Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Separating and Feeding Sheets of Paper, Card Boards, and the like to Printing, Ruling, Embossing, Folding, and like Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 18th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Separating and
Feeding Sheets of Paper, Card Boards, and the like to Printing,
Ruling, Embossing, Folding, and like Machines.
I, JOHN JAMES ALLEN, of 77 Bower Street, Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of improved construction, arrangement, and combination
of appliances, constituting improved apparatus for purpose aforesaid.
Apparatus constructed according to this invention comprises a table or platform
upon which the sheets (previously feathered as ordinary) are placed, said platform
is preferably concave, and on its delivery end, or end nearest to the delivery and
feed rollers is a sheet or pad of rubber. Above the delivery end and rubber sheet
or pad, is a shaft on which are two rollers or discs, the peripheries of which press
on to the rubber sheet or pad of the delivery table, and the latter directly below
such rollers or discs is slightly hollowed or recessed, so that the rollers press into
the rubber and slightly into the recesses, and thus an efficient nip of the papers is
ensured. On the shaft, or rollers, or discs above mentioned, is a flap or tongue of
rubber, which as the shaft revolves, strikes the top sheet of paper with a flipping
action which loosens the top sheet, and the flap then draws the sheet forward with
it until the edge of the said sheet is between the rollers or discs, and the rubber
surface of the table wherein the sheet is carried forward by such discs or rollers,
and passed between two rollers, or a roller and discs, covered or partly covered
with rubber which pass the sheet to the printing or other machine, or to the
required point.
The machine is driven by hand or power applied to the shaft on which are the
discs or rollers, such shaft by gear wheels giving the required motion to the second
pair of delivery rollers or discs.
Beneath the concave table is an adjustable screw or screws, by which the position
of the table in relation to the rollers or discs can be regulated.
Two rollers or discs may be employed with the rubber flap between them, or one
roller or disc only, in which case it is advisable that a rubber flap be fixed at each
side of the single roller or disc.
A cleaning device may be added against which the rubber flap or flaps wipe at
each revolution so that the surface is cleaned before coming into contact with the
sheets of paper.
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page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Separating and
Feeding Sheets of Paper, Card Boards, and the like to Printing,
Ruling, Embossing, Folding, and like Machines.
I JOHN JAMES ALLEN of 77 Bower Street Bradford in the County of York
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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for automatically separating
and feeding or passing from a pile sheets of paper, cardboard and the like to
printing ruling embossing folding and like machines the object being to feed
and deliver the sheets or material without creases and in a perfectly smooth
condition. By the employment of an apparatus constructed according to my
invention the sheets are not only fed with regularity but at a greatly increased
speed as compared with manual feeding while the apparatus is of extreme simplicity
of construction compared with some of the automatic feeding apparatus at present.
employed.
One form of apparatus constructed according to my invention is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the left hand end of the machine shown in
Fig. 2 which is a plan of same on a reduced scale.
Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 2 on the line - but with the parts in a different
position.
Fig. 4 is a plan of a portion of the table.
Fig. 5 is a view shewing a modification of the table.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of part of the feed motion with cleaner for the flap
and presser fingers added.
66
Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a plan view of part of the feed motion shewing a device for
registering" the sheets and ensuring their being fed to an exact position.
Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the top part of Fig. 8.
Above
The apparatus it will be seen consists of side frameworks 11 which support an
inclined or concave table 2 in the delivering end of which is a piece 3 hinged at 4
the piece 3 carrying a facing piece 5 of india rubber or suitable material the
piece 3 being capable of a nice adjustment by the screw 6 beneath same.
this are wheels 10. 10 which carry a flapper or drawing piece 7 of india rubber
(preferably that known as sponge india rubber) one end of which is attached at 7"
to the block 9 which is bolted between the wheels 10 in such a manner that its
position may be adjusted. The flapper lies on this block when in actual operation
of drawing the top sheet of paper from the pile 8. It will be seen that the pile 8
of paper is feathered so that the ends of the sheet nearest the delivery end form a
tapered or wedge shaped figure between the wheels 10. 10. the india rubber 5 being
recessed at 10° 10° Fig. 4 opposite each of the wheels 10. 10 so that the rims of
the latter are within the rubber and the flapper 7 presses the sheet of paper onto
the rubber 5. For some classes of paper it is advantageous to limit the play of the
flapper 7. and this may be effected by the hook and eye 7 whereby the flap is
readily hooked up to the block 9 so as to provide for its coming quietly into
contact with the paper notwithstanding the comparative rapidity of rotation of the
wheels.
The wheels 10. 10 are mounted on a cross shaft 11 driven by means of a chain
wheel 12 and chain 13 from any convenient revolving part of the printing machine,
the spur wheel 14 on shaft 11 gearing with pinion 15 on shaft 16 thereby giving

page_text: motion to the runners 17. 17 and to the runners 18 which drive the carrying
tapes 19. On the shaft 11 are two loose arms 20 the outer ends of each by means
of a stud carrying a presser roller 21 which lies upon the rollers 17 and form a nip
for the paper as hereafter described. At 22 is the ordinary table on which are the
tapes 19 carrying the sheet of paper to the printing cylinder.
The action is as follows:-The pile of paper is "feathered" and placed on the
table 2. At each rotation of the shaft 11 the india rubber flap 7 is brought down
upon the uppermost sheet of the pile and runs the sheet forward under the
wheels 10. 10 and by the wheels and india rubber flapper 7 slide the end of the
sheet over the rubber 5 and into and between the nip of the rollers 17 and 21 which
draw the sheet forward and pass it by means of the tapes 19 to the printing
cylinder.
For the purpose of preventing the sheets of paper or material from sliding down
and pressing too heavily against the wheels 10 particularly where thick material is
being fed. I may employ a raised portion or block such as 23 secured to the
table 2 across the width of same and upon which the wheels partly rest. The
arrangement also enables a shorter table to be employed.
It will be evident however that a table having an humped back or a shape to
correspond to the block may be employed so as to answer the same purposes.
Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7.
At 24 is a light cross shaft on which is a hooked shaped bracket 25 carrying a
woollen pad or glove 26 which is damped and at each revolution of the discs 10. 10
the flap 7 comes in contact with the pad and is thereby cleaned. The pad can be
removed washed out and replaced in position with facility.
"
At 27. 27 are two light spring presser fingers (provided at their free ends with
runners and preferably of hard brass) the runners bear on the top of the pile of
sheets and serve to put a light holding pressure on the same over their feathered
ends thus holding such part steady on the india rubber retarding pad 5. The
fingers 27 are adjustable longitudinally on the shaft 24 by slacking the set screw 28
and then moving the boss 29 to the required position on the shaft 24 and may be
folded back when not in use as they are not necessary for all classes of paper.
The fingers are shewn by separate drawings Figs. 6 and 7 for the purpose of
avoiding intersecting of parts which would occur if shewn on the Figs. 1 and they
form part of an Application for Patent No. 1981 1895 by the present applicant.
When it is desired to use the machine for feeding sheets which require to be fed
with exactitude "registering such as for instance "backing" that is to say
printing on both sides of the sheet the apparatus shewn by Figs. 8 and 9 is
employed. At 30 is an eccentric which by the rod 31 operates the crank 32 the
other arm 33 pushes the slide rod 34 carried in bearings 35 and moves the
registering fingers 36 to the required position on the table 37 thereby setting or
registering the sheet as is well understood. At 38 is a spiral spring for returning
the rod 34 to its normal position when the arm 33 of the crank 32 makes its return
movement. At 39 is an eccentric which acts on the runner 40 fixed in a clip or
fork 41 (embracing the main shaft 11) so as at each revolution of the shaft 11 the
rod 42 will be pushed in the direction of the table 37 and by an arm and boss to
which the two fingers 43 are attached the said fingers are raised above the table
and in the opposite movement of the eccentric 39 the fingers 43 descend by
gravitation and the weight 48. The office of the said fingers 43. 43 is to hold
the sheet steady on the table 37 after being set or "registered" by the fingers 36.
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. In a machine for purpose aforesaid a curved or angular table having an
adjustable piece 3 faced with india rubber on which the feathered ends of the sheets
of the pile are received, the wheels 10. 10, flapper 7 rollers 21. 18 all in combination
and as illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the annexed drawings.

page_text: 2. The piece 3 faced with rubber recessed as described and combined with
wheels 10. 10 and a drawing or pulling instrument such as the flapper 7.
Dated this 18th day of March 1895.
JOHN JAMES ALLEN,
By his Agents, Brierley & Howard,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax.