A PAPER FEEDING DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Ellery, of Albany, in the County, of Albany, and
State of New York, United States of America, Machinist, for the Invention of
"A PAPER FEEDING DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESSES."
Sealed the 4th April 1879, and dated the 8th February 1879.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles Ellery at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th February 1879.
CHARLES ELLERY, of Albany, in the County of Albany, and State of New York,
United States of America, Machinist. "A PAPER FEEDING DEVICE FOR PRINTING
PRESSES."
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device.
Figure 2, a plan.view of same, and
Figure 3, a longitudinal section at the line x, x.
My Invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts herein shown
and described for constituting a paper feeding device, wherein the sheets of paper
are taken up and retained by the feeding mechanism by means of atmospheric
pressure.
As shown in the Drawing, A is the table of the machine; a, standards erected on
the table as bearings for the rock shaft B; b, an arm on rock shaft B to which an
oscillating motion is imparted by the printing press to which the feeding device is
applied, another arm on rock shaft B for moving the sliding head; C, a sliding
head connected to the arm b' by the rod c; said sliding head carries a pivoted cross
bar D having a slotted quadrant d for adjusting and securing it in the required
position; the said cross bar is provided with ears or lugs d' adapted to receive the
sliding tubes E which are provided at their lower ends with elastic cushions e made
of india-rubber or other suitable material for forming an air-tight joint between the
tubes and sheets of paper; each of these tubes has a spring e' arranged to force it
downwards and to compensate for any inequality in the depth of the pile of paper;
F, a suction pipe to which an ordinary exhausting pump is connected for producing
a vacuum therein; this pipe is connected to the sliding tubes E by means of the
flexible branch pipes f which permit the tubes to move up and down when
required; G, guide rods upon which the sliding head C moves; H, the paper holder
[Price 6d.

page_text: consisting of a pan hinged at its rear end to a recess in the table A so that its
flanges will be flush or nearly so with the top of the table; attached to its bottom
near its front end is a blanket h which forms a cushion on which the under-sheet of.
the pile of paper rests; over this cushion at each side of the pan is a finger h¹.
(attached to a spring) which bears upon the top sheet of the pile of paper; I, guides
(adjusted to the width of the paper) through which the paper passes on its way
from the holder H to the press; J, -brushes inserted in the table A for preventing
more than one sheet at a time from being carried from the holder H into the press;
---K, a sliding-rod-operated by the printing press and working in the bosses a¹ on the
side of the table; it is provided with two collars & and and a hub k² (sliding freely
on the rod) with a wrist pin ; a spring interposed between one of the bosses.a¹
and the collar (which bears against the hub 2) forces the rod forward (toward
the press) the spring interposed between the collar and hub 2 presses the hub
against the collar k, except when the said spring yields to an excessive resistance as
herein-after set forth. The wrist pin engages in the slotted opening of the arm
secured to the shaft L running transversely beneath the table A and carrying a
wiper which bears against the bottom of the holder H to operate it (the holder)
in the manner herein-after described.
The operation of my device is as follows:- A pile of paper is placed in the holder H
at its end beneath the sliding head C; the rod K is forced back (by any suitable
attachment to the printing press) carrying with it the wrist pin which moves
(through the arm 1) the shaft L and its wiper ¹ to raise the holder H until the top
sheet of the pile of paper is carried up into contact with the lower end of the
sliding tubes E (upon which the exhausting pump is constantly operating). When
this is attained the top sheet of the pile forms a stopper for the end of the sliding
tubes and allows a partial vacuum to form therein, causing the sheet of paper to
adhere by atmospheric pressure to the bottom of the tubes; simultaneously there-
with the sliding rod K is forced back by the spring carrying back the arm land
wiper letting the holder drop down on the hook a where it is supported; at the
same time the sliding head C moves forward, carrying the sheet of paper adhering
to the tubes E until the sheet is caught by the fingers of the press and is retained
by them; the sliding head C then returns to its normal position leaving the several
parts of the feeding device in their proper positions for a repetition of the operation
described. By means of the spring provision is made for the varying depth of
the pile of paper in the holder H. The distance moved by the sliding rod being
always the same, it follows that with a deep pile of paper in the holder a slighter
lift is required to bring the upper sheet against the tubes E than with a shallow
pile. To compensate for this difference when the top sheet of the pile reaches the
end of the tubes the spring is compressed until the full stroke of the rod is com-
pleted; after which the rod is returned by the pressure of said spring to its normal
position.
_Lclaim.as.my-Invention,--
1. The sliding head C having an adjustable cross bar D carrying the sliding tubes
E provided with elastic cushions e and springs e¹ and connected by the flexible pipes
f to the suction pipe Fin combination with a holder H having a vertically vibra-
ting motion as herein specified.
2. The paper holder H hinged in a recess of the table A as described and pro-
vided with spring fingers h¹ as and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination with the paper holder H and the shaft L provided with the
arm, and wiper of the sliding rod K, hub, wrist pins, and springs and k
as and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination of the sliding head C and paper guides I, as and for the
purpose herein specified.
5. A paper feeding device consisting essentially of the, sliding head C and its

page_text: mechanism for operating said holder as herein described, all being constructed and
arranged to operate substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Ellery, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
CHARLES ELLERY. (L.S.)