Improvements in and relating to the Feeding of Paper and the like to Printing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 31st Mar., 1894-Accepted. 12th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Feeding of Paper and the like
to Printing Machines.
I, DAVID CARLAW of 81 Dunlop Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved method and
arrangement and combination of appliances for feeding paper and the like to
pneumatic or vacuum feed printing machines, and automatically stopping. the
machine or working mechanism in the event of the supply falling short or in any
manner getting disarranged, and which will be more simple and efficient, and
dispense with the services of the attendant heretofore necessary with this class of
machine.
The improvements essentially consist in fitting a moving piston or diaphragm
within the suction chamber or cylinder which oscillates to and fro to lift the paper
or material sheet by sheet from the pile and deliver same to the travelling tapes.
Rod and lever connections are taken from this piston to the lever which operates
the belt fork, so that in the event of the paper sheets running short, or in way
getting out of order, the belt fork lever will through these connections be auto-
matically actuated to shift the belt on to the loose pulley and so instantaneously
stop the motion of the machine.
The improvements also provide, that when the usual hand lever is operated to
check or stop the printing cylinder, the same action will automatically actuate
and shut the air valve, so that the suction air blast will be shut off and the
feed of paper instantaneously stopped.
In carrying these improvements into practice, the air suction chamber would be
carried on and operated as usual by the vertical vibrating levers from geared cams
so as by air suction or vacuum to lift the paper, one sheet at a time and feed it on
to the travelling tapes which carry same to the printing cylinder and under one
arrangement the piston would consist of a light metal disc or diaphragm and be
mounted on a reciprocating rod passed through a stuffing box at the one end of
suction chamber and through a brass lined tube with feather and central eye
within the chamber. A helical spring would-be mounted between a collar on the
end of piston rod and one on the end of suction cylinder, and a series of holes or
apertures would be formed annularly round the cylinder near its end; all so that
when the paper feed is working properly the suction or vacuum created within the
cylinder by the exhaust fan aud by the paper covering the openings in its under
surface, will tend to draw the piston inwards, and the consequent inrush of
atmospheric air through the holes in cylinder will cause a pressure behind the
piston to force it to its inmost travel, against the action of the helical spring on the
outer end of piston rod; but in the event of the paper running short, or in any
way getting disarranged, there will not be sufficient vacuum or suction to keep the
piston at its inward travel, and the recoil of the spring will draw the piston rod
and piston to their extreme outward travel; and this action will through rod and
lever connections operate and release the belt fork lever to instantaneously stop
the motion of the machine.
The rod and lever connections between the belt fork lever, and the piston rod
would under one arrangement consist as follows:-A lever or swivelling link
would be mounted at its one end on a fulcrum stud on the framework of machine ;
and be formed or fitted with a catch or pawl to hold the belt fork lever in position
against the action of a spring, with the main driving belt on the driving pulley.

page_text: The other end of this link would be attached to the one end of a connecting rod,
and the other end of this rod would be formed with a notch or "gab" to engage
with a pin on the one end of a spring recoil link. The other end of this link would
in turn be attached to a movable stud spindle in the framework of machine, and a
coupling lever or link would have its one end attached to this stud spindle and its
other end connected to the one end of a longitudinal movable bar carried in
brackets in the side frame of machine, and this bar would be formed with an
angled tooth or catch device. A vertical beam lever is fulcrumed on a stud pin in
a bracket carried on the vertical oscillating lever which carries and operates the
suction paper feed cylinder. This lever is free to oscillate transversely on its
fulcrum pin, and its upper end is in line with the outer end of piston rod of the
suction chamber piston. A spring pawl or catch device is formed or fitted on the
lower arm of this oscillating lever, and when the suction chamber and paper feed
is working properly, this lever which is carried on, and travels with the suction
box oscillating lever is drawn inwards at its upper end by its lower end being
properly balanced or weighted and its pawl passes clear of the catch device on the
aforementioned bar, but if the paper feed ceases to work properly the recoil of the
spring on piston rod will by its end collar act on and oscillate the top arm of lever
outwards so that the pawl on the lower arm will come in contact with the tooth or
catch on the longitudinal bar and move this to operate through the rod and link
connections, the link or lever which holds the lever of belt fork to release this and
automatically shift the belt and so stop the machine.
"
To automatically close the valve and shut off the air suction simultaneously with
and by the action of "checking or stopping the printing or blanket cylinder
by operating the usual hand lever, a projecting arm or stop pin is fitted on the
end of the usual longitudinal bar connected to the blanket cylinder hand operating
lever, and this arm is made to act on a lever attached to the transverse spindle
connected to the air blast valve, so that the latter is closed and the suction shut
off simultaneously with, and by the action of stopping the blanket cylinder.
Another projecting arm is also formed on or attached to this bar which will
simultaneously act on the connecting rod which operates the belt fork lever, and
lift and disengage its slotted or "gab" end from the link pin and hold it thus, so as
to prevent the automatic stopping of the machine when the air suction valve is
thus shut.
Dated 19th Jul 1902
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Feeding of Paper and the like
to Printing Machines.
1, DAVID CARLAW, of 81 Dunlop Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, that is to say :-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved method and
arrangement and combination of appliances for feeding paper and the like to
pneumatic or vacuum feed printing machines, and automatically stopping the
machine or working mechanism in the event of the supply falling short or in any
manner getting disarranged, and which will be more simple and efficient, and
dispense with the services of the attendant heretofore necessary with this class of
machine.
The improvements essentially consist in fitting a moving piston or diaphragm
within the suction chamber or cylinder which oscillates to and fro to lift the paper

page_text: or material sheet by sheet from the pile and deliver same to the travelling tapes.
Rod and lever connections are taken from this piston to the lever which operates
the belt fork, so that in the event of the paper sheets running short, or in any way
getting out of order, the belt fork lever will through these connections be auto-
matically actuated to shift the belt on to the loose pulley, and so instantaneously
stop the motion of the machine.
The improvements also provide that when the usual hand lever is operated to
check or stop the printing cylinder, the same action will automatically actuate and
shut the air valve, so that the suction air blast will be shut off and the feed of
paper instantaneously stopped.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference letters
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of part of a printing machine, showing my
improvements applied thereto; while Figures 2 and 3 are detached side and end
elevations, the latter partly in section and broken away, of my improved mechanism.
Referring to these drawings:-In carrying these improvements into practice,
the air suction chamber A would be carried on and operated as usual by the
vertical vibrating levers A¹ from geared cams A² so as by air suction or vacuum
to lift the paper, one sheet at a time and feed it on to the travelling tapes which
carry same to the printing cylinder, and under one arrangement the piston would
consist of a light metal disc or diaphragmn a Figure 3 and be mounted on a
reciprocating rod a' passed through a stuffing box A3 at the one end of suction
chamber A and through a brass lined tube a² with feather and central eye within
the chamber A. A helical spring b would be mounted between a collar a³ on the
end of piston rod and one on the end of suction cylinder, and a series of holes or
apertures A, would be formed annularly round the cylinder A near its end; all so
that when the paper feed is working properly the suction or vacuum created
within the cylinder A by the exhaust fan and by the paper covering the openings
in its under surface will tend to draw the piston a inwards, and the consequent
inrush of atmospheric air through the holes A in cylinder will cause a pressure
behind the piston a to force it to its inmost travel, against the action of the helical
spring on the outer end of piston rod a¹; but in the event of the paper running
short, or in any way getting disarranged, there will not be sufficient vacuum or
suction to keep the piston a at its inward travel, and the recoil of the spring 6 will
draw the piston rod a' and piston a to their extreme outward travel, and this action
will through rod and lever connections operate and release the belt fork lever to
instantaneously stop the motion of the machine.
The rod and lever connections between the belt fork lever, and the piston rod a¹
would under one arrangement consist as follows:-A lever or swivelling link C
would be mounted at its one end on a fulcrum stud at C¹ on the framework of
machine; and be formed or fitted with a catch or pawl to hold the belt fork
lever C³ in position against the action of a spring C₁, with the main driving belt on
the driving pulley. The other end Cs of this lever C would be attached to the one
end of a connecting rod e and the other end of this rod would be formed with a
notch or "gab" to engage with a pin on the one end of a recoil link c². The
other end of this link c² would in turn be attached to a movable spindle c³ in the
framework of machine, and a coupling lever or link would have its one end
attached to this spindle c³ and its other end c connected to the one end of a longi-
tudinal movable bar D carried in brackets D', D', in the side frame of machine, and
this bar D would be formed with an angled tooth or catch device D³. A vertical
beam lever B is fulcrumed on a stud pin B' in a bracket carried on the vertical
oscillating lever A' which carries and operates the suction paper feed cylinder A.
This lever B is free to oscillate transversely on its fulcrum pin B¹ and its upper
end B' is in line with the outer end as of piston rod a' of the suction chamber
piston a. A spring pawl or catch device B³ is fitted on a bracket B" secured to

page_text: the lower arm of this oscillating lever B, and when the suction chamber A and
paper feed is working properly, this lever B which is carried on and travels with
the suction box oscillating lever A' is drawn inwards at its upper end B2 by its
lower end being properly balanced or weighted and the pawl B³ passes clear of the
catch device D2 on the aforementioned bar D; but if the paper feed ceases to work
properly the recoil of the spring on piston rod a¹ will by its end collar a³ act on
and oscillate the top arm of lever B outwards so that the pawl B³ on the_lower
arm will come in contact with the tooth or catch D² on the longitudinal bar D and
move this to operate through the aforementioned rod and link connections c³ to c,
the link or lever C which holds the lever C³ of the belt fork to release this and
automatically shift the belt and so stop the machine.
To automatically close the valve and shut off the air suction simultaneously with
and by the action of "checking" or stopping the printing or blanket cylinder by
operating the usual hand lever, a projecting arm or stop pin el is fitted on the end
of the usual longitudinal bar e connected to the blanket cylinder hand operating
lever ² and the arm e¹ is made to act on a lever E¹ attached to the transverse
spindle E connected to the air blast valve so that the latter is closed and the suction
shut off simultaneously with and by the action of stopping the blanket cylinder.
Another projecting arm e³ is also formed on or attached to this bar e which will
simultaneously act on the connecting rod c which operates the belt fork lever and
lift and disengage its slotted or "gab” end c¹ from the link pin and hold it thus,
so as to prevent the automatic stopping of the machine when the air suction valve
is thus shut.
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 :-
:-
First. In printing machines, the method of automatically stopping the machine
in the event of the feed of paper running short or getting disarranged, substantially
as herein described in reference to and by way of application shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Second. In printing machines, the fitting of a moving piston or diaphragm within
the suction cylinder in combination with rod and lever or equivalent connections to
the lever which operates the belt fork of machine, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described in reference to and by way of application shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Third. In printing machines, the particular arrangement and combination of
rods, levers and pawl or equivalent gear. between the moving piston in suction
cylinder and belt fork actuating lever of machine, substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In printing machines, the method of automatically closing the air valve
and shutting off the air suction, simultaneously with and by the action of stopping
the printing cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes herein described, in
reference to and by way of application shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fifth. In printing machines, the arrangement and combination of mechanism for
shutting off the air valve, and simultaneously disengaging the connecting rod which
operates belt fork, substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 30th March 1894.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.