US2248079A - Sheet feeding mechanism - Google Patents

Description

July 8, 1941. c. w. HARROLD ETAL SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 15, 1939 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 \lllllIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllllllllllllflll\\l'i INVENTORS CHHRLES M #022 OLD BY Ho wmzo fl. Pe/rc/mea 4Q MW e 1 l ATTORNEY5 July 8, 1941. c. w. HARROLD arm.

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 15, 1939 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 nm m gm ML 3 w CHMWM July 8, 1941. c. w. HARROLD ETAL SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 15, 1939 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS C/mnus M #022040 Ho wmeo 19. Pe/rcaaea ,wd Wm 0, wt 71/ @TTORNEYS.

July 8, 1941. c. w. HARROLD ETAL SHEET FEEDING MECHANI SM Filed Sept. 15, 1939 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR5 CH/aeLEs 14/ f/meeom flan me M920 4% m W ATTORNEYS o 6'. Pe/rc 4/0012 July 8, 1941. c. w. HARROLD mm.

SHEET FEEDING MECHANI SM 9 Sheets-Shed 6 Filed Sept. 15, 1939 m 5 mowMw mafm M3 MH i Z wmW July 8, 1941- c. w. HARROLD ET AL SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 15, 1939 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENTORJ dune/.55 M f/maeoLo HOW/7E0 H Rene/men 11 70 ATTORNEYS y 1941- c. w. HARROLD ET AL 2,248,079

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Sept. 15, 1939 INVENTORS Cane; 5s h/fioee 0. 0 H0 weep ,4. P21 re #1020 ATTORNE July 8, 1941. c. w. HARROLD EI'AL SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 15, 1959 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR5 Omens M MqeeoLo BY flow/mo A. Revel/n20 Patented July 8, 1941 Charles W.

Howard A.

Harris-Seybold-Potter Company,

of Delaware Ohi0,- a corporation Application September 15,

16 Claims.

This invention relates to sheet feeding mechanism for printing presses or other machines operating upon sheet material such as paper, cardboard or the like and has to do particularly with that portion of such machines by which the sheets to be operated upon are removed from the supply of sheets and are presented individually to the operating point of the machine.

The principal object is to provide a machine of the type referred to having increased efficiency over known machines.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide mechanism for and methods of handling sheets which will enable the production of an increased quantity of high quality finished product by a machine of given size.

Another object is to provide methods of and means for accurately and reliably presenting sheets in close succession to the grippers of an impression cylinder of a printing press whereby relatively long sheets may be presented to a cylinder of given diameter and a correspondingly large portion of the circumference thereof may be employed for printing.

Another object is to provide means for removing a sheet from lapped relation with a succeeding sheet in such manner as to enable operations to be performed on said succeeding sheet at an earlier point in the cycle of the machine than would be the case if the first mentioned sheet were removed in the usual way.

Another object is to provide means for engaging a moving sheet in an intermediate portion thereof and driving said portion forward at a greater speed than the speed of the leading edge of the sheet for imparting correspondingly greater speed to the rear edge of the sheet.

A further object is to provide in a machine of the type described, methods of and means for reliably transferring sheets from a supply of sheets to a rotating sheet handling cylinder of the machine in rapid succession and with great accuracy whereby the number of high quality sheets produced may be increased.

Another object is to provide methods of and means for transferring sheets from a supply of sheets to a rapidly rotating sheet handling cylinder, such that the sheets are handled at relatively slow speed during their travel from the supply and during registration thereof and are presented at relatively slow speed to slowly moving positive gripping devices of the machine, after which they are accelerated to the speed of the sheet handling cylinder.

foregoing objects, the

In accordance with the Harrold, University Heights,' and Pritchard, Hiram, 0111 o, asslgnorl to Cleveland,

1939, Serial No. 295,040

invention in its various aspects includes mechanism for removing sheets from a supply and conveying them individually but in lapped relation with each other to a predetermined stationary position where they are at least partially registered, mechanism for advancing the sheets gradually from this stationary position to gripping devices on a rotating sheet handling cylinder, and mechanism for advancing the rear edge of the sheets along the sheet path at greater speed than the leading edge of the sheet for a part of the sheet travel from its stationary position to the work point of the machine.

Other objects and novel features of the invention will be readily understood by reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view portions of a printing press.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational View partly in section and with the frame removed, showing one form of sheet transfer mechanism including feed rolls, a continuously rotating transfer member and suction sheet advancing wheels, the gripping devices of the transfer member having just closed on a sheet which has been presented to them.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the parts in a different position.

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating segment and roller means instead of suction wheels for advancing the intermediate portion of the sheet.

Fig. 6 is a partial plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 5,

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the relative position of the parts when the leading edge of a sheet is being released to the continuously rotating sheet handling cylinder of the machine.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Figs. 5 and '1 showing the position of the parts at a later point of the cycle.

Fig. 9 is a another form of the invention in which roller means on both sides of the sheet path are utilized to advance the intermediate portion of a sheet.

Fig. 10 illustrates diagrammatically the pertinent portions of a printing press in which the sheets are taken from a position of rest directly by an intermittently rotating transfer member.

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view with the ma- ,55 chine frame omitted, showing the intermittent of the pertinent Q diagrammatic elevational view of transfer member of Fig. 10 in position to begin its movement to transfer a sheet.

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11. but partly in Referring to Fig 1 and 10, the invention is 1 illustrated as applied to a printing press in which sheets are taken from a pile II by devices of usual construction such as lifting and forward ing suckers l2 and are fed between forwarding rollers l3, l4 and are carried forward over a feed board l5 by tapes l6 trained around roller H and upon by the press. I

The sheets are advanced to bring each in turn against a stop or stops l9 registered by a side registering device 20.

The sheets are transferred from the feed board speed than the speed of the leading edge of the sheet.

; 36 fixed to shaft 32. The gears may have any isuitable proportions, but as'illustrated, they are where they are side I minimum spee of one-half and a maximum speed of twice t at of the impression cylinder in each revolution.

such as to impart to the transfer cylinder 9.

nism described below.

It is to be noted that the grippers 22, 31'are locatedwith their sheet gripping portion on the ably have a part of their periphery cut away as Shaft 41 is thereon to pressed by usual spring means, not shown, agains come to rest against stops l9, toward registering e proper speed to to pass the leading edge of press and fed against stops on the impression cylinder which is moving at full press speed. by means of our invention, sheets are fed forward ftively slowly moving stops and 2 at relatively slow speed'into contact with relaare thereafter accelerated to ull gripping devices.

Extending forwardly of feed board I is a series of the usual sheet guides 53 carried by shaft 54 supported in the frame of the machine. The latter shaft is preferably arranged to oscillate slightly at proper times to confine a sheet closely against cylinder 33 when it is being moved into contact with stops 40 and to move away from the cylinder at other times to allow the sheet to pass freely. Stops is are mounted on shaft 55 supported in the machine frame and oscillated in the usual manner to raise and lower the stops into and out of operative position as shown in Figs. 3 and 2.

Although the side registering device may be of any suitable design, we have illustrated the same as comprising an upper roll 20a arranged for up and down movement, a lower roll 20b driven in a direction to draw a sheet toward the side of feed board l5 and a guide 20c against which the sheets are drawn. The action of these parts is to engage each sheet after the same has reached stops l9, draw it against guide 20c, and release the sheet before the next sheet reaches the rolls 25a and 2%.

Although the above described mechanism has distinct advantages of its own, as pointed out in the claims, we preferably also employ devices for engaging the sheet after it has begun its travel from the feed board to the impression cylinder whereby the rear portion of the sheet is removed from the feed board and from lapped relation with the next succeeding sheet more rapidly than would be the case if such devices were not employed, the principal purposes being to enable the feeding of a longer sheet or to increase the portion of the cycle of operation during which the means for stopping and side registering the sheet may act, or both. These devices will now be described.

Located adjacent cylinder 33 and in such position as to engage a sheet which is in the act of being carried forward by that cylinder is a plurality of suction wheels 55 fixed on shaft 51 which is rotated in sheet forwarding direction by means of a gear 58 keyed thereto and a driving gear 59 carried by the transfer cylinder 33. The ratio of the gears is such as to cause the peripheries of wheels 55 to move at somewhat higher speed than the surface speed of transfer cylinder 33. Although shaft 51 may be journalled in frame 30 and therefore have no bodily movement, we prefer to mount the same in arms 60 which rotatably support the shaft and are keyed to an oscillatable hollow shaft 6| supported by frame 30, the shaft 6! being oscillated by means not shown to move shaft 51 and its suction wheels toward and away from cylinder 33 at desired times by an amount insufficient to destroy the mesh of gears 58, 59. Certain of the arms 50 are located adjacent suction wheels 56 and are provided with enlarged upper ends 52 shaped to closely fit overhanging flanges 56' of wheels 56 and hollowed out to form pockets 63. These pockets are connected to hollow shaft 5| by pipes 64. Hollow shaft 6| is connected to a source of suction such as a suction pump and preferably a valve is provided in the connections for turning the suction on and off at desired intervals.

The operation shown in Figs. Sheets are removed from pile ll press speed by positive of the form of this invention 1 to 4, inclusive, is as follows. by suckers I2 momentarily.

and are carried forward at slow speed in lapped relation by tapes it until the foremost sheet strikes stop l3 which are then in raised position as shown in Fig. 3. Directly thereafter upper side registering roll 20a descends and presses the sheet against roll 20b which draws the sheet against side guide 200. During this action lower feed rolls 42 are rotated by action of segment 43 and cam 52 until the leading portion of the full diameter periphery of the roll is in position to contact the sheet. In

After side registration is completed, upper roll 43 descends so as to grip the sheet between the upper and lower rolls while stationary. Upper side register roll 25a is then raised and stops is are lowered out of the path of the sheet and cam 52 acting through segment 48 begins to rotate the feed rolls and drive the sheet forward, between the surface of cylinder 33 and guides 53. The timing is such that the sheet, as it nears stops 40 of cylinder 33, is driven slightly faster than those stops and is forced against them with a slight buckle in the sheet. At about the time the parts reach the position of Fig. 2, the grippers 31 close on the sheet and the sheet is released by the feed rolls. Thereafter cylinder 33 continues to rotate at relatively slow speed for a time under the action of elliptical gears 35, 36 and subsequently increases in speed to the speed of the impression cylinder and transfers the leading edge of the sheet to the latter cylinder. When the front edge of the sheet has been taken by grippers 31 and has moved sufiiciently past suction wheels 56 to forman arc of suitable extent in advance thereof, these wheels are raised into position adjacent the sheet, and suction is applied through pipe 6| by its valve connection. The wheels thereupon grip the under surface of the intermediate portion of the sheet with a positive gripping action and, owing to their rapid peripheral movement, drive this portion of the sheet forward more rapidly than the leading edge of the sheet is being advanced by cylinder 33 or cylinder 23. As a result a loop is formed in the sheet in the space below the transfer cylinder and the rear edge of the sheet is advanced rapidly off the feed board and off of the next succeeding sheet of the stream, as shown in Fig. 3. In the latter figure the position which the rear portion of the sheet would have occupied if the loop had not been formed is shown in dashed lines, the rear edge being indicated by the letter A.

Immediately after the rear edge of the sheet has been withdrawn from the feed board, stops l9 are again raised to receive the next sheet and the cycle is repeated. Suction to wheels 55 may be cut off at any suitable time after the rear edge of the sheet passes stops IE! but we prefer to maintain suction during the slowing down of cylinder 33 and the consequent slowing down of the wheels so as to maintain control of the rear portion of the sheet for a time. Suction is cut off after the rear edge of the sheet has passed off wheels 56.

It is apparent that, if desired, stops l9 may be raised to operative position and the next sheet fed against them before the rear portion of the outgoing sheet has passed those stops, the raising of the stops resulting in a slight lifting of the latter sheet. Under such circumstances side registration of a sheet may be begun while the same is still partly covered by the outgoing sheet after the latter has passed the side registering point.

The feed rolls 2 may be actuated with the de-' this position roll 42 is stopped V -by means and at speeds other sired movements by other driving means than that shown. The suction wheels 58 may be driven scribed provided the desired increase in sheet speed is attained.

Under some conditions it may be desirable to perform the rapid movement of the rear portion of the sheet by devices engaging both sides of the sheet. Accordingly we have illustrated am this part of the invention in Figs. In this form the 'feed rolls, side register mechanism and front stops function as in the above described form shown in Figs. 2 to 4. The driving connections from impression cylinder 23 to shaft 34 also comprise elliptical gears 85, 38 as in the latter form. The construction of the transfer member, however, differs as described below.

Shaft 34 has fixed in spaced relation thereon a plurality of arms 18 whose outer extremities are formed with curved surfaces 1| to form in efiect a portion of a cylinder. These arms carry gripper shaft 38 on which grippers 31 are mounted, also gripper bar 33 and stops 48, these parts functioning in the previously described manner. Arms also rotatably support shaft 12 at one end of which there is keyed an arm 13 having a follower roller 14 which engages the groove 15 of a cam 16 which is secured in stationary position on the frame 30 by screws 11. As shaft 34 and arms 18 rotate in the operation of the machine, shaft 12 is oscillated by the action of cam 16 on arm 13.

Between arms 10 one or more segment wheels 18, having openings 18' .to receive shaft 12, are rotatably mounted on shaft 34 and held in place laterally by collars 19. The hub of each segment wheel is provided with a gear segment 80 which meshes with another segment 8| forming part of an arm 82 keyed in proper position on shaft 12. The construction of segments 88, 8|, cam 15 and their associated parts is such as to cause segment wheels 18 to oscillate forward and backward relative to shaft 34 as follower 14 travels from the high part of cam groove 15 to the low part and back again.

Suitably located adjacent the sheet path a roller 83, preferably equipped with rubber or other slightly resilient surface, is provided in line with each of the segment wheels 18. These rollers are rotatably carried on pins 84 in the ends of arms 85 which are keyed to shaft 86 carried by the frameof the machine. Shaft 88 is oscillated slightly by mechanism not shown to raise and lower rollers 83 into and out of position to press a sheet against the surfaces of segment wheels 18 at desired times. I

In operation this form of device functions as follows. A sheet is fed into the bite of grippers 31 by feed rolls 42, 43 as shown in Fig. 5 and as previously described. At a suitable time thereafter, as for example when the sheet has been transferred to impression cylinder grippers 22 as shown in Fig. 7, shaft 88 is oscillated to bring rollers 83 into'position to press the sheet against the forward portion of the outer surface of segment wheels 18. Shortly thereafter roller 14 begins to travel down the cam center of rotation and as a result the segment wheels are driven forward more rapidly than the arms 18 and therefore more rapidly than grippers 22 on cylinder 23. continued rotation of shaft 34 with the result that when the parts reach the position shown in Fig. 8 the sheet has been completely withdrawn from the feed board and a loop than herein de-.

groove 15 toward the This action continues with has been formed i in the sheet. As rotation of shaft 84 is further continued, roller 14 begins to travel up the groove 15 away from the center of rotation and segment wheels 18 are gradually returned to the-position of cylinder 23.

A further form of device for rapidly advancing the rear portion of the sheet is shown in Fig. 9. In portion of the sheet is advanced by driven rollers below the sheet cooperating with idler rollers 8| above the sheet, the latter being raised and lowered at proper Rollers are loosely 33 by an amount suflicient to remove the sheet from feed board l5 at the desired time.

In operation shaft 91 is turned so as to bring rollers 93 into contact with rollers 80 at about A further embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive and will now be described.

Referring to Fig. 10, the previously described arrangements are provided for moving sheets from the pile to stops I 9. Transfer mechanism 2| is also provided including a transfer member 28 having arcuate movement in the direction of sheet travel. The transfer member 28 in this inon the feed board l5 at the proper time.

Transfer cylinder I88 is driven with intermittent rotatlon by means of connections partly on ters of the two cylinders.

the impression cylinder 23 and partly on the transfer cylinder. Keyed to shaft 32 is a plate H3 carrying rollers H4, H3, H3; III. A segment'gear H3 is likewise keyed to shaft 32.

To the transfer-cylinder is secured a plate H9 formed with cam surfaces I20, I2I in linewith rollers H4 and H5. Fixed to plate H3 are cams I22, I23 which are arranged in the proper plane to cooperate with rollers H0, H1. Segment gear I24 alsois fixed to rotate with cylinder I and meshes with segment gear H3.

As impression cylinder 23 is rotated in the operation of the press the connections just de scribed cooperate to accelerate the transfercylinder from the stationary condition shown in Fig. 11 to a peripheral speed equal to that of the impression cylinder, this speed being reached way being indicated by when roller H4 reaches the line joining the cen- Segment gear H0 then comes into mesh with gear I24 to drive the transfer cylinder with constant velocity for a considerable portion H5 comes into position to cooperate with cam I2I at which time the gear segmentsgo out of mesh and roller I I5 travels out on cam I2l to decelerate the transfer cylinder to a stop. For a more complete description of the operation of this mechanism reference may be had to Harrold et a1. Patent 2,192,908, issued March 12, 1940.

At a suitable point adjacent the transfer cylinder suction wheels 50 and their associated mechanism are provided for positively advancing the rear portion of the sheet at higher speed than the speed imparted thereto by the movement of the leading edge of the sheet while held by grippers I03 and 22. These suction wheels are constructed and operated as described with reference to Figs. 2 to 4, their rotation being provided by gear I25 secured to shaft IOI meshing with pinion I26 fixed .to shaft 51 as shown in Fig. 12.

In operation sheets are fed in lapped relation against stops I9 and side registered as previously described. The grippers I03 are then closed upon the sheet, the transfer cylinder I00 being stationary atthis time. Stops I9 are then lowered and side register roller a is raised and the transfer cylinder, together with its grippers and the sheet, starts its forward movement under the influence of driving roller H4. The speed of the transfer cylinder'is gradually increased until it reaches the speed of the impression cylinder and thereafter continues at the latter speed for a time until grippers I03 and 22 come opposite each other at which time the sheet is transferred to the impression cylinder. Thereafter the transfer cylinder continues its constant speed travel until it has nearly completed a full revolution and then slows down to a stop again. At a suitable time after the grippers I03 have carried the leading edge of the sheet past vacuum wheels 56 a sufficient distance to permit easy formation of a loop in the sheet, as for example to the position marked B in Fig. 11, these wheels are made to seize the sheet by suction and, by virtue of the rapid rotation imparted to them by their gears I25, I26, to drive the intermediate and rear portions of the sheet forward faster than the leading edge thereof. This results in the formation of a loop shown in Fig. 12 and the removal of the rear edge of the sheet from the feed board and from lapped relation with the next succeeding sheet at an earlier point in the cycle than would otherwise be the case, the position of the rear edge of a sheet handled in-the usual of a revolution until roller the letter C in Fig. 12. arrival of thenext succeeding I3 and preferably after the rear edge of the preceding sheet has passed over those stops, the latter are raised into operative position and the next sheet is fed against them. After side registration of the latter sheet, transfer grippers I03 seize it and the cycle is repeated.

As an alternative to the use-of suction wheels, the form of advancing means shown in Figs. 13 and 14 may be utilized. In this form the trans fer cylinder I00 is formed of a plurality of sections I00a and W011 and on one of these sections I00a are provided studs I30 on which are mounted rollers I3I which support between their flanges I32 a ring I33. This ring is free to turn independently of transfer cylinder I00. Below the latter is a driven roller I34 arranged to rotate with speed greater than the normal speed of sheet travel and to press the sheet against the ring I33 at the proper time to form a loop.

In all forms of the invention described herein the extent to which the rear portion of the sheet is advanced beyond its normal position as determined by its leading edge may be varied within wide limits since any degree of such advancement results in a corresponding gain in possible sheet length or the length of time available for registration or both.

The advantages of this aspect of the invention are particularly fullyrealized in connection with stream feeding of sheets in lapped formation for the reason that the slowly moving sheets may be brought against the stops at the forward end of the feed board-immediately after, or even before, the rear edge of a rapidly outgoing preceding sheet has passed those stops, whereas with sheet by sheet feeding sheets must approach the stops at a high rate of speed in order to take advantage of the earlier removal of the outgoing sheet. 1 1

-It will be seen from the above. description that we have provided means by which the efficiency of a printing press of given size may be increased in at least two important respects. By providing a transferring mechanism by which sheets are gripped by feed rolls, gradually accelerated to a speed which is slow compared to the operating speed of the press, registered against slowly moving stops, gripped at this slow speed and subsequently accelerated in completely registered condition to the speed of the press, we have enabled a corresponding increase in the operating speed of the press while maintaining a given quality of product. By providing means for positively advancing the rear portion of a sheet faster than the leading edge thereof during transfer to the impression cylinder we have enabled a corresponding increase in the length of the printed sheet, or an increase in the time available for registration of the sheets, or both.

Other modes of applying the invention in practice will be apparent to those skilled in the art and therefore we wish it to be understood that the scope of our invention is to be re arded as defined exclusively by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description or the accompanying illustrations.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a printing press or like machine, a con- Just prior to the sheet at the stops tinuously rotating sheet handling cylinder, a;

' speed of said cylinder sively to said transfer device, and means engaging the surface of an intermediate portion of a sheet taken by said transfer'device and driving- -said portion forward at a greater speed than the printing press or like machine "comprising advancing sheets successively toward said cylinder, stopping each sheetin turn and preliminarily front registering the same, further advancing each sheet in turn at a lesser speed than the speed of said cylinder, finally front registering vancing a stream of lapped sheets toward, said machine, stopping'each foremost sheet of the stream in turn, side registering said sheet while stopped, therea er advancing said side registered sheet so t at its leading edge is advancing at a lesser speed handling cylinder, front registering said side registered sheet while thus-advancing and while partly lapping thesucceeding sheet, accelerating the leading edge of said front and side registered sheet to the speed of the sheet handling cylinder,

each sheet while thus advancing, positively gripping the leading edge of each finally front registered sheet while the same is advancing at said lesser speed, accelerating said gripped leading edge to the speed of the sheet handling cylinder, and transferring the same to said cylinder.

3. The method of feeding sheets to a continuously rotating sheet handling cylinder of a printing press or like machine comprising; advancing sheets successively toward said cylinder, stopping each sheet in turn in substantially the same position, gradually'accelerating each sheet in turn from rest to a lesser speed thanthe by force applied tothe sheet at points progressively further from the front edge thereof, positively gripping the leading edge of each sheet while the same is ad vancing at said lesser speed, further accelerating said gripped leading edge to the speed of the sheet handling cylinder, and transferring the same to said cylinder.

transferring the sheet to the latter cylinder, and advancing the rear edge of said sheet at a greater speed tharu the'leading edge thereof during at least a portion of said acceleration and transfer for rapidly clearing the next succeeding sheet of the stream.

7. The method of feeding sheets to a continuously rotating sheet handlingcylinder of a printing press or like machine, comprising advancing a stream of lapped sheets toward said machine, preliminarily front registering each sheet in turn by stopping the same while continuing to advance the succeeding sheets, side registering each sheet while so stopped, further advancing each side registered sheet so that its leading edge is advancing at a speed less than the speed of the sheet handling cylinder, finally front registering each sheet while thus advancing, positively gripping the leading edge of each sheet so regis tered, accelerating the'gripped edge of the sheet to he speed of the sheet handling cylinder, and

ransferring the sheet to the latter cylinder.

8. The method of feeding sheets to a continuouslyrotating sheet handling cylinder of a printing press or like machine, comprising advancing a stream of lapped sheets toward said machine, preliminarily frontregistering each sheet in turn bystopping the same while continuing to advance the succeeding sheets, side registering each sheet while so stopped, further advancing each 4. The method of feeding sheets to a continuously rotating cylinder of a printing press, or like machine, comprising advancing sheets successively toward said cylinder, stopping each sheet in turn and preliminarily front registering the same, side registering each sheet while stopped, advancing each so registered sheet at a lesser speed than the speed of said cylinder along a defined .path, finally front registering each sheet while thus advancing, positively gripping the leading edge of each finally registered sheet while the same is advancing at said lesser speed, accelerating said leading edge to the speed of the sheet handling cylinder, and transferring the same to said cylinder.

5. The method of feeding sheets to a continuously rotating sheet handling cylinder of a printing press or like machine, comprising advancing a stream of lapped sheets toward said machine, stopping each foremost sheet of the stream in turn, side registering said sheet while stopped, thereafter forwarding said side registered sheet so that its leading edge is advancing at a lesser speed than the speed of said sheet handling cylinder, front registering said side registered sheet while thus advancing and while partly lapping the succeeding sheet, accelerating the leading edge of said front and side registered sheet to the speed of the sheet handling cylinder and transferring the sheet to the latter cylinder.

6. The method of feeding sheets to a continuoqsly rotating sheet handling cylinder of a printing press or like machine, comprising adside registered sheet so that its leading edge is advancing at a speed less than the speed of the sheet handling cylinder, finally front registering each sheet 'while thus advancing, positively gripping the leading edge of each sheet so registered, accelerating the gripped edge of the sheet to the speed of the sheet handling cylinder, transferring the sheet to the latter, and advancing the rear edge of the sheet at a greater of during at least a portion of said acceleration and transfer for rapidly clearing the next succeeding sheet of the stream.

9. In a printing press or like machine for oper ating on sheets, a constantly rotating sheet handling cylinder, a sheet transfer device having variable movement including speeds equal to and in said position of rest and advance the leading 1 edge thereof into position to be taken by said transfer devicewhile the latter is moving at a speed less than the speed'of the sheet handling cylinder.

10. In a printing press or like machine for operating on sheets, a constantly rotating sheet handling cylinder. asheet transfer device having than the speed of said sheet variable movement including speeds equal to and less than the speed of said cylinder, said transfer device being arranged to take a sheet while moving at a lesser speed than the speed of said cylinder, to accelerate said sheet and to release the same to said cylinder while moving at the speed of the latter, stops arranged to move in unison with said transfer device while the latter is taking a sheet, means for advancing sheets successively to a position of rest adjacent said transfer device, and roller means above and below the path of the sheets arranged to grip a sheet in said position of rest and advance the leading edge thereof against said stops while so moving, said transfer device including sheet grippers arranged to close on a sheet while the same is against said stops.

11. In a printing press or like machine for operating on sheets, a constantly rotating sheet handling cylinder, a sheet transfer device having variable arcuate movement in the direction of sheet travel including peripheral speeds equal to and less than the peripheral speed of said cylinder, said transfer device being arranged to take a sheet while moving at a lesser speed than the speed of said cylinder, to accelerate said sheet and to release the same to said cylinder while moving at the speed of the latter, stops on said transfer device, means for advancing sheets successively to a position of rest adjacent said transfer device, and roller means above and below the path of the sheets arranged to grip a sheet in said position of rest and advance the leading edge thereof at a speed slightly greater than the speed of said transfer device and into contact with said stops while said device is moving at a lesser speed than that of said cylinder, said transfer device including sheet grippers arranged to close on a sheet thus advanced into contact with said stops.

12. In a printing press or other machine for operating on sheets, a constantly rotating sheet handling cylinder having sheet grippers, a nonuniformly rotating sheet transfer cylinder icooperating therewith, means for driving said transfer cylinder with variable rotation including peripheral speed equal to that of the sheet handling cylinder when releasing a sheet thereto and less than the speed of the sheet handling cylinder when taking a sheet, stops on said transfer cylinder, means for advancing sheets in succession to a position of rest adjacent said transfer cylinder, and feed rolls above and below a sheet in said position of rest arranged to grip the same between them and advance the sheet against said stops while the transfer cylinder is rotating at a speed less than the speed of the sheet handling cylinder, said transfer cylinder including sheet grippers arranged to close on a sheet so advanced against said stops and to open for releasing the sheet to said sheet handling cylinder.

13. In a printing press or like machine for operating on sheets, a constantly rotating sheet handling cylinder, a sheet transfer device having variable arcuate movement in the direction of sheet travel including peripheral speeds equal to and less than the peripheral speed of said cylinder, said transfer device being arranged to take a sheet while moving at a lesser speed than the speed of said cylinder, to accelerate said sheet and to release the same to said cylinder while moving at the speed of the latter, means for advancing sheets successively to a position of rest adjacent said transfer device, and a pair of intermittently rotating feed rolls, one above and one below the path of the sheets, arranged to grip a sheet in said position of rest between them while they are stationary and to thereafter rotate to gradually advance the sheet from its position of rest to a speed corresponding to that of said transfer device and into position to be taken by said transfer device while the latter is moving at a speed less than the speed of the sheet handling cylinder.

14. In a printing'press or like machine, means for feeding sheets in lapped formation, transfer means for taking the leading edge of each sheet from the-,,feeding means, and means for first advancing the rear portion of the sheet at greater speed than said leading edge to form a loop in the sheet and thereafter retarding said rear portion of the sheet for maintaining control thereof.

15. In a printing press or like machine, means for feeding sheets in lapped formation, transfer'means for taking the leading edge of each sheet from said feeding means, and positively driven non-uniformly rotating roller means arranged and operated to grip the surface of an intermediate portion of each sheet after its leading edge has been taken by said taking means, drive said gripped portion forward at a greater speed than the speed of said leading edge whereby a loop is formed in the sheet and thereafter to slow down the gripped portion of the sheet whereby control of the rear edge of the sheet is maintained during the transfer operation.

16. In a printing press or like machine, a continuously rotating sheet handling cylinder, a nonuniformly rotating sheet transfer device arranged and operated to take the leading edge of a sheet, accelerate to the speed of the sheet handling cylinder, release the sheet to the sheet handlin cylinder and decelerate to take another sheet, means for presenting sheets successively to the transfer device, and roller means positively driven with non-uniform rotation by said transfer device, said roller means being arranged and operated to grip the surface of an intermediate portion of a sheet taken by the transfer device, drive said portion forward at a greater speed than the speed of the leading edge of the sheet, and thereafter slow said portion down.

CHARLES W, HARROLD.

HOWARD A. IZRJ'I'CHARD.

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