AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND MEANS FOR DELIVERING SHEETS OF PAPER TO THE FEEDING APPARATUS OF A PRINTING MACHINE
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Patrick Barry, of Lombard Street, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND MEANS FOR
DELIVERING SHEETS OF PAPER TO THE FEEDING APPARATUS OF A PRINTING
MACHINE."
Sealed the 2nd November 1869, and dated the 3rd May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Patrick Barry at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd May 1869.
I, PATRICK BARRY, of Lombard Street, in the City of London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
MODE OF AND MEANS FOR DELIVERING SHEETS OF PAPER TO THE FEEDING AP-
PARATUS OF A PRINTING MACHINE," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a method of and means for separating the
blank sheets of paper from the pile on the feed table of a printing
machine and delivering them separately to the tapes or grippers which
carry them forward to the printing rollers.
The said Invention may be applied to any printing machine or press
where the sheets are delivered either horizontally or by a rotary pro-

page_text: jection to the tapes or grippers of the feeding apparatus. It is necessary
that each sheet should be presented at the proper time and in the proper
position to the grippers or tapes, and for this purpose it has been
necessary to employ boys or other hands in such numbers as will enable
them to supply the machine with the desired rapidity, no device having
been known which could be substituted for the human hand in the
operations of separating and delivering the sheets.
I have found however by experiment that porous india-rubber possesses
peculiar adhesive properties by which when brought in contact with the
upper sheet of a pile or layer of paper it is caused to detach it from the
others and deliver it separately to the feeding apparatus.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I prefer to arrange in
connection with the feed apparatus and over the table whereon the blank
sheets are piled a bar or roller whose surface is partly or entirely covered
with porous india-rubber preferably, of the kind now commonly known
as sponge rubber, but I may employ other similarly soft porous and
durable material which when brought in contact with the paper will
separate the upper sheet from the others without soiling or otherwise
injuring the paper. I attach this rubber in any suitable manner to the
bar or roller before-mentioned, which is arranged at the end of the
sheet to be presented to the grippers and extends entirely across the
same. Where a bar is used it is necessary that the same should be
provided with means whereby it will adapt itself to the varying thickness
or height of the pile or layer of sheets on the table, and the said bar
must also have at proper intervals a motion which will separate the
upper sheet from the other sheets below it and present its edge to the
grippers or tapes, which then seize it and carry it forward to the printing
rollers. These operations of the bar are effected by means of jointed
rods and guideways. The said rods are formed at the upper end with
vertical slots or apertures wherein the ends of the bar are carried, the
said slots allowing the surface of the bar to rest fairly upon the paper on
the table, and also to be raised at proper intervals some distance above
the same. The said rods are connected to any convenient working part
of the machine which gives them a reciprocating motion to move the
bar to and fro over the feed table. The guideway is inclined downward
from the point from which the bar takes the sheets of paper towards the
point where the same is released by the bar, and the said bar as it is
carried back by the vibrating rods is raised above the paper by the

page_text: guideway, and again dropped in the proper position upon the paper
to take another sheet. The table may also be made capable of self-
adjustment, and may be provided with pulleys or other means for raising
it as the pile of paper is diminished. If the india-rubber is attached
to one of the ordinary feed rollers, or to an additional roller provided
for the purpose, the same must also be arranged to adapt itself to the
pile of sheets on the table as the thickness thereof is diminished.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the chief object
of my Invention is to dispense with the hand labor hitherto employed
for separating and delivering the sheets upon the table to the feeding
apparatus, and to render the feeding apparatus entirely mechanical or
automatic instead of making it depend partly upon manual labor,
which is always liable to irregularity, and which has been found in
many cases to prevent the desired rapidity of working. By this means
it is obvious that in large printing establishments a great saving of
wages will be effected, the process of printing will be accelerated, and
other advantages will be secured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Patrick Barry in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PATRICK
BARRY, of Lombard Street, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Patrick Barry, Her special licence
that I, the said Patrick Barry, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Patrick Barry, my exccutors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
MODE OF AND MEANS FOR DELIVERING SHEETS OF PAPER TO THE FEEDING AP-

page_text: !
PARATUS OF A PRINTING MACHINE,' upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Patrick Barry, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Patrick Barry, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My Invention relates to a method of and means for separating the
sheets of paper from the pile on the feed table of a printing machine,
and delivering them separately to the tapes or grippers which carry them
forward to the printing rollers.
The said Invention may be applied to any printing machine or press
where the sheets are delivered either horizontally or by a rotary
projection to the tapes or grippers of the feeding apparatus. It is
necessary that each sheet should be presented at the proper time and in
its proper position to the grippers or tapes, and for this purpose it has
been necessary to employ boys or other operatives in such numbers as
will enable them with the desired rapidity to supply the machine with
the sheets of paper, no device having been known which could be sub-
stituted for the human hand in the operations of separating and
delivering the sheets.
I have found however by experiment that porous india-rubber possesses
peculiar adhesive properties by which when brought in contact with the
upper sheet of a pile or layer of paper it is caused to detach such sheet
from the others and deliver it separately to the feeding apparatus.
In carrying the said Invention into practise I prefer to arrange in
connection with the feed apparatus and over the table whereon the
sheets are piled a bar or roller whose surface is partly or entirely
covered with porous india-rubber, preferably of the kind now commonly
known as sponge rubber, but I may employ other similarly soft porous
and durable material which when brought in contact with the paper
will separate the upper sheet from the others without soiling or otherwise
injuring the paper. I attach this rubber in any suitable manner to the

page_text: bar or roller before mentioned, which is arranged at the end of the sheet
to be presented to the grippers and which may extend entirely across the
same. Where a bar is used it is necessary that the same should be
provided with means whereby it will adapt itself to the varying thick-
ness or height of the pile or layer of sheets on the table, and the said
bar must also have at proper intervals a motion which will separate the
upper sheet from the other sheets below it and present its edge to the
grippers or tapes, which then seize it and carry it forward to the printing
bed or rollers. The operation of the bar may be effected by means of
jointed rods and guideways. The said rods may be formed at the upper
end with vertical slots or apertures wherein the ends of the bar are
carried, the said slots allowing the surface of the bar to rest fairly upon
the paper on the table and also to be raised at proper intervals some
distance above the same.
The said rods are connected to any con-
venient working part of the machine which gives them a reciprocating
motion to move the bar to-and-fro over the feed table. The guideway
is inclined downward from the point from which the bar takes the
slicets of paper towards the part where the same is released by the bar,
and the said bar as it is carried back by the vibrating rods is raised
above the paper by the guideway and again dropped in the proper
position upon the paper to take another sheet. The table may also be
made capable of self-adjustment and may be provided with pulleys or
other means for raising it as the pile of paper is diminished.
I wish it understood however that these details of construction and
arrangements of mechanism form no part of my Invention and may
be varied in any way which will be found most convenient for the
purposes thereof. If the india-rubber is attached to one of the ordinary
feed rollers or to an additional roller provided for the purpose, the same
must also be arranged to adapt itself to the pile of sheets on the table
as the thickness thereof is diminished.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the chief object
of my Invention is to dispense with the land labor hitherto employed
for separating and delivering the sheets upon the table to the feeding
apparatus, and to render the feeding apparatus entirely mechanical or
automatic instead of making it depend partly upon manual labor, which
is always liable to irregularity, and which has been found in many cases
to prevent the desired rapidity of working. By this means it is obvious
that in large printing establishments great saving of wages will be

page_text: effected, the process of printing will be accelerated, and other advantages
will be secured.
Having thus fully described my Invention, and shewn how the same
may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim,
the delivery of sheets of paper to the feeding apparatus of a printing
machine or press by means of porous india-rubber, such as is commonly
known as sponge rubber, or other similar soft porous and durable sub-
stance or compound operating substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Patrick Barry, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
HARRY J. GEDGE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
PATRICK BARRY. (L.S.)