Improvements in Mechanism for Separating Sheets of Paper required to be Fed to Printing Machines and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1893
Improvements in Mechanism for Separating Sheets of Paper required
to be Fed to Printing Machines and the like.
A communication from abroad by THOMAS A. BRIGGS, of Arlington, in the State
of Massachusetts, United States of America, Machinist.
1, JOHN MAGRATH KELLY, of 1 Charlotte Street, Bedford Square in the
County of Middlesex, Merchant, 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 mechanisms employed for separating the top sheet
from a pile of paper, preparatory to feeding said paper to a printing machine or
other machines designed to operate on a single sheet of paper at a time.
The object of the invention is to more positively ensure the separation of the
paper as aforesaid and by simple and efficient mechanisms and to this end the
invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts as herein-
after described and set forth in the claims.
In the annexed drawing
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a paper separating device embodying the invention,
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same,
Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views of the connection of the separating
mechanisms to their supporting arm,
the
Fig 5 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 5, 5, in Fig. 2,
Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a part of the device used to make
paper buckle,
Fig. 7 is a transverse section on line 1, 1, in Fig. 1,
Fig. 8 is a horizontal transverse section on line 2, 2, Fig. 1,
Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section on line 3, 3, in Fig. 1, and
Fig. 10 is a detached plan view of the paper-separating disc or plates.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents the table upon which placed the pile of paper A' to be fed to a
printing machine or other machine requiring the sheets of paper to be fed to it
separately.
Said table is arranged movable vertically between the posts B of the frame of
the machine, and is usually raised automatically with the paper feeding mechanism,
by various means not necessary to be here illustrated. An exemplification of said
automatic table lifting mechanism is illustrated and described in the Specification
accompanying an application for Letters Patent filed the 9th day of August 1892
No. 14,339 of 1892.
G is a rigid horizontal arm attached to the post B and extending rearward
therefrom at a suitable elevation above the table A. On said arm is mounted
movable longitudinally the block H which is split longitudinally and clamped in its
desired position by a screws passing transversely through the split portion. In
said block is journalled the shaft F which is parallel with the arm G and is also
journaled in a suitable bearing on the post B. Said shaft extends sufficiently
forward from the post to permit the bevelled pinion P to be attached to the end
of the shaft. Said pinion meshes with the segmental gear fixed to the rock
shaft R to which are connected the fingers R¹ which push the sheets of paper
from the pile toward the machine which is to print or otherwise operate on the
same.
Various means may be employed for imparting the rocking motion to the shaft

page_text: as for instance the mechanisms illustrated in the Specification accompanying the
application for Letters Patent before referred to.
In the machine described in the Specification above referred to the shaft F is
compelled to oscillate or rock with the rock shaft R and the oscillating motion is
converted into intermittent rotary motion of the vertical shaft E of the paper
separator by clutch mechanism seated in the block H. Said clutch mechanism is
intricate and expensive and difficult of access for repairs or renewal.
To obviate this the pinion P is now mounted loosely on the shaft F and the
former is provided with the radial perforation o, and the shaft with shouldered
notches n n as shown in Fig. 7. To the exterior of the hub of the pinion P is
fastened one end of a spring band p which encircles said hub and bears with its free
end on the outer end of a dog or clutch pin p' seated movably in the perforation o.
Said notches and the engaging face of the dog p¹ are so shaped as to cause the said
dog to engage the shoulder of the notch and thereby compel the pinion P to move
with the gear S in one direction, and allow the dog to slip out of the notch when
the pinion is turned in the opposite direction. Hence an intermittent rotary
motion is imparted to the shaft F. Vertically through the block H extend the
rod D and shaft E which are free to slide vertically therein. To opposite ends of
said rod are firmly secured the arms II' in which are journalled the ends of the
shaft E. A worm gear d is mounted loosely on the shaft F to allow said gear
and block H to be shifted lengthwise of the shaft and thereby adjust the paper
separating mechanism to its requisite position over the rear portion of the pile of
paper. By a spline and feather connection of said gear with its shaft said parts are
compelled to turn in unison. Another worm gear d¹ is similarly connected to the
vertical shaft E and meshes with the gear d as shown in Fig. 9. Said shaft is thus
intermittently rotated and at the same time allowed to slide vertically.
To the foot of the vertical shaft E is firmly secured the paper separator proper,
which consists essentially of the horizontal plates a a disposed in one and the same
plane and extending in opposite directions from the shaft, so as to allow said plates
to pass alternately under the successive top-sheets of the pile of paper. The
plates a a are of sufficient widths to invariably cause one of them to rest upon the
top of the pile of paper and thereby support the lower arm I and all parts connected
to said arm. The top sheet of paper is therefore always subjected to pressure
which feature is very essential to the successful separation of the top sheet from the
pile.
It is preferred to form the paper-separating plates a a in one piece of the form
of a circular disc mounted rigidly on the shaft E as aforesaid and having at opposite
sides of the latter the V shaped notches a' a¹ extending from the periphery to the
hub of the disc, as shown in Fig. 10.
On the rod D immediately over the arm I is pivoted the lever L one end of
which is held in contact with the cam C fixed to the shaft E and the opposite end of
said lever is formed with a toothed segment L'.
To the rearwardly extending free end of the arm I is secured a stud pin O to
which is pivoted the supplemental lever N which is formed with a toothed seg-
ment N' meshing with the segment L. Said supplemental lever is also formed with
a hollow upwardly projecting hub O', the interior of which is somewhat larger than
the pin O and is surrounded by a coil spring N" which is secured at opposite ends
to the supplemental lever and to the head of the aforesaid pin as shown in Fig. 5.
Said spring exerts its force in a direction which causes the supplemental lever to
hold the lever L in contact with the cam C. Upon the hub Ofis loosely mounted
the supporting shank of the paper buckling arm T which shank is formed with a
recess c in its underside. Vertically through the said recess and through the top
of the said shank extends a pin 6' which by means of a spring 6" is caused to enter
one of a series of sockets b in the top of the supplemental lever N. Said plurality
of sockets allows the arm T to be set at different angles in relation to the line of
travel of the paper or edges of the pile of paper, which adjustment is required to
operate on paper of different qualities. To the free end of the arm T is attached

page_text: the paper buckling finger T' adjustable lengthwise of said arm to bring said finger
to bear at the proper point on the top sheet of paper. Said finger has affixed to
its free end the rubber block e by which it bears upon the paper.
and
The requisite pressure of said block upon the paper is obtained by the spiral
spring similar to that described in the Specification herein before mentioned. In
the present case, however, said spring is housed in the sleeve T" formed on the
supporting shank of the arm T. The arm proper consists of a shaft extending
lengthwise through the aforesaid sleeve and retained therein by a collar g
key on the protruding end of the shaft, and a collar i fastened to the shaft at the
opposite end of the sleeve by a set screw j as shown in Fig. 6. The spiral spring f
is fastened at one end to the collar i and at the opposite end to the sleeve. By
loosening the said collar on the shaft and turning it the tension of the spring
can be adjusted as may be desired to obtain the requisite pressure of the finger T'
upon the paper.
U represents a paper straightening finger consisting of a piece of spring wire
attached at one end to the post B of the frame at the rear of the paper feeding
finger R and extending with its free end forward and bearing thereby upon the
paper to hold the same smoothly upon the pile and thus ensure the engagement
of the feeding finger R' with the top sheet to push the same from the pile."
In the operation of the described paper separating mechanism the pile of paper
is constantly subjected to the downward pressure of the paper separating plates a a
and while one of said plates turns and slides upon the top sheet, the cam C
swings the arm T forward by means of the lever L. Said arm moving much
faster than the plate a causes the finger T¹ by pressure of the rubber block e upon
said top sheet, to buckle up said sheet as represented in Fig. 1 of the drawing.
While the sheet is in said condition the shaft E turns sufficiently to cause the
other plate a to be swung around and enter between the buckled sheet and
subjacent sheet, and the first named plate is then swung off from the pile of
paper and at the same time the cam C releases the arm T and thereby allows
said arm to be swung back by the spring N".
The top sheet being liberated it can be moved easily from the pile by the
feeding fingers R¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In combination with the paper-buckling mechanism, rotary-horizontal, paper-
separating plates disposed diametrically opposite each other in one and the same
plane, and mounted on one and the same shaft, and movable vertically and supported
on the top of the pile of paper as set forth.
2. In combination with the rock shaft R, segmental gear S fixed to said shaft,
vertical shaft E, paper separating mechanism actuated by the latter shaft,
horizontal shaft F and gears transmitting motion from the shaft F to the shaft E,
the shouldered notches n in the sides of the shaft F, the pinion. P mounted
loosely on said shaft and provided with the radial perforations o in its hub, the
dog p' in said perforation, and the spring band encircling the hub of the
pinion and secured at one end thereto, and bearing with the opposite end on
the dog p', substantially as described and shewn.
3. In combination with the rod D, shaft E, arm I supported on said rod and
shaft and the cam C and paper separating plates fixed to said shaft, the lever L
provided at one end with the toothed segment L', a spring holding said lever
with the opposite end in contact with the aforesaid cam, the supplemental
lever N pivotted to the free end of the arm I and formed with a toothed
segment N¹ meshing with the segment L', and a paper-buckling arm extending
from the supplemental lever as set forth.
4. In combination with the rod D, shaft E, arm I supported on said parts and
the cam C and paper separating plates fixed to said shaft, the lever Ĺ pivoted

page_text: on the aforesaid rod and having one end in contact with the cam and formed at the
opposite end with the toothed segment L', the stud pin O rigidly attached to the
free end of the arm I, the supplemental lever N pivoted to said stud pin and formed
with the toothed segment N₁ the spring N connected at opposite ends to said pin
and supplemental lever, and a paper buckling arm extending from said supplemental
lever, as set forth.
The combination of the oscillatory supplemental lever 'N provided with
sockets bb, the paper buckling arm T having its supporting shank pivoted on said
lever, and the pin & movably connected to said shank and engaging one of the
aforesaid sockets as set forth and shewn.
6. The combination of the oscillatory supplemental lever N formed with the
hub n and sockets, the paper buckling arm 1 having its supporting shank
pivoted on said hub and provided with the recess c, the pin extending vertically
through the recessed portion of said arm, and the spring seated in the recess and
forcing the pin into the socket b, substantially as described and shown.
7. In combination with the arm I and paper buckling arm T supported thereon,
the paper buckling finger T¹ connected to said arm adjustably lengthwise of the
latter, as set forth.
8. In combination with the supplemental lever N, the paper buckling arm con-
sisting of the sleeve T" pivoted to said lever, the shaft T extending lengthwise
through said sleeve, collars on the shaft at opposite ends of the sleeve, and one of
said collars clamped adjustably on the shaft by a set screw, the spring housed in
the sleeve and attached at opposite ends to the adjustable collar and to the sleeve,
and the finger T' attached to the free end of the shaft, substantially as described
and shown.
Dated this 13th day of December 1892.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.