uut figured in juxtaposition to d
on the second sheet. The paper delivered from the flyer of the printing machine
is pushed up against these stops. In the case of small sheets the upright metal
stops alone will suffice; but for the better adjustment of larger paper I provide a
suitable set of boards with a clasp or staple fixed thereon as shown at f, & at Y
on Sheet II. These boards can be placed on the metal upright stops at discretion.
The drawing on Sheet I. shows these boards on the uprights (e).
Having fully described the stops, I will now describe the pushing mechanism.
I and J represent pushers, composed preferably of wood. J is the side push,
and the back or main push.. It will be readily understood that, if a recipro-
catery motion is given to these pushers, a sheet of paper let fall within their stroke
will be carried or pushed by them as far as the extremity of their stroke; and that,
if the stops are adjusted to the size of the delivered sheet, then such sheet will be
pushed up against the stops.
The manner in which I impart motion to the pushers is as follows:- On the gate

page_text: rod I fix arms substantially of the construction shown in the drawing at 1, 2. One
of the arms is shown more clearly at 2 on the second sheet, and the other arın is
practically of the same construction. It will be seen that the arms are split in the
bore: this is in order that they may be adjusted and tightened on the gate-rod
without having to remove the gate-rod from its position.
On the studs or
projections of these arms (h, i) I fix links or levers (3, 4, 5), and cause these links
to engage with the sliding blocks 7, 8, which slide in the guides 10, 11. It will
now be seen that, as the gate rod swivels or rocks backwards and forwards, (which
it usually does with a half revolution or thereabouts,) the arms will draw the links
to and fro, & the links will draw the projections 7, 8, similarly to and fro; and
inasmuch as the projections or sliding blocks 7, 8 are connected up to the sliding
blocks 12, 13 by means of the rods 14, 15 (the said rods being rigidly tightened in
all the said sliding blocks), it is clear that the reciprocatory motion is thus
ultimately carried and transferred to the sliding blocks 12, 13, and so to the main
push board 1, which is tightly screwed to the sliding blocks 12, 13, substantially as
shown at 12 and 13 on Sheet 11. A specimen of the sliding blocks is shown
at 7 & 8 on Sheet II.
Having now made clear how I obtain my main or back push motion, I will now
describe the side push and show how motion is imparted thereto. It will be seen
that whereas only one link extends from arm 1, an additional link (5) is carried
from arm 2 and engaged with a piece which I call a "shuttle" (144), causing the
said shuttle to move to and fro, riding loosely in the bearings extended from the
guides as shown at 15, 16. It will be seen that a small link (17) is extended
from the shuttle by a swivel joint and joins up, by a similar swivel joint, to the
carrier frame 18; and so the said carrier frame is caused to reciprocate in the skew
groove C2 when the gate rod is in motion as before described. The carrier frame
is shown more clearly in Sheet II at 18; and the side push J can be clamped in
any suitable position on the carrier frame 18, and is moved with the carrier frame;
and thus the side push motion is obtained from the arm 2.
I will now describe the cycle of pushing. The main push and the side push do
not move synchronously or simultaneously, but as follows:-Immediately after a
sheet is dropped from the flyer on to the delivery board, in the space X, the main
push engages with the edge of such sheet and adjusts it up against the stops
opposite to the main push. Then, whilst the main push is retiring, the side push
similarly pushes the sheet up against the opposite side stop. Then, further, before
the next sheet falls from the flyer, the main push gives a second knock or push to
the sheet already deposited. This second knock from the main push is gained by
placing the arms on the gate-rod at a particular angle in relation to the flyer or
'gate.' This angle appears in the drawing; and any mechanic, in fitting on my
apparatus, can ascertain the necessary angle by a few minutes' experiment; and the
said angle might slightly vary for different machines.
66
دو
The only part of my invention now remaining to describe is an arrangement for
lifting the two links 3, 4 simultaneously. It will be seen in the drawing that there
is a slot in each of the said links aud that a rod (22) is attached to the one, and
extended to the other and attached thereto. This rod is of steel, and is supported
by the brackets (brass) 23, 23. These brackets are attached to the ".
"gate"; and
when the machine is in motion, the said steel rod slides to and fro in the slots
without in any way affecting the working of the apparatus herein before described;
the purpose of this "lifting arrangement" being simply and solely to lift on and off,
as required, the links 3, 4 simultaneously, so as to save the necessity of having to
travel to the other side of the machine to lift the link opposite to the side on which
the operator is standing. It will be clear from the drawing that when the
links 3, 4, 5 are thrown off, the delivery adjusting device is then disconnected, and
the flyer will work without moving the said device. The lifting arrangement,
therefore, is simply and solely to facilitate the throwing in and out of gear of the
adjusting device, when the work is finished or about to be started.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
"
1. In a delivery adjusting device for printing or other sheet-fed machines, the
placing of "tramway or other suitable metal strips on top of the delivery board,
in order to form grooves without having to cut into the delivery board.
2. In a delivery adjusting device as aforesaid, the use of arms having a split
bore to facilitate the fixing of such arms on the gate rod; also the placing of such
arms, or of any other kind of suitable arms, at such an angle on the gate rod, in
relation to the flyer or gate, as will produce the effect of a second or extra knock
from the main push to each sheet delivered.
3. In a delivery adjusting device as aforesaid, the use of links or levers for
conveying motion, to and fro, to the pushers; and the slotting of such links or
levers at one end in order to facilitate throwing them off or on.
4. In a delivery adjusting device as aforesaid, the obtaining of the side push
motion from one or both of the arms fixed on the gate rod, as described; and the
obtaining of such motion from the aforesaid arms on the gate rod, by means of a
link, geared and swivelling on a stud or projection from such arm, and connected at
its (the said link's) slotted end to a shuttle device.
5. In a delivery adjusting device as aforesaid, the shuttle device in connection
with the side push, and the joining of such shuttle device by a swivelling link to
the carrier frame on which the side push is clamped.
6. In a delivery adjusting device as aforesaid, the carrier frame, as described, for
the clamping of the side push thereon at any required point.
7. In a delivery adjusting device as aforesaid, the use of a skew groove for the
side push to travel in or on.
8. In a delivery adjusting device as aforesaid, the lifting arrangement whereby
the links at both sides of the machine are lifted simultaneously from the one side
of the machine.
Dated this 9th day of August 1895.
JOHN STANLEY HOWDEN.