US1755662A - Sheet-feeding mechanism - Google Patents

Description

April 22, 1930.

" A. E. PETERSEN SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM 7, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan.

A. E. PETERSEN SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM April 22, 1930.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 7, 1927 m 7 W 2 1 w ml E E fl 0 Wm ,4 7 z Wm WM Em w M I .J H- i 7/ w I e7 00/ m. amwwm Qwmmtoz April 22,1930. A. E. PETERSEN 1,755,662

' SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM 7, 1927 5 Sheeis-Sheet 3 Filed J'an Patented Apr. 22, 1930 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED E. PETERSEN, OF RID'GEFIELD PARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO DEXTER FOLDER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF YORK SHEET-FEEDING MECHANISM Application filed January 7, 1927. Serial No. 159,684.

This invention relates to sheet feeding mechanism, and more particularly to the means employed for separating sheets from a pile which is automatically elevated as the -sheets are separated therefrom and forwarded to the press or other instrumentality to be fed.

It has heretofore been customary to separate sheets of a pile carried on an automatically operated elevator by a rotary platen for producing a preliminary separation of a portion of the sheets at the top of the pile, a combing wheel cooperating with the platen to straighten the uppermost sheet across the flexure of the portion of sheets that have been partially separated by the rotary platen, and a reciprocating suction device consisting of two relatively movable sections one of which engages the straightened sheet and telescopes within the other section which is lifted with the telcscoped section to separate the straightened sheet from the pile. It has been found, however, that when attempting to separate sheets of heavy stock such as twelve point or grades thicker than the same, the

sheets of said heavy stock cannot be straightened by the combing wheel because of the relatively increased thickness of the sheet and its consequent increased resistance to the straightening action of said wheel, and that there is a tendency for the uppermost sheet and the one immediately below it to adhere so that two or more sheets are often separated at the same time by the suction device and simultaneously forwarded to the press, thus causing a jamming of the. sheets in the latter, or when caliperl-ng mechanism 1s employed,

' increasing the work thereof and causing-the press to be frequently stopped with the resulting loss of time to the printer and decreased production of the press.

The principal ob ects of this invention are to provide sheet separating mechanism which eliminates the disadvantages referred to"; Which will positively separate two sheets adhering in themanner-st'ated; which causes the lowermost of two adheringsheets lifted by thesuction device to drop back onto the pile and at the same time insures that'theuppermost sheet will'be retained in engageofsaid feeder (Fig. ,1),

This invention will be more clearly stood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one mechanical embodiment of the inventive idea, and where- 1n Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the entire sheet separating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of said mechanism with certain parts broken away for purposes of clearer illustration;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of the combing wheel, showing means for retaining the same in an inoperative position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical view of the suction device, showing means for separating two adhering sheets; v

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of parts of the sheet separating mechanism, showing two adhering sheets picked up by the suction device;

, Fig. 6 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 5, showing the manner of separating the two adhering sheets; and r Fig. 7 is a new similar to Fig. 6, showing the sucker completel ,telescoped within its casing and the top s eet supported by said sucker and. completely separated from the ile. i Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, 5 indicates a cross-bar adapted to. be supported on the side frames of-a' pile feeder constructed in any suitable manner to automatically or. otherwise elevate a pile ofsheets 6 carriedon the support? Mounted on the cross-bar 5 for adjustment along the same transversely of the pile feeder, is a. sheet separating mechanism, the component parts of which are generally 1 duplicated adjacent both rear corners of the sheet P119 so as to provide two separate mechanisms which act to partially se arate a portion of the uppermost sheets a jacent both said rear corners and straighten and separate the sheets successively from the pile before they are forwarded to the press or other instrumentality to be fed. Since these separating mechanisms are substantially identical in their construction and operation, and since in some cases a single mechanism is employed, only one of the same is herein illustrated and described. This sheet separating mechanism preferably includes a bracket 8 slidably mounted on the cross bar 5 and in turn having slidably mounted thereon a separator frame 9 which may be adjusted vertically with respect to the sheet pile, as by a screw rod 10 and a hand wheel 11 fixed thereon.

J ournaled in suitable bearings of the sepa rator frame 9 is a shaft 12 having fixed on one end thereof a bevel gear 13 which meshes with a bevel gear 14 fixed on a stub shaft 15 journaled in a bearin bracket 16 that is mounted -on-the arm 1% of the separator frameKFig. 2)x The stub shaft'15 is connected, as by a universal joint 18, with a shaft 19 that is driven from the press or from any other suitable source of power. A ear casing 20 is freely mounted on the sha' t 12 and has an arm 21 through which is threaded a thumb screw 22 that engages the frame 9 and "serves to adjust the angular position of the gear casing 20 with respect to the shaft 12. This driven shaft 12 is provided with gear teeth 23 for driving a series of intermeshing gears 24, 25, 26 and 27 housed within the casing 20, the gear27 being fixed onla stub shaft 28 to which is rigidly secured a rotary platen 29 that serves to partially separate a portion of the uppermost sheets of the pile -and continuously support said portion and add sheets thereto as the pile is elevated and the sheets successively separated and forwarded to the press.

4 Arranged to cooperate with the rotary platen 29 is a combing wheel 30 which, when it is desired to separate sheets of relatively thin stock, such for example, as the various grades thinner than twelvepoint, serves to straighten the uppermost sheet before it is separated from the pile by the suction device hereinafter referred to. This combing wheel is secured on one end ofa shaft 31 journaled in suitable bearings. on an arm 32 loosely mounted on the shaft 12. The OP osite end of the shaft 31 has fixed thereon a bevel gear 32' which meshes with a bevel gear 33 that is rigidly secured on the shaft 12. It will thus appear that the shaft, through the medium of gears 32 and 33, serves to drive the shaft 31 and the combing wheel 30. The combing wheel ,arm'is automatically raised and lowered by a cam arm 34 (Fig. 3) pivotally mounted on a pin 35 carried on a lug 36 projecting from" the separator frame 9. This cam arm 34 is provided with aroller 37 which engages a cam 38 fixed on the shaft 12. Said cam arm is further provided with a plate 39 upon which rides a roller 40 j ournaled at 41 on an arm 42 that extends upwardly, from the combin wheel arm 32.

In accor ance with the present invention, means are provided for holding the combing wheel in an inoperative position away from the rotary platen and the sheet pile when the separator mechanism is being employed to separate relatively thick sheets such as twelve point or grades thicker than the same. Said means may be of any suitable construction, but as herein shown, the same preferably consists of a hook 43 that is secured at 44 to the arm 32. This hook 43, together with the arm 32' and combing wheel 30, is adapted to be manually lifted so that the hook may be engaged in an apertured lug 45 on the separator frame 9. Said lugand the hook 43 thus serve to support the combing wheel in the in operative position with respect to the rotary.

platen and the sheet pile as shown in Fig. 3.

Carried on an upwardly extending arm 46 of the separator frame 9 is a pin 46- (Fig. 1)

upon which is journaled a lever arm 47 to the free end of which is pivotally connected, as

at 48, the upperend of a rod 49. The lower end of this rod 49 is provided with an angular slot 50 in which engages a stud 51 secured to the separator frame 9. When the rod 49 is raised and lowered by means to be presenttherethrough' tothe foot clamp from a pump or other suitable source (not shown). Pivotally connected, as at'57, with the arm 47 is 53 and serves to deliver air under pressure I a cam rod 58, the lower bifurcated end of ll which straddles the shaft 12 to center the cam rod with respect to said shaft. The cam rod 58 carries a pin 59 upon which is journaled a roller 60 which engages a cam 61 fixedon the shaft 12. v Secured tothe downwardly presented ends 62, 62 ofitherod '58 is a plate 63. through a-suitable opening in which extends a rod 64. This rod 64 has its upper end pivotedon a pin 65'andis provided with a collar 66 between'which andthe plate 63 is disposed a. spring 67 which surrounds the rod 64-and tends to retain the cam rod 58 in its lowermost f'position. It will thus appear that, as the cam is rotated, the rod 49 will be raised and lowered, which movements are likewise imparted to the foot clamp 52 carried by said rod 49 and that through the described connections the foot clamp is caused 30 uppermost sheet from the pile. ,scoping sucker 79 is provided with a sheet 40, 81 and the lug 50 thicker than the same.

plate 39 through the medium of a roller 68 journaled at 69 on the curved lever 67and engaging said plate 39. This curved lever has adjustably mounted thereon, as by a pin and slot connection 70, 71 and a split clamp 72, a suction pipe 73 the upper end of which is connected by a flexible tube 74 with a suitable source of suction (not shown). The lower end of said pipe 73 terminates in a plate 75 (Fig. 4) having a port 76 therein communicating with the pipe 73 and with an arcuate-shaped casing 77 secured to the plate 75, as by set screws 7'8, 78. This casing 77 and the conduits connected therewith, form one part of a suction device that is raised and lowered by the plate 39, and said suction device serves to separate the sheets successive- Iy from the pile 6. The other part of this suction device is comprised by an arcuateshaped sucker 79 telescopically fitted in the 5 casing 77 so as to be projected from said casing when lowered therewith into engagement with the uppermost sheet of the pile and to be retracted within the casing 77 when the entire suction device is lifted to separate said The telegripper 80 and, when suction is applied within the device, the sucker 79 is telescoped within the casing 77 ,against the tension of coil spring 81 (Fig. 5) surrounding an arcuateshaped rod 82 which is pivoted at 83 to the 1 sucker 79 and is slidably guided in an apertured lug 84 on the casing 77. The opposite ends of the spring 81 bear against a washer 84 respectively, and said spring acts to distend the sucker 79 when the suction is broken in the pipe 73 and flexible tube 74. I

In accordance with the present invention,

means are provided for preventing the suction device from permanently separating more than one sheet at atime from the pile Whenthe sheets to be separated are of stock such, for example, as twelve point or grades The means last referred. to is preferably constituted by a curved deflector finger 85 which is provided at its upper end with one or more slots 86, 86 and adapted tobe detachably secured to the casing 77 by screws 87, 87 which pass through the slots 86, 86 and are threaded into suitable openings in the casing 77 When sheets of relatively greatthiekness, such as those above referred to, are to be separated by the mechanism described, the combing wheel is lifted to the ino erative position shown in Fig. 3 and retaine d in said position by engaging the hook 43 in the apertured lug 45. The deflector finger 85 is then se-.

cured to the casing by the means described,

so as to be positioned in the path of travel of the sheets lifted and separated from the pile bythe sucker 79. The free end portion of the deflector 85 is curved as at 88, so that, if two or more sheets adhere and are simultaneously lifted from the pile by the sucker 79, as shown in Fig. 5, said adhering sheets will be bent by contact of the uppermost sheet with the deflector finger as the sucker 79 is telescoped within the casing 77. This bending of the sheets is clearly shown in Fig. 6, wherein the sucker 79 has been partially telescoped within the casing 77 and the uppermost sheet is being securely engaged with the gripper by the suction in the separating device. Bending of the sheets,

however, separates their adjacent edges and,

as the sucker continues to recede within the casing, the curved free end portion 88 of the deflector finger engages the edge of the sheet immediately below the uppermost one so that the adhering sheets are separated and aerated therebetween, the uppermost sheet being retained in engagement with the gripper 80 and the additional sheet or sheets being deflected back'onto the sheet pile and engaged by the foot clamp 52 as shown in Fig. 7. The curvature of the sheet deflector is of a predetermined are which insures that the uppermost sheet will not be detached from the sucker 79 by said deflector, but to further insure against such action, the deflector may be adjusted on the casing 77 by the screw and slot connections 86, 87 so that only the excess sheet or sheets will be detached from the sucker 79 as it telescopes within said casing.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a device adapted to separate a sheet from a pile, of means movable at intervals toward and from the pile and past which said device travels, said means being adapted to deflect back'onto the pile any sheet or sheets that may be separated therefrom with said first named sheet. p

2. The combination with a device adapted to separate a sheet from a pile, of a curved automatically operated element movable at intervals tow ard and away from the pile and past which said device travels, said curved element being adapted to deflect backonto the pile any sheet or sheets that may be separated therefrom with said first named sheet.

3. The combination with a suction device having a" reciprocating casing and a part telescope within said casing and separate sheets from a pile, of a curved deflecting element carried by the arcuate-shaped casing for preventing said sucker from separating more than one sheet at a time from said pile 5. In a sheet separating mechanism the combination with a hollow casing, means for reciprocating the same, and a sucker member arranged to be projected from and telescoped within said casing to separate a sheet from a pile, of means supported in spaced relation with the pile and past which said sucker member travels, said means being adapted to deflect back onto the pile any sheet or sheets that may be separated therefrom with said first named sheet.

6. The combination with sheet separating mechanism comprising two parts one of which -is alternatelvprojected from and telescoped within the other to separate a sheet from a I pile, ofimeans supported on the-other of said parts in spaced relation with the pile and past which the first'named part travels, said me ans being adapted't'o deflect back onto the pile any sheet or sheets that may be separated therefrom with said first named sheet.

, 7. The combination with a sheet separating I mechanism comprising acasing and a sucker I member alternately projected from and telescoped within the casing to separate a sheet from a pile, of means for preventing said sucker member from permanently separating more than one sheet at a time from the pile, said means comprising a curved deflector supported on the casing in spaced relation with the pile and adapted to bend adhering sheets on the traveling sucker member whereby said sheets are aerated and all but one of the same dropped back onto said pile.-

8. In a sheet separating mechanism, the combination with a movable sucker member for separating a sheet from a pile, of an element mounted independently of the sucker member in spaced relation with the pile and adapted when more than one sheet at a time is picked up by the sucker member and moved past said element, to bend the sheets relatively whereby they are aerated and the excess sheet or sheets dropped back onto the pile.

9. The combination with a device for separating a sheet from a pile, or" a curved deflector mounted independently of said device in spaced relation with the pile, the curvature of said deflector being such that when adhering sheets are moved past the same by the separating device said sheets are bent relatively by the deflector and all but one of them dropped back onto the pile.

10. The combination with a support for a pile of sheets and a device movable thereover for se arating sheets successively from the top 0 the pile, of a deflector disposed over the pile in spaced relation therewith and mounted independently of: the separating device to provide for movement of the same vice so that the uppermost sheet is retained in engagement with said device and the lowermost sheet or sheets are separated therefrom and drop back onto the pile.

11. The combination with a device for separating a sheet from'a pile and a hollow foot clamp periodically engaging the pile, of a curved deflector supported in spaced relation with the pile and past which said device travels, the curvature of said deflector being such that when a plurality of sheets are picked up by the separating device and moved past the deflector, the latter relatively bends the adhering sheets whereby the sheet or sheets below the one engaged with the separating device may be aerated, dropped back onto the pile, and engaged by said foot clamp.

12. In a sheet separating mechanism, a rodevice, said elements being adapted to Sep arate sheets of various grades thinner than one of a certain thickness, means for holding the combing wheel in an inoperative position when said suction device is employed to separate sheets of various grades thicker than those first named, and means for preventing the suction device from separating more than one at a time of said last-named sheets.

13. In a sheet separating mechanism, a rotary platen, a combing wheel, and a suction device, said elements being adapted to separate sheets of various grades thinner than one of a certain thickness, means for holding the combing wheel in an inoperative position when said suction device is employed to separate sheets of various grades thicker than those first-named, and means adapted to be detachably secured on said suction device for preventing the same from separating more than one at a time of said last-named sheets.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

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