Improvements in Paper Feeding Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Paper Feeding Machines.
I, TALBOT CHAMBERS DEXTER, Secretary of The Dexter Folder Company, of
97, Reade Street, in the City, County, and State of New York, one of the United
States of America, Manufacturers of Paper Folding and Feeding Machines, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the class of machines which are designed to feed
successively one sheet at a time from a pile of paper to either a paper-folding or
paper-ruling machine or other machines requiring sheets of paper fed to it as afore-
said.
The object of the present invention is to guard more effectually against feeding
more than one sheet at a time from the feeding machine, and to harmonize the
actions of all tributary mechanisms of said machine so as to enhance the efficiency
of its operation.
And to that end the invention consists in a novel construction and combination
of the component parts of the feeding machine controlled to a great extent by
electrical appliances, all of which co-operate to automatically accomplish the afore-
said object, as hereinafter more fully described.
The main feature of novelty in the present invention consists in the arrange-
ment of a sheet separating bed at the delivery end of the feeding machine, with a
reciprocating feeding pad operating upon the top of the front portion of the pile
of sheets and over the aforesaid bed to separate the sheets, and an auxiliary feeding
pad in the rear of said separating pad, and means for moving the separator pad
and auxiliary feeding pad simultaneously or in unison; the auxiliary feeding pad
serving to promote the travel of the sheets from the machine. Sheet buckling
devices are also employed to effect a partial preliminary separation of the sheets.
This sheet moving mechanism is controlled by the top sheet of the pile, com-
prises preferably means for moving the top sheet on the pile, mechanism for operat-
ing the sheet-moving means, a tripper suspended in the path of the top sheet and
adapted to be operated thereby a rack carried by the sheet-moving means, and a
pawl controlled by the tripper and adapted to engage the rack and arrest the
operation of the sheet-moving means.
In the main supporting frame of the paper feeding machine is mounted the
vertically movable table which supports the pile of paper from which the sheets
are to be fed one at a time. Said table is raised automatically to maintain the
top of the pile of paper in the plane of feeding as hereinafter described.
For feeding the top sheet from the pile and guarding against the delivery of
more than one sheet at a time, improved means for feeding and separating the top
sheet from the underlying sheet has been devised as follows:
Horizontally across the machine extends a carriage consisting mainly of front
and rear cross-bars and longitudinal side-bars uniting said cross-bars. Said
carriage is moved longitudinally toward and from the delivery-end of the machine
by mechanisms hereinafter described, and is guided by the ends of its front cross-

page_text: bar sliding in longitudinal slots in the sides of the main frame and by carrying
rollers under the rear portions of the side rails To this carriage are connected the
paper feeding devices which push the top sheet from the pile of paper.
The carriage receives a longitudinal reciprocating motion by means of longi-
tudinal racks fastened to the side bars with which mesh segmental gears or
quadrants attached to a rock-shaft which is actuated by a crank attached to said
shaft and connected to a pitman, which has pivoted to its free end a roller held
in contact with and receiving reciprocating motion from a cam attached to a shaft
receiving rotary motion from the driving shaft by gears. The roller is maintained
in contact with said cam by a weight which is connected to the carriage by a strap
or chain running on an intermediate sheave pivoted to a bracket attached to the
rear end of the main frame, said weight serving to draw the carriage rearward and
causing the crank to push the pitman toward the cam. Between the side-bars of
the carriage are longitudinal bars attached to the front and rear cross bars of the
carriage, and to these intermediate longitudinal bars are connected the improved
paper feeding devices, which are designed to co-operate with other devices for
separating the top sheet from the underlying sheet. Upon each of said inter-
mediate longitudinal bars is mounted a longitudinally movable bracket provided
with a ratchet which is parallel with the bar and has the abrupt faces of its teeth
toward the front or delivery end of the machine. A rod parallel with the side bars
is firmly secured to the carriage and is surrounded by a spiral spring which presses
with one of its ends against an ear on the side of the bracket and thereby forces
said bracket toward the delivery-end of the machine. The spring is of sufficient
length and sufficient tension to hold the bracket normally at its extreme forward
position on the carriage.
The base of the bracket is provided with a horizontal longitudinal groove in
which is secured longitudinally adjustable a bar to which are connected the feed-
ing devices proper. These feeding-devices consist of two arms pivoted inter-
mediately of their lengths to the aforesaid bar and each carrying on its free end
a pad of soft rubber or other suitable material presenting the requisite frictional
surface on the underside, which surface is flat and extended laterally as well as
longitudinally to obtain an effective hold on the paper to be fed from the machine.
The pads are sustained normally in horizontal position and are afforded a slight
rocking motion to allow them to conform to any unevenness in the surface of the
top of the pile of paper. The arms extend with their free end in opposite directions
from each other and inasmuch as they move in ares toward the top of the pile of
paper the pads are carried in a slight degree toward each other in their approach
to the pile of paper and therefore tend to buckle and loosen the top sheet from the
underlying sheet when said pads are brought to bear on said top sheet. This
facilitates the feeding of the paper from the machine, which is subsequently
effected by the joint forward movement of the two pads.
For operating the aforesaid arms so as to carry the pads in and out of contact
with the top of the pile of paper respectively during the forward and rearward move-
ments of said pads, the free ends of the arms receive a downward pressure by suit-
able springs and when at their extreme forward position they are caused to rise
simultaneously from the pile by the depression of the inner end of one of the arms
bearing on top of the inner end of the companion arm. To effect this lifting of
the pads from the paper the inner end of one of the arms has pivoted to it a roller
over which is a tripper, which, by contact with said roller, depresses the rear end
of the said arms and thereby causes the free ends of the two arms to rise from the
pile of paper. This tripper is preferably formed of a sleeve clamped adjustably
on a rod which is parallel with the longitudinal bars and secured to the carriage.
Said sleeve is formed with a forwardly facing shoulder which in the operation of
the machine is caused to strike the roller of the feed arm and mount the same, as
hereinafter more fully described, and thereby depresses the inner ends of the two
feed arms.
In order to retain the feed pads lifted during their rearward movement, a latch

page_text: is pivoted to the side of the ratchet bracket which is formed at one end with a
hook which automatically engages a lug on one of the feed arms when said arm
is tripped by the contact of its roller with the shoulder as aforesaid.
To disengage the hook of the latch from the feed arm and allow said arm to drop
when the carriage has arrived at its rearmost position, a finger is fixed to a shaft
journaled in suitable bearings on the sides of the main frame which shaft receives
a properly timed rocking motion by a lever extending from said shaft and held in
contact with a rotary cam by means of a spring actuated rod. The rocking of the
shaft causes the finger to strike an arm projecting from the latch which latch is
thereby thrown out of engagement with the lug on the feed arm and allows said
arm and companion arm to be depressed by the springs so as to bring the pads to
bear on top of the pile of paper during the succeeding forward movement of the
carriage. In order to insure the lifting of said pads from the paper when the
carriage has arrived at its extreme forward position, as hereinbefore stated, an
electro-magnet is mounted on a bar which extends across the machine and is sup-
ported on the sides of the main frame. The armature of said magnet is pivoted
to the supporting bracket of the magnet and is formed with a dog adapted to
engage the ratchet of the bracket when said armature is released from the magnet.
In connection with said magnet is employed a circuit maker and breaker actuaten
by the paper in transit from the machine and consisting of a metallic plate arranged
directly under the plane of the travel of the paper and in proximity to the
delivery-end of the feeding machine. Said plate constitutes one of the terminals
of the electric circuit derived from the battery. Over this plate is the other
terminal consisting of a metallic finger pivotally connected to and insulated from
a rod extending across the front of the machine and secured to the side of the main
frame. Said finger rests normally upon the contact plate and thus the circuit is
normally closed and the magnet is caused to attract its armature and thereby hold
the dog out of contact with the ratchet. When, however, a sheet of paper pushed
forward from the pile by the feed pads said sheet becomes interposed between the
two terminals and thus breaks the circuit. The armature becoming thereby
released from the magnet causes the dog to drop into engagement with the ratchet
and prevents said ratchet from being carried farther forward by the carriage on
which it is yieldingly mounted, as hereinbefore described. The said carriage con-
tinuing to move a short distance forward causes the shoulder of the sleeve to mount
the roller on the inner end of one of the feed arms and thereby tilts said arm
together with the companion feed arm so as to lift the pads from the paper.
The sheet in transit holds the circuit broken a sufficient length of time to allow
the carriage to start back from its extreme forward position and during its retro-
grade movement the latch retains the arms in their elevated position, as herein-
before described.
To the cross-bar is attached a rearwardly extending bar which terminates with
a downward deflection provided with a screw threaded eye through which passes
a set-screw disposed in line with the ratchet. This set screw is adjustable to project
with its front end a greater or less distance forward and come in contact with the
rear end of the ratchet and arrest the movement thereof when the carriage
approaches its rearmost position. Said arresting of the movement of the ratchet
causes the roller of the feed arm to be carried forward from the shoulder of the
sleeve sufficiently to allow the feed arms to drop when the finger trips the latch
so as to release the arm as already herein described.
The set-screw is employed more as a safeguard to insure the aforesaid forward
movement of the ratchet in case the spring should prove to be too weak to force
the ratchet in said direction when the carriage is in its extreme rear position and
the spring expanded.
By the employment of the two flat feeding pads arranged one in front of the
other and co-operating to synchronously drop onto and rise from the paper and
hearing with a uniform pressure upon the same during the forward movement of
said pads, the top sheet of the pile of paper, is more positively pushed forward and

page_text: fed from the machine than can be accomplished by a single paper-pushing device
bearing on the top sheet only at one point. This is due chiefly to the facts that
a single paper-pushing device requires greater downward pressure to obtain the
requisite hold on the sheet and this increased pressure indents the paper at the
point of contact of the pushing device, and said indentation causes the top sheet
to take more or less hold on the underlying sheet and thereby moves the latter
sheet with the top sheet. Said indentation of the top sheet is effectually obviated
by the two flat pads arranged and operating in the manner hereinbefore stated.
To further guard against the delivery of more than one sheet at a time from the
feeding machine, a sheet-separator is employed at the delivery-end of said machine.
This sheet-separator consists essentially of a bed directly under the plane of feed-
ing and in position to allow the front pad with the paper adhering thereto to travel
over said bed a sufficient distance to subject the underside of the paper in transit
to a certain degree of friction inferior to that exerted upon the top of the paper by
the front-pad. The result is that, in case two or more sheets are carried simul-
taneously onto said bed by the front-pad, the frictional hold of the bed on the
underside of the lower sheet or sheets checks the movement of the latter while the
top sheet is pushed forward by the pad. The bed may be either stationary or
slightly mevable longitudinally in the direction of the feeding or movable con-
siderably slower than the longitudinal movement of the pads and is made, to some
degree, arching. When arranged as last described, the said bed is formed of an
endless belt of rubber or other suitable material running on rollers and supported
intermediately by an arching plate directly under the upper run of the belt. Various
mechanisms may be employed to impart the aforesaid slow motion to the belt which
constitutes the bed. Between the beds are sheet-supporting rollers pivoted to
brackets attached to a cross-bar on the front of the main frame. The tops of said
rollers are even with the plane of the bed.
Over the rollers are drop rollers secured to a shaft which extends across the
machine and is supported at its ends by rods, which are suspended from the front
ends of levers fastened at their rear ends to a rock-shaft, which latter is actuated
by a crank attached to said shaft and having on its free end a rearwardly extending
pitman, the rear end of which is bifurcated and straddles the rotary shaft, to
which is fastened a cam. A roller which is pivoted to the pitman is held in con-
tact with the cam by the weight of the suspended shaft and rollers connected to
said shaft said weight drawing down the arms and causing the pitman to be
pushed toward the cam. The cam and its aforesaid connections with the shaft
causes the said shaft to be alternately raised and lowered, and in order to guide
the shaft in its vertical movement and allow the same to receive positive rotary
motion, said shaft is connected at its ends to arms which are of even lengths and
are pivoted to the sides of the frame at points axially in line with the short shaft,
from which the separator-bed may be driven, said shaft in fact forming the pivotal
support of one of the arms, and thus the vertically moving shaft is caused to travel
in an arc, concentric to the shaft. A gear-wheel attached to the short-shaft meshes
with a pinion attached to the vertically movable shaft, which latter is thus rotated
at increased speed.
The drop rollers are provided with soft rubber faces on their peripheries while
the sub-adjacent rollers have hard and smooth peripheral faces. The latter rollers
merely serve to support the paper brought onto the top of them by the paper-feed-
ing and separating pads, and thence propelled from the feeding machine by the
geared rubber-faced upper rollers.
In connection with the described paper-feeding devices, it is preferable to employ
suitable means for automatically loosening the top sheet from the next under-
lying sheet preparatory to being pushed forward from the pile by the aforesaid
feeding-devices. Said loosening of the sheet is usually effected by buckling the
rear portion thereof by means of mechanisms of various forms, and it is the peculiar
construction of said mechanisms which constitutes a part of the present invention,
and which is as follows;

page_text: To the main frame near one side thereof, is attached a bracket on which is
mounted a guide disposed at right angles to the line of feeding. In this guide is
a sliding bracket, from the top of which rises a post to the upper end of which is
pivoted the paper-buckling finger, which extends part way toward the center of the
machine a sufficient distance to allow the free end of said finger to bear on top
of the pile of paper. Said end of the finger has affixed to it a suitable friction
pad usually composed of soft rubber. To the side of the post is pivoted a three-
armed lever two arms of which extend in opposite directions from the pivot and
in lines parallel with the fingers, and are shaped so as to cause them to bear
alternately on the top of the sliding bracket when oscillatory motion is imparted
to said lever. One arm of this lever is under the buckling-finger, and has con-
nected to it an upwardly extending rod which passes through an eye in said finger
and has connected to it a collar by which it lifts the finger when said lever-arm is
lifted by the oscillation of the lever. This oscillatory motion is imparted to the
lever by means of a rod connected at one end to the third arm of the lever and
connected at the opposite end to the free end of a rock-arm fastened to a horizontal
shaft which is mounted in bearings on the side of the main-frame and receives a
rocking motion by means of a crank attached to said shaft and having connected
to its free end a pitman extending upward therefrom and bifurcated at its upper
end to straddle the feeder-operating rock-shaft so as to be guided thereby in its
vertical movements. To the rock-shaft is fastened a cam against which is made
to bear a roller pivoted to said pitman. Said roller is held in contact with the cam
by means of a rod attached at one end to an arm attached to the shaft and sliding
with its opposite end in an eye attached to the main frame. A spiral spring
surrounding said rod and bearing at one end on top of the aforesaid eye and at
the opposite end on a collar attached to the rod, forces the latter upward. To the
guide is pivoted a plate, which is parallel with the buckling-finger and extends
toward the free end thereof and terminates with a thin edge beveled from the top
down and disposed in a line parallel with the line of feeding. This plate receives
a downward pressure by means of a spring attached at one end to the guide and
bearing with its free end upon the top of the said plate. A stop or lug projecting
from the guide limits the downward movement of the plate so as to maintain the
plate attached to the guide when the buckling device is detached from the machine,
or the table is lowered to receive a fresh supply of paper. Another lug is attached
to the slide and extends under the spring so as to lift the same during the forward
or inward movement of the slide and thus releases the paper from the pressure
imparted to the plate by said spring. A set screw is connected to the guide and
hears with its inner end on the slide to subject the latter to a certain degree of
friction for the purpose presently described. Said set-screw is adjustable to vary
the degree of friction as may be desired.
Said paper-buckling devices operate as follows: The reciprocating rod first
tilts the three-armed lever so as to cause it to lift the buckling finger by means of
the rod, which effect is due to the hereinbefore described friction imparted to the
slide by the set-screw partly restraining the movement of the slide and causing the
movement of the aforesaid rod to be transmitted to the lever. The further move-
ment of the rock-arm in the same direction then draws the slide back, and in this
movement the lug allows the holding-down plate to drop onto the top of the pile
of paper. The succeeding reverse movement of the rod tilts the three-armed lever
so as to cause the buckling-finger to press onto the top sheet of the pile of paper and
then pushes the slide forward while the said finger is made to bear with some force
on the top sheet by means of a spring on the protruding upper end of the rod.
The holding-down plate being in the meantime relieved from the pressure of the
spring allows the buckling-finger to draw the underlying portion of the top sheet
from under the plate and in this operation, the paper becomes buckled directly in
front of the finger and is thus loosened from the next underlying sheet. In the
next movement of the rock-arm the buckling finger is lifted from the paper and
the released portion of the paper springs back and slips upon the top of the holding

page_text: down plate, which serves to maintain the top sheet in its said loosened condition,
while the feeding-devices draw the said sheet forward to the delivery end of the
machine.
The invention also pertains to the means for automatically raising the paper-
supporting table so as to maintain the top of the pile of paper in a proper plane for
feeding the successive top sheets therefrom. This part of the invention comprises
two table-lifting screws, which are journaled upright on the sides of the main
frame and work in nuts attached to the table. Each of said screws has affixed to
its lower end a worm-gear which engages a corresponding gear on a horizontal shaft
extending across the base of the machine and journaled in suitable bearings on
the sides of the main frame. To one end of the shaft is attached a miter gear
which meshes with a corresponding gear attached to a vertical shaft supported in
bearings on the main frame and having affixed to it a ratchet wheel and also pro-
vided with a hand-crank which latter is required for turning the shaft in a direction
to impart the requisite movement to the two screws to lower the table when
required. The purpose of the ratchet wheel is to automatically raise said table and
to effect this, a reciprocating bar is disposed at right angles to the shaft and has
connected to it a pawl engaging said ratchet wheel.
The bar is pushed in one direction by means of a spring and is moved in the
opposite direction by the longitudinal movement of the carriage which has an arm
projecting from it and extending across the bar back of a lug or pin which is sup-
ported on said bar movably to and from the path of the arm by means of a bell-
crank pivoted to the underside of the bar and having secured to one of its arms
the lug or pin which passes up through an aperture in the bar. A spring supports
said arm of the bell-crank to cause the lug or pin to normally project above the bar
and come in contact with the arm during the forward movement of the carriage,
whereby the bar is pushed forward and the pawl is caused to impart a partial
rotation to the ratchet wheel which motion is transmitted to the screws which raise
the table.
In order to automatically control this action an electro-magnet is employed in
a circuit derived from a battery and to the second arm of the bell-crank is attached
the armature. Said magnet is arranged in such position in relation to the bell-
crank that the attraction of the armature tilts the bell-crank so as to withdraw the
lug or pin from the path of the carriage-arm and thus prevent the bar from being
moved with the carriage and from disturbing the table-lifting screws.
For controlling the action of the magnet, a circuit controller, or maker and
breaker, is employed, actuated by the variations in the heights of the pile of paper
on the table. Said circuit-controller consists of a wire or suitable light metallic
rod pivoted intermediate of its length to a bracket attached to a cross-bar on the
rear end of the main frame. One end of said wire or rod rests constantly on top
of the pile of paper and the opposite end of the wire or rod constitutes one of the
Wires connect the
electric terminals directly under which is the other terminal.
magnet respectively with the terminal and battery.
The operation of said circuit controller is as follows: So long as the top of the
pile of paper is within the plane of feeding, the rod is sustained in a position to
close the circuit and thus the armature is attracted and the bell-crank is caused
to withdraw the lug or pin from the path of the carriage arm so as to leave the
table lifting screws at rest, but as soon as a sufficient number of sheets have been
fed from the pile to bring the top thereof beneath the plane of feeding, the inner
end of the lever has descended sufficient to throw the opposite end or terminal out
of contact with the stationary terminal. This breaking of the circuit causes the
magnet to release the armature and allows the spring to draw up the long ar: of
the bell-crank which thereby pushes the lug or pin into the path of the carriage
arm and causes the same to push the bar forward, in which movement the pawl
turns the ratchet-wheel and causes the shaft to transmit a partial rotation to the
screws which elevate the table until the top of the pile of paper is again brought
within the plane of feeding, when the aforesaid operation is repeated. A set-

page_text: screw is adjustably connected to the bell-crank so as to come in contact with the
underside of the bar and limit the movement of the bell-crank to prevent the
armature from going too far from the magnet.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1897.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
improvements in Faper Feeding Machines.
I, TALBOT CHAMBERS DEXTER, Secretary of The Dexter Folder Company, of
97, Reade Street, of the City, County, and State of New York, in the United
States of America, Manufacturers of Paper Folding and Feeding Machines, 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:-
The invention relates to improvements in paper feeding machines of the buck-
ling type, in which the successive sheets of paper in an adjustably supported pile
are separated and fed from the pile by frictional feeding instruments to a printing
press, folding or ruling machine or other machine designed to operate upon the
paper.
The important feature of novelty in the present invention consists in the
arrangement of a sheet separating bed at the delivery end of the feeding machine,
with a reciprocating feeding pad operating upon the top of the front portion of
the pile of sheets and over the aforesaid bed to separate the sheets, and an auxiliary
frictional feeding pad arranged to the rear of said separating pad, and means for
moving the separator pad and auxiliary feeding pad simultaneously or in unison;
the auxiliary feeding pad serving to promote the travel of the sheets from the
machine. Sheet buckling devices are also employed to effect a partial preliminary
separation of the sheets.
Another important feature of novelty in the present application consists in the
means for automatically arresting the feeding movement of the sheet moving
instruments under the direct control of the sheet being fed off.
The invention consists further in certain novel constructions and combinations
of parts of the feeding machine, controlled to a great extent by electrical appli-
ances, all of which improvements co-operate to automatically accomplish the
object of the machine, which is to guard more effectually than heretofore against
feeding more than one sheet at a time from the machine, and to harmonize the
actions of all the tributary mechanisms of said machine so
as to enhance the
efficiency of its operation.
In order that the invention may be fully understood, it will now be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings and the novelty afterward pointed
out with more particularity in the annexed claims.
In said drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan view of a paper-feeding machine embodying this invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are elevations of opposite sides of said machine.
Figure 4 is a front elevation.
Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section on line X-X of Figure 1.
Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged longitudinal sectional views on line Y-Y of
Figure 1, showing the paper-feeding devices in different operative positions.
Figure 8 is a further enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the operation
of the sheet-separating devices.

page_text: Figure 9 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the electrical devices for auto-
matically controlling the action of the paper-feeding devices.
Figure 10 is a detached detail plan view of that portion of the carriage on
which the paper-feeding devices are mounted.
Figure 11 is a detail rear end view, partly in section, of that portion of the
machine to which the sheet buckling devices are applied.
Figure 12 is an enlarged detail plan view of the paper-buckling mechanism.
Figure 13 is a detail elevation of the same mechanism, and
Figure 14 is an outer end view of the same.
Figure 15 is a front view of the front feeding-pad and its connection to its sup-
porting arm, and
Figure 16 is a plan view of said parts.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents the main supporting-frame of the paper feeding machine. B de-
notes the vertically movable table which supports the pile of paper P from which
the sheets are to be fed one at a time. Said table is raised automatically to main-
tain the top of the pile of paper in the plane of feeding as hereinafter described.
For feeding the top sheet from the pile, it is first buckled and partially separated
from the pile by suitable mechanism hereinafter described. The sheet must
then be fed forward from the pile without twisting or turning it in order
that it will pass squarely to the printing press, folder or other machine and
require the least possible registering. Means must also be provided to guard
against the delivery of more than one sheet at a time. To accomplish these
results, two sets of frictional feeding-off and separating devices are provided, one
adjacent to each side of the machine and each set comprising two frictional pads
arranged one behind the other. The construction of these devices will now be
described.
Horizontally across the machine extends a carriage consisting mainly of front
and rear cross-bars C and C¹ and longitudinal side-bars C2 uniting said cross-bars.
Said carriage is moved longitudinally toward and from the delivery-end of the
machine by mechanisms hereinafter described, and is guided by the ends of its
front cross-bar sliding in longitudinal slots "a "in the sides of the frames A and
by carrying rollers under the rear portions of the side-rails C. To this carriage
are connected the true frictional paper-feeding devices which push the top sheet
from the pile of paper designated by the reference letter in the drawings.
The carriage receives a longitudinal reciprocating motion by means of longi-
tudinal racks b, fastened to the side-bars (2, with which mesh segmental gears
or quadrants attached to a rock-shaft D, which is actuated by a crank c attached
to said shaft and connected to a pitman ¹, which has pivoted to its free end a
roller held in contact with and receiving reciprocating motion from a cam D
attached to a shaft 12 receiving rotary motion from the driving shaft by
gears 13, 14, as more clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The roller
is maintained in contact with said cam by the weight E, which is connected to
the carriage by a strap or chain E' running on an intermediate sheave c³ journaled
upon a bracket attached to the rear end of the frame A, said weight serving to
draw the carriage rearward and causing the crank e to push the pitman c¹ toward
the cam D. Between the side-bars of the carriage are longitudinal bars C
attached to the front and rear cross-bars C and C₁ of the carriage, and to these
intermediate longitudinal bars are connected the improved true frictional paper-
feeding devices, which are designed to co-operate with other devices for separat-
ing the top sheet from the underlying sheet. Upon each of said intermediate
longitudinal bars is mounted a longitudinally movable rider bracket F provided
with a ratchet F which is parallel with the bar and has the abrupt faces of its
teeth toward the front or delivery-end of the machine. A rod d parallel with
the bar C is firmly secured to the carriage and is surrounded by a spiral spring d
which presses with one of its ends against an ear 2 on the side of the rider
bracket and thereby forces said bracket toward the delivery end of the machine.

page_text: The spring is of sufficient length and sufficient tension to hold the bracket nor-
mally at its extreme forward position on the carriage.
The base of the rider bracket F is provided with a horizontal longitudinal
groove e, in which is secured a longitudinally adjustable bar el to which are con-
nected the feeding devices proper. These feeding-devices consist of two arms f
and pivoted intermediate their lengths as shown at f³ to the aforesaid bar and
each carrying on its free end a pad f2 of soft rubber or other suitable material
presenting the requisite true frictional surface on the underside, which surface is
flat and extended laterally as well as longitudinally to obtain an effective hold
on the paper to be fed from the machine.
The pad which is adjacent to the delivery end of the machine, is connected to
the arm by means of a vertical limb f sliding in a vertical guide f³ on the end
of the bar e. The foot of said limb is connected to a convex boss f" on top of the
plate which has the pad affixed to its under side. To permit this pad to vibrate
in its aforesaid connection, the top plate is attached to the foot of the limb f
by means of a bolt f which passes freely through said foot and is fastened to the
boss f. A spiral spring f8 interposed between the top of the foot of the limb and
head of the bolt serves to hold the boss against the under side of said foot. The
limb f* is connected to the front end of the arm f', which is inserted in an eye
in the limb, as shown more clearly in Figure 15 of the drawings.
The pads are sustained normally in horizontal position and are afforded a slight
rocking motion to allow them to conform to any unevennness in the surface of
the top of the pile of paper. The arms f, f' extend with their free ends in oppo-
site directions from each other and inasmuch as they move in arcs toward the
top of the pile of paper the pads are carried in a slight degree toward each other
in their approach to the pile of paper and therefore tend to buckle and loosen the
top sheet from the underlying sheet when said pads are brought to bear on said
top sheet. This facilitates the feeding of the paper from the machine, which is
subsequently effected by the joint forward movement of the two pads.
For operating the aforesaid arms so as to carry the pads in and out of contact
with the top of the pile of paper respectively during the forward and rearward
movements of said pads, the free ends of the arms receive a downward pressure
by suitable springs 9, 9 and when at their extreme forward position they are
caused to rise simultaneously from the pile by the depression of the inner end
of the arm bearing on top of the inner end of the companion arm f¹. To effect
this lifting of the pads from the paper the inner end of the arm f has pivoted to
it a roller glover which is a tripper, which, by contact with said roller, depresses
the rear end of the arm f, and thereby causes the free ends of the two arms to
rise from the pile of paper. This tripper, as shown in the drawings, comprises
a sleeve h clamped adjustably on a rod h¹ which is parallel with the bar Cand
secured to the carriage. Said sleeve is formed with a forwardly facing
shoulder h2, which, in the operation of the machine, is caused to strike the roller g¹
and mount the same, as hereinafter more fully described, to thereby depress the
inner ends of the two arms f, f¹..
In order to retain the frictional feed pads, f², f, lifted during their rearward
movement, a latch his pivoted to the side of the ratchet F, which is formed at one
end with a hook which automatically engages a lug on the arm f when said
arm is tripped by the contact of the roller g with the shoulder h2, as aforesaid.
To disengage the hook of the latch from the feed arm f and allow said arm to
drop when the carriage has arrived at its rearmost position, a finger i is fixed to a
shaft G journaled in suitable bearings on the sides of the main frame A which
shaft receives a properly timed rocking motion by a lever i extending from said
shaft and held in contact with a rotary cam G by means of a spring-actuated
rod 2. The rocking of the shaft G causes the finger i to strike an arm pro-
jecting from the latch which latch is thereby thrown out of engagement with
the lug on the arm f and allows the pad carrying end of said arm and com-
anion arm f to be depressed by the springs y so as to bring the pads f2 to bear

page_text: on top of the pile of paper during the succeeding forward movement of the car-
riage. Said springs are attached at one end to the pivot pins of the arms f
and f, and bear with their free ends on the pad-carrying portions of said arms.
In order to insure the lifting of said pads from the paper when the carriage has
arrive at its extreme forward position, as hereinbefore stated, an electro-
magnet H is employed, mounted on a bar H', which extends across the machine
and is supported on the sides of the main frame A. The armature H2 of said
magnet is pivoted to the supporting bracket of the magnet and is formed with a
dog adapted to engage the ratchet F when said armature is released from the
magnet. In connection with said magnet I employ a circuit maker and breaker
actuated by the paper in transit from the machine which may consist, as shown in
the drawings, particularly in Figure 9, of a metallic plate k, arranged directly
under the plane of the travel of the paper and in proximity to the delivery end
of the feeding machine, and constituting one of the terminals of the electric
circuit derived from the battery I, and a metallic finger & supported above the
plate and constituting the other terminal, which finger is pivotally connected
to and insulated from a rod extending across the front of the machine and secured
to the sides of the frame A. Said finger rests normally upon the plate and thus
the circuit is normally closed to energize the magnet H and cause it to attract its
armature and thereby hold the dog out of contact with the ratchet F. When,
however, a sheet of paper is pushed forward from the pile by the feed pads f, said
sheet becomes interposed between the two terminals and k and breaks the circuit.
The armature H2 becoming thereby released from the magnet, causes the dog j
to drop into engagement with the ratchet F and prevents said ratchet from being
carried farther forward by the carriage on which it is yieldingly mounted, as
herein before described. The said carriage continuing to move a short distance
forward causes the shoulder 2 of the sleeve to mount the roller g¹ on the inner
end of the arm f and thereby tilt said arm together with the companion arm fl
so as to lift the pads f2 from the paper.
The sheet in transit holds the circuit broken a sufficient length of time to allow
the carriage to start back from its extreme forward position and during its retro-
grade movement the latch retains the arms in their elevated position, as herein-
before described.
To the cross-bar H¹ is attached a rearwardly extending bar / which
terminates with a downward deflection provided with a screw threaded
eye through which passes a set-screw 1 disposed in line with the
ratchet F¹. This set screw is adjustable to project with its front end
a greater or less distance forward and come in contact with the rear end of
the ratchet and arrest the movement thereof when the carriage approaches
its rearmost position. Said arresting of the movement of the ratchet causes the
roller to be carried forward from the shoulder 2, of the sleeve h sufficiently to
allow the arms f, f¹ to drop when the finger i trips the latch h¹ so as to release the
arm f as already herein described.
The set-screw is employed more as a safeguard to insure the aforesaid forward
movement of the ratchet F in case the spring d should prove to be too weak to
force the ratchet in said direction when the carriage is in its extreme rear position
and the spring expanded.
By the employment of the two flat feeding pads f³, f arranged one in front of
the other and co-operating to synchronously drop onto and rise from the paper
and bearing with a uniform pressure upon the same during the forward move-
ment of said pads, the top sheet of the pile of paper, is more positively pushed
forward and fed from the machine than can be accomplished by a single paper-
pushing device bearing on the top sheet only at one point. This is due chiefly
to the facts that a single paper-pushing device requires greater downward pres-
sure to obtain the requisite hold on the sheet and this increased pressure indents
the paper at the point of contact of the pushing device, and said indentation causes
the top sheet to take more or less hold on the underlying sheet and thereby moves

page_text: the latter sheet with the top sheet. Said indentation of the top sheet is effectually
obviated by the two flat pads f2, f2 arranged and operating in the manner herein-
before stated.
To further guard against the delivery of more than one sheet at a time from the
feeding machine, a sheet-separator is employed at the delivery-end of said
machine. This sheet-separator consists essentially of a bed m directly under the
plane of feeding and in position to allow the front pad with the paper adhering
thereto to travel over said bed a sufficient distance to subject the underside of the
paper in transit to a certain degree of friction inferior to that exerted upon the
top of the paper by the pad f2. The result is that, in case two or more sheets are
carried simultaneously onto said bed by the pad f, the frictional hold of the bed m
on the underside of the lower sheet or sheets checks the movement of the latter
while the top sheet is pushed forward by the pad. The bed m may be either
stationary or slightly movable longitudinally in the direction of the feeding, or
movable considerably slower than longitudinal movement of the pads f2 and is
made, to some degree, arching. When arranged as last described, the said bed
is formed of an endless belt of rubber or other suitable material running on
rollers 2, 3 and supported intermediate by an arching plate directly under
the upper run of the belt, as shown in Figure 10 of the drawings. Various
mechanisms may be employed to impart the aforesaid slow motion to the belt
which constitutes the bed m. In the annexed drawings said mechanism is repre-
sented of the form of a train of gears 1, 2, 3, 4. The gear 4 is attached to the
shaft of the foremost rollers P, and the gear is secured to the side of a sprocket
wheel 5 mounted on a short shaft 8 journaled in the side of the frame A which
sprocket wheel is connected by a driving chain 6 with a sprocket-wheel 7 on the
shaft 2. Between the beds m, m are sheet-supporting rollers m¹ pivoted to
brackets attached to a cross-bar n¹ on the front of the frame A. The tops of
said rollers are even with the plane of the bed.
Over the rollers m³, m² are drop rollers o, o secured to a shaft of which extends
across the machine and is supported at its ends by rods 2 which are suspended
from the front ends of levers o fastened at their rear ends to a rock-shaft o,
which latter is actuated by a crank attached to said shaft and having on its
free end a rearwardly extending pitman 5, the rear end of which is bifurcated
and straddles the rotary shaft D2, to which is fastened a cam 06. A roller o
pivoted to the pitman is held in contact with the cam of by the weight of
the suspended shaft o¹ and rollers o connected to said shaft. Said weight draw-
ing down the arms and causing the pitman o to be pushed toward the camı oº.
The cam o and its aforesaid connections with the shaft o causes the said shaft
to be alternately raised and lowered, and in order to guide the shaft in its
vertical movement and allow the same to receive positive rotary motion, said
shaft is connected at its ends to arms p, p which are of even lengths and are
pivoted to the sides of the frame at points axially in line with the short shaft 8,
on which the sprocket-wheel 5 and pinion 1 are mounted, said shaft in fact
forming the pivotal support of one of the arms p, and thus the vertically moving
shaft is caused to travel in an arc, concentric to the shaft 8. A gear-wheel 9
attached to the short shaft 8 meshes with a pinion 10 attached to the shaft o',
which latter is thus rotated at increased speed.
The drop rollers o are provided with soft rubber faces on their peripheries
while the sub-adjacent rollers m¹ have hard and smooth peripheral faces. The
latter rollers merely serve to support the paper brought onto the top of them
by the paper feeding and separating pads 2, and thence propelled from the
feeding machine by the geared rubber-faced upper rollers 0, 0.
In connection with the described paper-feeding devices, it is preferable to
employ suitable means for automatically loosening the top sheet from the next
underlying sheet preparatory to being pushed forward from the pile by the
aforesaid feeding-devices. Said loosening of the sheet is effected by buckling
the rear portion thereof with mechanisms of various forms. Such buckling

page_text: mechanisms in combination with feeding-off and separating mechanisms, and
the peculiar construction of said mechanisms disclosed constitute parts of the
present invention. This part of the invention will now be described.
To the frame A near one side thereof, is attached a bracket E², on which is
mounted a guide F2 disposed at right angles to the line of feeding. In this
guide is a sliding bracket F, from the top of which rises a post to the upper
end of which is pivoted the paper-buckling finger U2, which extends part way
toward the center of the machine a sufficient distance to allow the free end of
said finger to bear on top of the pile of paper, as illustrated in Figures 11 to 14
of the drawings.
Said end of the finger has affixed to it a suitable friction pad usually
composed of soft rubber. To the side of the post is pivoted a three-armed lever på,
two arms of which extend in opposite directions from the pivot and in lines
parallel with the fingers U2, and are shaped so as to cause them to bear alter-
nately on the top of the sliding bracket when oscillatory motion is imparted
to said lever. One arm of this lever is under the buckling finger U2, and has
connected to it an upwardly extending rod which passes through an eye in
said finger and has connected to it a collar by which it lifts the finger when
said lever-arm is lifted by the oscillation of the lever. This oscillatory motion
is imparted to the lever by means of a 'rod y connected at one end to the third
arm of the lever and connected at the opposite end to the free end of a rock-
arm fastened to a horizontal shaft g2 which is mounted in bearings on the
side of the frame A and receives a rocking motion by means of a crank attached
to said shaft and having connected to its free end a pitman r₁ extending upward
therefrom and bifurcated at its upper end to straddle the shaft 12 so as to be
guided thereby in its vertical movements. To the shaft D2 is fastened a cam
against which is made to bear a roller pivoted to said pitman. Said roller
is held in contact with the cam by means of a rod s attached at one end to an
arm attached to the shaft q² and sliding with its opposite end in an eye
attached to the frame A. A spiral spring surrounding said rod and bearing
at one end on top of the aforesaid eye and at the opposite end on a collar
attached to the rod, forces the latter upward. To the guide F2 is pivoted a plate t,
which is parallel with the buckling finger 2 and extends toward the free end
thereof and terminates with a thin edge beveled from the top down and disposed in
a line parallel with the line of feeding. This plate receives a downward pressure
by means of a spring attached at one end to the guide F2 and bearing with its
free end upon the top of the said plate. A stop or lug projecting from the
guide limits the downward movement of the plate so as to maintain the
plate attached to the guide when the buckling device is detached from the
machine, or the table B is lowered to receive a fresh supply of paper. Another
lug is attached to the slide 3 and extends under the spring so as to lift
the same during the forward or inward movement of the slide 3 and thus
releases the paper from the pressure imparted to the plate by said spring.
A set-screw is connected to the guide 2 and bears with its inner end on the
slide to subject the latter to a certain degree of friction for the purpose pre-
sently described. Said set-screw is adjustable to vary the degree of friction as
may be desired.
Said paper-buckling devices operate as follows: The reciprocating rod q first
tilts the three-armed lever so as to cause it to lift the backling finger U2
by means of the rod 2 which effect is due to the hereinnefore described friction
imparted to the slide and causing the movement of the aforesaid rod to be
transmitted to the lever. The further movement of the rock-arm in the same
direction then draws the slide 3 back, and in this movement the lug 3 allows
the spring to press the holding-down plate t down upon the top of the pile
of paper.
The succeeding reverse movement of the rod q tilts the three-armed
lever so as to cause the buckling finger U2 to press onto the top sheet of the
pile of paper and then pushes the slide F3 forward while the said finger is made

page_text: to bear with some force on the top sheet by means of a spring on the protrud-
ing upper end of the rod 3. During this latter movement, the lug 3 lifts the
spring so as to relieve the plate t from the pressure of the spring and allow
the buckling finger U2 to draw the underlying portion of the top sheet from
under the plate t and in this operation, the paper becomes buckled directly in
front of the finger U2 and is thus loosened from the next underlying sheet. In
the next movement of the rock-ann g¹ the buckling finger U2 is lifted from the
paper and the released portion of the paper springs back and slips upon the top
of the holding-down plate t, which serves to maintain the top sheet in its said
loosened condition, while the feeding-devices draw the said sheet forward to the
delivery end of the machine.
The invention also pertains to the means for automatically raising the paper-
supporting table B so as to maintain the top of the pile of paper in a proper
plane for feeding the successive top sheets therefrom. This part of the inven-
tion is clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, in which I represents one of
the two table-lifting screws, which are journaled upright on the sides of the
frame A and work in nuts 12 attached to the table B. Each of said screws has
affixed to its lower end a worm-gear which engages a corresponding gear u²
on a horizontal shaft extending across the base of the machine and journaled
in suitable bearings on the sides of the main frame A. To one end of the
shaft is attached a miter gear which meshes with a corresponding gear v
attached to a vertical shaft supported in bearings on the frame A and having
affixed to it a ratchet wheel and also provided with a hand-crank w¹ which
latter is required for turning the shaft in a direction to impart the requisite
movement to the two screws I¹ to lower the table when required. The purpose
of the ratchet wheel is to automatically raise said table and to effect this, a
reciprocating bar J is employed, disposed at right angles to the shaft 2 and
having connected to it a pawl J engaging said ratchet wheel. The bar Jis
pushed in one direction by means of a spring J2 and is moved in the opposite
direction by the longitudinal movement of the carriage C1, C2, C3, which has an
arm K projecting from it and extending across the bar J back of a lug or
pin K which is supported on said bar movably to and from the path of the
arm K by means of a bell-crank K2 pivoted to the underside of the bar and having
secured to one of its arms the lug or pin K' which passes up through an aperture
in the bar. A spring K3 supports said arm of the bell-crank to cause the lug
or pin to normally project above the bar and come in contact with the arm K
during the forward movement of the carriage, whereby the bar is pushed forward
and the pawl is caused to impart a partial rotation to the ratchet-wheel w
which motion is transmitted to the screws I which raise the table B. In order
to automatically control this action, an electro-magnet L is employed, in a circuit
derived from a battery L' and to the second arm of the bell crank K2 the arma-
ture L2 is attached. Said magnet is arranged in such position in relation to the
bell-crank that the attraction of the armature tilts the bell-crank so as to with-
draw the lug or pin K¹ from the path of the carriage-arm K and thus prevent
the bar J from being moved with the carriage and from disturbing the table-
lifting screws I¹.
For controlling the action of the magnet L, a circuit controller, or maker and
breaker actuated by the variations in the heights of the pile of paper on the
table B, is employed. Said circuit-controller consists of a wire or suitable light
metallic rod N pivoted intermediate its length to a bracket N1 attached to a
cross-bar of the rear end of the frame A. One end of said wire or rod rests
constantly on top of the pile of paper and the opposite end of the wire or rod
constitutes one of the electric terminals o directly under which is the other
terminal 01 Wires 10 and 11 connect the magnet L respectively with the
terminal and battery L' and another wire 12 leads from the battery to the
terminal 0%
The operation of said circuit controller is as follows; So long as the top of

page_text: the pile of paper is within the plane of feeding, the rod N is sustained in a
position to close the circuit and thus the armature L2 is attracted and the bell-
crank K is caused to withdraw the lug or pin K¹ from the path of the carriage
arm k so as to leave the table-lifting screws I' at rest, but as soon as a sufficient
number of sheets have been fed from the pile to bring the top thereof beneath
the plane of feeding, the inner end of the lever N has descended sufficient to
throw the opposite end or terminal out of contact with the terminal 0. This
breaking of the circuit causes the magnet to release the armature K² and allows
the spring K to draw up the long arm of the bell-crank K which thereby
pushes the lug or pin K into the path of the carriage arm K and causes the
same to push the bar J forward, in which movement the pawl J turns the ratchet-
wheel w and causes the shaft to transmit a partial rotation to the screws I¹
which elevate the table B until the top of the pile of paper is again brought
within the plane of feeding, when the aforesaid operation is repeated. A set-
screw R is adjustably connected to the bell-crank K² so as to come in contact
with the underside of the bar J and limit the movement of the bell-crank to
prevent the armature from going too far from the magnet.
In the Specification of British Patent Application No. 30,005 of December 18,
1897, is disclosed and claimed a paper feeding machine comprising essentially
suitable feeding-off devices, a separator bed at the delivery end of the machine,
and a separator pad operating above the bed to separate the top sheet from any
chance underlying sheets, the feeding-off devices and separator pad being con-
structed and arranged to operate successively or alternately in order that a sheet
will first be fed from the pile to the separator bed and will afterwards be engaged
by the separator pad above the bed. Said Specification of British Patent
Application discloses and claims a paper feeding machine of the true frictional
feeder type in which the true frictional feeding devices are automatically con-
trolled by the sheet being fed off. The automatic devices are arranged to arrest
the operation of the frictional feeding devices without interfering with the
regular stroke of said devices.
The invention covered by the present application may be considered in the
light of a modification of the machine disclosed and claimed in the Specification
of said British Patent Application 30,005 of 1897. In the present case the
feeding-off instruments and separator pads operate synchronously or in unison in
contradistinction to the alternate operation of such devices in the Specification
of said British Patent Application. In the present case the feeding movement
of the feeding devices is positively arrested by automatic mechanism actuated
by a sheet being fed off, whereas in the Specification of said British Patent
Application just referred to, the operation of the feeding devices upon the sheet
is arrested without interfering with the feeding motion. In the Specification of
said British Patent Application this feature is claimed broadly, whereas in the
present application the claims on this feature are limited to the means for
arresting the feeding movement. In both cases the forward movement of the
sheet is arrested and the mechanisms are broadly distinguishable.
In the present application the various parts of the structure of the feeding
machine are clearly distinguishable from the structure of the machine covered
by British Patent Application 30,005 of 1897 and these features of construction
are also claimed in the present case.
The claims in the Specification of British Patent Application. 30,005 of 1897
upon the features in
common between the machine covered by said Patent
application and the machine covered by the present application are intended
to be of sufficient scope to cover the structure of both machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination, in a paper feeding machine, of a sheet feeding instrument

page_text: having a normally active positive frictional engagement with top sheet of a pile
on its forward stroke, means for separating the top sheet from the underlying
sheets, and means, controlled by the advance edge of the sheet being fed off,
for automatically and simultaneously arresting the action of the feeding instru-
ment and separating means, substantially as set forth
2. A paper feeding machine, comprising a sheet separating bed at the delivery
end of the machine, a main feeding and separating pad over the aforesaid bed,
and a synchronously operating auxiliary frictional feeding instrument supported
to the rear of the main pad and having an independent vertically yielding motion
with relation to the main pad to allow it to effectively engage the sheet, sub-
stantially as set forth.
3. A paper feeding machine, comprising a sheet separating bed at the delivery
end of the machine, a main frictional feeding and separating instrument operating
over the aforesaid bed, an auxiliary frictional spring-pressed feeding instrument
supported to the rear of the main pad and having an independent vertically
yielding motion with relation to the main pad to allow it to effectively engage
the sheet, means for reciprocating the main and auxiliary instrument, and means
for moving the said main and auxiliary instruments out of engagement with
the sheet simultaneously, substantially as set forth.
4. A paper feeding machine, comprising a sheet separating bed at the delivery
end of the machine, a feeding pad operating over the aforesaid bed to separate
the sheets, and an auxiliary feeding pad to the rear of said front pad and moving
in unison therewith to promote the travel of the top sheet, substantially as set
forth.
5. A paper feeding machine, comprising a sheet separating bed at the delivery-
end of the machine, a feeding pad operating upon the top of the front portion
of the pile of paper and over the aforesaid bed to separate the sheets, and an
auxiliary feeding-pad at the rear of said front-pad and moving in unison there-
with to promote the travel of the top sheet, as set forth.
6. A paper feeding machine, comprising a sheet separating bed at the delivery-
end of the machine, a feeding pad operating upon the front portion of the
pile of paper and over the aforesaid separating-bed, an auxiliary feed-pad back
of and operating in unison with the said front pad, and sheet-delivering
mechanisms conveying the advanced top sheet from the separating-bed, as set
forth.
7. A paper feeding machine comprising a sheet separating bed at the delivery
end of the machine, a feeding carriage supporting a main feeding and separating
pad in operative relation with said separating bed, and an auxiliary frictional
feeding instrument yieldingly supported upon the feeding carriage to the rear
of said main pad, and suitable means for moving the main pad and auxiliary
instrument into engagement with the top sheet of the pile simultaneously, sub-.
stantially as set forth.
8. A paper feeding machine, comprising suitable sheet buckling devices
operating upon the pile to effect a preliminary separation of the top sheets, a
sheet separating bed at the delivery end of the machine, a feeding pad operating
upon the front portion of the sheet of paper over the aforesaid bed to separate
the top sheet from any chance underlying sheet, and an auxiliary pad to the
rear of said front pad and moving in unison therewith to promote the travel
of the top sheet, substantially as set forth.
9. A paper feeding machine comprising suitable sheet buckling devices for
effecting a preliminary separation of the sheets, a sheet separating bed at the
delivery end of the machine, a feeding carriage supporting a main feeding and
separating pad in operative relation with said separating bed, and an auxiliary
frictional feeding instrument yieldingly supported upon the feeding carriage to
the rear of said main pad, means for moving the main pad and auxiliary instru-
ment into operative relation with the pile simultaneously, and means
operating the feeder carriage, substantially as set forth.
for

page_text: 10. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a support for a pile of
sheets, a sheet separator at the delivery end of the machine comprising a lower
separator bed and an upper separator pad, means for feeding sheets from the
pile to the separator bed, and means operated by a passing sheet for arresting
the operation of the sheet separator, substantially as set forth.
11. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of sheet-buckling mechanism
operating upon the rear portion of the pile of paper to be fed, sheet-retarding
beds at the delivery end of the machine, feeding pads operating upon the top
of the front portion of the aforesaid pile and over the retarding beds to carry
the top sheet onto the same, auxiliary feeding pads operating upon the pile of
paper at the rear of the aforesaid front pad to promote the travel of the
sheet, and sheet delivery mechanisms removing said advanced sheet from the
retarding bed, as set forth.
12. A paper feeding machine comprising friction-pads disposed one back of
the other with a space between them and movable in unison longitudinally and
vertically to and from the plane of feeding, a longitudinally movable bed at the
delivery end of the machine receiving the front pad over it and mechanism
actuating said bed to move it slower than the forward motion of the pad to thereby
separate the sheets in transit, as set forth.
13. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of sheet-buckling devices
over the rear end of the pile of paper, a plurality of sets of feeding pads moving
synchronously longitudinally and to and from the plane of feeding, the pads of
each set being arranged one to the rear of another, sheet-separating beds at the
delivery end of the machine receiving over them the sheet and the front pads of
the aforesaid sets, and sheet-propellers receiving the advanced sheet and removing
the same from the machine, as set forth.
14. In combination with a friction-pad advancing the top sheet from the pile,
an endless belt disposed longitudinally at the delivery-end of the machine and
in position to receive the aforesaid pad over it, and a longitudinally arched plate
under the upper run of said belt to support the same correspondingly arched, as
set forth and shown.
15. In combination with a friction-pad advancing the top sheet from the pile,
au endless belt disposed longitudinally at the delivery end of the machine and
in position to receive the aforesaid pad over it, a longitudinally arched plate
supporting the upper run of the belt correspondingly arched, and mechanism
imparting to said belt a longitudinal movement slower than that of the pad, as
set forth.
16. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a longitudinally recipro
cating carriage, a bracket mounted movable longitudinally on said carriage a
spring forcing said bracket forward, paper feeding arms pivoted to said bracket
and extending in opposite directions therefrom and in a line parallel with the
line of feeding, friction-pads attached to the free ends of said arms, a spring or
springs depressing said arms, a longitudinal ratchet on the aforesaid bracket, a
dog movable to and from engagement with said ratchet, a sheet actuated device
controlling the dog, and a tripper on the carriage thrown into operation by the
arrest of the movement of the carriage and adapted to lift the paper feeding arms
out of engagement with the sheet, substantially as set forth.
17. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a longitudinally recipro-
cating carriage, a bracket mounted movable longitudinally on said carriage, a
spring forcing said bracket forward, paper feeding arms pivoted to said bracket
and extending in opposite directions therefrom and in a line parallel with the
line of feeding, friction-pads attached to the free ends of said arms, a spring or
springs depressing said arms, a longitudinal ratchet on the aforesaid bracket a
dog movable to and from engagement with said ratchet, a sheet-actuated device
controlling the dog, a tripper on the carriage lifting the aforesaid paner feeding
arms during the movement of the carriage after the engagement of the dog.

page_text: latch retaining said arms in elevated position during the rearward movement of
the carriage, and means for disengaging the latch, substantially as set forth.
18. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a longitudinally recipro-
cating carriage, a bracket mounted movable longitudinally on said carriage, a
spring forcing said bracket forward, paper-feeding arms pivoted to said bracket
and extending in opposite directions therefrom and in a line parallel with the
line of feeding, friction-pads attached to the free ends of said arms, a spring or
springs depressing said arms, a longitudinal ratchet on the aforesaid bracket, a
dog movable to and from engagement with said ratchet, an electro-magnet holding
said dog out of engagement, a circuit-controller at the delivery end of the
machine and actuated to break the circuit by the sheet in transit from the machine
and thereby causing the aforesaid dog to engage the ratchet, a tripper on the
carriage lifting the aforesaid paper-feeding arms during the movement of the
carriage after the engagement of the aforesaid dog, a latch retaining said arms in
their elevated position during the rearward movement of the carriage, and a
rocking finger timed to throw the latch out of engagement at the rearmost position
of the carriage, as set forth.
19. In a paper feeding machine, the combination of a naper supporting table,
with feeding-off devices comprising a reciprocating carriage, spring-pressed
feeding fingers pivoted to a rider, said rider being formed with a ratchet and
movably mounted on said carriage, a pawl upon a stationary support adapted to
engage the ratchet, and means operated by the sheet being fed off adapted to
throw the pawl into engagement with the ratchet and arrest the rider and feeding
fingers, and means for raising the feeding fingers simultaneously or in unison,
substantially as set forth.
20. In a paper feeding machine, the combination with a sheet separating bed
at the delivery-end of the machine, a carriage reciprocating toward and from
said bed, a bracket mounted on said carriage, a bar connected to said carriage
and adjustable longitudinally thereon, paper feeding arms pivoted to said bar and
provided at their free ends with friction pads and traveling with the foremost of
said pads over the separating-bed, and mechanisms moving the said arms toward
and from the plane of feeding, respectively, at the extreme rear and front positions
of the carriage, as set forth.
21. In combination with the carriage, a horizontal ratchet mounted longitudi-
nally movable on said carriage, feeding-devices connected to said ratchet, a spring
.forcing the ratchet to its extreme front position on the carriage, a dog arresting
the forward movement of the ratchet near the extreme front position of the
carriage, suitable means holding the dog out of engagement and controlledi
by the sheet in transit from the machine, a guard disposed to limit the rearward
movement of the ratchet and insure its extreme front position on the carriage
preparatory to being carried forward thereby,, as set forth.
22. In combination with the paper feeding devices, a sheet-buckler consisting
of a guide secured to the main frame of the machine and disposed in a line at
right angles to the line of feeding, a slide riding on said guide, a paper-buckling
finger pivoted to said slide, a lever pivoted to the slide and having two arms
bearing alternatively on the slide in the inward and outward movement of the
latter, a. buckling-finger lifter actuated during the outward movement of the slide
and dropping said finger during the inward movement of the slide, a vertically
movable plate pivoted to the guide and having its free end immediately back of
the buckling-finger to receive upon it the recoiling buckled portion of the sheet,
a spring depressing said plate, and a lug on the slide releasing said plate from
the pressure of the spring during the forward movement of said slide, as set forth.
23. In combination with the guide disposed at right angles to the line of
feeding, a slide riding on said guide, a paper-buckling finger pivoted to the slide,
a three-armed lever pivoted to the slide and having two of its arms extending,
respectively, forward and rearward from the pivot and in lines parallel with the
buckling finger, said arms having a limited vertical play between their free ends

page_text: and top of the slide, a rod attached to the forward arm to lift the buckling-finger
with the lifting of said arm, a plate pivoted to the guide and having its free end
over the paper back of the buckling finger, a spring depressing said plate, a lug
on the slide releasing the plate from the pressure of the spring during the forward
movement of the slide, a pitman connected to the third-arm of the aforesaid lever,
and mechanism imparting reciprocating motion to said pitman, as set forth.
24. In combination with the slide and paper-buckling devices connected thereto,
a rock-shaft having a plurality of arms projecting from it, a spring-actuated rod
connected at one of said arms and turning the same in one direction, a pitman
connected to another of said arms for turning the same in the opposite direction,
a rotary cam, a roller on the pitman bearing on said cam, and a pitman connected
to another of the aforesaid arms for transmitting motion to the slide, as set forth
and shown.
25. In combination with the vertically movable table, and screws and nuts for
raising said table, gears on said screws, a shaft extending across the machine and
having fastened to it gears meshing with the gears of the screws, a miter gear on
one end of said transverse shaft, a vertical shaft on the side of the main frame,
a miter gear on said shaft meshing with the corresponding gear on the transverse
shaft, a ratchet-wheel attached to the vertical shaft, a longitudinally movable
bar at right angles to the vertical shaft, a pawl on said bar engaging the ratchet-
wheel, a spring moving said bar in one direction, a longitudinally reciprocating
carriage, an arm on said carriage extending across the bar, a bell-crank pivoted
to the bar, a pin on one arm of said bell-crank sliding vertically in the bar and
to and from the path of the carriage-arm, a spring supporting said bell-crank
arm, an armature attached to the other arm of said bell-crank, an electro-magnet
facing said armature, and a circuit-maker and breaker actuated by the variations
in the height of the pile of paper, as set forth.
26. In a paper feeding machine, the feeding devices proper, consisting of arms
disposed in a line parallel with the line of feeding and moved back and forth on
said line and falling and rising to and from the top of the pile of paper, and in
said vertical movements slightly approaching and receding from each other, as
set forth.
27. In combination with the sheet-buckling devices operating upon the rear
portion of the pile of paper, a secondary sheet-buckling mechanism, consisting of
feeding-pads rising and falling from and to the top of the pile of paper, and in
said vertical movements, slightly approaching and receding from each other, and
sheet-separating mechanisms at the delivery end of the machine, as set forth.
28. In combination with the main-frame, guides parallel with the line of feed,
a carriage sliding in said guides toward and from the delivery-end of the machine,
rider brackets movable longitudinally on said carriage, springs coupling the rider
brackets to the carriage, means for periodically arresting the feeding movement
of the rider brackets, sheet shifting instruments pivoted to the rider brackets, and
means traveling with the carriage for throwing the sheet shifting instruments
out of contact with the paper preparatory to moving in the opposite direction, as
set forth.
29. In combination with the main-frame, guides parallel with the line of feed,
a carriage sliding in said guides, rider brackets movable longitudinally on the
carriage, springs coupling the rider brackets to the carriage, means for arresting
periodically the feeding movement of the rider brackets, sheet-shifting instru-
ments connected to the rider brackets, and means carried adjustably on the
carriage to operate upon the sheet-shifting instruments and throw the same out
of contact with the paper preparatory to moving in the opposite direction, as
set forth.
30. In combiration with the main-frame, guides parallel with the line of feed,
a carriage sliding in said guides, rider brackets movable longitudinally on the
carriage, springs coupling the rider brackets, to the carriage, means arresting
periodically the feeding movement of the rider brackets, vertically oscillatory

page_text: sheet-shifting instruments carried on the rider brackets, catches connected to the
rider brackets, and adapted to engage and support the sheet-shifting instruments
in their raised positions during their rearward travel, and means carried on the
frame for throwing the catches out of engagement with the feeding instruments,
as set forth.
31. In combination with the carriage moving back and forth parallel with the
line of feed, rider-brackets movable longitudinally on the carriage and connected
thereto by longitudinal spiral springs, ratchets on said rider brackets, dogs
adapted to engage the ratchets and thereby arrest the forward movement of the
rider brackets, electro-magnets throwing the dogs out of engagement, an electric
circuit, a circuit-closer actuated by contact with the edge of the sheet to be fed,
sheet shifters carried on the rider brackets, and drawing the top sheet into contact
with the circuit-closer, and means traveling with the carriage and throwing the
sheet-shifters out of contact with the paper preparatory to moving rearward, as
set forth.
32. In combination with the main-frame and driving-shaft, a carriage movable
to and from the delivery-end of the machine, racks on said carriage, a rock-shaft
operating the racks, an arm attached to the said shaft, means on the driving-shaft
imparting motion to said arm, rider brackets movable longitudinally on the
carriage and connected thereto by longitudinal spiral springs, ratchets on said
rider brackets, dogs adapted to engage the ratchets and thereby arrest the feeding
movement of the rider brackets, electro-magnets throwing the dogs out of engage-
ment, an electric circuit, a circuit-closer actuated by contact with the edge of the
sheet to be fed, sheet-shifters carried on the rider brackets, and drawing the top
sheet into contact with the circuit-closer, and means traveling with the carriage
and throwing the sheet-shifters out of contact with the paper preparatory to
moving rearward, as set forth.
33. A paper feeding machine comprising a vertically movable table for carrying
the paper piled squarely upon the same, fingers bearing upon said pile at one end
thereof, sheet-shifting instruments, operating upon the top of the pile of paper
and shifting the top sheet from under the aforesaid fingers, mechanisms operating
the sheet shifting instruments independently of each other, stop mechanisms
controlling the shifting instruments and actuated by the advanced edge of the
shifted top sheet, and paper-feeding devices removing the shifted top sheet from
the pile, as set forth.
34. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination of
means for advancing the top sheet thereof and mechanism for operating said
advancing means, of a tripper suspended in the path of the top sheet and adapted
to be operated thereby, a rack carried by the advancing means, and a pawl
adapted to be operated by the tripper to engage said rack and thereby check the
forward movement of the advancing means.
35. In a paper feeding machine, the combination with means for shifting the
top sheet of the pile in a direction parallel with the line of feeding and mechanism
for operating said shifting means, of a tripper in the path of the top sheet to be
actuated thereby, a rack carried by the sheet shifting means, and a pawl controlled
by the tripper constructed to engage said rack and thereby check the movement
of the sheet-shifting means.
36. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination of a
main shaft and means adapted to advance the top sheet on said pile, of means
for moving said advancing means forward and returning said advancing means
to their initial position, means for checking the forward movement of the advan-
cing means adapted to be operated by said top sheet, and means for raising the
advancing means out of contact with the top sheet after the forward movement
of said advancing means has been checked, as set forth.
37. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination of
means for advancing the top sheet thereof, and mechanism for operating said
advancing means, of a tripper arranged in the path of the top sheet and adapted

page_text: to be operated thereby, a rack carried by the advancing means and a pawl
adapted to be operated by the tripper to engage said rack and thereby check the
forward movement of the advancing means, as set forth.
38. In a machine tor teeuing sheets of paper from a pile, the combination with
mechanism for advancing the top sheet thereof, comprising a sheet shifter having
a rectangular path of travel and constructed to press upon the top sheet of the pile
during its travel in one direction to advance said top sheet from the pile, and
mechamsin for automatically checking the advancing movement of the sheet
shifter, said mechanism being engaged by the top sheet as it advances and actuated
by the continued advancement or said top sheet, substantially as described.
39. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper trom a pile, the combination with
mechanism for advancing the top sheet thereof, comprising a sheet shifter having
a rectangular path of travel and constructed to press upon the pile during its
travel in one direction, mechanism for automatically arresting the movement of
the sheet shifter when it is in engagement with the pile, said mechanism being
operated by the top sheet as it advances, and means for automatically raising the
sheet shifter after it has advanced the top sheet, substantially as described.
40. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination with
mechanism for advancing the top sheet thereof, comprising a sheet shifting
instrument having a rectangular path of travel, mechanism for automatically
checking the movement of the shifting instrument when in operative engagement
with the top sheet of the pile, said mechanism comprising a tripper arranged in
the path of the top sheet and adapted to be engaged by said sheet as it advances
and be moved thereby to actuate the checking mechanism by the continued
advancement of said sheet, substantially as set forth.
41. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination with
mechanism for advancing the top sheet thereof, comprising a sheet moving
instrument having a rectangular path of travel and constructed to press upon
the pile during its movement in one direction, of a tripper arranged in the path
of the top sheet and adapted to be operated thereby to check the forward move-
ment of the sheet moving instrument, and means for automatically raising the
sheet moving instrument after its movement has been checked, substantially as
described.
42. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination with
mechanism for advancing the top sheet thereof, comprising a sheet moving instru-
ment having a rectangular path of travel and constructed to press upon the pile
during its movement in one direction, of mechanism for imparting to said sheet
moving instrument an intermittent vertical and horizontal movement, and means
for arresting the horizontal movement in one direction adapted to be operated by
the continued advancement of the sheet of paper after it engages said arresting
means, substantially as set forth.
43. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination with
means for advancing the top sheet of said pile including a sheet shifting instru-
ment, suitable driving mechanism for the advancing means, a yielding connection
between said sheet advancing means and the driving mechanism, substantially
as set forth.
44. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination with
means for advancing the top sheet of said pile including a sheet shifting instru-
ment, suitable driving mechanism, an operating rod or bar extending from the
driving mechanism to the sheet advancing means, and a yielding connection
between said rod or bar and the advancing means, substantially as set forth.
45. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination with
means for advancing the top sheet of said pile including a sheet shifting instru-
ment, suitable driving mechanism, a yielding connection between the driving
mechanism and the advancing means, means for checking the movement of the
advancing means without interfering with the regular operation of the driving
mechanism, and means for elevating the sheet shifting instrument out of engage-

page_text: ment with the sheet when the movement of the advancing means is checked, said
elevating means being operated by the relative movement between the driving
mechanism and advancing means permitted by said yielding connection, sub-
stantially as set forth.
46. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination of
means for advancing the top sheet thereof, and mechanism for operating said
advancing means, of a tripper suspended in the path of the top sheet and adapted
to be operated thereby to engage the advancing means and arrest the advancing
operation of said advancing means, substantially as described.
47. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination of
means for advancing the top sheet thereof, and mechanism for operating said
advancing means, of a tripper arranged in the path of the top sheet and adapted
to be operated thereby to engage the advancing means and arrest the advancing
operation of said advancing means, substantially as described.
48. In a machine for feeding sheets of paper from a pile, the combination of
means for advancing the top sheet thereof and mechanism for operating said
advancing means, of a tripper adapted to be operated by the top sheet and a rack
carried by the advancing means, said tripper being adapted to engage said rack
and thereby arrest the advancing operation of the advancing means, substantially
as described.
Dated this 12th day of
1000
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C, Agents.