US1905548A - Sheet feeding mechanism for printing machines - Google Patents

Description

April 25, 1933. K. ZIEGE SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed March 28, 1950 In vqmor Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED ewe Parent orrice 3 KARL ZIEGE, or BERLIN, GERMANY, ssrenon TO AnnEEssosnArH. ooMrAnY, or e WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A. CORPORATION OF DELAVTAREv I SHEET lEEEDIhTG MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Application filed March 28, 1930, Serial No. 439,684, and in Germany July 2, 1927.

feed of the paper pile the supply of too much or too little paper was liable to occur, causing interruptions in the operation of the machine which had to be rectified by hand.

According to the invention the feeding movement of the travelling conveyor band carrying the pile of sheets is regulated through suitable connections by a device which frictionally separates single sheets from the pile. Thus the saidmovement can be arranged to take place only when there is insufficient material exposed to the action of the frictional separating devices.

1 In order that the said inventionmay be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described more drawing wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus exemplifying this invention.

Figure 2'is a plan.

An endless conveyor band 1 working on a fully with reference to the accompanying table 2 passes around rollers 3 and 4, the

latter of which is mounted on a shaft 25 intermittently rotated by means hereinafter described. A pile of sheets 5 resting on the band 1 is carried along with the band until the sheets come within reach of frictionally acting deviees 6 and 7, which may be fingers,

- but in the example illustrated are soft rubber rings fitted on a spindle 8. On the two ends of the spindle 8 are rigidly attached thereto the two rocking levers 9 andlO, which jointly forming the drive lever. To the lever 14. is linked a connecting rod 15, which is reciprocated by means not shown on the drawing, so that with each working cycle of the .16, a rotating movement to the spindle 19.

printing machine-the driver levers 13 and 14 l I makea swinging movement in the direction -of the arrows a andib. In addressing machlnes the actuation of these levers 13 and 14 is preferably accomplished by linking the connecting rod 15 to the printing arm of the addressing machine, from which armoit receives the necessary movement for actuating the lever 13., By thesejmeans a feed of the sheets to the addressing machine only takes" place when the printing arm. is actuated. This is'very important in those addressing machines in which an automatic selectioniis made from the address plates carried through the machine of those to beprinted- 1 and those not to be printed. In this way is ensured the introduction into the machine of a sheet only when an address plate to be printed is in the printing position.

By a: swinging movement of the drive levers13 and 14 in the direction of the arrow 1) the friction rings 6 and 7 which during this movement rest on the paper pile 5, owing to their adhesion, separate each time the top rection'of their movement. By known means, not shown on the drawing, the taking-of any sheets except the top sheet of the pile is prevented. In the path of the movement of the sheet is. suspendeda touch lever 16,;which' projects through a slot made in the table 2, so that the sheet in its advancement by the friction ringsiG and 7 strikes against this touch lever 16. The said touch lever isfixed on the spindle 19 rotatably mounted in bearings 17 and 1.8. On the outside of the bearing 17is fixed onthe spindle 19 a small swinging lever 20, which is linked by means of a connecting rod 21 to the toothed pawl 0r segment 22. The tension spring 23 acting on the pawl 22 tends to keep; this pawl 22 in the position shown in the drawing. When a: normal feed occurs a sheet moved forward imparts, through the intermediation of the touch lever Then this rotating movementis transmitted bymeans of the swinging lever 20 and the connecting rod 21 to the pawl 22 which then comeswithin the reach of the toothed segment lever 24.. It is essential that full movesheet of the pileand carry this sheet in thediment be imparted to the lever 16 so that when a normal feed takes place the touch lever 16 is given full movement to clear the sheet edge and ride on the top of the sheet. This se ment lever 24 is rotatably arranged on the spindle 25, with which the driving levers 13 and 14 are rigidly connected. On the driving lever 13 is fitted a pin 26 behind which the segment lever 24 engages by means of a projection 27. The segment'lever 24 is'kept constantly pressed against the pin 26 on lever 13, by the tension spring 28 and. consequently follows each swinging movement of the driving lever 13. If, however, the pawl 22 be made to engage with the segment lever 24 by the action of a forwardly moving sheet in the manner described, the pawl 22 is carried along with the segment lever 24 until the pawl 22 meets the stop pin 29, whereupon the further movement of the segment lever 24 by spring 28 is prevented. If the papersheet'to be conveyed has not acted on the touch lever 16 at the proper time, then the pawl 22 does not en gage with the segment lever 24 and it can make the full movement with the driving lever 13. 'Prior to and as the segment lever 24 makes this full movement it, by means of the regulating screw 31 fitted'thereon, acts on the arm 32 of the motion pawl lever 33 also rotatably fitted on the spindle 25. A rotating movement is thus imparted to the motion pawl lever. 33 which it transmits by means of the pawl 34 to the toothed wheel 35. This wheel 35 is rigidly fixed on the conveyor roller rotatably mounted on the spindle 25, which thus follows the movement of the pawl 34 and, through the conveyor band 1, effects a forward movement of the paper pile. Thus the pawl 22 will not be actuated and a forward movement of the paper pile will take place each time when the friction rings 6 and '7 make a longer movement than the one set for moving forward the sheet of paper up to the touch lever 16, which again is always the case when p the paper pile does not lie far enough under the friction rings 6 and 7. As soon as the driving levers 13, 14 move in the direction of the arrow or the motion pawl lever 33 is brought back again to its normal position under the influence of the spring 36. The separate paper sheet is moved forward by the continuously rotating rollers 37 and 38. This is effected by the rollers 41 and 42 carried on the two swinging levers 39 and 40, being pressed at periodical intervals against the V rollers 37 and 38, the paper sheet being thereby gripped and moved forward. By this movement the lever 44 fixed on the spindle 43,

together with the swinging levers 39. and 40,

which engage by means of an extension under the spindle 8 of the friction rings 6-7, lift these friction rings from the paper pile, so

that they do not interruptthe forward movement of the sheet of paper. During the time the friction rings are raised, their backward eoa54s movement in the direction of the arrow a takes place, thus preventing the paper pile being disarranged during this backward movement.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A sheet feeding mechanism for printing machines and the like comprising a sheet supporting belt having a stack of sheets thereon, means for imparting an intermittent movement to saidbelt, means for withdrawing a sheet from the sheets on said belt, means for imparting movement to said sheet withdrawing means, means for connecting said intermittent movement imparting means to said sheet withdrawing means to receive movement therefrom, a detecting member in the path of the sheets moved'by said sheet withdrawing means whereby said belt may be operated indifferent amounts, a normally retracted pawl operable from said detecting member for rendering said intermittent movement imparting means inoperative when said detecting member is moved in certain predetermined amounts, and means for interrupting movement of said pawl to limit movement of said intermittent movement imparting means whereby said intermittent 2. A sheet feeding mechanism for printing machines .and the like comprising a sheet supporting-belt having a stack of sheets thereon, frictionally. acting devices for withdrawing a sheet from the'belt, means supporting said devices, means for imparting movement to said devices to withdraw a sheet, from the sheets on said belt to feed the same :into the printing machine or the like, a spindle, means carried by the spindle disposed in the path of movement of the sheets to be engaged thereby, a lockingpawl connected to said spindle, means for imparting a step-by step movement to said sheet supporting belt and receiving movement from the means imparting movement to the sheet withdrawing devices, and a ratchet engageable by said.

locking pawl for preventing movement of said intermittent movement imparting means when the means on said spindle engageable by said sheets is moved in a predetermined amount. v

3. A sheet feeding mechanism for printing machines-and the like comprising a sheet supporting belt having a stack of sheets thereon,

frictionally acting devices for withdrawing a sheet from the belt. means supporting saiddevices,'means for imparting movement to said devices to withdraw a sheet from the sheets on said belt to feed the same into the printing machine or the like, a spindle, means carried-by the spindle disposed in the path of movement of the sheets to be engaged thereby, a locking means connected to said spindle, a ratchet for imparting movement to said belt, a pawl for operating said ratchet and receiving movement from the means imparting movement to the sheet withdrawingdevices, and means connected to said pawl and engageable by said locking means to hold said pawl against movement when the means on said spindle engageable by said sheets is moved in a predetermined amount.

4. A sheet feeding mechanism for printing machines and the like comprising a sheet supporting belt, a spindle, locking levers carry 7 ing said spindle, frictionally acting devices on said spindle for withdrawing sheets from the belt, studs carrying swinging levers, a drive lever connected to said swinging levers, said studs being connected to said rocking levers whereby movement imparted from said a driving lever will be transmitted to said frictionally acting devices, a touch lever, rotatable means supporting said touch lever whereby when a sheet withdrawn by said frictionally acting devices touches said lever it will be moved and said rotatable means will be rotated, a normally retracted pawl operable by said rotatable means, a ratchet operably connected to said sheet supporting belt, means for imparting a step-by-step movement to said ratchet and including a movable member, said movable member having means thereon engageable by said pawl whereby it will be held against movement when said touch lever is moved in a predetermined amount.

KARL ZIEGE.

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