An Improved Automatic Feeder for Printing and like Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Feeder for Printing and like Machines.
I, WILLIAM CARTER, of 62, Bothwell Circus, Glasgow, Printer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an automatic feeder for printing and like machines
which is characterized chiefly by a movable holder which holds the sheets to
be printed in an inclined position and automatically presents them, at the proper
times, to a series of suction tentacles in such a manner that said tentacles can
withdraw the sheets, one at a time, and deliver them, by means of travelling
tapes, to the printing cylinder
In carrying out the invention the printing machine is provided with a hollow
shaft working, at each end, in a sleeve and which is provided with a series of
loose tape pulleys on whose periphenes run a series of endless feeding tapes.
There 18 arranged, on the hollow shaft, preferably between the pulleys, a series
of suction tubes or tentacles for lifting the paper sheets, by auction, one at a time,
from the sheet holder and delivering them to the tapes These tentacles may,
for rough or uneven paper, be provided with rubber or other mouth pieces
The sleeves at each end of the shaft communicate with two auction pumps of any
suitable construction and the pistons of these pumps have depending piston rods
which extend through the bottom of the cylinders and can be weighted. The
weights cause the down or suction stroke of each cylinder, and, as the weights
can be varied, the load can be regulated so as to suit the suction desired The
up stroke of the pistons 18 caused by means of chains, or equivalent, running
over chain wheels and connected to the travelling carriage of the machine
the forward movement of the carriage the chains are slackened so that the
weights may actuate the pistons and create a suction in the cylinders and the
hollow shaft, and, at the back, or feeding movement, of the carriage, the chaina
are tightened so as to draw up the pistons ready for the next suction stroke
At
The
The sheet holder consists of a frame which has a number of slots in it and
which 18 secured adjustably by means of guide bars to two cross shafts
holder is counterweighted in such a manner that it is normally held in its in-
clined position so as to present the sheets properly to the tentacles and it can
be released from its normal position by means of pawl and ratchet mechanism.
The holder is provided with an (or more than one) adjustable fork upon which
the sheets of paper to be printed rest edgewise and it 18 also provided with
adjustable gauges. Mechanism is also provided whereby the holder, at each
downward movement of the suction tentacles, is caused to move forward and pre-
sent the face of the first or top sheet of the pile to the tentacles so that the sheet
can, by suction, be lifted and delivered to the feeding tapes and by them carried
to the cylinder of the machine. Whilst the sheet is being removed the holder
18 caused to recede to a certain extent ready for the next forward movement.
The sheets retain their places in the holder by gravity

page_text: There is also fitted on the machine, in conjunction with the holder, a slotted
stop-frame which is fixed upon a cross shaft in such a manner as to be capable
of adjustment to any desired position This stop-frame has a pinching board 80
arranged that, at each forward movement of the holder, the sheets are, at a short
distance from their upper edges, pinched and so caused to open out slightly
at the edges thereby lessening the likelihood of more than one sheet being lifted
at a time.
The holder, whenever it is desired to place the sheets upon it, can be brought
to the horizontal position, against the action of the counter-weight, by merely
moving the bottom guides to such an extent as to clear the back cross shaft,
whereupon the holder can be turned upon the other cross shaft as upon a hinge.
For the purpose of locking the lower guide bars in their adjusted positions spring
locking catches are provided
The hollow shaft with the suction tentacles is caused to perform a partial
revolution, at the proper times, so as to catch and feed the sheets, by means of a
cam motion which actuates a lever having a toothed segment at its end gearing
with a toothed pinion on the end of the hollow shaft; said hollow shaft 18 also
cut out at each end, where it works in the sleeves, so as to form ports which, at
each partial revolution, communicate with the suction cylinders. By having
these ports in the ends of the hollow shaft said shaft, as it turns, is practically
made to act as an automatic valve for opening and cutting off communication
with the suction cylinders
For the purpose of gripping the sheets as they are delivered by the suction
tentacles to the tapes small rubber tyred friction wheels on an overhead shaft
are provided as usual
The up or back stroke of the suction cylinders may be utilized to create an air
blast (or blasts) for blowing on the edges of the sheets and thereby, to a certain
extent, separating them before they are lifted by the suction tentacles
This may
be effected by causing the air to blow through the tentacles themselves or through
a separate pipe having onfices oi nozzles A deflecting plate may be used for
directing the air blast (or blasts) and this plate may be adjustable
Should the suction tentacles by any possibility miss taking up a sheet an
electric device 18 or may be provided for, in such an event, immediately checking
the cylinder The electric device would, preferably, have a contact finger or pin
so arranged that, so long as the sheets were feeding properly, said sheets them-
selves would prevent contact being made, but, immediately a sheet mussed, con-
tact would be made and the electric circuit closed so as to operate the device.
An electric device 18, or may be, provided for automatically throwing out of
gear the driving mechanism, whenever the sheets are finished, should the atten-
dant not be present to do this himself. The electric circuit could be closed so
as to operate this device, by the bringing together of the stop frame and the
holder
011 1
T
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
An Improved Automatic Feeder for Printing and like Machines.
1, WILLIAM CARTER, of 62, Bothwell Circus, Glasgow, Printer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
An Improved Automatic Feeder for Printing and like Machines.
1, WILLIAM CARTER, of 62, Bothwell Circus, Glasgow, Printer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement.
This invention relates to automatic feeding mechanism for printing and other
machines to which sheets of paper require to be fed and it has for its object to
improve the construction and action of such mechanism Under this invention
the sheets to be fed are held in an inclined position and upon edge upon u
movable holder, which, by means of suitable mechanism, is automatically
oaused; at the proper times, to advance and present the pile of sheets to a series
of suction tentacles or nozzles on a suction feed-shaft or roller and then recede
slightly; the action being such that said tentacles or nozzles can withdraw the
sheets, one at a time, and deliver them, in the case of a printing machine,
directly to the travelling feed tapes and so to the printing cylinder without the
intervention of intermediate rolleis or grippers
The several features of novelty constituting the invention are pointed out in
the claims.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have here-
unto appended, by way of illustration or example, three explanatory sheets of
drawings which show the sheet feeding mechanism constructed so that it can be
readily fitted to, say, a Wharfedale printing machine.
Fig. 1 18 a front elevation of the feeding mechanism.
Fig 2 18 an elevation of one side of the mechanism
Fig 3 18 an elevation of the opposite side of the mechanism
Fig 4 is a side view of the paper holder when in the down or horizontal
position.
Fig. 5 18 a view looking down on the mechanism Fig 4
Fig 6 is a view of the paper holder in the up or inclined position
Fig 7 is a detail sectional view of one of the suction pumps.
Fig 8 is a detail view of one of the levers and its connections
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference letters wherever re-
peated indicate the same parts —
The feeding mechanism consists of a frame a which carries, in bearings at its
upper end, a hollow rock shaft b, which works, at each end, in a sleeve c and
which is provided with a series of loose tape pulleys d on whose peripheries a
series of endless tapes e, one for each wheel, run. These endless tapes e pass
from the wheels d downwards to and round wheels f carried on a cross shaft
mounted in the forward extensions a¹ of the frame, and from the wheels
they pass back, over the rotating guide wheels h, on the shaft h', to the pulleys
The shaft is rotated by means of a crossed driving cord which passes 1ound
the grooved pulley ¹ on the shaft h¹ and the diver pulley on the main shaft
The shaft 18 rocked by means of rack and pinion mechanism consisting of
the pinion 6, at the right hand end of the shaft, whose teeth nesh with the teeth of
the rack 68 (see Fig 3) whose lower end is pivotted, at 63, to a bar bolted to the
wheel 2 The rack is maintained in engagement with the pinion 61 by means
of the spring b whose one end 18 secured on the reduced extension of the shaft b
whilst its other end is attached to a pin 65 hinged to the frame a at the back of
the rack
There is arranged on the hollow rock shaft b, hetween the pulleys d, a series
of suction nozzles or tentacles & for lifting the paper sheets, by suction, one at a
time, from the sheet holder and delivering them to the tapes e These nozzles
or tentacles may, for rough or uneven paper, be provided with rubber or other
mouth pieces
The sleeves c, at the ends of the rock shaft, communicate, by downward exten-
sions c', with two suction pumps 1, 1, of any suitable and well known construc-
tion The pistons of these pumps have (see Fig 7) depending piston rods
which pass downwards through the bottoms of the cylinders
Each piston
rod is weighted at its lower end as shown at . In Fig 1 only one piston rod

page_text: 18 shown complete the right hand one being broken away to show, more clearly
the mechanism behind it. The weights cause the down or suction stroke of
the piston of each cylinder, and, as the weights can be varied, the load can be
regulated so as to suit the suction desired. The up stroke of the pistons 18
caused by means of chains 15, running over chain wheels (carried on studs
and connected to the travelling carriage (not shown) of the printing machine.
As will be seen, by dotted lines, at Fig 2 and also at Fig. 7 the lower end of
each chain / is attached to an arm l' on the piston rod of each pump
The main shaft is driven from the driving shaft of the printing machine by
means of an endless chain which passes 1ound the chain wheel keyed to the
shaft
The sheet holder consists of a board or frame n, see also Figs 4, 5 and 6,
having a number of longitudinal slots n¹ and two cross slots n in it and which
18 adjustably secured, by means of guide bais n³, n, at each side, to two cross
shafts n5, 6. The bars n³, n, which rest in grooved pulleys no on the
shafts n³, no, are connected together, at their lower ends, by a cross board na
which has on it two latches n engaging with nicks on the bars n' The holder
has also a central longitudinal slot n', and it is counterweighted by means of a
weight n8, attached by chains n' to the bottom of the holder, in such a manner,
as shown, that the holder 18 normally held in its inclined position so as to
present the sheets of paper to be printed properly to the tentacles k, and it
can be released from this normal position by means of suitable mechanism as
hereinafter described The chains 7 pass over the chain wheels nº on the
revoluble shaft n
(Figs 4 and 6) indicates the sheets of paper to be printed whilst n are
gauges which are adjustable within the slots n³, and 15 is a gauge fork which
is adjustable within the slot n' Each
gauge has a clamping thumb nut as
bhown By means of these gauges the paper sheets can be adjusted and held
in the proper position on the board or holder When the board is in the in-
clined position (Figs. 1 and 6) the paper sheets rest edgewise upon the gauge
fork 15
Whenever it is desired to place the sheets of paper upon the holder the latter
can be brought into the horizontal position (Figs 4 and 5), against the action
of the counterweight 8, by merely lifting the latches " (see Figs. 1, 4 and 6)
out of engagement with the nicks n at the lower ends of the bottom bars n* and
then pulling out these bars to such an extent as to enable their inner ends to
clear the back cross shaft n³ whereupon the holder, with its guide bars, can be
turned upon the front cross shaft n as upon a hinge and brought to the position
shown at Figs 4 and 5
Fitted in connection with the holder is a pinching board o which is bolted,
to the frame a, in an inclined position corresponding to the inclined position of
the holder This board o has longitudinal slots o¹ (see Figs 4, 5 and 6) through
which the gauge fork (or forks) 75 can pass freely and also cross slots of through
which the gauges n³ can pass
It is necessary that, at each downward movement of the suction nozzles or
tentacles and up to the time when said tentacles have taken a hold of the front
sheet of paper, the paper sheets should be held pressed against the pinching
boardo and this is done by means of the weight 8 which is sufficiently heavy
to cause the holder to press the sheets of paper firmly against the pinching
board and thereby compiess or pinch them The result of this is that, owing
to the fact that the paper sheets project a few inches above the board o as
clearly shown at Fig 6, the body only of the paper sheets is tightly pinched
whilst the upper ends of the sheets are free, and, being free, open out slightly
at their upper edges thereby facilitating the removal of the sheets and lessening
the liklihood of more than one sheet of paper being lifted at a time. It is also
necessary, when a sheet is just about to be removed by the suction tentacles and
during the action of removal, that there should be no pinching pressure on the

page_text: frame a
whilst
sheets and this is accomplished by allowing the holder to recede alightly, under
the action of its own gravity, at the proper tames. This recession is allowed
to take place once in each revolution of the main shaft by means of a cam p,
on said shaft, which acts upon a friction roller p¹ on the lever p³, one end of
the lever på 18 forked and the fork grasps, with a sliding fit, the shaft
its other end is adjustably secured, by means of a slot and bolt arrangement p³,
to the lower end of a lever 1 whose upper end 18 secured on the shaft n.
this shaft 18 also keyed a ratchet wheel 25 with which a pawl p6, pivotally secured
to the lever p', can be made to engage, the pawl being normally held in engage-
ment by a spring p In conjunction with this mechanism there is a depending
finger p' which is capable of disengaging the pawl p from the ratchet wheel
when the front arm of the pawl strikes against it The finger p 18 bolted to the
The arrangement 18 auch that, (the levere på and p being properly
adjusted and connected together) each time a paper sheet is about to be lifted
the camp actuates the roller p¹ and lever p so as to move the lever p* and the
pawl p, which is now in engagement with the ratchet wheel, and thereby move
the latter round a certain distance thus relieving the weight from the chains and
allowing the holder to move backwards in its guide bars n³, n*, by gravity
The holder remains in this back position until the flattened face of the cam p
bears against the roller pl when the action of the weight at once rotates the chain
wheels n and pulls forward the holder so as to again compress the sheets against
the board ready for the next descent of the suction tentacles This action of the
weight and holder also compensates for each sheet withdrawn from the pile.
At each upward movement of the tentacles a sheet is taken from the pile and
delivered directly to the travelling tapes e by means of which it is conducted
to the printing cylinder
The sheets retain their position in the holder by gravity
For the purpose of gripping the sheets as they are delivered by the suction
tentacles to the tapes small rubber tyied friction wheels q on an overhead shaft q¹
are provided as usual
It is necessary that the suction should not act gradually but as suddenly as
possible upon the paper sheet to be lifted and also with the maximum power,
or as near the maximum power as possible, at the time the suction tentacles
come in contact with the sheet. To effect this, levers are provided, said levers
being fulcrumed upon the cross shaft rl There are two levers r, one at each
Bide of the machine, and each lever, at its lower end, is provided with a friction
rollerand, at its upper end, with a catch 3 (see detail view of the lever Fig. 8)
Each chain wheel 76 is provided with a lateral pin which can be engaged by
the catch 3 of the lever r for the wheel A eam is made on cach end of the
shaft J and these cams work against the rollers ³ and, at the proper times,
actuate the levers so as to free the catches from engagement with the pins
of the cham wheels Ze With this arrangement when the carnage of the
printing machine is travelling forward (ze, away from the feeding mechanism)
the wheels are revolved so as to pull up the chains and the piston rods of
the suction pumps During this revolution of the wheels & their pins ride over
the upper tapered ends of the catches. When the carriage is on its backward
movement the weights of the piston rods would actuate the chain wheels but
they are prevented from doing so by the catches until the proper time, i e.
when sufficient slack chain has been given in advance of these wheels 16 by the
continued backward movement of the carriage, at which time the cams come
into action and disengage the lever catches from the pins whereupon the
weights of the piston rods are allowed to fall down by gravity, which they do
suddenly and thereby sharply actuate the pistons of the pumps and produce a
sudden suction at the mouths of the tentacles
In order to sharply put on and cut off the suction from the pumps the hollow
rock shaft b is, as shown at Fig 7, made with a cut out part at each end, where
it works in the sleeves, so as to form ports s, which, at each partial revolution,

page_text: communicate with the suction cylinders. By having these ports in the ends
of the hollow shaft, said shaft, as it turns, practically acts as an automatic valve
for opening and cutting off communication with the cylinders.
In order to more effectually separate the paper sheets in the holder from each
other at their upper ends, so as to facilitate their removal one by one, a blowing
device is used which consists of a blow pipe t held in adjustable brackets at
each side of the frame This pipe is provided with a series of nozzles at its
underside which are, as shown, directed downwards so as to deliver a series of
air jets against the upper edges of the paper sheets The air blast in this pipe t
18 created by means of a bellows (not shown) which may be of any ordinary and
suitable construction such as a concertina-bellowa or the like and be located
under the machine and be compressed and expanded at the proper times, by
means of a jointed lever or such like operated by the machine The pipe leads
from the bellows to the blow pipe t. The bellows 18 arranged so as to cause a
blast upon the paper sheets just before and during the time each sheet is being
lifted by the tentacles.
The whole arrangement is such that at each downward movement of the
tentacles a sudden suction is produced in them whereby the sheets in the
holder are lifted, one at a time, and delivered at the succeeding upward move-
ment of the tentacles to the endless bands e by which they are carried to the
printing cylinder.
It will be seen that the sheets are directly transferred from the holder to the
tapes e without the aid of intermediate rollers or grippers.
If preferred other well known suction producing means such as bellows may
be used instead of pumps.
The parts of the apparatus may obviously be arranged so as to suit other classes
of machines besides Wharfedale printing machines
The details of construction of the apparatus can obviously be altered or modified
without departing from the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim 18.-
1. The combination, in an automatic feeder, of a movable holder upon which
the sheets to be fed are held upon edge, a suction device for removing the sheets
from the holder, travelling feed tapes or equivalent working in conjunction with
the suction device, mechanism for causing the holder to automatically slide for-
ward (under the action of a weight or equivalent) and recede at certain times in
order that the sheets may be withdrawn from the holder, one at a time, and
delivered direct on to the feed tapes, substantially as hereinbefore set forth
2 The combination, in an automatic feeder, of a movable holder upon which
the sheets to be fed are held upon edge, a partially rotating shaft or roller having
suction tentacles or nozzles for lifting and feeding the sheets, endless feeding
tapes travelling on wheels mounted on said shaft or toller, and the means for
reciprocating the holder in order to properly present the sheets to the suction
tentacles or nozzles which latter lift the sheets, one at a time, and lay them
directly upon the tapes, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
8 The combination, in an automatic feeder, of a movable holder upon which
the sheets to be fed are held in an inclined position and upon edge, a suction
device for removing the sheets from the holder, mechanism for causing the holder
to advance to and recede from the suction device and the means whereby the
holder can be lowered into the horizontal position for the purpose of placing a
fresh pile of sheets upon it, substantially as herein before set forth.
4. The combination, in a pneumatic feeder, of a movable holder upon which
the pile of paper sheets is placed and held in position upon edge, a pinching
board or its equivalent against which the sheets of paper on the holder are
pressed or pinched, and means for causing the holder to press the sheets against

page_text: the pinching board in such manner as to automatically compensate for the
lessening of the pile as the sheets are withdrawn, substantially as hereinbefore
set forth
5. A pneumatic sheet-feeder in which the suction producers (suction pumps or
equivalent) are operated by means of weights (which can be varied so as to suit
the suction desired) at the suction stroke and by means of mechanism (chain
and chain wheel or equivalent) driven from the machine to which the sheets
are being fed at the return stroke, substantially as herein before described with
reference to the drawings annexed
6 The general arrangement and combination of parts of the whole feeding
mechanism substantially as herein before described with reference to the drawings
annexed