Apparatus for Feeding Paper Sheets to Printing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 27th May, 1893
COME LEIE DIEUITIVA
Mode of and Apparatus for Feeding Paper Sheets to Printing
Machines.
I, EMIL BEIL of 3 Ehrlichstrasse, Dresden, Saxony, German Empire, Engineer,
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 mechanical feeding of paper sheets to printing machine cylinders comprises
as is well known the lifting of the sheets singly from the pile, conveying them and
laying them against the stops or marks provided on the cylinder.
As regards specially the lifting of the sheets singly from the pile to feed printing
machines, envelope and ruling machines and the like a great variety of processes
and appliances have been proposed; the sheets are either sucked along their whole
length or lifted by means of adhesive materials or mechanically pushed along by
means of fingers and india rubber rollers. Sucking the sheet along its whole
length does not, however, offer sufficient security as regards proper taking hold
and retention of hold by the lifting appliance, because the paper often has leaky
places and differences in tension; all the processes have, moreover, the common
defect that owing to the sheets adhering to each other, especially with damp paper,
some sheets are lifted together.
The object of this invention is mainly to overcome these defects.
The new mode of lifting the uppermost sheet from the pile may be divided into
two operations, viz. the separation of the uppermost sheet from the others, and the
lifting proper. The first consists in applying suction to only a front corner of the
top sheet by the appliance hereinafter described, the sheet being held thereto
temporarily by the air pressure. This corner is bent either once, or, for very thin
paper, twice consecutively, so that a vertical section through the same after the
first bending assumes the form shown in Figure 14 Sheet 2, and after the second
bending the form shown in Figure 15, Sheet 2; by the second bending a com-
pressed air jet acts in the direction of the plane of the corner of the sheet. The
Lwice bent corner then resumes the first form and is thereupon held mechanically
by a finger on the suction appliance. The lifting is now effected so that the sheet
taken hold of at the front corner while it is held down at a certain distance from
the front edge, is so lifted up at this corner with its front part towards the printing
cylinder that the front edge comes in a slanting position and the sheet can be
taken hold of underneath.
Compared with known pneumatic processes for separating and lifting the sheet
from the pile the present invention differs mainly as follows:-
In the former the sheet is sucked along its whole width, held by air pressure to
the suction appliance, and lifted by the raising of the same, while in the latter the
corner only is sucked, for the purpose of separating it from the rest of the pile, but
then taken hold of mechanically, and in the same way the whole sheet is lifted
without the use of air pressure.
.:
The following advantages result from this new process: the suction of only one
corner of the sheet materially increases the certainty of the taking hold and the
retention of the hold by the suction appliance, because the corner of the sheet is
moved much more easily than the sheet in its whole width, and by the application
of merely a few suction openings also only a little of the outer air can enter the
air attenuated space; the new process requires besides only a comparatively small
apparatus for exhausting and lifting. By bending the corner in the manner
described and by the interposition of a compressed air jet the adhesion of the
corners of the sheets is overcome without fail, in that corners of the sheets having

page_text: a tendency to stick together are shifted relatively to each other in the bending and
obtain tension, so that they drop off themselves, but they are besides made to
vibrate by the compressed air jet and shaken loose. The bending is, however, only
really possible with the corner, the pointed form of which allows of it to advantage;
the mere lifting of the suction apparatus in the previous processes does not exclude
the possibility of lifting several sheets at a time.
Lastly, as the action of the vacuum is annulled as quickly as possible, and the
corner of the sheet is caught hold of and held mechanically, the lifting of the
whole sheet is assured, while by the former lifting by suction action leaky places
may easily occur which influence it unfavorably. The apparatus for carrying
ous this lifting process by suction action upon a sheet corner is combined with
an apparatus for regulating the paper pile according to the number and thickness
of the lifted sheets, and with an apparatus for conveying and laying the lifted.
sheet ready for use; these three apparatus together afford certainty of a proper
and self acting feed of the sheet to the printing cylinder.
The apparatus is represented in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings,.
the former being a sectional side view and the latter a front view.
The side walls A and A₁ are fixed to the framing of the printing machine; the
pile of sheets B on the table H is in a plane with the table C. The cross wall J
prevents the pile sliding forward.
The wheel D is só driven from a spindle close by that it makes one rotation in.
the direction of the arrow during one printing operation. The wheel D turns a
spindle E which has its bearings in the side walls A A, and is parallel with the.
long edge of the paper pile. This spindle provides for the driving of the sheet-
lifting apparatus, and_also_of_an_air_pump_E, Eigure.3,-which-is.fixed-to-the-side-
wall A. This air pump exhausts on one side of the piston and blows on the other.
The air pump piston a receives a periodically greatly accelerated motion by a con-
necting rod from the link e having its fulcrum at 6, and the crank and crank pin on
the spindle E, when the crank pine approaches the fulcrum of the link c..
In the
blast pipe N, a cock Ki is provided (Figure 3), which is operated by the bell crank
lever and crank disc d as will be presently described.
.
The apparatus illustrated in Figures 4 to 13 for separating and lifting the sheet
according to the process described consists of the sucker L which is of a mainly
tubular form and turns on its axis in the cylindrical free end of the lever M; it is
so arranged that it is directed across one of the front corners of the pile of sheets,
Figure 5. This hollow sucker L carries in front a three cornered hollow. extension
or lugg which covers the corner of the pile flush with such corner which protrudes
beyond the sucker L. If the sheet corner is only to be bent once the lug.g is made
in one piece, Figures 4 to 7; but if the sheet corner is to be bent twice it is as
shown in Figures 8 to 10 divided in the axis of L and its upper part is so made to
turn as to form an angle with g, Figure 10, and be in one plane, Figures 8 and 9.
In the lower surface towards the pile the lug g has several openings which com-
municate with its interior and with the pipe, while the other end of the sucker is
co:nected to the suction side of the air pump F by a flexible pipe N, Figures 3
and 5. By means of a special appliance presently to be described the sucker L
in the end of the lever M can turn around its axis so that the lug 991 can be shifted
from its lower position resting on the pile in an upward direction, Figure 4.
·
In both these positions: the parts g and 9, are in one plane, but when the sucker L
is turned upwards they form an angle Figure 10, by the roller r, of the roller lever /
on the fulcrum spindle of g₁ sliding on a curve situated in the cylindrical lever.
end of M.
On the lug g or g₁ is also fixed a tuyère i, Figures 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10, the flat
mouth of which is directed parallel with the lower face of the lug, so that an air
blast passing out of it can traverse it closely. The tuyere i partakes of course of
all the motions of the lug g,; its rear end is connected to the pressure end of F.
On the lug of the sucker L is a finger k, Figures 4 to 6, which can turn around
the pin in a plane parallel with the lower face of g so that it may partly cover
५

page_text: this face; at the same time for the purpose of approaching this face it moves in the
axial direction of the pin l. This notion is effected by means of the slide o, the
lever m and the bell-crank lever n.
1
The slide o can slide along the back of the sucker L, it is jointed to the lever m
which is fast on l, whilst its rear end carries a small roller which can travel in a
helical curve in the cylindrical lower end of M. The bell-crank lever N has its
fulcrum on L, Figure 6, and with one of its arms it catches under the lever m
whilst the other arm is free and can be turned a little by contact with a projec-
tion p on o, whereby the arm that catches under m pulls the pin and the finger k
against the lower lug surface. When this action is ended the finger is pushed back
again by a spring q
On the sucker L is also fixed the wheel segment's which gears with a segment M₁.
The latter as well as the lever M have the pin t for fulcrum which is fixed in an
arm G that is fixed adjustably on a bar O; the latter unites the two side walls A
and A, and is parallel with the front edge of the pile. By the influence of cam
discs P and P, on the rollers r₁ and r, respectively on M and M₁, these latter parts
receive periodically rotating motions and positions of rest as will be presently
described. P and P, are firmly connected and are rotated in the direction of the
arrow by the spindle E which passes through the arm G. They are further so
connected with the arm G that they follow when the latter is slid on O. This of
course also takes place with regard to the lever M and the segment M₁, Figure 11.
The counterweights S. and s, serve to keep the rollers r, and r, up to the
cams P and P₁.
Qis a bar of adjustable length resting on the pile to exert pressure thereon; it
enters slots on the slides t₁ and t,; the former is arranged on O and the latter on G.
These slides are periodically raised by means of the cam discs 33 and on the
spindle E, Figures 11, 12 and 13, so that the bar Q is lifted and the sheets of
paper under it are relieved of pressure. Instead of the bar Q two springs or
fingers may be used for exerting a light pressure in two places on the sheet pile.
When the sheet pile is laid on the table H the arm G is slid so far on O that
the lug g g₁ of the sucker L just covers the corner of the top sheet. The arm G
is then fixed and the pile raised in the manner to be described so that the top sheet
always comes against the lower face of the lug gg. The sucker L is then in its
lowest position, Figure 5, the finger & has the position therein shown and the bar Q
lies on the pile.
The lifting apparatus now works as follows: The sucker L being in the said
lowest position, wherein by reason of the cam P it remains at rest some time, the
air pump piston a will begin its accelerated motion, and a vacuum is formed in the
pipe N and sucker L, while the air in front of the piston and between it and
the tap K₁ is being compressed. The corner of the top sheet is thus pressed
against the straightened lug gg; by the air pressure. Whilst the lever M is still
in its position of rest the segment M₁ begins to move up through the influence of
the cam P, thereon. The sucker L turns on its axis, the lug gets into a slanting
position and g, forms an angle therewith. Now the tap K₁, influenced by the
curve d and lever f, will be opened quickly, and a puff of air enters between the
possibly adhering corners bent as shown in Figure 15 Sheet 2, whereby the latter
are removed from the sucker. During this turning motion of the sucker L the
roller r runs up on the curve in the end of the lever which causes the pin / to turn
and the finger k to approach the lug 9 91.
:
During the further part of this motion the finger k covers the lug 99,, and has
thus in a manner caught the sheet corner, which up till now has been held by the
air pressure; at the last moment of the motion the projection p comes against the
free arm of the bell crank lever n; the finger k is thus drawn against the lower
face of g 91, nipping the sheet corner there. This position is shown in Figure 4.
By the further influence of the cams P and P, the lever M and the segment M
rise together in the same relative 'position together with the nipped sheet corner,

page_text: the front part of the sheet being raised therewith assuming the position shown in
dotted lines in Figure 4. Figures 1 and 2 show the sheet so lifted; the bar Q
keeps the sheet from rushing off and by its weight enables the front edge of the
sheet to form a straight slanting line. The complete separation of the sheet from
the pile is effected by the sheet carrier y,, Figures and 2, presently to be
described, running in under the raised front part of the sheet, whilst the segment M₁
goes back, the finger k of g₁ is pressed loose by the springs 4, and the sheet is
thus freed and drops. The sheet is then nipped against the bar y, the bar Q
influenced by the cams s, and's, against t₁ t,, rises, and as the bar y₁ goes down the
sheet is carried along.
The apparatus for adjusting the pile according to the number and thickness of the
sheets lifted off is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and comprises a frame consisting of the
rails Rand R₁, which can slide in the side walls A and A, at right angles to the table
level of H and the rail R, connecting them. The roller r, is in the middle of these rails.
On the rails T T₁ (of which T, is omitted in Figure 2) connecting the side walls A A₁
moves a slide u which carries a bridge v jointed thereto and having at its free end a
screw spindle to for adjusting it in height. This bridge v forms with the slide u und
the spindle to a sort of inclined plane of adjustable height on which the roller r, runs.
This inclined plane is by means of the screw spindle S during the working of the
apparatus evenly drawn along the rails T T₁ which causes the rail R, and thus the
whole frame to be raised. The spindle S is regularly turned intermittently from the
link by the rod and ratchet gear y 2. In order that the table H may now be
raised in exact proportion to the thickness of the sheets on the pile B it is
necessary to measure the thickness of a large quantity of sheets, say 1,000, and to
adjust the height of the inclined plane so that the roller r is raised exactly as
much as the measured thickness when the slide u has travelled the distance corre-
-sponding-to-the-measured-number-of-sheets,-which-distance-will-always-be-tho-
same whether thin or thick sheets are lifted off. The index hand a₁ and scale y₁ on
the bridge v are for the proper adjustment of the height. At the beginning of the
operation the connection between the spindle S and the ratchet wheel y is broken;
by turning the crank handle the paper pile B is then raised so far that the top
sheet touches the suction lug of the sucker and the connection between S and is
re-established by putting the pawl z in gear again. The apparatus then adjusts
the paper pile so that the top sheet is always lifted off in the same place. When
the last sheet has been lifted off and the table has to be brought back into its
initial position the connection between S and has only to be broken again and the
inclined plane drawn back by turning the handle 21.
If there is room enough under the table the inclined plane may of course easily
be arranged underneath it, and the working of it effected by rack and pinion.
For taking hold of the sheet lifted off the pile by the sucker, bringing it to the
table E and laying it thereon, that is to say to bring it against the stops or register,
marks m, m, I use the conveying appliance shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Two guide bars S, and S, parallel with each other and with the plane of the
table C are fixed to the side walls A and A₁, and to the machine framing by arms T,
(not shown in Figure 2). On these bars a frame slides which consists of the slide
blocks and and the tie rod U parallel with the front edge of the paper pile.
Parallel with is the second spindle V 'which can turn in bearings in the frame.
The angle shaped sheet carrier y, is fixed at the middle of U, the finger fi similarly,
on V; by the rotation of the latter the finger fi comes alternately on the free arm'
of y, and can be lifted by it. The sheet carrier y, in the last stage of the lift of the
. frame as Ua, runs with its arm that is parallel with the paper pile under the sheet
of paper raised in front so that the sheet falls on this arm and is there nipped by.
the finger f. In case of broad sheets of paper the sheet carrier is twice provided
with fingers fi, viz.-some distance from the middle of the rods U, V to the left
and to the right. The finger f₁ rests against y₁ only during the down movement
and is lifted off towards the end, thereby taking freely hold of the sheet, and

page_text: remains also at rest in this position during the upward motion. For this purpose a
pawlwheel segment 'n is fixed on V into which gears the pawl 1, jointed to a,; the
free end of V also carries the level i,. The finger f, is lifted by lever is (towards
the end of the down motion of the frame) running against a shoulder k, thus
turning V and thereby also fi upwards. The pawl l, now holds V in that position
until it is released by the shoulder k, on O, and fi turns down by its own weight
and holds the sheet fast on y₁.
The motion of the frame a, U a, is effected by the levers W, W, and pulling
rods X, X, (omitted in Figure 2) which are jointed together and to the frame.
The levers W, W, thereby perform the swinging motion shown in dotted lines in
Figure 1 caused by the cam on the wheel D and transmitted by the bell-crank.
lever H, with guide roller and rod K to the spindle E upon which W and W₁ are
fixed.
The aforesaid apparatus guides or conveys the sheet towards the stops or register
marks in the following manner :-
When the lifting-off apparatus has caught and lifted the top sheet in the manner
described the sheet carrier y, in its upward motion runs in under the raised sheet at
the middle of same, the sheet drops and then the finger fi comes upon it and holds
it fast between itself and y₁. The sheet will now be carried along by the down
motion. Towards the end of same the lever i, pushes against the stop k,; the
finger turns upward and releases the sheet which now because of its inertia and the
adhesion between it and y, is carried along till it comes against the stops or register
marks my m
In the continued motion of y₁ the carrying arm draws itself out from
under the sheet, whereby the latter is freed and pushed aside by the pusher stops
generally provided on the machines and can then be caught by the catchers of the
machine.
The guiding of the sheet to the stops may of course also be effected by travelling
bands; in such case the sheet carrier y, would only take hold of the sheet during a
very small motion, draw it off the pile and deliver it to the travelling band guide. .
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 :-
1. The mode hereinbefore described of lifting or separating a sheet to be printed
from a pile of sheets which consists essentially in pneumatically sucking the top
sheet at one corner only for the purpose of separating it, in then bending this
corner once or twice by a suitable motion of the sucker, and in then mechanically
nipping this corner for the purpose of lifting it, substantially as set forth.
2. For the purpose of carrying out the mode referred to in Claim 1, a suction
apparatus connected to the suction side of an air pump F and resting upon the
corner of the paper pile, and adjustable according to the size of the latter, the said
suction apparatus being provided with one or two sucking lugs (9 or 9 9₁) and
pivotted finger k, which latter after the corner of the top sheet has been sucked
enters automatically behind it, holds it fast between itself and the perforated
sucking surface, whereupon the sucker and finger with the intervening sheet are
lifted off the paper pile, in combination with a bar Q for confining the upward bend
of the sheet by temporary pressure on the sheet, and with a tuyere i on the sucker
connected to the pressure side of the air pump, whereby a puff of air is directed
against the bent corner of the sheet in order to separate the next lower sheet from
the raised top sheet and bring it back to the paper pile, all substantially as herein-
before described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
3. For the purpose of raising the paper pile in order to bring the top sheet
against the sucker, a frame HR R, R, which is guided in the machine framing and
carries the paper pile, and which by means of a roller r, rests on a moving
adjustable inclined plane u v w so that the lifting of the frame with the paper pile
takes place in accordance with the thicknesses of paper used, substantially as
herein before described.

page_text: 4. The combination or arrangement of parts substantially as hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying drawings, forming an apparatus for
feeding paper sheets to printing machines.
Dated this 12th day of April 1893.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.