An Apparatus for Feeding Successive Sheets to Printing and other Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 29th May,
1897
[Communicated from abroad by ALEXANDER LAGERMAN, Junior, of Jönköping,
Sweden, Manufacturer.]
An Apparatus for Feeding Successive Sheets to Printing and other
Machines.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 apparatus whereby the uppermost of a pile of sheets is
advanced to the grippers tapes or other feeding device of a printing machine or
other machine which deals with successive sheets for printing, ruling or other
purposes:
The mechanism about to be described is specially arranged so as to present the
front edge of each sheet in true line, that is to say, parallel to the printing or other
cylinder that is to act upon it to prevent imperfect sheets from passing on to the
machine and to provide for stopping the machine automatically when any sheet is
wrong or wrongly advanced.
In order that this mechanism may be understood, it will now be explained,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings in the several figures of which
the same reference letters are employed to denote the same parts.
Figure of the drawings is a plan of apparatus according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation.
Figure 3 is a part longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a part longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is an elevation and Figure 6 is a section of the driving pulley and its
adjuncts.
Figures 7. 8 and 9 are side views of the feeler mechanism in three different
conditions.
Figure 10 is a part end view shewing the main wheels and feeler mechanism on
the right side of the apparatus.
Figure 11 is a vertical section on the line 11-11 of Figure 3.
Figures 12 and 13 are front views of the mechanism for adjusting the sheets.
laterally.
On each side of a table L is fixed a frame L carrying feeding mechanism, these
two mechanisms being substantially alike but respectively right and left handed.
Both frames, or one of them, may be adjustable in position laterally to suit
different widths of sheets, and when such adjustment is provided the cross shafts
connecting the two mechanisms are made with suitable key ways allowing the
wheels and other parts which they carry to be shifted longitudinally along them.
Each of the frames L is jointed at / to a bar L' and has a bolt passing through a
slotted hole of L' so that the table L' on which the frames L stand can be inclined
more or less to suit the printing or other machine to which the feeding apparatus is
applied. At their further ends the bars L' are fixed to a shaft E' on which is also
fixed the farther end of a table E' which receives the pile E of sheets to be fed.
The table E' instead of being fixed on the shaft E' may turn upon it as on a hinge,

page_text: so that it and the pile of sheets which it carries can be raised or lowered as
required. In this case each corner of the front end of the table E' is carried by a
strap E attached to a roller fixed on a shaft C. which is operated, as will hereafter
be explained, so as to raise the table El a little after a certain number of sheets
have been taken from the pile E.
In the frames L are journalled two cross shafts A and C. The shaft A has
fixed on it two main wheels B one for the apparatus on each side of the table. As
these apparatus are similar, but right and left handed, it is sufficient to describe the
details of only one of them.
Its wheel B through gear wheels B B B B BB drives a rubbing wheel B'
which has rounded teeth with faces slightly sloped so that they bear a little more
strongly on the margin of the sheet than on the part of the sheet within it. As
the wheel revolves in the direction of the arrow in contact with the uppermost
sheet the effect is to advance the sheets successively in the same manner as by the
feeding stick usually employed in feeding by hand. The axes of the wheels B
and B are journalled in the one arm of a lever B which is pivotted on the axis
of B at B and has its other arm terminating in a ratchet toothed segment B₁0
engaged by a swinging pawl D³ suspended from the end of an arm D. This arm D
has a roller D2 engaged in a cam groove B13 in the wheel B. A pin D projects
from the pawl D³ under a cam B14 which projects from the face of B.
H. H' is a lever pivotted at H2 on a bracket projecting down from the arm B
so that when its curved arm H is pressed down upon the pile of sheets the wheel B'
is raised from the pile, the advance of that side of the sheet being then stopped
by H acting as a brake the advance of that side of the sheet being thus stopped.
This action is determined by a lightly poised feeler F. which is pivotted at F2 and
has a hooked arm F3 holding a pin on the one arm G of a lever, the other arm G₁
of which has a slot engaging a pin on the arm G2 of a bent lever fixed on a rotating
spindle g.
Another pin on an arm on the spindle g situated about the middle of the arm G²
is connected by a link G³ to one arm G4 of a lever pivotted at g' another arm G³
being connected by a link Go to the arm H¹.
When either front corner of the uppermost sheet advanced by the action of the
wheel B' meets the top of the feeler F, which is held by a light spring G8 in the
position shewn in Figures 2 and 8 the feeler is pushed forward by the sheet as
shewn in Figure 9 releasing the pin on G, whereupon a spring g² acting on the
arm G causes it to ascend, the arm H being thus pressed down on the sheet and
the wheel B' being raised, so that the side of the sheet the front corner of which
acted on the feeler F ceases to advance, while the other corner of the sheet
continues to advance until it also acts on the feeler at its side ceasing to advance.
In this way the front edge of the sheet is presented in the true position for being
fed. In order that the feeler F may be capable of being moved as described by
the pressure of the edge of the sheet, the pin of the arm G2 is arranged to work in
a slut the bottom of which it occupies close to the pivot of the lever G at the time
when the feeler is to be acted on by the sheet and thus the frictional resistance to.
the releasing movement of F³ is so small that the light pressure of the edge of the
sheet against the feeler F. is sufficient to move it, withdrawing the hook F³ from
the pin on the arm G. As the wheel B continues to revolve the part of the cam
groove B3 which is nearest the centre comes to act on the roller D' depressing
it, and the pawl D³ being engaged in a tooth of the ratchet B10 that arm of B' is
depressed and the other arm is raised lifting the wheel B7 and the finger H quite
off the pile of sheets. As this action occurs in the mechanism at both sides of the
table, the uppermost sheet is thus left entirely free. While the sheet is in this free
condition a segment B18 on the circumference of the wheel B of somewhat greater
radius than the rest of the circumference comes round to contact with the front
edge of the sheet which has been advanced just over a spring roller G7 and causes
the sheet to advance farther.
For sheets of different kinds of material or different characters in respect of

page_text: thickness or smoothness the pressure of the rubbing wheel B' on the sheets has to
be regulated. For this purpose a spring is applied to any convenient part of the
lever B which carries the rubbing wheel, the force of this spring being adjustable
by a screw or otherwise to vary the pressure as required. Such a spring and
several other springs applied to various parts of the mechanism are omitted from
the drawings in order to avoid confusion, as the construction and adaptation of
such springs can be readily understood without special illustration.
The spring roller G' is mounted on the arm G of a lever pivotted at G", its
other arm G being pressed upwards by a spring G³.
When by the action of the cam B¹s the pawl D' depresses the segment B thus
raising the rubbing wheel B7, during the latter part of this movement an arm D
projecting from D. acts on an arm G projecting from G and thus moves G to the
left restoring G2 and G to the position shown in Figures 8 and 9 in which position
G is again locked by the hook F³.
When the part of the cam groove B3 which is farthest from the centre comes
round to D and raises it again, so allowing the wheel B' to descend again on the
sheet pile, the pawl D³ is for a time by the cam B acting on the pin D³ held out
of gear with the segment B10 so that the wheel B7 is free to descend until it bears
on the pile of sheets and it is only when it has to be raised again that the pawl D³
again engages in a tooth of B10. As the pile of sheets becomes reduced in height
the wheel B' descends lower raising B10 higher and the pawl has then to engage in
a lower tooth of B10. In this way the reduction of the height of the pile of sheets
as sheet after sheet is removed is allowed for. But when provision is made for
gradually raising the table E' which carries the pile of sheets, the rack B10 and
pawl D³ its pin D and the cam B1 may be dispensed with the lever B being rigidly
connected to the lever D.
For raising the table E' as sheet after sheet is removed, there is arranged between
the two feeding mechanisms at the sides of the table a device which will now be
described. A wheel K is fixed on the cross shaft A between two arms k which are
supported by the cross shafts A and C passing through them. Between those
arms are a ratchet wheel M fixed on the shaft C and a lever arm K4 pivotted
at K
Through eyes formed on K is fitted to slide a rod K' having at its end a
plate K which bears on the pile of sheets E. On the shaft C is freely pivotted
a lever M' on which is pivotted a pawl M² engaging the teeth of the ratchet
wheel M. The lever M' has also fixed adjustably to it by a bolt passing through
an eye M³ a curved arm Mt. The lever K' carries a roller bearing against a
cam K on the one side of the wheel K, and the lever M' has a roller bearing
against a cam on the other side of K. By this cam once in every revolution of the
shaft A the lever arm M¹ is depressed raising M from the pile of sheets E and
allowing it to descend again. By the same action the pawl M2 is made to move
to and fro along a tooth of the ratchet wheel M; but when the pile of sheets E
has become to a certain extent lowered then on the descent of M' the pawl M²
drops behind a fresh tooth of M and at the next up stroke of M' it moves the
ratchet wheel M one tooth round, and so turning the shaft C. The rollers near
the ends of this shaft are thus made to wind on a certain length of the bands E³
by which the front corners of the table E' are suspended, thus raising the table a
little. This action is repeated whenever, by the removal of successive sheets, the
pile has become so far lowered that the pawl M2 can engage a fresh tooth of
the ratchet wheel M. When the wheel is thus partly turned in the direction of
the arrow a pawl K2 prevents it from turning back.
By the action of the cam K¹ the plate K is raised from the pile of sheets during
the time that the rubbing wheels B' are feeding the uppermost sheet forwards
owards the feelers F, but just before the segment B18 on the wheel B. acts on the
sheet so as to advance it farther, the plate K6 descends and bearing on the next
sheet prevents it from being dragged forward by the advance of the sheet
bove it.

page_text: As shewn in Figures 1 and 4 it is of advantage when sheets of some kinds of
paper are being fed, to keep the pile pressed down by rollers j³.
When a sheet has been fed forwards by the segment B18 and roller G' so that its
front edge is in position to be caught by the grippers or other feeding device of
the printing or other machine, it rests for a time to be adjusted laterally which is
effected by the mechanisin shewn in Figures 1, 3, 12, and 13. In a bracket 0°
projecting in front of each of the wheels B are journalled two rocking shafts 07
and 08. These have arms carrying rollers 03 and 00 which respectively bear
against cams B1 and B20 formed on the outer face of the wheel B. The shaft 07
has an arm on which are pivotted two arms O' and O2, the arm O2 having a thin
plate fitted to slide easily along it. When O' and O2 are in the position shewn in
Figure 13 the roller O³ is acted on by the cam B19 so as to move 'O¹ and O2 in the
direction of the arrow Figure 13, these arms embracing between them the margin
of the sheet which is then at rest. When the margin is met by an upwardly
projecting part 0 of the plate on 02 the plate is relatively pushed back even if
the sheet is very thin and weak. The cam B20 then comes to such a position as to
allow the arm O' to be pressed down by a suitable spring which may be a coil
acting on the rock shaft 08; the arm O' however does not descend so far as to
clamp the sheet firmly between it and O' but sufficiently to prevent the sheet from
being corrugated by its pressure against O. The arm O' is then allowed by the
cam B20 to descend farther so as to clamp the margin of the sheet firmly, and then
the cam 11 allows a suitable spring which may be coiled round 07 to move O back
thus pulling the sheet sideways until as shewu in Figure 12 04 meets a stop 0°
which is connected by a link to the arm 05 on the rock shaft 08. The spring which
effects the clamping of the sheet between O¹ and O2 is adjusted to be stronger at
the one side of the table than the corresponding spring at the other side, so that
the sheet is always drawn against the stop 0 on that side where the spring is the
stronger thus adjusting it laterally, the pull exerted by the clamp 01 02 on the
other side serving merely to strain the front part of the sheet to a quite straight
and flat condition when it is about to be seized by the grippers or other feeding
device. After the lateral adjustment of the sheet the cams B1 and B20 restore
the parts to the position shewn in Figure 13 ready for operating on a succeeding
sheet.
When the feeding apparatus so far described is employed to feed sheets to such
a machine as a printing machine, it is with advantage provided with means for
stopping the machine automatically in case of a defective or uneven sheet being
advanced or of a sheet being improperly presented to the grippers or other feed
device of the machine. Mechanism for this purpose will now be described with
reference chiefly to Figures 5 and 6.
The main shaft A of the feeding mechanism is not driven directly from the
printing or other machine but through a disc and clutch device engaging the shaft
with a pulley R which is driven at suitable speed by a belt from the machine and
revolves loosely on the shaft A. A disc A having a wedge shaped projection A'
is fixed on the shaft A and between A¹ and the pulley R is interposed another
disc A which can revolve freely on the boss of the pulley and has two studs A
with a free roller A between them projecting into the hollow of R the roller A³
lying between the projection A2 and the interior circumference of R. A spring
in any convenient position connects A to A' urging A* in the direction of the arrow
Figure 5 and so moving the roller A³ until it becomes wedged between A* and
the circumference of R thus clutching A' to R so that the shaft A is driven from
the machine at a speed so regulated that the shaft A makes one revolution in less
time than that occupied in operating on a sheet by the printing or other machine
as for instance the time of a revolution of the impression cylinder. When a catch
suitably worked by the machine meets a tooth A projecting from the disc A' it
holds A back, thus withdrawing the roller A³ from its clutching position and so
stopping the shaft A so that the feeding mechanism remains at rest until the
machine at the proper time removes the catch from A whereupon the roller A³ is

page_text: restored to its clutching position starting again the feeding mechanism which is
thus made to occur at the proper time so as to have a sheet always ready to be.
caught by the grippers or other feeding device of the machine.
A transverse shaft P journalled in the frame L and supported by a spring.
urging it against a stop so that it is held normally in the position shewn in Figures 5.
and 6, has projecting from it towards each of the feelers F a blade P¹ the edge of
which can rest (as shewn in Figure 8) upon a ledge Fa projecting from the side of
the feeler F. At the end of the shaft P next the pulley R it has fixed on it an
arm P' in which is held freely pivotted the lower end of a vertical rock spindle P³.
having an arm P to which is jointed a sliding rod Ps having on it a projecting.
tappet P. The rod P³ can slide through an eye P10 projecting from the frame L.
which has also a projection P in which is pivotted the upper end of the spindle P3:
and through which can slide the upper end of a rod P8. This rod P³ is connected
to the belt fork of the printing machine which is urged by a weight or spring to.
the position in which the belt is on the loose pulley, the machine being then at rest.
But when the fork is moved throwing the belt on to the fast pulley and so causing
the machine to operate, the rod P has a nose upon it P' resting on the tappet P
and thus holding the belt on to the fast pulley and keeping the machine going,
until as will hereafter be described, the rod Ps is pushed in the direction of the..
arrow (Figure 5) releasing P and allowing Pa to descend so that the belt becomes
shifted on to the loose pulley and the machine is stopped. The movement of Po to.
release P is effected under different circumstances by the agency of certain.
projections A, A1, A2, differently situated on the face of the disc A¹ Besides
these there are also on A¹ wedge shaped projections A, A, A", which act on the.
curved end P' of a spring arm P12 fixed on the shaft P, each of these as the disc A¹
revolves tending to move the shaft P partly round in the direction of the arrow..
When a sheet is by accident not advancel by the feeding mechanism so far as to..
more both the feelers F, or if it has a corner folded or torn off or its front edge
oblique so that it acts on only one of the feelers then the blade or blades P being
supported on either or both of the ledges F8 of the feelers, the shaft P. cannot turn
its spring arm P2 merely yielding to the pressure of A. Under these conditions.
the projection A8 meets P pushing P³ to the left releasing 18 and so stopping the
machine. If, however, the feeding mechanism has advanced a sheet so as to move
the feelers F, then the ledges Fa being thus moved from under the blades P1, the
shaft Pis then free to turn partly in obedience to the action of A' upon its
arms P2, and thus the arm P is lowered so as to be out of the path of A8, so that
the machine is not stopped.
When a sheet has moved the feelers F in the normal way and its rear edge is.
just about to leave them, the projection A acts on P° so as to press down the
blades P¹ on the shaft P. If the sheet happens to be too narrow or if one of its
rear corners is folded or torn off then the feelers F swing back before they ought, or
one of them does so, the blade P¹ being thus supported on the ledges or ledge F8.
and then the projection A moves P4, P³ and P³ releasing P' and so stopping the
machine.
When there happens to be a sheet so narrow or situated so far back in the pile
that its front edge is not caught between the segment B18 and the roller G' this.
narrow sheet remains loose on the sheet below it, which, as it is advanced might
take the loose sheet with it. In order to provide against this it is of advantage to
provide a fixed transverse brush I shewn in dotted lines on Figure 2, so as to press.
upon and retard the advance of the loose sheet till it is removed. When the
narrow sheet happens to lie over the feelers F preventing them from swinging.
back so that their ledges support P1, the projection A" acting on P presses the
arm P2 and spindle P³ down and then A¹ acting on P causes release of PT
stopping the machine. The projection A being at a greater radial distance from.
the centre of A than either of the projections A or A⁰ acts on P4 to stop the
machine when P2 and P3 are in their lowest position being depressed by the action
of A" on P in any case where P' is not supported on the ledge F8 of the feeler F..

page_text: Then the projections A' A' A' A10 A" and A1 on the disc A' effect automatic
stoppage of the printing or other machine to which sheets are fed by the mechanism
described when there are no sheets left or when from any cause their feeding ceases
or when a sheet is too narrow or is folded or defective at any of its four corners or
occupies a wrong position in the pile.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I.
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for feeding successive sheets for printing and other machines
constructed and operating substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus such as is above referred to, the combination of the rubbing
wheels and curved brake arms, the levers on which these are mounted and the cams
of the main wheels by which these levers are operated, substantially as described.
3. The combination of the feelers, the detent levers on which they act, and the
lever and rods connecting them to the brake levers, substantially as described.
4. The combination of the segments of increased radius of the main wheels and
the spring rollers by which the sheet is advanced, substantially as described.
5. The combination of the cams on the sides of the main wheels the clamps and
their operating levers whereby the front of the sheet is stretched and laterally
adjusted.
6. The mechanism for raising the table as the pile of sheets becomes lowered,
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 4.
7. The mechanism for automatically stopping of the printing or other machine
to which the feeding apparatus is applied, substantially as described with reference
to Figures 5 and 6.
Dated this 17th dor of & nail 1007
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.