341,280. Printing-machines. SPIESS, G., 78, Zschocherschestrasse, Leipsic, Germany. Jan. 23, 1930, No. 2422. Convention date, Jan. 23, 1929. [Classes 100 (i) and 100 (ii).] Platen machines.-In a sheet feeding and delivery device for a platen printing-press, the sheets are separated and fed from an automatically raised pile 48 by a rotating suction roller 19 which is reciprocated on a pivoted guide 21 and is rotated by a reciprocating rack 29 to feed the separated sheet to registers 44 on the platen 2, which is shown in Fig. 1 in the open position in which the sheet feed takes place. The sheets are held to the platen during printing by means of pivoted suction rods 3, and the printed sheets are detached from the rods 3 by suction members 42 on pivoted arms 23 carried by the feed roller 19 and controlled by the engagement, under the action of springs 26, of rollers 25 with the under surface of the pivoted guide 21. The feed roller is reciprocated by connecting-rods 16 and crank-discs 10 are freely mounted on an axle 11 and are driven by bevelgearing, and one disc 10 is fitted with a gear wheel 13 which drives a wheel 14 fixed on the axle 11 from which the drive of the delivery roll is effected. Sheet separaters, guides, and carriers.-The suction roller 19 is formed of a cylindrical member 61, Fig. 7, formed with axial passages 62 which pass in succession past radial suction passages in fixed caps 59, 60 between which the cylindrical member 61 rotates. The member 61 is covered with a sheath 63 formed with a number of annular grooves 64 to receive strippers to detach the separated sheet, and the sheath is formed with ring-shaped projections 65 with suction apertures 66 connected with the passages 62. The member 61 is rotated by a reciprocating rack 29 operated by a lever 28 and an adjustable crank on a cam disc 34 which oscillates the pivoted guide 21 by means of a lever 39 and link 40. The separated sheet may be advanced relatively to the roller 63 by the successive suction action, or by means of a roller 77, Fig. 9, which is carried on an oscillating arm 75 and grips the separated sheet against roller 63 after the sheet is raised from the pile. A sheet guide 79 and air blower 80 are carried by the arms 75. The separation of the sheets is assisted by an air blast from a pipe 49, and blowing devices 50, 51 may control the sheet when on the platen. The sheet is guided on to the platen by the bent-down ends of rods 43 which support the sheet during delivery. Delivery apparatus.-The printed sheets are taken from the grippers 3 by suction members 42 on the arms 23, and are finally forwarded to a delivery pile 47 by means of a rotating suction roller 45. Delivery is assisted by air blasts from devices 52, 53. In modifications of the delivery apparatus the suction roller may be mounted in the arms 23, or a suction roller 45<c>, Fig. 4, mounted on a fixed axis, may deliver the sheets on to a grid 54 made of rods carried by the arms 23<c>. The sheet is stripped from the rods 54 by stops 55 as the arms 23<c> return from the pile. A blowing device in the form of a rotary cross 56 assists the positioning of the sheet on the grid 54. The arms 23 may carry grippers acting as ordinary gripper-flyers. Tripping-arrangements.-An automatic releasing device for stopping the machine if the roller 19 :fails to pick up a sheet is used, and comprises a spring- controlled piston 71, Fig. 7, which, when a sheet is fed, is withdrawn into an axial bore in the fixed part of the roller 19, and an extension of the pistonrod 73 fails to engage a feeler 74 of the release. If however a sheet is not fed, and the suction is not produced in the cylinder, the feeler 74 is engaged and the machine stopped. Specification 289,654, [Class 100 (i), Feeding, and delivering webs &c.], is referred to.