US1515572A - Sheet-handling mechanism for presses, creasers, and the like - Google Patents

Description

Nov, 11,1 24- I v E. FREY SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM FOR PRESSES, CREASERS, AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 25, 1922 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR z,

BYMIM ATTORNEYS Nov. 11; 1924- E. FREY SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM FOR PRESSES, CREASERS, AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26 1922 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. ll, 1.924.

ELLSWORTH FREY, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO ULTEX MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 01 HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SHEET-HANDLING MECHANISM FO'B PRESSES, CREASERS, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed. January 26, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ELLSWOR'lI-I FREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield. in the county of Hampden and State of lslassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Handling lllechanisn'i for Presses, Creasers, and tl e like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet handling 11'160l1211118111, which is particularly adapted for use in connection with presses, cutters, and creasers and like ma chines making use of a swinging platen, to feed sheets to and remove them from the machine.

The invention has for one object to provide means in the nature of a swinging sheet conveyor, operable by the swinging movement of the platen and arranged to swing toward a stack of sheets to be fed as the platen moves toward its bed and to swing over the platen as the latter nears its outer position.

The invention also has for an object to provide in connection with a sheet conveyer of the type described, or any other suitable type, a novel means for picking up a sheet from a stack thereof and a novel form of releasing the sheet at the proper time from such means.

The invention also has for an object tc provide improved means in the nature of a swinging nipper frame, for extracting the sheets from the machine, such means being operable by swinging movement of the platen and having nipper jaws which are closed down upon the sheet as the latter "is carried against the bed of the machine by the platen and which are opened automatically after the sheet has been extracted by the movement of the platen away from the bed.

()ther objects and advantages will appear in the following description and in the illustrative embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a side elevational view of a cutting and creasing machine showing the invention as applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Figs. 8 and f are cross sectional views taken on the lines 3 .3 and respectively of Fig. 2;

Serial ,No. 531,888.

Fig. 5 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary sectional view 'of the end portion of one of the arms shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing a detail of the nippcr construction. I

Referring to these drawings, I have indicated, in more or less conventional form, a cutting and creasing machine, represented generally by reference letter This machine, used generally in the art of manufacturing paper boxes and the like, is too well known to require detailed description.

It includes a. bed 6 with which a swinging' member or platen c cooperates, such member being movable from the position; shown by full lines to that shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 by the following mechanism. Links d, one on each side of the machine and pivotally connected at one end to the member 0, are similarly connected at their other ends to crank pins 6, carried by gears f, which are fixed to a shaft 9 and driven by pinions h from the main drive shaft 2' of the machine.

The invention will be disclosed in connection with the particular machine just described, as an illustrative example of one of its many uses. The invention is equally capable of use on presses and other machines having two members which are relatively movable in the same general manner as those shown at b and c in Fig. 1.

The mechanism for feeding sheets to the machine A is mounted in a frame K which as shown is of skeleton construction, affording a guide for a. vertically movable platform 10 upon which the sheets are carried in vertically stacked relation. The frame K is portable and may be moved away from machine A, when desired, being normally held thereto by bars 11 which are suitably and removably sccured to the base of machine A, as by screws 12.

The platform 10 is preferably moved step-by-step upwardly at each operation of machine A in order to keep the top of the stack at substantially a constant level for cooperation with the sheet feeding mechanism.v To this end, two elevator drums 13 are provided, one adjacent each side of platform 10, both drums being fixed to a shaft 14, rotatably mounted in brackets 15 and 16, carried by frame K. An eye 17 is fixed to each drum anda cable 18 is looped through this eye, its two extensions passing upwardly over a sheave or sheaves 19, and thence downwardly for connection in laterally spaced relation to platform 10. Fixed to shaft 14 is a gear 20, and in mesh therewith, is a pinion 21 mounted on a stud '22 carried by bracket 16. Fixed to pinion 21 is a gear 23, driven by a pinion 24, to which is fixed a ratchet wheel 25, the latter and pinion 24 being rotatable on a stud 26 carried by bracket 16. A holding pawl 27 mounted on frame K, is associated with ratchet 26 as is also an actuating pawl 23, carried by an arm 29, pivotally mounted on stud 26. Arm 29 is connected by a link 30 .to a lever 31, which is pivoted intermediate its --ends to frame K, and one arm of lever 31 is connected by a link 32 to a projection 33 :fiXed to the link {Z already described. The iconmotion between links cl and 32 is preferably a detachable onethe stud which forms such connection, being held in place by a thumb nut 34, whereby the links may be conveniently disconnected when it is desired to move frame K.

The sheet feeding mechanism, which opcrates to deliver a sheet to member 0 while the latter is in the position illustrated dotted lines in Fig. 1, is operated'by' the other arm of lever 31. The latter is connected by a link 35 to an arm 36 mounted for oscillation on a stud 37 carried by frame K. Formed on arm 36 is a segmental gear 38, which drives a pinion 39 tired to an arm 40, pivotally mounted on a stud 41, carried by frame K, for swinging movement about an axis concentric with that of pinion 39.. The sheet feeding mechanism as thus far described, is duplicated on the rear side of frame K so that there are two arms 40 movable in unison and parallel relation about a common axis. These arms constitute the means for moving a sheet from the pile on platform 10 to the member 0.

Associated with the sheet moving means just described .is a mechanism for picking up a sheet, holding it for the proper interval and then releasing it. This mechanism is carried by a shaft 43 mounted in the free ends of arms 40 and extending therebetween. Mounted on shaft 43 at axially spaced points are a plurality of sets :of arms, each setconsisting oftwo arms 44 and 45 loosely mounted on the shaft in adjacent re lation and held against axial displacement between collars 46. Alug 47 on arm 44 has a slot 48 therein to receive :a pin 49 on arm 45 and thus limit the relative movement of the arms. A spring 50, connecting arms 44 and tends to draw them together as far as permitted by the slot 48 and pin 49. Two links 51 of equal length and each pivotally connected at one end to a shaft 52 disposed vertically below and in parallelism with shaft 43, are connected at their other ends, one to arm 44 and the other to arm 45, at points spaced from the axis of shaft 43 by distances equal to the length of the links between its pivotal points. The shaft 52, of course, connects with a similar set of links associated with the other set of arms, whereby both sets are caused to move equally and simultaneously. This shaft 52 is supported from shaft 43 at axially spaced points by other linkages, such as that shown in Fig. 3, wherein the free ends of two links 53, pivotally mounted on shaft 43, are connected to the coirespondjng free ends of two links 54, the other ends of which are pivotally connected to shaft 52.

The arms 44 and 45 carry the devices for picking up the sheets and such devices preferably consist of a plurality of needles 55 projecting radially from a rod 56 rotatably mounted in and extending transversely through the arm. Located intermediate the ends of rod 56 and projecting radially therefrom through a slot 57 is a pin '58, which by abutment with the ends of slot 57 limits the turning movement of the rod. A spring 59 connects pin 58 to arm 44 and tends to hold the rod 56 .in the illustrated position but permits the latter, and the needles 55, to turn upwardly when the arms 44 are forced downwardly upon the stack of sheets, so that the rounded ends of arms 44 and 45, rather than the needles 55, rub over the sheet as these arms are spread apart by the action of forcing them down upon the stack, which occurs when arms 49 are moved into the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1. As the farms start to swing upwardly on their movement towed the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. l, springs 59 more the needles downwardly and also the springs draw the arms 44 and 45 toward one another, causing the needles to dig into the upper sheet of the stack. The entire assembly of parts carried by shaft 43, being free to thereon, is maintained level during the movement of arms 40 into their dotted line position and pads 60, preferably of rubber or the like and carried by :arms 61 extending from frame K and are located in the path of shaft 5.2 so that the latter is arrested while the arms 40 continue to move slightly further. This relative movement between shafts 43 and 52 causes the arms 44 and 45 to be spread apart, thereby withdrawing the needles from the sheet and allowing it to fall a short dis ance upon the movable member 0. As the latter moves toward member the arms 40 are caused to swing back toward and upon the stack of sheets carried by platform 10 and pick up another sheet to be moved into delivery position on a subsequent movement of member 0 nto the PBS-lt-IOZD: shown by dotted lines Fig. 1. The elevating means for platform 10 is moved one step upwardly as member moves into the last named position.

The means for discharging sheets from the machine A includes a plurality of swinging nippers, each including an arm 65 fixed to a shaft 66, which is rotat-ably mounted at its ends in and extends between two brackets 67 fixed to the frame of machine A. Shaft 66 is rocked in its bearings by arms 68, fixed thereto and arranged at opposite ends thereof. Each arm 68 is connected by a link 69 to one arm of a lever 70, pivoted intermediate its ends at 71 to the bracket 67, and the other arm of the lever is connected by a link 72 to the crank pin 0 already described. Thus, as member 0 swings toward the position illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the nipper arms 65 are caused to swing upwardly and to return into the illustrated position on the return movement of this member.

Each arm 65 carries,at its free end, a depending and fixed nipper jaw 73. Cooperating therewith is a movable jaw 7 4, which is pivoted at 7 to arm and has an operating arm extension 76. The latter is pivotally connected by a link 77 to one end of a bar 78 which is slidably mounted in guides 79 on arm 65.

Each bar 78 is releasably held in either of its two extreme positions by suitable means, such as a spring pressed pin 80 (Fig. 6) which engages in recesses 81 and 82 in bar 78. lVhen. pin 80 is engaged in recess 81 the nipper jaws are in closed position, and when engaged in recess 82, the jaws are in open position. The jaws are operated by sliding the arm 78, and when the jaws are closed, they remain closed until, in the v upward swinging movement of arms 65, the

ends of bars 78 engage adjustable stop screws 84:, mounted in brackets 67 and disposed in the path of arms 7 8. As the jaws open, the sheet, as s, has been lifted completely out of the machine and carried to the left in position to fall, when released, upon inclined guides 85, upon which the sheet slides to a suitable receiving device not shown. The jaws of the nippers, having been opened, are held open during the return movement of arms 65 until engaged by adjustable stop screws 86 mounted in levers 87, which are pivoted on a rod 88 supported by brackets 89 secured to brackets 67. Each lever 87 is arranged in the path of a lug 90 011 member a, and as the latter approaches its full line position, the lever 87 is engaged and moved and causes the bar 78 to be moved and close the nipper jaws upon the sheet carried by member 0.

The invention has been disclosed herein in an embodiment at present preferred for illustrative purposes, but the scope of the invention is'definedtby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

lVhat I claim is:

1. Sheet feeding mechanism, comprising, sheet conveying means adapted to be moved toward and away from the stack of sheets to be fed, yieldable means carried by the first named means and arranged to be forced against the stack and stressed thereby, and means operable by the relief in stress of said yieldable means as the conveying means moves away from the stack to pick up the foremost sheet thereof.

2. In combination, with conveying means movable toward and away from a sheet to be fed, sheet gripping means carried by the conveying means and including resiliently connected parts arranged to be forced against the sheet and spread apart as the conveying means moves toward the sheet, and needlescarried by said parts and arranged to enter the sheet when said parts are drawn together as the conveying means moves away fro-m the sheet.

3. Sheet feeding mechanism, comprising, sheet conveying meansadapted to be moved toward and away from the stack of sheets to be fed, vieldable means carried by the first named means and arranged to be forced against the stack and stressed thereby, means operable by the relief in stress of said yieldable means as the conveying means moves away from the stack to pick up the foremost sheet thereof, and means to stress said yieldable means as the conveying means move into sheet discharging posi' tion to release the sheet.

4.. In combination, with conveying means movable toward and away from a sheet to be fed, sheet gripping means carried by the conveying means and including resiliently connect-ed parts arranged to be forced against the sheet and spread as the conveying means moves toward the sheet, needles carried by said parts and arranged to enter the sheet when said parts are drawn together as the conveying means moves away from the sheet, and means to spread said parts as the conveying means moves into sheet discharging position to withdraw the needles from the sheet.

5. In combination, with conveying means movable toward and away from a sheet to be fed, sheet gripping means carried by the conveying means and including pivoted arms resiliently connected and arranged in diverging relation, the ends of said arms arranged to be forced against the sheet by said conveying means and spread apart, and needles carried by said arms arranged to enter the sheet from opposite directions as the arms draw toward one another when the conveying means moves away from the sheet.

6. In combination, with conveying means movable toward and away from a sheet to be fed, sheet gripping means carried by the conveying means and including pivoted. arms resiliently connected and arranged in diverg ing relation, the ends of said arms arranged to be forced against the sheet by said conveyn I n bed means ad acent the machine for carry- "mg a vertical stack of sheets to be supplied successively to the platen when swung away from said bed, swinging conveying means operable by movement of the platen and arranged to move from a position over said stack to a position over said platen when the latter is swung away from the bed, and means for picking up a sheet from said stack when the conveying means is in the first position and releasing it when the conveying means is in the second position.

8. The combination in a machine having a swinging platen movable to and from a bed, of a frame pivoted to swing upwardly away from the bed as the platen moves away a swinging platen movable to and from a bed, of a fame pivoted to swing upwardly away the bed as the platen moves away from the latter. and operably connected to the platen to be moved thereby, nipper jaws carried by said frame, means for opening the jaws as the frame nears its upper position, and means for closing them upon the sheet of paper as the platen nears its bed and-said frame nears its lower position.

10. The combination in a machine having a swinging platen movable to and from a bed, of a frame pivoted to swing upwardly away from the bed as the platenv moves away from the latter, nipper jaws carried by said frame, means for opening the jaws as the frame nears its upper position, and means on the platen for closing them upon the sheet of paper as the platen nears its bed and said frame nears its lower position. In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

ELLSWORTH FREY

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