US2205921A - Sheet feeding machine - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 c. E. CLARKE SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Fiied Sept. '24, 1938 June 25, 1940.

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June 25, Q CLARKE SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24. 1958 a Sheets-Sheet 2 m T N E V m C. E. CLARKE June 25, 1940.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed'sgpt. 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I/Ill *Eammw ..."TEEEHHEEEEEEEEEEEHME Patented June 25, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Application September 24,1938, Serial No. 231,495

17 Claims.

This invention relates to sheet feeding machines and is illustrated herein as embodied in a machine of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,894,622 granted January 1'7, 1933, on an application filed in thename of Harmon E. Lindbladh.

Objects of the invention are to provide in a sheet feeding machine of the type referred to, improved means for gaging and controlling the lateral positions of the sheets as they leave the conveyor mechanism of the sheet feeding machine, to provide improved means for adjusting the conveyor mechanism and the gaging and controlling means, to provide improved mechanism for lifting sheets to be fed separately from a pile, and to provide improved means for separating the sheets from each other to facilitate lifting them from the pile.

To the attainment of these objects and in accordance with one feature of the invention, the machine is provided with an endless conveyor arranged to travel in a path inclined'at an angle laterally of the machine over oppositely disposed rotating members, and with meansfor changing the angles of the axes about which the rotating members rotate relatively to each other, thereby to vary the angle of the inclination of the conveyor laterally of the machine. As herein. illustrated, the said means comprises eccentric bushings between the rotating members and a shaft upon which they are mounted, which bushings are secured against rotation on the shaft but may be moved simultaneously into different angular positions relatively to the axis of the shaft by adjustment of said shaft. Although the bushings are fixed against rotation relatively to the shaft they may be adjusted longitudinally at will to vary their positions and those of the rotating members in accordance with the inclination of the endless conveyor.

In accordance with another feature, the invention provides improved means for effecting a simultaneous or unitary lateral adjustment of a side gage of the machine, which controls the position at which the sheets leave the conveyor, and of the rotating members over which the conveyor operates as well as of the mechanism which guides the conveyor on said members. As herein illustrated, this purpose is accomplished by providing a screw adjustment for the side gage laterally of the conveyor and. by having connections between the side gage and the rotating members and guiding mechanism whereby a single adjustment of the side gage effects a corresponding lateral adjustment of these other mechanisms.

In accordance with still another feature of the invention means is provided for causing suction mechanism, which lifts the sheets separately from the top of a pile, to operate more efficiently than any such machine heretofore available by provacuum existing in the line instantly will createthe suction required to lift a sheet from the pile. It willbe seen that the above arrangement is a decided improvement over systems heretofore employed in machines of this type in which a. con- 1 .tinuously operating pump works constantly through a vent or valve opening into the airoutside the system and in which the suction, while constantly created, is only effective when the vent is closed. In other words, a smaller pump may be used with the machine of my invention because the entire line from the pump to the suction opening does not have to be exhausted when each sheet is to be lifted.

Withthe above and other objects and features In View, including also improved means for separating or rufliing the sheets at the top portion of the pile to enable them to be more readily lifted from the pile, the invention will now be described in connection with the, accompanying drawings and will thereafter be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the sheet feeding machine and conveyor in which the present invention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is a. plan view of the feeder and conveyori Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View of one of the rolls over which the conveyor travels;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the suction mechanism by which sheets are transferred from the pile to the conveyor;

Fig. 5. is a detail perspective view of a guide finger for the tape;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of mean for adjustingv a side gage on the conveyor;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the adjusting means shown in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View of means for separating a single sheet from a pile stackedon the table of the feeder.

As illustrated in the patent referred to above,

the sheet feeding machine or feeder is adapted to be assembled with a ruling machine to supply sheets to be ruled to said machine in proper timed relation to its operating instrumentalities. The feeder comprises a table or sheet conveyor iii having a pair of guides I2 at its opposite sides adapted to slide on upstanding posts it rigidly secured in a base It, the posts being connected at their upper ends by side members I8, iii. The table H3 is raised and lowered by vertical screws rotatably mounted in the base and cross members, as fully described in the patent referred to. A pile or stack of sheets A to be ruled is placed on the table and the sheets are transferred one by one from the table to an endless conveyor in the form of a belt or tape 64 which, in turn, carries. them to the ruling machine or other mechanism for operating on the sheets.

As also described in the patent mentioned, the feeding of the sheets one at a time to the conveyor is accomplished by suction applied to the top sheet of the pile through a rotating perforated suction wheel 22 adjustably mounted on a driven cross shaft 2 journaled in bearings in the side members E8. The wheel 22 has a suction pipe 26 fitted inside and above the'lower side of its perimeter, this pipe 26 being attached to a transverse pipe or cylindrical vacuum chamber 28 fastened at its ends in the side members I8. At the side of the feeder opposite the suction wheel 22, the pipe 28 connects with a hose 30 leading to a rotary pump 32 which may be of any well-known or usual construction.

Heretofore in machines of this type it has been customary to create suction in the suction pipe 26 by means of a valve positioned adjacent to the valve operating mechanism which, as disclosed in the patent referred to, is located adjacent to the left hand side of the machine, as viewed from the front or the right in Fig. 1. The suction pump was operated continuously but when the valve was open the system was vented and no eifective vacuum was created. When the valve was closed the suction, acting through the pipes and perforated wheel 22, lifted the top sheet from the pile into engagement with the suction wheel after which the Wheel was rotated to transfer the top sheet to the endless conveyor. Obviously much power was lost with such an arrangement because the pump Was acting to suck in air constantly through the valve but only .created a working suction when the .valve was closed.

In the present construction the usual valve actuating mechanism is retained, this mechanism, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, comprising a lever 34 pivoted at 36 on one of the side members l8 and having on one arm a roll 38 which, by means of a spring 39, is caused to ride on a cam Mi carried on the end of a shaft 42, which is rotated continuously by mechanism (not shown) connected to the driving mechanism of the ruling machine, thereby rotating the cam in timed relation to the ruling machine. Another arm of the lever 34 has secured thereto a rod 44 (Figs. 2 and 4) which extends horizontally against the suction wheel, 22.

a plurality of guides or pilots 50 which have a sliding fit with the inner wall of the pipe 28, as shown in Fig. 4.

When the valve 48 in the present construction is closed, as shown in Fig. 4, the pump 32, al though driven continuously as before, is not performing any work but acts only to overcome the small losses due to friction. When the valve is opened, however, through rotation of the cam 40, the vacuum in the conduit 30 and the pipe 28 creates a suction which draws in air through the suction pipe 26 and wheel 28 to lift the top sheet from the pile, whereupon the pump 32 operates immediately to restore the vacuum in the conduit and pipe. Thus it will be seen that the present arrangement eliminates the vent in the system and has only one suction opening which is opened and closed in proper timed relation to the rest of the mechanism by a valve located near said opening. This greatly reduces the work required of the pump and results in a substantial saving of power. By maintaining, as it were, a vacuum reservoir behind the valve, which is bled from time to time by the valve and which is constantly maintained by the continuous pump, not only can I employ a smaller pump than has hitherto been necessary, but I can also run the machine at greater speeds, since the vacuum maintained behind the valve is effective immediately to lift a sheet-4n contrast to the old system where the pump itself did the effective work and was obliged to draw a column of air through the entire length of the line each time a sheet was lifted. The mechanism for actuating the cam 48 and associated mechanism in timed relation to the ruling machine is well known in the art and need not be further described herein.

It is necessary in feeding sheets one by one from a pile to provide some means for separating the top sheet from the succeeding sheet so that two or more sheets will not be lifted together I Heretofore this has been accomplished in various ways such as by pneumatic means or by one or more pipes connected to the pump 32, which also acts as a pressure pump or blower, through an outlet opposite the vacuum inlet, to supply compressed air for this purpose. These pipes were heretofore usually provided with single openings elongated horizontally through which air was blown against the leading or forward edges of the sheets at the top portion of the pile, thereby rufiiing and separating. the uppermost sheets and facilitating the lifting of each of them separately by the suction means.

. In the present construction this purpose is accomplished in the following manner. A pipe .52 is provided mounted in stationary posts 54 secured by split collars 58 to a shaft 58 (Figs. 2 and 4) the shaft being fastened in well known manner to brackets on opposite portions of the frame of the feeder. The pipe 52 is perforated on the side adjacent to the pile of sheets by a multiplicity of small holes 60. The left-hand end of the pipe, as viewed in Fig. 4, is closed and the right-hand end is connected to a tube or hose 62 (Fig. 1) which is attached at its other end to the outlet in the compression or blower side of the pump 32. The pipe 52 is so positioned heightwise of the table that it will be located opposite the upper portion of the pile of sheets resting on the table and this position may, of course, be varied as desired by merely adjusting the posts 54 in the split collars 56. When the and thus, enable the top sheet to be readily lifted against the suction wheel 22 without a second sheet adhering to the top sheet. The substantially uniform distribution of the jets of air over all, or the greater portion, of the width of the sheets produces the separation with a certainty far greater than has been obtained by other methods. Fig. 8 illustrates the relative positions of the blower pipe 52, suction wheel 22 and the pile of sheets A when the sheet separator or blower is in operation.

As is usual in machines for feeding sheet material from one point to another, a gage is provided along one side of the endless conveyor for controlling the position at which the sheets leave the conveyor, thereby insuring a uniform alignment of the delivered sheets. The tape forming the conveyor passes over rotating members or rolls in an inclined path usually describing a helix and it is necessary, in order that the sheets enter the ruling machine in a proper position, that one edge of the sheet be engaging the side gage when leaving the conveyor. In the present construction the single endless tape 64 passes over a forward driven roll 66 and, adjacent to the ruling machine, passes over rotating means in the form of a plurality of rolls 68. The tape 64 in the present instance may be described, for convenience, as starting at a point B (Fig. 2) and passing in a helical formation until it reaches the point C from which point it is carried on the lower side of the conveyor, over pulleys l0, 72 mounted on the conveyor frame, until it returns to the starting point B. The upper run of the conveyor tape presents a flat surface for supporting the sheets and, as indicated above, it travels toward the ruling machine with a lateral inclination which, in every case, is toward the side of the conveyor upon which the side gage is located, thereby urging the sheets toward and into contact with the gage.

It should be pointed out that in feeding ma chines of this type it may sometimes be necessary,

on account of-the previous printing of the sheets or the particular location of the trimmed edges of the sheets, to direct them laterally toward a gage located at the left-hand side of the conveyor, as

iewed from the left in Fig. 2, instead of at the right-hand side of the conveyor, as is more customary and as is illustrated herein, this righthand side of the conveyor being commonly termed in the art the rulers side of the machine. Accordingly, a side gage may be provided at either side or both sides of the machine depending on the type of work to be done.

As herein illustrated, a side gage M is provided on the right-hand or rulers side, which extends the full length of the conveyor and is secured in position by right angle brackets l6 and 18 (Figs. 2, 6 and 7) threaded respectively on rods 80, 82 rotatably mounted in the conveyorframe. As stated abovev the upper runs of the endless conveyor he have a lateral inclination toward the side gage it as the tape travels from the roll 66 to the individual rolls 53.

It is often necessary in feeding sheets of different textures or weights over the conveyor to vary the lateral inclination or obliqueness of the upper runs of the conveyor tape to insure that the sheets will be moved laterally sufficiently to bring them into engagement with the side gage before each sheet leaves the conveyor. The manner. of.

accomplishing this in the present embodiment consists in mounting each of the individual rolls 68 for rotation about avariable or adjustable axis which may be located at different angles relatively to the axis of the rotating member or roll 66. As illustrated, the rolls 68 are carried by a transverse shaft 84 fixed at its right-hand end (Figs. 2 and 7) to the bracket I8 by a set screw 85. The opposite end of the shaft 84 is free to move longitudinally in an inwardly projecting sleeve 81 fixed to said frame, the end of the shaft being inserted in the sleeve for telescopic adjustment I Widthwise of the frame.

Each roll 68 has a convex or barrel-shaped surface on which the conveyor tape runs and the roll is rotatable on a bearing or bushing 88 (Fig. 3) which is eccentric with its axis inclined relatively to the axis of the shaft 84. The roll may thus be shaft and so that the axis about which the roll 68 rotates can be made to cross the axis of the shaft at different angles between these two extremes.

The roll is retained on the bushing 88. by a collar 90 secured to one end of the bushing by a set screw 92. to receive a compression spring 94 and a friction At its other end the bushing is drilled ball or plug 95 which is arranged to enter a spline 93 in the shaft and thus prevent the bushing from turning on the shaft while permitting its adjustment lengthwise thereof.

. The construction of this mechanism is such that when the bushing 88 is located in the position shown in Fig. 3, the'roll will rotate at an" angle to the shaft 84 that creates the maximum lateral inclination of the tape in the direction toward the side gage M, the bushing being maintained in this position by the set screw 86 which secures the shaft 84 against turning in its bearings. A turn of the shaft 90 in a counter clockwise direction, as viewed from the right in Fig. 3, moves the bushing into a neutral position in which the axis about which the roll rotates will be substantially parallel to the axis of the shaft and the tape will run straight or at right angles to the shaft with no inclination in either direction. Rotation of the shaft and bushing 90 further-in the same direction moves the bushing axis into the other extreme angle relatively to the axis 4 of the shaft and accordingly the tape will be inclined laterally toward the opposite side of the machine where, as pointed out above, another side gage may be mounted. Any position between the two extremes mentioned will, of course, produce a corresponding lateral inclination in the direction of travel of the tape, so that whatever direction or rate of lateral movement of the sheets toward the gage or gages is required, it can be obtained by merely turning the shaft 84 a predetermined amount and securing it in position by the set screw '86. The various angular positions of the bushing 8&3 require that the roll thereon be also repositioned lengthwise of the shaft. This is readily accomplished by merely moving the roll along the shaft, theball 96 furnishing a yieldable eature which produces sufficient friction "to maintain the bushing in its longitudinal adjustment on the shaft.

Since the tape is often running at a substantial sly angle to the roll 66, and since it would naturally tend to creep along this roll to reduce this angle if permitted, means is provided to maintain the positions of the several loops of the conveyor tape which pass over the roll 66, thereby also maintaining the chosen inclination of the upper runs of the tape. This means comprises a plurality of fingers we (Figs. 1, 2 and 5) which engage the lower runs of the tape 54 and hold them in proper lateral position on the roll 66. These fingers I00 are secured by thumb screws 902 to a transverse shaft sea, the right-hand end of which, as viewed from the front of the feeder, is secured in the bracket l6 which carries the side gage l4 and the opposite end of which is telescopically connected to an inwardly extending sleeve I36 similar to the sleeve ill.

It should be pointed out that the lower runs of the conveyor tape M are located at substantial angles to thehorizontal upper runs upon which ,the sheets travel and these fingers I00 are adapted to engage these lower runs and maintain them against creeping along the roll 66, thereby also assisting to hold the opposite ends of the tape in position on the eccentric rolls 58. Each finger is separately adjustable to locate it in the proper position along the shaft H34 by means of the thumb screw Hi2. When the rolls 68 are located as shown in Fig. 3, the tape is engaging the fingers IE9 on their right sides (as seen from the front of the feeder), as shown in Fig. 5. When the rolls 98 have been caused to rotate in their opposite extreme angular position, the lower runs of the tape may be moved manually over the ends of the fingers E and caused to engage the opposite or left sides thereof, thereby maintaining the runs of the tape in position when their inclination is in the opposite direction laterally of the machine. In this latter case, as stated above, a gage is employed on the left side of the machine instead of on the right, because the sheets will be urged toward the left.

It should be pointed out here that in ruling some kinds of sheets, for example, sheets for loose leaf or similar work, a binding margin is left on each side of the sheet which margin may vary from one to three inches more or less in width. This binding margin will be located at opposite ends of the two sides of the same sheet. The lines to be ruled, that is, the pens which do the ruling remain in their original formation relatively to the sheets in order that the sheets will be ruled properly from left to right on each side. Heretofore the most usual method of obtaining the binding margin at the proper ends of opposite sides of the same sheet was to move the pens of the ruling machine as a unit laterally of the ruling machine and conveyor the required distance, this being accomplished in some instances by moving the pen clamp laterally relatively to the pen beam and, in other instances, by moving the entire pen beam laterally of the ruling machine. In accordance with the present invention a proper binding margin at opposite sides of a sheet to be ruled for loose leaf 'work is obtained by lateral adjustment of the side yond the frame of the feeder and have secured to their ends sprocket wheels I08, I I0 (Figs. 2, 6 and 7) over which runs a chain H2. The rod 80 has a handle I 14 whereby the rod may be rotated manually and, through the chain H2, may rotate the other rod 82. This action moves the brackets 16, i8 and the side gage 14 simultaneously either to the right or left, that is, widthwise of the conveyor to adjust the side gage into different lateral positions for accommodating various binding margins of loose left sheets. As stated above, the range of lateral adjustment is preferably from one to three inches although it' could, of course, be greater if desired. The shaft IE4, secured in the bracket 16, and the shaft 84, secured in the bracket 18, are thus caused to move to the right or left with said brackets. The telescopic connections of these shafts with the sleeves on the left-hand side of the conveyor frame permits this lateral movement. Accordingly, when the side gage is adjusted widthwise, the shaft carrying the fingers I00 and the shaft carrying theeccentric rolls 68 are likewise adjusted laterally as a unit with the gage. Consequently, when the adjustment is made the entire assembly consisting of the side gage, fingers and rod Hi l, eccentric rolls and rod 84 and the conveyor tape 64, may be moved the amount desired to permit the mechanism to operate on loose leaf marginal work. No time is lost and no inconvenient individual adjustments of the separate elements of the machine are necessary. If the tape is not running exactly true with respect some particular roll 88 it is possible, and often advantageous, to make an individual longitudinal adjustment of one of the fingers I00 or of one of the rolls 68. Normally, however, the adjustment of the entire assembly as a unit is sufficient for producing the proper marginal space required on the different sheets and such individual adjustments are only made in the initial assembly of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with an endless conveyor, of supporting means over which said conveyor operates at one extremity, a plurality of rolls over which the conveyor runs at its opposite extremity, and means arranged to vary the angles of the axes of said rolls.

2. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with an endless conveyor, of a supporting roll over which the conveyor runs at one extremity, a shaft opposite said roll, a plurality of rolls rotatable about said shaft and. over which the conveyor runs at its opposite extremity, and means for simultaneously varying the angles of the axes about which said rolls rotate.

3. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with an endless conveyor, of supporting means over which the conveyor operates at one extremity, a shaft opposite said supporting means, a plurality of rolls rotatable about said shaft and over which the conveyor runs at its opposite extremity, and eccentric means between the shaft and said rolls for changing the angles of the axes about which the rolls rotate.

4. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with an endless conveyor, of horizontal supporting means over which the conveyor operates at one extremity, a horizontal shaft opposite said supporting means, a plurality of rolls supported by said shaft and over which the conveyor runs for controlling the position at which the sheets leave the conveyor, means for controlling the directlon of movement of the conveyoifland means at its opposite extremity, bushings between said rolls and said shaft, the outer surfaces of said bushings being positioned at'angles to the axis of the shaft, and means for securing eachibushing against rotation on the shaft.

5. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with an endless conveyor, of a supporting roll over which the conveyor operates at one extremity, a shaft opposite said roll and-parallel thereto, a plurality of bushings on said shaft having holes therein located at angles to their outer surfaces, rolls mounted on said bushings and rotatable thereon, said rolls providing means over which the conveyor runs at the extremity thereof opposite the supporting roll, and means arranged to secure the bushings in different angular position about the axis of said shaft thereby to vary the angles of the axes about which the rolls rotate.

6. Ina sheet feeding machine, the combination of a supporting roll, a shaft, opposite said roll, a plurality of rolls rotatable about said shaft, tapes running over said roll and rolls at angles inclined laterally of the axis of the roll, and means for varying the inclination of said tapes.

7. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with an endless conveyor, of a rotary support over which the conveyor operates at one extremity, a shaft spaced from said support, a plurality of rolls on said shaft over which the conveyor runs at its opposite extremity, said conveyor being inclined laterally of the axes of said support and said rolls, eccentric bushings between the shaft and each roll arranged to vary the angles of the axes of said rolls thereby changing the inclination of said conveyor, means for securing each bushing against rotation on the shaft, and means for effecting an adjustment of each bushing lengthwise of the shaft while so secured.

8. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with an endless conveyor, of a rotary support over which the conveyor operates at one extremity, a shaft opposite said support and parallel thereto, a plurality of rolls on said shaft over which the conveyor runs at its opposite extremity, said conveyor running at an angle inclined laterally of the axis of said rotary support, bush ings between the shaft and the rolls thereon, the outer surfaces of said bushings being eccentric H to the axis of the shaft, means for maintaining the bushings against rotation on the shaft, and means for securing the shaft in different angular positions about its axis, thereby changing the angles of the axes about which said rolls rotate.

9. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with an endless tape, of a horizontal supporting roll over which the tape runs at one extremity, a shaft located opposite said supporting roll, a convex roll on said shaft over which the tape runs at its opposite extremity, said tape running at an angle inclined laterally of the axis of the supporting roll, an eccentric member between the convex roll and the shaft causing the roll to rotate about an axis positioned at an angle to the 1 axis of the shaft, resilient means for securing the eccentric member against rotation on the shaft, means for securing the shaft in different angular positions about its axis, thereby changing the angle of the axis about which the convex roll rotates, and means for permitting adjustment of said eccentric member and convex roll. longitudinally of the shaft.

10. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with an endless conveyor arranged to transfer sheets from one point to another, of means arranged to effect a simultaneous adjustment of the two .first-named means and the conveyor transversely of the direction of movement of said lljIn a sheet feeding machinathe combina- I tion of atape'traveling over a pair of rotary members and arranged to transfer sheets of. paper from one point to another, a gage located at rlght angles to said rotary members and arranged to control the position at which the sheets leave the tape, means for retainingthe tape'on said rotary members, and means for simultaneously ad usting said gage, said retaining means and tape transversely of the direction of movement of the tape.

12. In a sheet feeding machine, the combina- $1011 of a unitary roll, a shaft opposite said roll, a plurality of rolls on said shaft, a tape running over said roll and plurality of rolls arranged to feed sheets from one point to another, a gage adjacent to the tape for controlling the position of the sheets thereon, and means arranged to effect a simultaneous adjustment of said gage,

the plurality of rolls and the tape widthwise of the unitary roll.

13. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination of a horizontal roll, a plurality of rolls opposite said roll, tapes running over said roll and rolls, said tapes running at angles inclined relatively to the axis of said horizontal roll, fingers for engaging said tapes and maintaining them on said roll and plurality of rolls, a gage at one side of said tapes for controlling the position at which sheets leave the tapes, and means arranged simultaneously to adjust the gage, the plurality of rolls and the fingers widthwise relatively to said horizontal roll.

14. In a sheet feeding machine, the'combination of a horizontal roll, a shaft opposite said roll, a plurality of rolls carried by said shaft, a tape threaded over said roll and rolls and arranged to travel in a path inclined laterallyof saidrolls, fingers for guiding said tape and maintamlng it on said rolls, a shaft carrying said fingers, a gage at one side of the tape for engaging the sheets and controlling the position thereof, and means-for simultaneously adjusting the gage and the shafts carrying the rolls and fingers widthwise of the machine, said means including rotatable rods provided with screw threads, members threaded on said rods and arranged for adjustment lengthwise thereof, said members being connected with the gage and the shafts whichv carry the fingers and rolls, and mechanism for rotating said rods.

15. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination of a continuously operating pump, a pipe connected to said pump and havingan enlarged portion, a rotatable shaft parallel to said pipe, suction operated sheet-lifting mechanism mounted for rotation with said shaft and connected to the enlarged portion of said pipe, a rod disposed concentrically in said pipe, a valve carried on the end of said rod and normally seated on the inner end of said enlarged portion, pilots carried on said valve and fitting in the smaller portion of said pipe, and means for intermittently reciprocating said rod.

16. A sheet feeding machine having spaced side frames, a sheet conveyor movable between said members, across shaft carrying asuction feed wheel in an intermediate position between said side frames, 'a cylindrical vacuum chamber disposed between the side frames in parallel relation to said cross shaft and. having connections with the feed wheel, a controlling valve located in said chamber adjacent to the feed wheel, and. a cam operated valve rod disposed concentrically Within the cylindrical vacuum chamber and movable endwise to open said valve.

1'7. A sheet feeding machine having spaced side frames, a sheet-elevating table movable between said side frames, a cross shaft rotatably mounted (in said side frames, a suction feed wheel mounted for rotation with said shaft, a cylindrical vacuum chamber carried by said side frames and parallel to said cross shaft, a connection between said chamber and said feed wheel, a valve disposed in said vacuum chamber adjacent said feed wheel, and a cam operated rod controlling said valve and concentrically mounted in said vacuum chamber for reciprocation therein.

CHARLES E. CLARKE.

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