Improvements in Sheet Feeding Mechanism for Printing Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1897
[Communicated from abroad by ROBERT HOE, Printing Press Manufacturer, of
504, Grand Street, in the City of New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in Sheet Feeding Mechanism for Printing Machines.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Breams Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention relates to the means for feeding sheets to a printing machine,
and more especially to that class of printing machines known as perfecting, the
object being to adapt said machine, not only to be primarily fed from a rolled
web of paper from which the sheets are formed as they pass to the printing
machine, but also enable said printing mechanism to be fed with cut sheets by
hand manipulation.
The invention includes these two forms of feeding mechanisms co-related so
that one or the other may be used, as is required. It also embraces sheet-
governing rolls, and stops co-operating therewith, whereby the forward end of
the sheet may be straightened before its delivery to the impression cylinder, and
in combination therewith a sheet feeding mechanism running preferably at a
high speed, so as to cause said straightening operation.
It furthermore includes an improvement in the gripper mechanism of said
sheet-feeding apparatus, all of which improvements are more fully hereinafter
explained in connection with the accompanying drawings.
A preferable practical embodiment of these improvements is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a rotary printing machine having this
feeding apparatus attached, as is necessary to illustrate the construction and
operation thereof.
Figure 2 is a partial plan view of the same, the upper type cylinder and its
driving gear being removed to expose the gearing on the first impression cylinder
below it, and the feed-board being removed to expose the parts beneath it.
Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of some of the principal parts of the feed-
ing apparatus and the first printing cylinder, the latter being in sectional
elevation.
Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of many of the parts shewn in figure 3.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the end of the feeding cylinder, taken on a section
line within the side frame; and
Figure 6 is a front elevation of one end of the same.
As this improved feeding mechanism is more especially adapted therefor, it is
shown as connected with a rotating printing mechanism, which, as illustrated, is
composed of impression cylinders A, B, and type or form cylinders C, D,―to the
first impression cylinder A of which the sheets are primarily delivered. As

page_text: herein shown, these impression cylinders A, B, are respectively provided with
sheet-carrying pins 10, 11, 12, 13, and the type or form cylinders C, D, are
furnished with inking mechanisms and other necessary appliances.
There is a feeding mechanism of ordinary construction adapted to act upon a
continuous web, as from the rolled web W, form the same into sheets by a cutting
mechanism carried by the cylinders 60, 70, and deliver the same to the action of
controlling rollers 30, 31, which deliver the sheets to said impression cylinder A
in timely co-operation therewith. There is also a hand-fed sheet-feeding
apparatus surmounting the web-feeding apparatus, which also delivers the sheets
to said controlling rollers 30, 31.
The impression and form cylinders of the printing mechanism are geared
together so as to run in unison, as is usual, (see Figure 1) by the wheels 50, 51,
which gear the first impression cylinder A and the second impression cylinder B
together, and by the wheels 80, 81, on the shafts of the form cylinders, which
gear respectively with the wheels 50, 51. The sheet controlling rollers 30, 31
are geared together by means of pinions 57, 58, (see Figure 1), and said rollers
are driven at a surface speed uniform with that of the printing cylinders through
the pinion 58, which gears with a wheel 59 on one end of the impression
cylinder A for that purpose.
These sheet-controlling rollers 30, 31, mounted in bearings adjacent to the
cylinder A, are, at the forward end of a sheet guiding shute, formed by con-
ductors 28, 29, which bridge a space slightly greater than a sheet's length between
said rollers 30, 31, and feeding or forwarding rollers 40, 41, the latter of which
forward the sheets received from the feeding apparatus into said shute. These
conductors forming the shute are supported and held separated a suitable distance
apart to form a way for the sheets by means of cross-rods fixed to the framework,
and the upper conductors 28 have their heels entered into recesses in the rollers 40,
and their forward ends passed through like recesses in the roller 30, and are
curved to coincide with the periphery of the roller 31, and extend close to the
periphery of the impression cylinder A.
The conductors 29 extend rearwardly through appropriate recesses in the
roller 41, and have their heels extended close to the periphery of the cutting
cylinder 70, while their forward ends enter recesses in the roller 31, and terminate
just rearward of the nipping point of the rollers 30, 31. The roller 30 has its
periphery cut away, as is indicated at 32, so as to present at each revolution a
non-operative portion, which suspends its nipping action upon the surface of
roller 31 during the passage of such recessed portion over the roller 31.
At about the nipping point of these rollers 30, 31, a set of vibrating sheet
stops 20 are arranged to play in recesses in the roller 31, said stops 20 projecting
from a rock shaft 75 appropriately rocked by a rock arm 82 carried at the end
of an actuating rod 83, which is pressed by a spring 84 so as to hold the stops 20
in their raised position, and moved to withdraw said stops by means of a friction
roller 85, which is acted upon by a cam 86 (see Figures 3 and 4).
When
The space between the feeding roller 40 and cutting cylinder 60 is occupied by
a switch 88, the active faces of which may coincide either with the periphery of
the roller 40, or with that part of the conductors 29 which extend between the
roller 41 and cutting cylinder 70, the point of said switch playing in recesses in
the rollers 40, 41, and its heels respectively in recesses in the periphery of the
feeding cylinder, and close to the periphery of the cutting cylinder 60.
the feed is from a web, (as the rolled web W, mounted in any convenient place,),
said web is led through feeding rolls 42, 43, thence between cutting cylinders 60,
70, thence between the feeding rollers 40, 41, and thence through the feeding
guides 28, 29 and the controlling rollers 30, 31. The rollers 42, 43 and 40, 41,
and cylinders 60, 70, are rotated by means of toothed wheels 52, 53, 54, 55, driven
by the wheel 50 on the impression cylinder A; the wheel 55 drives the feeding
cylinder F through a pinion 56, which is adjustable out of and into gear with
wheel 55, said cylinder F being also supplied with a wheel 61 secured to

page_text: pinion 56, which meshes with a pinion 46 on the shaft of the feeding roller 40,
which in turn drives a companion pinion on the shaft of roller 41.
The shaft of the lower cutting cylinder 70 is provided with a wheel 66 that is
adjustable thereon out of and into gear with the wheel 55, and when in mesh
therewith drives said cylinder 70, which cylinder is also provided on its end with
a wheel 63 secured to wheel 66, which gears with a companion wheel 62 on the
end of cylinder 60, the wheel 63 also driving the feeding rollers 40, 41, through
an intermediate 67 that gears with the pinion on the end of the lower feeding
roll 41; said wheels 63 on its other side gearing with an intermediate 68 which
drives pinions 64, 65, on the ends of the feeding rollers 42, 43.
When feeding from a roll or web, as W, the wheel 66, through which the
cutting cylinder 70 is driven, and which has one-half the number of teeth in
wheel 50 on impression cylinder A, is in mesh with wheel 55, and is driven by
it, making two revolutions for one revolution of the impression cylinder A, the
wheel 63 which is secured to wheel 66 being in mesh with the intermediate 67,
and driving the feeding rollers 40, 41 at the same surface speed as the cutting
cylinders 60, 70. But, when the feeding cylinder F is to be used, the pinion 56
through which said cylinder is driven, having been out of engagement with
wheel 55 during the roll feed, is now moved into engagement with it, as is also
the wheel 61 into mesh with the pinion 46 on feeding roller 40, to drive it at the
same surface speed as the feeding cylinder, and as it is not necessary that the
cutting cylinder should operate at this time, wheels 66 and 63 are disengaged
from the wheels 55 and 67 respectively.
As it is desirable in the rotary printing machines to have the sheets follow each
other as closely as possible upon the printing cylinder, so that as much of its sur-
face as possible may be utilized for printing, only such slight space between sheet
and sheet should be provided as will accommodate the action of the sheet-
seizing and carrying devices with which printing machines are provided. In
this case, these devices are impaling pins 10, 11, 12, 13, which pins are protruded
and withdrawn from the cylinder by means of rock arms operating in a common
way, not necessary to be described here, said pins 10, 11, taking the sheets
successively from the controlling rollers 30, 31, and delivering them to the
pins 12, 13, of the second impression cylinder, in like manner as is common (in
this art) in transferring sheets from one cylinder to another.
The cutting cylinders 60, 70, are slightly less than half the size of the printing
cylinders A, B, and hence these cutting cylinders, although they make two revo-
lutions to one of the printing cylinders, run at slightly less surface speed than the
printing cylinders, and the controlling rollers 30, 31 are driven at the same speed
as said printing cylinders.
These cutting cylinders produce a sheet for every half revolution of the print-
ing cylinders, which sheet length, as before intimated, is slightly less than the
distance between the feeding rollers 40, 41, and 30, 31, and as in this structure
the cutting mechanisms carried by the cutting cylinders 60, 70, perforate the
sheet withwise, said sheet will, when nipped by the controlling rollers 30, 31,
which form breaking rollers, take up a slightly increased speed, and thus be
detached on the partially severed line from the web, the leading end of which
sheet, guided by the conductors 28 to the cylinder A, being impaled by the pins,
say 10, of that cylinder, and thus carried upon its surface, and onward through
the printing mechanisms.
When thus operating from a web, the switches 88 will be set in a position
indicated by the dotted lines shown in Figure 3, and the stops 20 may be thrown
out of operation. By this mode of feeding sheets from a web, a very close
relation of sheet and sheet may be attained in the printing machine. As it has
become necessary to provide these machines with hand sheet-feeding devices, it
is requisite that a sufficient interval shall be had between sheet and sheet in order
te allow the feed guides to drop after a sheet has passed them and then rest in

page_text: their lower position a sufficient time to enable a succeeding sheet to be adjusted
against them.
This interval or space between the sheets is obtained in the hand-fed apparatus
now being described, by causing the surface of the feeding cylinder F to revolve
at a greater sneed than that of the printing cylinders, which is accomplished by
means of the gearing driving it. The periphery of the feeding cylinder is equal
to the length of one sheet, and preferably makes two revolutions for each sheet
fed, or four revolutions to one of the printing cylinders. The dropping sheet
gauges or guides 14, with which the feeding cylinder F is supplied, are fast upon
a rock shaft 33, that is moved to appropriately raise and lower said gauges or
guides by means of a rock arm 34, which is moved at appropriate times by a
cam 35, that is rotated by a wheel 36 driven by a pinion 37, fast on the shaft of
the cylinder F.
Each sheet taken in succession from a pile on the table T has its forward end,
or leading edge, laid against the guides 14, which guides, at the proper time during
the revolution of the cylinder F, rise to release said sheet about simultaneously
with the movement of the grippers 15, whereby they close to seize and carry the
same onward around the cylinder F.
These grippers are mounted upon a rock shaft 6 journalled in the heads of
cylinder F, said shaft being suitably rocked by means of a segment 3 pivoted to
one end or head of the cylinder F, which segment meshes with a pinion 4 carried
by the gripper shaft, and is vibrated to close said grippers, to seize the sheet and
open the same, to release it by means of a projecting stud 2, which contacts with
a cam 16 that is fixed to the framework by a bracket 8, said grippers being
normally held closed by means of a spring-seated rod 18, which is reciprocated
by means of a rack at its outer end, that meshes with the pinion 4, and is held to
duty by roller 7.
The cylinder F makes two revolutions for each sheet taken by the grippers,
and the latter must, therefore, only close at every second revolution of the
cylinder. In order to hold the grippers open on the alternate non-operative :
revolution, said segment is provided with a depending central toe 1, that may
rest upon a dise 9 encircling the shaft of the feeding cylinder F', which disc, when
aligned with said toe, acts as a stop, preventing the inward movement of the seg-
ment 3, whereby the grippers are closed, thus suspending them in their open
position, as in Figure 5. This disc is capable of sliding laterally upon said shaft, a
and is carried fast to a grooved collar 21 that is moved to and fro on the shaft
by means of an operating lever 22, having a pin entering its groove, and being
pivoted so as to be vibrated by means of a cam 23 that is carried on the short shaft
upon which the wheel 36 is mounted, and thus makes one turn for every two of
the cylinder, said disc being thus brought under the projecting toe of the segment, 4
and held there during one revolution of the cylinder F, so as to prevent the
stud 2 from following the low part of the cam, and thus closing. the grippers.
Thus, the sheet taken by the grippers 15 during each second revolution of
the cylinder F, will, when the switches 88 are set, as in Figure 3, carry said
sheet onward, and deliver its leading end within the face of the switches 88 and 4
roller 40, the sheet thus being guided between the feeding rollers 40, 41, and
forced out in the shute formed by the conductors 28, 29, until its leading end
abuts against the stops 20, then in a raised position, as in Figure 3. These stops
arrest the sheet, and enable its edge to be straightened up against the stops,
where it momentarily rests until the leading edge of the full part of the 5
rollers 30 nips it, whereupon the stop drops, and the sheet is fed onward, guided
by the conductors in a true position with respect to the pins which impale it, and
carry it onward upon the surface of the impression cylinder A for the printing
operation, the accuracy of the feed of the sheet being thus nicely determined by
the co-operation of said mechanisms.
Although the sheet-guiding shute is best formed by the conductors 28, 29, it
5

page_text: is feasible to substitute tapes for either or both of them, and hence such a structure
is to be considered as their equivalent.
Having now particularly descrilied and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed (as communicated
to me from abroad), I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The combination with a web printing machine, of two sheet feeding
mechanisms, one consisting of suitable feeding rollers, cutting cylinders, and
breaking rollers, and the other of a feeding cylinder provided with sheet carrying
devices, forwarding rolls, and a conveying shute leading to the sheet pathway of
the first named mechanism, substantially as described
2. The combination with the impression cylinder of a printing machine and
shect-controlling rollers running at like speed therewith, one of which has an
interrupted surface or non-feeding portion, of a sheet feeding cylinder delivering
sheets to said controlling rollers, and a co-acting stop, to temporarily arrest the
sheet, straighten the same, and then release it, substantially as described.
3. The combination with sheet-feeding rollers 40, 41, sheet-controlling
rollers 30, 31, and an interposed guideway, said roller 30 being recessed to provide
it with a non-feeding portion, of vibrating sheet stops 20 co-operating with said
rollers 30, 31, and a sheet-carrying impression cylinder A, substantially as
described.
4. The combination with the cylinder F and its grippers 15, pinion 4, and
segment 3, having a projection 1 and stud 2, of a cam, as 16, and bearing disk 9
and means for laterally moving said disc into and out of range of said
projection 1, substantially as described.
5. The combination with the cylinder F, its grippers 15, pinion 4, and
segment 3, having the projection 1, of a collar 9 carried by a sliding sleeve, a
lever for moving said sleeve, a cam for operating said lever, and gearing connect-
ing the shatt of the cam with that of the cylinder in proportion of two to one, so
that the said grippers shall be locked open during the alternate revolutions of
said feeding cylinder, substantially as described.
6. The combination with the feeding rollers 40, 41, 30, 31, and the feeding
cylinder with its sheet-carrying devices, of the switch 88, substantially as
described.
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