GB610290A - Improvements in signature handling mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

610,290. Feeding sheets to machines. CRABTREE & SONS, Ltd., R. W., and BURLS, J. A. E. April 6, 1946, No. 10672. [Class 100(i)] For feeding folded signatures to sewing- machines the folded edges of the signatures are opened out so as to permit pushing devices 9 with pushing fingers 7, 8 to engage between the centre pages of the signature. This is effected as shown in Fig. 2 by causing grippers 2 to engage the folded edge of a signature near the edges thereof, and striking devices 6 with inclined surfaces 4, 5 are moved to contact the folded edges and by movement away from the fold to cause the edges to bulge which permits the pushing fingers 7, 8 to move between the centre pages and when the motion of the fingers is reversed and the grippers 1, 2 opened, the pushers 7, 8 carry the signature to a position in which it can be engaged by a V-shaped stitching head 34, Fig. 5, which is oscillated on a guide 36 by an oscillating lever 37. As shown in Fig. 5 the signatures are fed singly from the bottom of a hopper 12 by means of oscillating,suction devices 16, which withdraw the bottom sheet past a flexible support 15 through an aperture in the bottom 13 of the hopper, and deposit the fold of the signature on a fixed gripper 2 against which moves a gripper 1 carried by a member 41 mounted yieldingly in an oscillating carrier 21. The member 41 assists separation of the signatures as it passes between the separated one and the pile. The gripping action is followed by advance of the striking devices 6 which are moved against the action of springs 33 by advance of the pushing rod 9 which finally is moved so that the pushers 7, 8 engage the opened fold of the separated signature. The rod 9 is reciprocated by a slitted lever 30 which engages a pin 29 on the rod, and the lever 30 also actuates link work which effects oscillation of the lever 17 carrying the suckers 16. The rod 9 also by means of a block 46 actuates a pivoted member 47 connected to a tappet shaft 25 which lowers the gripper member 1.