GB688375A - Improvements in or relating to wire-stitching machines - Google Patents

Abstract

688,375. Signature gatherers. CAMCO (MACHINERY), Ltd. March 23, 1950 [April 14, 1949], No. 10125/49. Class 100(i) [Also in Group XXX] In a wire-stitching machine of the kind having an inverted V-shaped saddle along which the signatures are conveyed to the stitching head by one or more projecting feed fingers or abutments carried by an endless chain whose interlinked elements constitute the apical region of the saddle, each feed finger is pivotally mounted on one of the elements and pivotally interconnected by a link arm with a point on an adjacent element in such a way that the relative angular displacement of the elements as they pass on to and around the periphery of a sprocket or like downwardly curved guide causes the finger to be rocked backwardly and withdrawn within the region swept through by the elements as they pass round the guide. The endless chain conveyer comprises elements 23, Figs. 1 and 4, of inverted U-shape which pass along a gap between the upper edges of the plates of the saddle 13, upper inverted V-shaped portions of the elements forming a continuation of the saddle plates. For feeding the signatures along the saddle on to an anvil 11 and thence to the stitching head 10, certain of the elements 23 have pivoted thereto at 38 upstanding feed fingers 28. Each finger is connected by a link 29 to the next following element, so that as the element on which the finger is mounted moves down over the sprocket 18, the finger is rocked backwards, to avoid buckling of the signature. To allow lowering of the finger the apical region behind the finger of the element carrying it is removed, and part of the apical region of the preceding element is also removed to prevent accumulation of a pad of paper fibres in front'of the finger. Alternatively, each finger may be linked to the next preceding element, the link 29 being pivoted to the finger below the pivot 38. Sprockets 18, 19 are carried on a member 20 adjustable along rods 21 according to the length of the signatures. A guide blade 30 forms the subjectmatter of Specification 688,387. Specifications 314,917, [Class 89(iii)], and 453,300, [Group VII], also are referred to. According to the Provisional Specification, the operation of the stitching head may be controlled by an electromagnetic clutch or a clutch controlled by a solenoid, closed by means of a feeler arm being moved to close a mercury tilt switch or micro-switch, the arm being actuated by a signature on reaching a certain position. The feeler arm may be associated with gauging means for determining the thickness of the signature, too great thickness causing an additional movement of the arm to open a second normally closed switch and reopen the clutch circuit. The signature may be usedjo break a normally closed circuit between the arm and the saddle plates. Photo-electric inductive or capacitive sensing means may be used in place of the feeler arm. If the machine itself is used as part of the clutch control circuit, a low voltage current source is preferably used, for example stepped-down A.C. with or without rectification.