GB1362590A - Sheet feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1362590 Feeding sheets ENGLISH NUMBERING MACHINES Ltd 26 July 1972 [14 Jan 1972] 1876/72 Heading B8R Sheets are piled on edge on a sloping tray 14 and urged against a front plate 15 by a plate 22 urged forwards along rods 18 by springs 20, the tray 14 and plate 15 defining a slot 30 through which the sheets are fed in turn. The sheet separator comprises two cams 26 mounted on a shaft 28 and projecting through slots in the plate 15, so that the front sheet is moved downwards when the high portions 262 of the cams project through the slots. A separated sheet passes first to the nip between feed rollers 36 and stationary rollers 46, and then between pairs of rollers 52. The inner rollers 52 are mounted on crank arms and urged towards the outer rollers 52. The rollers 46 are mounted on a shaft 48 non-rotatably mounted in crank arms adjustable to vary the spacing between the rollers 36, 46. If more than one sheet is advanced to the nip between the rollers 36, 46, sheets other than the front are prevented from passing by the frictional action of the stationary rollers 46. The cams 26 have a surface of rubber or a resilient plastics material with horizontal ribs moulded in. A freely rotatable roller 24 protruding through an opening in the plate 22 reduces the resistance of the plate 22 to movement of the last sheets in a pile. An electric motor drives the rollers 36, 52 continuously, and drives the cam-shaft 28 through a onerevolution clutch controlled by a solenoid itself controlled from a printing-machine 12 to which the sheets are to be fed. The rollers 46 may be manually rotated to even out wear.