US3730516A

US3730516A - Pack advancer

Info

Publication number: US3730516A
Application number: US00000779A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Debray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-04-08
Filing date: 1970-01-05
Publication date: 1973-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-01

Abstract

A vertically movable platform supports a pack of sheets and is urged upwardly to bring the uppermost sheet against a detent which is normally held at a fixed level above the platform. The detent is then raised above its normal fixed level to release the uppermost sheet for feeding, and the platform is held against rising while the detent is in its raised position. A sheet demand responsive mechanism actuates the detent and the platform holding means in a coordinated manner.

Description

lUHWQd States Patent 1 1 1111 3,739,516 Debray 1 May 1, 1973 54] PACK ADVANCER 3,179,548 4 1965 Debray ..271 62 ux Inventor: Maurice 90 Laurier Street, 3,183,138 5/1965 Mattmgly et a1 ..271/62 R X V lleyfi l Qu be Canada FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Filed: Jan. 5, 1970 726,930 3/1955 Great Britain ..271/62 21 l. N 7 9 1 App 0 7 Primary ExaminerEvon C. Blunk Related US Application Data Assistant ExaminerBruce H. Stoner, Jr.

Att0rneyFetherstonhaugh and C0. [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 541,941, April 8, 1966, abandoned. 52 us. (:1. ..271/62 R, l56/45l A vertically movable Platform supports a Pack of 51 1m. (:1. ..B65h 1/12 Sheets and is urged upwardly bring the uppermost [58] Field of Search 271/62 R 62 A 28 sheet against a detent which is normally held at a fixed 271/30 156/45" 452 level above the platform. The detent is then raised above its normal fixed level to release the uppermost sheet for feeding, and the platform is held against ris- [56] References Clted ing while the detent is in its raised position. A sheet UNITED STATES PATENTS demand responsive mechanism actuates the detent and the platform holding means in a coordinated 1,660,467 2/1928 Anderson ..271/62 ux manna 2,342,571 2/1944 Carroll ..271/62 R X 2,468,922 5/1949 Cook ..271/62 UX 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 0 A 3933 1 Fig I I \7 {u 2 l\ I I 1 17 3 2B 1 in? h? 1 15' i I I J 1 ii" 5 PACK ADVANCER This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 541,941 filed Apr. 8, 1966 and now abandoned.

This invention relates to sheet fed machines such as can labeling machines, sheet folding machines, printing presses, and the like, and in particular the invention concerns itself with an improved pack advancer for such machines.

The pack advancer comprises actuating spring means which urges a pile of sheets and the means supporting the pile upwards to press the top of the pile against a projection or detent maintained at a predetermined fixed level where the top sheet is held captive and is subsequently released for feeding.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pack advancer which brings each top sheet of the pile at a fixed level, each sheet being alternately held captive and released under control in any order required by a working machine.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pack advancer as above actuated by a step by step actuating spring means.

Other objects will appear in the following disclosure and annexed drawings.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a sheet fed machine embodying the pack advancer of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing a modified embodiment.

With reference to FIG. 1, a sheet fed machine such as a can labeling machine has a frame including upright posts 1 cross connected by means of longitudinal braces 2 and 6 and transverse braces (not shown) supporting the rails 4. The pack advancer of the invention comprises a platform 7 supported by a rack shaft 8 slidably guided in sleeve 9. A brace (not shown) joining braces 2, holds in place the sleeve 9. An opening made in the sleeve 9, permits the movement of the platform 7 by means ofa spur gear 11 moving the rack shaft 8. An arrester wheel 12 is integrally rotatable with the spur gear 11 and mounted on the same shaft 14 journaled in suitable bearings (not shown) on the braces 2. A compression spring 18, backed by a nut 17 screwed on rack shaft 8, pushes on the sleeve 9 to urge the platform 7 A well known adhesive distributor 32 may be inserted between the projection 20 and the top sheet or label. This adhesive distributor is resiliently resting on the trailing part of the top label. The level of the leading part D of the top label must be adjusted, by means of nut 29, to be slightly above the rails 4 so that the passing cans can pick up the labels. The arrester wheel 12 may be provided, if desired, with a handle 13 for manually lowering the platform to place a fresh pile of sheets thereon.

A lever 30 is pivotally mounted on the arm 22 by means of a pin 31 fixed to the arm 22. The lever 30 carries at one end a brake shoe 33 adjustably mounted on lever 30 by means of a nut-and-bolt arrangement 35. The brake shoe 33 is normally released from the arrester wheel 12 but is in a position to contact it. A rod 36 has one end pivotally mounted on the other end of the lever 30 by means of a pin 37 fixed to the rod 36. The other end of the rod 36 is pivotally mounted on one of the ends of the arm 38 by means of a pin 39 fixed to the rod 36. The middle of the arm 38 is fixed to a shaft 40 by means of a set screw 42 or the like. A bolt 43 is screwed in a bracket 44 fixed to the brace 6. The bolt 43 contacts the other end of the arm 38 to limit the depression of the rod 36 in rest position and also to adjust, with the bolt and nut arrangement 35, the distance between the arrester wheel 12 and the brake shoe 33 in rest position.

A pair of angled levers 45 are secured at one end to shaft 40 which is journaled in suitable bearings on the two braces 6. A roller or the like, extends between the free ends of the two levers 45, said roller being carried by a shaft 46 which is journaled in suitable bearings on the free ends of the levers 45. The roller 50 is located in the path of the cans to be actuated by a can when said can is to release a label from under the projection 20 and/or the adhesive distributor 32.

When the roller 50 is not actuated, the arm 38 contacts the bolt 43 and the brake shoe 33 releases the arrester wheel 12 because of the weight of the roller 50 or by means of a small tension spring 47 tied at one end to and a pack of sheets 19 upwardly towards the rails 4 acting as a can runway.

The pile of sheets is elevated by the spring 18 until the top of the pile contacts the projection or detent 20 of the angled arm 21 if there is no adhesive or glue distributor between this projection 20 and the top of the pile. The other end of the arm 21 is secured to the screwed end of the arm 22 by means of the

nuts

24 and 27. The arm 21 is movable with the arm 22 slidably guided in sleeves 23 and 25. The sleeve 23 is held in place by means of brace 41 fixed to the frame of the machine. The sleeve 25 is held in place by means of brace 2. A compression spring 26, backed by a nut 28 screwed on arm 22, abuts sleeve 23 to depress-the

arms

21 and 22, but a nut 29 screwed on the arm 22 and bearing on the sleeve 23 limits the downward movement of the

arms

21 and 22 and makes the adjustment of the level of the top sheet of the pile. The downward pressure exerted by spring 26 must be greater than the effective upward force exerted by spring 18.

the brace 2 and at the other end to the lever 30.

When a can 48, contacting the roller 50, moves from the position A to the position B, the levers 45 and the arm 38 rock about the shaft 40 to elevate the rod 36 which actuates the lever 30. The lever 30 rocks about the pin 31 and applies the brake shoe 33 on the arrester wheel 12 to stop the rotation of the arrester wheel 12.

The can 48 moves from the position B to the position C, then the roller 50 is more elevated and the rod 36 also; but now the arrester wheel 12 and brake shoe 33 are used by the lever 30 as a fulcrum to raise the

arms

21,22 and the projection 20; this is the mechanism to control the release of the labels. This mechanism operates without changing the level of the top label, it locks the movement of the platform to maintain the top label at the same predetermined fixed level and raise the projection 20 to free the top label from the pressure exerted by the actuating spring 18.

The projection 20 has a dual function. When a can 48 moves out of contact with roller 50, the projection always comes back to the same predetermined fixed level and thereafter, the brake shoe 33 releases the arrester wheel 12 to permit the elevation of the platform by the actuating spring 18 to bring the second label to the said predetermined fixed level where said label is held captive.

The modified embodiment of the pack advancer shown in FIG. 2 is similar to that in FIG. 1 but includes a somewhat different actuating mechanism cOmprising the sensing part 65 of an arm 68 located in the path of the passing cans near the leading part of the pile. The arm 68 is slidably guided in sleeve 70 which is held in place by brace 2. A sleeve 69 is pivotally mounted on the arm 68 by means of a pin 71. A compression spring 72, backed by a nut 73 screwed on the arm 68, bears on the sleeve 70 to urge the arm 68 upwards. A lever 74, pivotally mounted at one end on the pin 31 of the arm 22 is slidably guided at the other end in sleeve 69.

A brake shoe 75 is mounted at a point along the lever 74, by means of bolt-and-nut arrangement 76, in a position to contact the arrester wheel 12 when the lever 74 is depressed. A nut 77 screwed on arm 68 and bearing on sleeve 70 adjusts the distance between the arrester wheel 12 and the brake shoe 75 when the sensing part 65 is not actuated by a can. When the sensing part 65 is depressed by a can, the brake shoe 75 contacts and stops the movement of the arrester wheel 12 before being used as a fulcrum to raise the projection 20.

As a can 66 rolls in a clockwise movement on the rails 67 from the position M to the position N, it begins to depress the arm 68 and compress the small spring 72; so the lever 74 rocks about the shaft 31 to apply the brake shoe 75 on the arrester wheel 12 to stop the movement of the platform.

The can 66 passes from the position N to the position P and continues to depress the arm 68 without depressing the pile which stays at the same fixed level slightly above the level of the rails. The brake shoe 75 and arrester wheel 12 are then used as a fulcrum to raise the arm 22, the projection and the adhesive distributor 32. Then the can 66 meets the offset 87 of the rails 67 to release the label from under said adhesive distributor. The can continues to turn to permit the levelling operation of the second label of the pile at the same fixed level as the first label. The adjustment ofthe level of the top of the pile is made by means of the nut 29. When the control of the release of the labels is not actuated by a can, the brake shoe 75 is normally released from the arrester wheel 12; the actuating spring means is normally energized to press the top of the pile against the projection 20 or adhesive distributor 32.

What I claim is:

l. A pack advancer for sheet fed machines, comprising in combination, a vertically movable support for a pack of sheets, a detent normally held at a fixed level above said support, means urging said support upwardly whereby the uppermost sheet in the pack on the support engages said detent, means for raising said detent above its normally fixed level whereby to release the uppermost sheet for feeding, means for holding said support against rising while said detent is in its raised position, and sheet demand responsive means operative as a unit to sequentially actuate said support holding means and said detent raising means so that the support is held before the detent is raised and is released after the detent is lowered, said means for holding said support including a rotary member which is rotated as a function of vertical movement of the support and, a brake engageable with said rotary member, said means for raising said detent including a vertically slidable rod carrying the detent, and said sheet demand responsive means including a lever carrying said brake and having a pivot at a point remote from the brake which connects the lever to said slidable rod, said lever being movable in response to sheet demand to sequentially apply the brake to said rotary member and then slide said rod upwardly to raise said detent.

2. The pack advancer as defined in claim 1 together with means biasing said detent downwardly to its nOrmally fixed level with a force greater than that of said means for urging said support upwardly.

3. The pack advancer as defined in claim 1 which is further characterized in that said pivot provides a fulcrum for movement of said lever in applying said brake to said rotary member.

4. The pack advancer as defined in claim 1 which is further characterized in that contact of said brake with said rotary member provides a fulcrum for movement of said lever in Sliding said rod.

5. The pack advancer as defined in claim 1 which is further characterized in that said pivot provides a fulcrum for movement of said lever in applying said brake to said rotary member, and in that a point of contact of the brake with the rotary member provides a fulcrum for movement of the lever in sliding said rod, the lever fulcrum being shiftable automatically from said pivot to said point of contact when the brake is applied.

Claims

1. A pack advancer for sheet fed machines, comprising in combination, a vertically movable support for a pack of sheets, a detent normally held at a fixed level above said support, means urging said support upwardly whereby the uppermost sheet in the pack on the support engages said detent, means for raising said detent above its normally fixed level whereby to release the uppermost sheet for feeding, means for holding said support against rising while said detent is in its raised position, and sheet demand responsive means operative as a unit to sequentially actuate said support holding means and said detent raising means so that the support is held before the detent is raised and is released after the detent is lowered, said means for holding said support including a rotary member which is rotated as a function of vertical movement of the support, and a brake engageable with said rotary member, said means for raising said detent including a vertically slidable rod carrying the detent, and said sheet demand responsive means including a lever carrying said brake and having a pivot at a point remote from the brake which connects the lever to said slidable rod, said lever being movable in response to sheet demand to sequentially apply the brake to said rotary member and then slide said rod upwardly to raise said detent.