Improvements in Apparatus for “Feeding” Printing Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for “Feeding” Printing Machines.
I DANIEL THOMAS POWELL of 33ª Ludgate Hill in the City of London
Printers', Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
"
This invention consists of improvements in the apparatus for mechanically
delivering singly, sheets of paper, bags, or other material, to be printed, and is
most easily applied to cylinder printing machines.
•
In the place of the ordinary paper table and feeding board I attach my
apparatus. The paper table consists of a wooden framing and bed capable of
being adjusted higher or lower and having a reclining back sliding its entire
length. The raising and falling of the bed is to make the "front lay"; and to
accommodate various sizes. The sliding back is to bring the stack of paper
forward to the necessary point as the sheets are removed one by one.
-
I do not stack the sheets flat in a pile as reams are laid but I stack them on edge
the paper being supported by the reclining back before mentioned by this means
I not only ensure more perfect separation but I am enabled to place on my paper
table from 5000 to 10,000 sheets according to thickness instead of one or two reams
as is generally the case.
Working in bearings slightly, in front of and below the level of the bed is a tube
- one end of which is plugged the other communicating with an air pump or
exhaustor. Attached to this tube are hollow fingers tipped with rubber and
worked to and fro from the paper stack to the grippers in the cylinder by rack
and pinion or crank in the same manner as the "gate" or "fan" moves.in a taking
off apparatus.
I
These fingers approach the stack of paper and the air being exhausted: a sheet is
separated and attaches itself to the rubber tipped fingers being held by them near
the top or front edge until it has been delivered right into the grippers of: the
printing cylinder. The "front" and "side lay are both "made" on the paper
table by placing the stack in exact position so no after adjustment is necessary...
In case a sheet should fail to be received on the fingers I arrange by-means of
an air valve that the cylinder is stopped and if this is repeated the machine is
automatically brought to a standstill.
L
1901
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for "Feeding" Printing Machines..
I DANIEL THOMAS POWELL of 33ª Ludgate Hill, in the City of London,
Printers' Engineer 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 consists of improvements in apparatus for mechanically delivering
singly, sheets of paper, bags or other material to be printed and is most easily
applied to cylinder printing machines.
In the place of the ordinary, paper table and feeding board I attach my
apparatus and in order that my invention and the manner in which the same is to
be performed may be more easily understood I have annexed drawings marked
with letters or numbers of reference to the various parts described..
a side elevation
:

page_text: Pa Ang napon the apparatus.
Fig. 3 is a detail of the air-valve hereafter referred to.
Like letters indicate like parts in each drawing.
A is the wooden framing of the paper table which is fixed to the side frames of
the machine Z and carries four uprights a' a' a* a. B is the adjustable part of the
paper table which is held in its position and its height regulated by the four
screws CC C³ C' and nuts c¹ c² c* c*.
D' D are the handles spindles and bevel gearing employed to operate the
screws C in pairs.
E is the reclining back with its adjusting screw F for the purpose of varying the
angle if required.
G is the slide (Fig. 2) along which the reclining back is advanced by the screw
and nut H. h. by means of the pawl and ratchet I operated by the eccentric J and
connecting rod-K in conjunction with the gear wheels and screw L. M.
N is a fence or clamp, working in bearings O'0' attached to frame A, which is
kept pressed against the paper P by means of spring Q and raised from it when
required by the lever and camb R. r.
Sis a clip preferably of thin metal which projects over the top edge of the stack
of paper pressure being regulated by lever S¹ and spring S supported in bearings
fixed to uprights a³ a'. T¹ T' are jointed levers having friction joints and tension
adjustments U¹ U. One end of these levers is fixed to spindle V having its
bearing on the uprights a a. On the other end is attached the separating
rubber W this consists of rubber or a piece of wood metal or other material
covered with india-rubber sand, glass, or emery, paper, cloth or other suitable
material.
X is a bar in slotted carriers fixed to the top of uprights as a and is for the
purpose of returning levers T¹ T' to their positions after they have separated a
sheet.
Y is a connecting rod attached to a lever actuated at suitable times by a camb
from any convenient one-revolution-shaft on the machine.
No. 1 (Fig. 2) is a metal tube plugged at end No. 2, and working in bearings
No. 3, and No. 4, which are attached to wood frame A. This tube is made to turn
to and fro by pinion & rack No. 5 actuated at suitable times by a camb on any
convenient one-revolution-shaft on the machine. The other end of the tube No. 1
is connected with an air pump or exhauster and is perforated at convenient
positions to make connection with Nos. 6. 6' 6' hollow fingers made of wood,
vulcanite, metal or other suitable material, proceeding from or attached to the tube
and having tips of india-rubber leather or other suitable material.
No. 7 is an air valve with a piston No. 8 (Fig. 3).
No. 9 is a paper gauge or "side lay" having slide fixings in uprights a³ aª.
Having described and shown in detail the various parts of my apparatus I will
proceed to describe the manner of its performance.
A stack of paper is placed on edge on the paper table B leaning against the
back E, which need not be a planed surface but may be curved or shaped at option,
and the side lay made by adjusting the paper gauge No. 9 and putting the paper
against it. The front lay is made by adjusting the height of the paper table.
The paper should always be set just up to the clip S and if there is too much or
too little grip" the table must be lowered or raised accordingly by means of the
handles and screws D¹ D'.
In the same manner sheets of different sizes are provided for. The
stack must now be advanced to its proper position forward that is until the fence N
presses against it without actually binding or pinching the foremost sheet.
The machine may now be set in motion.
The separator W will be forced downwards upon the surface of the foremost
sheet of paper causing its top edge to be drawn from under clip S, and it to become
ES buckled as shown at P (Fig. 1) a current of air enters behind it and upon
separator W being lifted again the sheet springs upwards and is left outside clip $

page_text: which prevents another sheet following this when it is taken away by the
fingers No. 6. 6' 6* which during this time have been approaching the stack.
Just before these fingers reach their destination the camb r acts upon the lever R
of the fence N and raises it slightly, releasing the pressure from the paper. The
fingers are now nearly touching the paper and the air pump coming into action
exhausts the air in the tube and fingers the separated sheet at once attaches itself
to the rubber tips of the fingers and they carry it over the fence N and place it
into the grippers of the cylinder retaining their hold until the grippers have closed.
The part revolution of the tube besides carrying the sheet to the grippers and
working the fence also brings forward the stack by means of the eccentric J and
pawl & ratchet I.
By adjusting this eccentric to take more or less throw varying thicknesses of
paper are accommodated. It is obvious that the levers T T will become
straightened out whilst separating the sheet and that they would not so act again
unless they were returned to their former position.
To attain this I provide bar X against which on their upward stroke the lower.
part of the jointed levers strike and are set inwards in proper position. The
carriers of bar X are slotted so as to provide for setting the levers to a nicety.
The friction joints with tension adjustments are to determine the amount of
pressure exerted by the separator, some sheets requiring more than others.
The fence N is necessary to obtain the proper "buckling" of the paper. It
must press sufficiently against the stack whilst the rubber W is descending and
must come away just after the sheet has straightened itself so as to allow the fingers
to carry the sheet away without any friction on it.
The air valve No. 7 is to provide a means for stopping the cylinder should the
apparatus from any cause fail to take a sheet. When a sheet is attached to the
fingers the exhaustion of the air will cause the piston No. 8 to be sucked up and it
will be prevented from drawing the bolt which operates the stopping cylinder
motion. If no sheet is on the fingers no vacuum will be formed the piston will fall
to its fullest distance and will come in contact with and will draw the bolt before
referred to.
I do not propose to give any details by which this is to be carried out because
these motions must be designed to suit the varying stop cylinder actions of different
makers. It is obvious that with a "hit and miss" motion such as I have described
in my air valve it is easy of application; as also is a motion for throwing off the
driving belt, stopping the machine, ringing a bell or otherwise giving an alarm.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
In a feeding apparatus for printing, or other machines requiring to be fed with
sheets of paper singly
1. The use of a paper table and reclining back whereon the paper may be
stacked on edge and the lay obtained by adjustment of table and side gange sub-
stantially as described.
2. The use of separator W with its levers friction joints, tensions and re-setting
adjustments substantially as described.
3. The use of clip S and fence N substantially as described.
4. The use of hollow fingers attached to a tube and oscillating between the
stack of paper and the cylinder for the purposes, and, substantially as, described.
5. The use of air valve No. 7 with its piston No. 8 creating a hit and miss
motion for the purposes and substantially as described.
6. Apparatus for feeding paper into printing or other machines, combined and
operating, as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of June 1892.