Improvements in Feeding Apparatus for Printing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feeding Apparatus for Printing Machines.
We, EDWARD THOMAS CLEATHERO, of 34, Malpas Road, Brockley, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, and JOSEPH ARTHUR NICHOLS, of 20, Devonshire
Street, Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Stationer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to a construction of apparatus for feeding paper into
printing machines described in the Specification to our Patent No. 16,850 of 1888,
and in our application for a Patent No. 12964 of 1889.
In the last named application we described an arrangement of so called "fluffing
arms "for"
fluffing" or raising the front end of the top sheet of the pile to be
fed forward, so as to separate it from the second sheet, and prevent two sheets from
being fed forward at the same time.
According to one of our present improvements we arrange such fluffing arms on
a shaft in front of the feed-disc shaft and we actuate them by a separate motion
from the printing machine so as to effect the fluffing motion at slower speed than
that of the feed discs, while these are standing still. For this purpose the shaft on
the printing machine which has one revolution imparted to it by the cylinder of the
machine, and then remains stationary with this cylinder, and which imparts such
motion by pitch wheels and chain to the upper driving shaft of the feed apparatus,
carries a single-tooth ratchet wheel, in gear with which is a pawl loose on the said
shaft and receiving a slow to-and-fro motion from a connecting rod and crank pin
or cam on any shaft of the printing machine that may continue to rotate while the
feed cylinder is stationary, such motion being so arranged that when the shaft has
completed the motion which it receives from the feed cylinder, the pawl is brought
in gear with the tooth of the ratchet wheel and by its forward motion turns the
ratchet, and with it the shaft forward through part of a revolution, thereby
imparting the requisite slow motion to the driving shaft of the feed apparatus for
working the fluffing arms while the feed discs are standing still. The pitch wheel
of the shaft on the printing machine is not fixed to its shaft, but imparts motion
thereto by lugs on the side thereof, gearing with corresponding lugs on the ratchet
wheel;
thus as this is moved forward by the pawl as described when the pitch
wheel is standing still, its lugs move away from those of the latter, and con-
sequently when the pitch wheel begins its next motion, it moves through part of a
revolution before it imparts such motion to the shaft again, thus bringing the
ratchet wheel at the end of the revolution back to the same point where it gears
with the pawl, which, during such time, has been moved back to its original
position.
The said slow motion of the driving shaft of the feed apparatus is imparted to
the shaft carrying the fluffers by the following means. The shaft drives through
an intermediate wheel, a wheel carrying a disc with two fingers. These fingers
gear with two studs on a disc on the fluffer shaft in such manner, that the first
finger moves such shaft while the feed discs are completing their motion, bringing
the fluffer arms from a horizontal position to a position nearly touching the top
sheet of paper. The fluffing motion now commences, causing the second finger, in
gearing with the second stud, to drive the fluffing shaft with a slow motion so as to
fluff the top sheet. On the finger passing beyond the stud, the fluffing shaft is
turned rapidly in the contrary direction so as to bring the fluffer arms in the first
mentioned horizontal position again. For this purpose, the fluffer shaft carries a
toothed wheel with which gears a toothed segment on the lower end of a double

page_text: ended lever whose upper end is acted upon by a stud or wiper on the driving shaft
of the apparatus at the moment when the second finger leaves its stud, the return
motion of the lever being accelerated by a spring acting on the lower end.
Another improvement relates to the means employed for holding down the top
sheet at a certain distance from the front and while it is being fluffed, such distance
being varied according to the nature of the paper acted upon.
According to our present improvements we provide a series of spring-shaped
fingers on a horizontal spindle that has its ends carried in horizontal slotted arms
extending from the back of the rising and falling frame. This spindle is urged by
a helical spring tending to turn it in the direction for pressing the spring fingers
upon the paper, and it carries an arm which is connected to one end of a cord or
tape or other means of connection that is led up to a hobbin on one end of a double
ended lever pivotted to the framing, the other end of the tape being wound up on
the bobbin, which can be turned so as to lengthen or shorten the length of tape
passing down to the arm of the shaft. The other end of the lever carries a
roller which is acted upon by a cam on the top driving shaft, such cam being
so formed that during the time the fluffing arms are fluffing the paper, the
spring fingers are made to rest upon the paper, but at all other times the cam
acts upon the lever so as to raise the fingers off the paper, by means of the
tape. According to the nature of the paper, the shaft carrying the pressing
fingers is shifted in the slots of the framing so as to bring the fingers nearer to
or farther from the front end. According to another modification, instead of the
shaft with spring fingers we provide a transverse bar, in vertical slots of which
are loosely sliding fingers which rest with their lower ends upon the paper, and
which have hooked upper ends, under which takes a bar attached to the before
mentioned tapes or cords, so that when the paper is not being fluffed, the fingers
are raised from the paper by the bar, which in descending again, leaves the fingers
free to press upon the paper.
In either of the above described arrangements, instead of effecting the raising
and lowering of the pressing fingers by means of tapes, levers, and cams as above
described, it may be effected by any other known device receiving motion from any
moving part of the apparatus.
Another improvement relates to an improved construction of apparatus for
adjusting the paper into correct position for register as it passes down the inclined
table from the feed apparatus to the feed cylinder of the machine. For this
purpose we provide in front of the feed cylinder two horizontal rods capable of
sliding to-and-fro in guides fixed on each side of the table. These rods have cach
an arm or plate projecting down to the table, the arm or plate on the one rod being
on the one side of the table and that on the other rod being on the other side, and
both being adjustable on their rods, the paper sheet being made to pass between
the two plates. The one end of each of these rods is connected to the one end of
a double armed lever acted upon by a spring in one direction and by a cam motion
on the feed cylinder in the other direction, so that at the time when the sheet of
paper is passing between the two plates, the lever is actuated by the cam motion
so as to move the two rods in opposite directions, and thereby to move the two
guide plates a certain distance towards each other, by which means the paper sheet
passing between them is brought into correct position for register.
In some cases we provide, in addition to the guide plates, arms or fingers passing
down in a slanting position towards the paper sheet, and acted upon by the rods
so as, when the paper sheet is passing underneath, to bear with the lower end which
is tipped with rubber, upon the paper and push it laterally to the one or the other
side, for bringing it into correct position.
Another improvement relates to the vertically sliding fingers with rubber tipped
beaks resting upon the front edge of the paper. In order to provide a firm hold
on the paper in a continuous line along the front edge, and to relieve the paper of
such hold when the fluffing device is operating, we provide a plate situated imme-
diately over the beaks over the said fingers such plate being pivotted at its front

page_text: end to the frame, while its inner end bears upon the paper, just in front of the beaks
of the fingers.
This plate is actuated in any suitable manner from the driving gear of the
apparatus, so as to be raised off the paper while the fluffing arms are in action, and
at other times to bear upon the paper with an adjustable pressure..
Dated this 17th day of May 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feeding Apparatus for Printing Machines.
We, EDWARD THOMAS CLEATHERO, of 34, Malpas Road, Brockley, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, and JOSEPH ARTHUR NICHOLS, of 20, Devonshire
Street, Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Stationer, 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:-
Our invention relates to a construction of apparatus for feeding paper into
printing machines described in the Specifications to our Patents No. 16850 of 1888,
and No. 12964 of 1889.
arms
In the last named application we described an arrangement of so called "fluffing
" for "fluffing" or raising the front end of the top sheet of the pile to be
fed forward, so as to separate it from the second sheet, and prevent two sheets
from being fed forward at the same time.
Our present invention relates firstly to improved arrangements of the said fluffing
apparatus, and to means for imparting the requisite motion thereto; secondly, to
improved means for holding down the rear part of the paper while it is being
fluffed, and thirdly to improved mechanism for adjusting the paper into correct
position for register as it passes down the inclined table from the feed apparatus
to the feed cylinder.
In order that our said improvements may be readily understood, we will proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, for the
sake of clearness we have shewn the entire construction of the machine, including
those parts which are of the same construction as described in our said previous
Patents, and which consequently we do not claim as part of our present
invention.
.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation of the said apparatus with so much of the
printing machine as is necessary to explain the invention.
Figure 2 shews a sectional plan.
Figure 3 shews a cross section at X X Figure 1.
Figures 4 to 11 shew enlarged details.
To the frame A of the printing machine, which may be of any known construc-
tion, is fixed a table B which carries at Ċ the pile of paper C₁ to be fed into
the machine, and which has fixed on either side standards D, between which is the
vertically sliding frame E provided with rollers F F¹ or slides which bear against
the sides of the standards so as to guide the frame as it moves up and down. The
frame E is suspended by a cord G from one end of a beam H carried by a
transverse bar I connecting the two upper ends of the standards D. The other
end of the beam H carries a weight J which is made to nearly balance the weight
of the sliding frame E with the parts attached thereto. In bearings on the frame
is mounted a spindle K on which are fixed two or more discs L, the peripheries of
which are made of caoutchouc or other suitable composition and which have a flat
side at L'. When the circular parts of the discs are presented to the paper sheets
at C, they rest upon the paper, exerting a slight pressure thereon equal to the
excess of weight of the sliding frame over the balance weight J, so that on their

page_text: being rotated in the direction of the arrow II they feed the top sheet forward from
the pile in the direction of the arrow III until they arrive in the position in which
the flat part faces the paper, and they then remain stationary with such flat surface
removed from the paper, this action being effected by the following mechanism.
The shaft of the feeding cylinder M of the printing machine carries a pitch
wheel N, which drives an equal pitch wheel O on a spindle O' carried by a bracket
on the framing, by a pitch chain N¹. The spindle O¹ carries a second pitch
wheel O2 which drives an equal pitch wheel P on a spindle P" carried by the
sliding frame E by a pitch chain O³.
As the cylinder M of the printing machine makes one complete revolution and
then remains stationary until another sheet of paper is to be fed into the machine,
it follows that the wheel P and shaft P¹ in like manner make one complete revolu-
tion and then remain stationary.
The shaft P drives the shaft K carrying the discs L through gearing Q, R, S, T,
situated at the right hand end of the frame as shewn in the end and front view of
this part at Figures 6 and 7.
The wheel is fixed on shaft P¹ while R S are connected together as will be
presently described and are mounted loose on a pin E' fixed to the frame E, and T
is fixed on shaft K.
So far as has been at present described the apparatus is the same as described in
our Specification No. 1296489.
In front of the feed-dise shaft K is a shaft carried in bearings on the frame E
and carrying fluffing arms 2 which, when the feed discs L have completed the
feeding forward of a sheet of paper, and are in the position shewn at Figure 5,
with their flat surface removed from the paper, receive a motion in the contrary
direction to that of the discs L whereby they are made to draw the front edge of
the next sheet of paper on the pile from underneath the beaks of pressers and in
pushing the end of the sheet backward to a certain extent while the back part of
the sheet is being held as will be presently described, the fluffers cause the sheet to
bulge upwards as indicated in dotted lines at Figure 5 and so to separate itself
from the next sheet below, so that on the top sheet being subsequently fed
forward by the discs L it will not tend to carry the next sheet along with it.
The fluffing arms are actuated by gearing to be presently described from the
same shaft P that works the feed discs L; as their motion has to take place while
the feed discs are stationary, it follows that while the shaft is actuating the
fluffing arms, the gearing of the feed discs must be disconnected therefrom. This
is effected as follows:- -The wheel Q on shaft P drives wheel R, which carries a
spring pawl W that can gear with a notched disc V fixed to a wheel S that runs
loose on the same pin E' that carries wheel R, and wheel S gears with a wheel T
fixed on shaft K, so that when W is in gear with V, thereby causing S to revolve
with R, shaft P will impart the requisite feeding motion in the direction of the
arrow to the discs L. On the side of wheel Q is a roller Q which, when it arrives
in the position relatively to pawl W shewn at Figure 6 (at which time the feed
discs will have arrived in their position with the flat face presented to the paper
pile) will depress the tail of the pawl and thereby disengage it from disc V, so
that shaft P can now continue to rotate for actuating the Huffing arms, thereby
also rotating and R, while S, T, K and L remain stationary, until on the com-
pletion of the fluffing operations, the pawl W catches into another notch of disc V
and thus cause the discs L to commence their next rotation for feeding in the next
sheet.
The fluffing arms 2 are for the above purpose formed with a loop 3 of caoutchouc,
leather or other more or less elastic material which will lay hold sufficiently of the
paper. The said reverse motion of the fluffing arms is effected at a somewhat
slower speed than that of the feed discs L by the following mechanism.
Referring to Figures 4 and 5 which shew respectively a front and side view of
the left hand end of the machine, there is fixed upon the shaft P₁ a spur wheel 4
which, through an intermediate wheel 5 drives a wheel 6 to which is fixed a disc 7

page_text: having two teeth 8, 8, these teeth are adapted to engage with rollers 9, 9, on pins
carried by the flanged disc 10 fixed on the fluffer shaft 1. This shaft also carries a
spur pinion 11 with which gears a segment rack 12 on a double ended lever 13,
pivotted at 14, whose lower end is acted upon by a spring 15, while its upper end
is acted upon by a pin 16 projecting from the side of the wheel 4. By this
arrangement, when, after feeding a sheet of paper forward, the discs L have arrived
in the position shewn at Figure 5, and remain stationary as described while the
fluffing arms 2 are in the position shewn at Figure 6, the continued motion of
shaft will bring the first of the teeth 8 into position to gear with the first
roller 9, so that by the continued motion these parts will effect the rotation of
shaft 1 so as to bring the fluffing arms 2 from the position shewn at Figure 6 into
that shewn at Figure 5, whereby these arms are made to effect the fluffing of the
paper as described, and this action will continue until the second tooth 8 leaves
the second roller 9. During this time the pinion 11 will have moved the lower end
of lever 13 to the left hand, thereby straining the spring 15, so that as soon as the
teeth 8 leave the dise 10 free, the spring 15 in drawing back lever 13 will cause
this to turn shaft 1 and with it the fluffer arms 2 rapidly back into the position at
Figure 6. During this time also, the feed discs L will have commenced their next
rotation, so that by the time the fluffing arms have arrived in their backward
position, out of the way of the paper, the feed discs will have arrived in the
position shewn at Figure 6, ready to feed the paper sheet forward.
The backward motion of the shaft 1 requires to be somewhat greater than the
forward motion that can be effected by the teeth 8, in order to bring the rollers
into proper position for engaging with the teeth again. This additional backward
motion is given by the lever 13 by causing the pin 16 on the wheel 4 to come in
contact with its upper end so as to move it outward and consequently the lower
end inwards to the required extent just before the teeth and rollers come into
gear.
As before stated, the fluffing motion of the shaft 1 takes place at a somewhat
slower speed than the feed motion of the shaft K. This is effected as follows:-
referring to the mechanism O O' at Figure 1 and to the enlarged front and side
views of the same at Figures 8 and 9, the shaft O' which as described, receives
one complete revolution from the cylinder M for actuating the feeding discs L, and
then remains stationary, has fixed upon it a cam or single tooth ratchet 17 with
lugs 18 on its outer face, while the pitch wheel O is loose on the shaft, but has
lugs 19 on its inner side, which, when the wheel is rotated by the pitch chain N¹,
come in contact with the lugs 18, and thus carry the shaft round.
Loose upon
the shaft O is a lever 20 which receives a to and fro motion from a suitably
formed cam or any convenient continuously rotating part of the printing machine,
by a rod 21 and bell crank lever 22, the lever 20 carries a pawl 23 adapted to
engage with the notch or tooth of the ratchet wheel 17.
Assuming now that the shaft O' is being driven by wheel O so as to perform
its complete rotation, and that this rotation comes to an end when the pawl 23
engages with the tooth at 17, as this arrives in the position shewn, then the motion
of lever 20 is so timed by its cam, that the moment the above engagement is
effected the lever moves forward in the direction of the arrow, whereby it is made
to carry the ratchet wheel 17 and with it the shaft O¹ still further round in the
same direction through a certain angle. This motion, which takes place at a
slower speed than that imparted by the pitch wheel O is that which imparts the
before described fluffing motion to the fluffing arms 2. During such motion the
lugs 18 will move away from the lugs 19, so that when the pitch wheel begins to
be rotated again by the cylinder M, it will move through the same distance that
the shaft O was previously moved forward without imparting any motion to the
latter, until its lugs 19 come in contact with the lugs 18 again, whereupon the
shaft O' will be again rotated for actuating the feed discs L. During this rotation
the lever 20 is moved back again by its cam, so as to arrive in the position
shewn by the time the ratchet 17 has also again arrived in that position. It is

page_text: during the described interval when no motion is being imparted to the shaft O¹
that the fluffer arms 2 are brought back into their original position as at Figure 6.
As the discs I are uncontrolled as regards their rotation at the time when the
wheels R and S are disengaged, any inadvertent rotation in such direction is
prevented by a spring braking lever 23, which during the time of the said
disengagement is made to press upon a cam disc 24 fixed on shaft K with sufficient
force to hold it stationary, while during the time that the feed discs are in action,
a cut-away portion of the cam 24 is under the lever 23 so that no breaking action
ensues.
Figure 15 shews a cross section, Fig. 16 a part back view and Fig. 17 a plan
of a modification of the above described fluffing device, in which in place of a
number of separate fluffing arms, there are only two such 42, one at each side of
the machine, mounted loose upon fixed axes 43, and having their lower end con-
nected by a bar 44. Between guides 45 at each end of this bar is situated the
vertically sliding fluffing bar 46 having fixed on its lower edge a caoutchouc lip 47
which bears upon the paper. This bar is connected by rods 48 to one end of
double ended levers 49 carried by brackets from the top of the frame, and having
at their other end an adjustable weight 50 by means of which the pressure of the
fluffer bar upon the paper can be accurately regulated.
The levers 49 carry rollers 51 which bear upon cams 52 on the driving shaft P
of the machine; these cams are of such a form that during that portion of the
revolution of shaft P¹ which corresponds to the feeding motion of the discs L, they
raise the levers 49 so as to raise the fluffing bar 46 off the paper, in order to allow
it to be fed forward freely, while during that part of the revolution of P¹ which
corresponds to the fluffing action, the cams 52 allow the levers 49 to drop so as to
bring the fluffer bar on to the paper.
The shaft P carries two other cams 53 against which bear rollers 54 on the
tails 55 of the fluffing arms 42, and on the sides of these cams are studs 56 which
during a certain part of their rotation will act upon the fingers 57 on the tails 55
and will thereby move the tails outwards and consequently the arms 42 inwards the
gap in the cams 53 allowing of such motion.
By means of this motion of the arms 42 the bar 46 while resting with its
caoutchouc lip 47 upon the paper will be moved to the left, and will thereby effect
the fluffing of the paper as previously described.
As soon as this motion is completed the cams 52 act upon the levers 49 so as to
raise the fluffing bar off the paper as above described, and as the studs 56 then
release the fingers 57, the overhanging weight of the tails 55 will cause the arms 42
and with them the fluffer bar to move to the right again, in which position these
parts are then kept by the roller 54 being in contact with the circular periphery of
the cam 53 until the next sheet of paper requires to be fluffed.
The other parts of the machine are precisely the same as previously described.
The extent to which the paper sheets require to be fluffed varies with different
kinds of paper, in order to afford such variation we provide pressing fingers 25 on a
spindle 26 passing across the table over the paper file and having its ends carried
in sockets 27 that are adjustable secured by thumb nuts 28 in slotted arms E' on
the sliding frame E, so that the spindle 26 can be moved nearer to or farther from
the fluffing arms, as may be required.
The construction of the presser fingers 25 and spindle 26 with its adjuncts will
be seen more clearly on the enlarged detail views of these parts at Figs. 10
and 11.
The sockets 27 have a screwed pin 29 that fits with a square part in the slot
of El so as to be prevented from turning, while on the spindle 26 is fixed a second
socket 30 to which is fixed one end of a helical spring 31 that embraces spindle 26
and that has its other end fixed to socket 27, the spring having a tension put upon
it which tends to turn the spindle in the direction of the arrow Fig. 11. The
fingers 25 are carried by sleeves 32 that are adjustably fixed to the spindle 26, so
that the action of the spring 31 tends to press the fingers 25 down upon the paper

page_text: pile. Thus it will be seen that the fingers hold down the top sheet of paper at a
certain distance from the fluffing arms, so that the extent to which these raise the
front part of the sheet depends upon the position of the fingers 25. This pressure
of the fingers upon the paper must of course cease after the fluffing and during the
time that the paper sheet is fed forward.
For this purpose the fingers are raised off the sheet during such time by the
following arrangement. Upon the shaft P¹ is fixed a cam 33 (shewn more clearly
at Fig. 1) in contact with which is the one end of a double ended lever 34 carried
by a rod 35 from the top of frame E, the other end of which carries a bobbin 36
on which is wound a length of tape 37 that passes down and is attached to a small
pulley 38 fixed on the shaft 26, the bobbin being secured in position on the lever
by a suitable clamping screw, so that after turning it on its pivot so as to adjust.
the length of tape between it and the pulley 38 to the position into which the.
spindle is brought, the bobbin is fixed.
The cam 33 is so formed that when the fluffing arms have completed their fluffing
motion it depresses the one end of the lever, and in thus raising the other end it.
causes it to exert a pull by the tape 37 so as to turn spindle 26 against the action
of the springs, and consequently to raise the fingers 25 from off the paper, this.
action being continued by the rotation of the cam until, when the fluffing arms are
about to commence their action, the drop on its periphery releases the pull, and
allows the fingers to be turned down on to the paper by the action of the spring.
In place of the fingers 25 and spindle 26 may also be used the arrangement
shewn in elevation at Fig. 12 and in enlarged cross section at Fig. 13.
In this case
there is substituted for the spindle 26 a bar 39 carried in a similarly adjustable
manner by the slotted arms E', and having a number of vertical slots in which
work loosely vertically sliding fingers 40, which rest with their weight upon the
paper sheet. The upper ends of the fingers are formed with a hook by which they
hook on to a bar 41 which can rise and fall in a groove of 39 and which is con-
nected by tapes or other suitable means of connection 37 to levers 34 operated by
cams 33 as previously described, so that when the paper is being fluffed the
fingers 43 rest upon the sheet, but at other times they are raised up by the bar 41.
It will be obvious that in either of the above described arrangements of fingers,
the cam 33 and lever 34 may be replaced by any other well known device whereby
the above described movements are imparted to the fingers.
In order to insure that the paper shall "register" correctly as it enters the
printing machine there is provided on each side of the table y a guide S S¹ which
are both made to move to and fro simultaneously so as to bring the paper sheet
into a central position between them; for this purpose the plates S S₁ are
respectively adjustably connected to rods t and which can slide to and fro in
brackets the rod being made to slide through a hole in plate S while slides
through a hole in S¹, these rods each have their right hand end connected by
links to the double ended lever w, a tail of which is connected by a rod ³ to the
end of a lever a¹, shewn more clearly in the part elevation at Fig. 14 hanging
loosely on a pin on the framing of the machine and acted upon at each revolu
tion of the cylinder M by a pin c on the latter, so as to rock the lever w causing this
to move both guide plates S S' towards each other, after which the lever .¹ moves
back into its original position, either by its own weight, or by a spring, and
consequently also brings the lever w and plates S S¹ back into their original
positions.
Figs. 18 19 and 20 shew respectively a side view plan and an end view of another
arrangement of the registering device. In this arrangement the rod alone is
moveable the rod t being held stationary in the brackets (*. This rod carries the
two guide plates S S' adjustably fixed thereon by means of setting screws. The
rod has its one end connected by a link v¹ and crank w to a shaft, on the lower
end of which is an arm acted upon by a cam in such a manner, that when a sheet
of paper
is about to pass between the guides, the shaft æ is turned by the cam so as
to impart a longitudinal movement to the rod v to the left hand, and on the shaft

page_text: being released by the cam as the paper passes through a spring at the other end
of rod v forces this back again into its original position.
=
The rod carries an adjustable sleeve ² secured by a setting screw, and which
is connected by a link to a finger 12 pivotted to the guide S. Thus as the rod v
is moved in the direction of the arrow by the spring it moves the finger t² so as
to bear with its rubber tip upon the sheet of paper passing underneath and push
the paper up against the surface of the guides; the finger, continuing its motion,
passes through an opening in the guide into the position shewn in dotted lines, in
which it remains until the sheet of paper is passed beyond the guides S, after
which the rod v is again actuated by the shaft so as to bring the finger back to
the full position.
With this arrangement only one of the guides S or S¹ is in operation at a time,
the other one being for the time shifted with its finger t² and sleeve 2 upon the
rods tv so as to be out of reach of the paper sheet.
The other parts of the apparatus that have not been more particularly described
are of the same construction as described in our said prior Patents.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:―
1. In apparatus for feeding paper into printing machines, the use in combination
with revolving feeding discs such as L of fluffing arm such as 2 mounted on a
separate shaft 1 and receiving motion from the shaft P1 by gearing 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
in such a manner that while the discs L remain stationary with their flat faces
removed from the paper, the fluffing arms 2 are turned in the contrary direction to
the discs L and in acting upon the front end of the paper sheet, are made to fluff
the same, or separate it from the next sheet below, substantially as described.
2. In combination with the feeding discs L and fluffing arm 2 referred to in the
previous claim, the use of presser-fingers such as 25 operated by a cam 33 or
equivalent device, in such manner that while the paper is being operated upon by
the fluffing arms, the fingers are pressed down upon the paper, but when the paper
is being fed forward by the discs L, they are raised up away therefrom, substan-
tially as described.
3. The combination with the shaft P¹ receiving motion from the printing
machine, of the fluffer shaft 1 with fluffer arms 2, and operated by shaft P₁ through
mechanism 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, so arranged that by the rotation of shaft P
the fluffers are first moved forward from their backward position, so as to fluff the
paper, and are then moved rapidly back into their backward position again, sub-
stantially as described.
4. The fluffing mechanism herein described with reference to Figs. 15, 16 and 17
wherein arms 42 carry a fluffing bar 46, 47, which is alternately raised and lowered
by means of levers 49 and cams 52, while the arms 42 receive a to and fro motion
by means of cams 53 and studs 56 acting on rollers 54 and fingers 57.
5. In combination with the shaft P₁, shaft K with feed discs L, and shaft 1 with
fluffing arms 2, the shaft O', pitch wheel O receiving motion from the printing
machine, single tooth ratchet 17, reciprocating lever 20 and pawl 23, whereby, after
the shaft O has been made to complete a rotation for actuating the feeding discs,
it is turned through a certain angle at a slower speed for actuating the fluffer arms,
substantially as described.
6. For adjusting the paper sheets into proper position for "register" before
passing on to the cylinder of the printing machine, the use of two guide plates S S
carried by rods tv receiving a reciprocating motion in contrary direction by suitable
gearing from the printing machine so that as each sheet of paper passes between
the plates S S¹, these are made to advance and thus to bring the paper into a
central position, substantially as described.
7. Apparatus for adjusting the paper sheets into proper position for register
before passing on to the cylinder of the printing machine consisting of the

page_text: combination of the fixed rod t carrying the guide plates S S¹, and the reciprocating
rod with adjustable sleeve v² connected by links ³ to fingers t2 pivotted to the
guide plates S S¹ and actuated so as to move the sheet of paper up against the one
or other of the guide plates S or S', substantially as described with reference to
Figures 18 19 and 20 of the drawings.
8. Apparatus for feeding paper into printing machines combined and operating
as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of February 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.