US2054818A - Sheet registering and feeding mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 22, 1936. w. F. HUCK SHEET REGISTERING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Filed April 25, 1934 3 Sheets-Shet 1 -INVEN'I"OR ZAC A'r-GY.

. Sept. 22, 1 936. w. F. HUCK v SHEET REGISTERING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Filed April 25, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet2 W. F. HUCK SHEET REGISTERING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Sept. 22, 1936.

s sheets-sheet 3 Filed April 25, 1934 before thereturnof the inked plate.

Patented Sept. 22, 1936 PATENT OFFICE SHEET REGISTERING AND. FEEDING 1 MECHANISM William E. Huck; Richmond Hill, N. Y'., assignor, 1 by'vmesnemssig nments, to R. Hoe &' Inc,

New York, N Y4, a corporation of New York Application April 25,1934, Serial No. 722,304

'21 Claims. (01. 101-158 This invention relates to printing; machines,-

especially-.- machineszadapted to print vfrom intaglio plates in which the printing p1ate='is"se.- cured to. a: bed that is moved backand forth under .an inking. mechanism and an impression may be. manually placed: and .clamped in. aapredetermined. order. on a, movable-sheet supportingv member. andautomatically.movedtto advance one. edge oflthel. sheet-between an impression roller and. printing plate. so. that the: advancement ofthesheet. may be. continued. by the impinging action of the roller uponthe sheet to effect a I printing operation It isa.f-urther. objecttoprbvide means. toadvance. the. sheet supporting.. member in. uni-son with the forward-movement of.-the..prir'1ting=plate and .tola'utomatically.release the sheet supporting member. atter the sheetris engaged by the impressionroller. I

Itis a further .obj ect to-quicklyreturn said sheet supporting membertothe. sheet loading position to.- allow. an operator sufiicienttime. for reloading A. stillfurther objectis to provide means. to prevent the..sheetsupportingplate from being advanced until the sheet is properlyarranged in its predetermined registered. position.

It is also an'object of-the-invention to provide asheet supporting andieedingzdevice of generally improved-construction, wherebythedevice willlbe-simple, durable andinexpensive in construction,.-.as well as =convenient,-. practical, serviceable andlefficient inits-use. V

With the foregoing and other objects in view; which will appear. asthe description proceeds, the invention residesrin the combination and arrangement. of parts; and in the-detailsof construction hereinafterldescribed and claimed... 7 I

In-general; aprintingmachine for which the invention is especially adapted; comprisesa bed having -'a.-:printing plate mountectthereon which is reciprocatedforward. andrea-rward under an im-. i pression roll, inking member and ink w-iper'in Whemmoving forward,; the'printingi plate will receive a sheet and will movebeneath and in engagement with the: impression roll to effect printing operation. I

The device according to. this-invention, which cooperates: with the reciprocable printing plate, comprises a; means whereby a sheet may bemanue allyset and clamped in an exactposition on an in-l termittently movable. platewhile said-plate isin an idle position.v Aft-er properlyclampingsaid sheet, the movable plate is adapted. torbe engaged by the reciprocable bed uponwhichsthe printing plate is mounted, and is :then. carriediorward until-the end of the sheetengages. the impression roller, whereupon-the. movable plateisautomatically, released to be returned. toitsnormal sheet loadingposition. l

The preferred 1 embodiment of the invention. is illustratedin .the accompanying drawingswhere- Figure 1 .is a. side elevational. view of; the. sheet feeding. mechanism, with,.par.t's.' broken. away,

showing the sheet close. to its delivery position and gripper and latchingmechanismin aposition corresponding therewith;

Figure 2 is a.view1 similarto Figure 1 on are.- duced scale and showing the position :of .thelat'ch mechanism after engaginga stop.member;,

' Figure. 3 .isan enlarged'vi'ewof the latchfm'echae msmin the, same position .as that of. Figure 2.7.. v

Figure 4 is a plan View ofethe sheet feeding. mechanism. with the. parts. in agreement. with the. position shown inFigureZ; Figure 5. isan elevational .vi'ew-similar to Figure 2 but showing-.the sheet .feeding.mechanism returned to its normallstarting position; v Figure. 6 .is..a..vertical.section,t ken. onthe line Got-Figure 3;v and.

Figure? is a. fragmentary detail. section taken on the-line 1 of Figurel.

A. printing. platel l: is secured. to. a...reciprocat-,

ing bedPIZ; which.bed..is.adapted to moveuthe.

printing plate. anda blank-sheet, l3 .thereoninto engagement with. the surface of. an. impression. roller M during' its movementin aforward direction,..ancl'.-in. spaced relation to saidimpres sionro-ller on the .returnmovement. thereon, The driresforzsaid bedis. not shown .A mechanism .isprovided to. automatically feed the blank sheets-.iitothe. inked printing. plate. as. said. plate moves forward. toward. the impres sion roller, which mechanism comprises amovable plate.- -I 5 slidablymounted; on. bars. l6, said. bars being; supported: by suitable, brackets; -I l secured to themachineframe Hi.-v The means. for sup porting the.-;movable.plate I 5 upon the bars. Hi

comprises slide blocks l9, which are fixed to said plate 15, and have openings 2| therein, through which the bars l6 pass. Coil springs 22 are extended between lugs 20 projecting below the movable plate l5 and the outer brackets I! and are adapted to normally retain the said plate in a rearward or loading position as shown in Figure 5. When in said latter position, a pair of pistons 23, fixed to the outer brackets ll, project into chambers 24 fora purpose to be hereinafter explained.

The forward end of said movable plate I5 is of a rack formation with a number of equally spaced teeth 25 bent angularly downward, and slightly to the rear thereof are gripper fingers 26, which are mounted on a shaft 21, and said shaft is rotatably mounted in end bearings 28 secured to the said plate [5. Two side stops 29 are secured to the movable plate I5 by means of screws 3| and are laterally adjustable thereon.

A manually operated gripper set and automatic release mechanism is also carried by the movable plate l5 and arranged in duplicate along each side of said plate. Referring to the mechanism of one side only, the same comprises a hand lever 32 having a hub member 32 fixed to a rocker shaft 33, which shaft is rotatably -mounted in bearings 3434 secured to and projecting below the movable plate l5. A link 35, positioned above the plate I 5, is connected at one end to the hand lever 32, which projects upward through an opening 36 in said plate, and to a lever 31 secured to the gripper finger shaft 21.- Forming a part of the hand lever member 32', is a rearwardly extending arm 38 which has a roller 39 mounted at the end thereof, and a downwardly projecting portion has 2. lug 4| bent outward therefrom. A detent plunger 42 is slidably mounted within a bore 43 in a housing 44, and is maintained in yieldable engagement with the roller 39 through the pressure of a spring 44 positioned within the bore.

Adjacent said hand lever member 32' is a latch lever 45, which is freely mounted on the rocker shaft 33 and is joined to the hand lever arm 38 by means of a pin 46, in the arm 38, which projects into an elongated slot 41 in the latch lever. A shoulder lug 4D is provided on the upper portion of the latch lever to stop the movement of same in one direction. I 7

Directly beneath the movable plate I5 is a stationary plate 48 which has two side wings 49 supported on blocks 50 on the machine frame I8 and its rear end is supported on the rear bracket H, as shown in Figure 4. The forward end of said plate 48 is fluted, as shown at 5|, and is arranged so that the spaces between said flutes are in alignment with the rack teeth 25.

The bed [2, with its printing plate thereon, slides forward and backward along the plane shown in the drawings and said bed has a hook 52 secured at each side of the rear end thereof, which hooks are adapted to engage the latch levers 45-45 located at each side of the movable plate I5. The inner end of each hook 52 is beveled at 53 and is adapted to engage the end of a latch lever 45 and the outer end of each hook is beveled as shown at 54. Stop pins 5555 are secured within the ends of the blocks 5il--50, and are positioned in the path of the lugs 4I4l on the hand lever member 32'.

A plurality of end stops 56 are provided which cooperate with the side stops 29 when registering a sheet on the movable plate I5, and are secured toa transverse shaft 51 supported in bearings 58, which bearlngs are mounted at each side of the machine frame. Each of said end stops 56 is provided with a toe 59 which will engage the. upper surface of the stationary plate 48 upon the fluted portion thereof exposed between the teeth 25, when the movable plate 15 is in the sheet loading position shown in Figure 5. While in said position, a sheet, I3 is placed on the movable plate, with one end extended beyond same, and is properly centered thereon by its engagement with the end stops 56 and side stops 29. A rocker arm 6| is secured at the end of the shaft 51, and is adapted to be rocked periodically through a link and lever arrangement indicated generally by the reference character 62 which are actuated, by one of the machine movements (not shown) in such manner as to lower the stops 56 when the movable plate i5 is returned to the stationary position shown in Figure 5, and to raise said stops before the movable plate is moved forward again.

The operation of the device will now be described:

When the movable plate I5 is in an idle or sheet loading position, shown in Figure 5, an operator willplace a sheet l3 upon the surface of said movable plate and center same by moving the front edge into engagement with the toes 59 of the end stops 56, While the sides of the sheet will engage the side stops- 29. The sheet is then clamped in its registered position by means of the hand lever 32, which is, moved rearward from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 5, and during its movement, will cause the gripper fingers 26 to be lowered to engage the sheet through the link and lever con- During the period in which the blank sheet is being set up for a printing operation, the bed 12 with the printing plate ll thereon is normally traveling across the machine to print and discharge the sheet and then returns to a starting position. Before the bed l2 reaches the end of its rearward movement, the cam portion 54, at the end of each hook 52, will rock the loosely mounted latch levers 45 upwardly around the shaft 33, after which they will drop in front of the beveled inner ends 53 of the hooks. The downward movement of the latch levers is limited by theengagement of the shoulder lugs 40 thereon with the under surface of the movable plate [5. Also during the period that the printing plate is moved beyond the impression roll, the mechanism for controlling the end stops 56 functions to bring the stops into engagement with the movable plate l5, after said plate returns to a sheet loading position, and before the movable plate is again moved forward the 'end stops are lifted.

Having reached the end of its rearward movement, the bed l2 will again start its forward movement, and as it moves, the latch lever 45 at each side ofthe movable plate will be engaged by the beveled portions 53 of the hooks 5 2. This condition will force the shoulder lugs 40 of said latch levers backward against the under side of the movable plate, and will cause the of tthe-qh-andi leverarms;38, strike the stoprpins 5.5;: Upon the aengagement -:of, said lugs withrthe stop pins, the hand levers will be thrown forward in:a mannerindicatedin Figurefigand-athe gripper: fingers: willabe; released rfrom: thein. clamped engagement: with: the: blanka. sheet just, as; the said: sheet is'aimpinge-d between.- the.-. impression ro-ller and'the printing plate. a

When the ;handlovers are thrown: forwar thewpins 46 thereon will strike the upper; walls of the: slots 41 and: will thereby? Withdrawthe latch levers ,from, their engagement with the hooks,5-2,, whereupon: the movableaplate. will; be

' released fromits driving; relation withthe :mov

ing bed i I 2-, andwillc be abruptly: r turned by. the springs 2 2, The shockcaused; by the; abruptv re turn ofr'said movable-i plate is sabsorbedby the action ofthe piston and. chamben-members23r-and 24, as the chamber portions slideover. pistons and produce. a; cushioning eifeet.v After said movable plate is returned to its. rest position, it is again ready to have a new sheet placed'and clamped thereon.

If a'condition should occur whereby'timewould not permit a new blank sheet to be. clamped on the movable platezbefore the return, of the bed l2, the. hook 5.2on said bed wouldz pass clear of the latch lever 45, due to the-latter being in aqraised position, and-the printing plate would pass through one cycle; of operationwithout printing a sheet. 7

-It will be understood thatthe invention may be embodied in other-specific rorms without de-. parting from the. spirit. or., essential. attributes thereof, and it is thereforedesired that .the pres= ent embodiment be. consideredin. all respects. as illustrative and not.restrictive, reference being had to-the claims rather than .to. the foregoing description to indicate the scopeof theinven:

tion;

What I claim is:

1. In a sheet feeding mechanism-operableupon a printing plate, a. sheet supportingmember nor: mally maintained in a sheet loading position, means to move. said. sheetzsupporting member to a printing positiomandmeansto retract. same to. its loading position. while the; printingeration is in progress, l

2. In. asheet feeding mechanismloperable with a. printing. plate supported. upon. afreciprocate ing, bed, a. sheet. supporting memberadaptedto receive a. sheet while. inla. stationary, position, means to join said sheet supportingmember with the reciprocating bed to. move. the sheet to. a

printing position, and. means .to release saidsheet supporting member from said reciprocating. bed upon reaching said printing position.

, 3.,In a-sheet feeding mechanismoperable with a printingplate supported upon. a reciprocating bed,.a. sheet supporting member normally, main. tained inv a sheet loading position, a connecting member adapted to maintain said. leet;.sup.-. porting member in joined, relation.- with the reciprocating bed to. move same therewith to a printing, position, means to release Said. G011: necting .member after reaching, said printing po.-, sition, and retracting meanstovreturn. said sheet supporting member to. a, sheetz'loadings position while the printing operationis inplogresss 4. In a sheet feedingmechanism operable with a printing plate supportedupon a, reciprocating bed, a movable sheet supportingrplate normally maintained. in a. sheet loading 1 position, v a, clamp, ing member to clamp the sheet in a registered position,-.meanslengageable with the reciprocating. bedz: to; move said sheetf supporting: plate therewith, aatstop member to limit the movement ofsthessheet supporting plate and. to, release. said clamp,-.. and .means to retract said sheet; supportlngiplate; 5.,.In.a;sheet feeuin mechanism. p r b e with aprinting. platei supported. upon a reciprocating bed,.aimovablessheet support ng plate normally maintainedinaisheet; loading position, a clamplug memberstoiaolarnpq the; sheet in. a registered position, a:l-atc-h orrpsaid sheet supporting plate, and:.: means.- onsaid; reciprocating bed. engage: able, therewith to a move. saidssheet supporting plate on the forward-sstroke thereof, .a, stopqto release: said: latch after reaching el -printing. p sition, and means to return'said sheet supporting plate: to:,;its, loading-position. 61;- Inga sheet: feeding. mechanismloperable with a printing plate. supported. upon av reciprocating 3d;- a= mov ble sheet supportin plate. normally maintained in-a.:sheet:loading position, a station: ary plate below-said sheet supporting plate, a movable end; stop engaging'said stationary plate tozlimitthe-end position of a sheet, a: clamp: ingumember'to clamp the sheet in a set-position, and means for removing the end stops from the endyofi the: sheet after. the sameis clampe means. to, move. the sheet supporting; plate with the. reciprocating bedto; a printing position, and

means; for: retractin said: movable; plate after thersheetis inxsaidiprinting position. I e

7; Irra sheet fee-ding mechanism operable with aprintingplate-supported upon a reciprocating bed. .a;;m-0vable.. sheet supporting plate; normally maintainedin axsheetloadingiposition;sheet regeistering members; and; a clamping. member to clamp" thesheet in a registered position, alatch on said: sheet. supporting plate. and a hook; on

a printi-ngplate supported on a reciprocating'bed, a-movable sheet supporting plate normally maintainedin asheet loading position, sheet registering'members and'a clamping member to clamp the sheet'in a'registered'positiong'a' latch on said sheet supportingplate and'a hook 'on the reciprocating bedengageable therewith tomove the sheet supporting plate-to a printing position, a manually actuated lever to move said clamping member-to a. clamping position and to move said latch" into the path of' the hook, and means engageable with an abutment to move said manuallyactuated lever. to a clamp andlatch' releasing position.

. 9; .In'asheet f edingmeehanism p rabl with printineplate supporte on a rec pr a in a movable sheetsupporting plate normally main.- tained'in a sheet loading position, sheet registering .members, clamping members. to clamp the sheet; in a. registered position, alatchon said sheet. supportingplate. and ahook on thereciprccating bed. .engageable, therewith. to move the sheetssupporting, plate to a printing, position, a manuallyactuated lever connected. with said clamping. member and latch .to simultaneously move said clampingmember to a clamping positionandto. move said latchnintothev path of the hook, and an abutment. projecting into the. path .45 In-a sheet feeding mechanism operable-with of a portion of said hand lever to simultaneously release said clamp and latch members.

10. In a mechanism for feeding a sheet between an impression roller and a reciprocating printing plate, a movable sheet supporting plate adapted to have a sheet deposited thereon, means to move said sheet supporting plate forward until the sheet is impinged between the impression roll and the printing plate, means to release said movable plate directly upon the impingement of the sheet, and means to return said movable plate to a sheet loading position to permit the deposit of another sheet thereon while the printing of the previous sheet is in progress.

11. In a mechanism for feeding a sheet between an impression roller and a reciprocating printing plate, a movable sheet supporting plate normally maintained in a sheet loading position, registering stops to guide a sheet in position on said plate with one end of said sheet overhanging the edge thereof, means to move said sheet supporting plate forward with the printing plate until the overhanging end of the sheet is impinged between the impression roll and printing plate, and means to release said movable plate for the return thereof.

12. In a mechanism for feeding a sheet between an impression roller and a reciprocating printing plate, a movable sheet supporting plate normally maintained in sheet loading position, a stationary plate positioned beneath said sheet supporting plate, intermittently moving end stops engaging said stationary plate ahead of the sheet supporting plate to permit one end of a sheet to overhang said supporting plate, means to move said sheet supporting plate in unison with the printing plate and with the overhanging edge of the sheet engaging said printing plate, and means for releasing said sheet supporting plate when the sheet engages the impression roll.

13. In a mechanism for feeding a sheet between an impression roller and a reciprocating printing plate, a movable sheet supporting plate normally maintained in sheet loading position, registering stops to control the position of the sheet on said plate and permitting one end to extend over the edge thereof, clamping members to clamp said sheets, means to move the sheet supporting member forward with the printing plate and with the extended end of the sheet engaging the printing plate, and means to release said clamp and sheet supporting plate when the extended end of the sheet is engaged by the impression roll.

14. In a sheet feeding mechanism operable with a printing plate supported upon a reciprocating bed, a slidable sheet supporting plate, guide rails to support said sheet supporting plate, sheet registering stops, gripper fingers to clamp a sheet in a registered position, latch members carried by the sheet supporting plate and hooks on the reciprocating bed adapted to engage said latch members, a manual control member to control the position of the gripper fingers and latch members, and means to automatically actuate said manual control member.

15. In a sheet feeding mechanism operable with a printing plate supported on a reciprocating bed, an impression roller cooperating with said printing plate, a sheet supporting member adapted to have a sheet placed thereon, means to move said sheet supporting member with the reciprocating bed to advance the sheet until the leading edge thereof is impinged between the printing plate and the impression roller, and means to return said sheet supporting member after reaching said latter position to permit reloading before the printing plate is in position to receive another sheet.

16. In a. sheet feeding mechanism'operable with a printing plate supported on a reciprocating bed, an impression roller cooperating with said printing plate, a movable sheet supporting member, means to register a sheet on said sheet supporting member with the leading edge of the sheet overhanging the leading end of the sheet supporting member, means to move said sheet supporting member forward until the leading end of the sheet is engaged by the impression roller to thereby continue the feed of the sheet, and means to return said sheet supporting member after the sheet is engaged by the impression roller.

17. In a sheet feeding mechanism operable with a printing plate supported on a reciprocating b ed, an impression roller cooperating with said printing plate, a movable sheet supporting member, means to register a sheet on said sheet supporting member, means to clamp a sheet in the registered position, means to move said sheet supporting member forward until the leading end of the sheet is engaged by the impression roller to thereby continue the feed of the sheet, means to release the sheet clamping means upon the engagement of the sheet with the impression roller, and means to return said sheet supporting member to a loading position while the printing operation of the previous sheet is in progress.

18. In a mechanism for feeding a sheet to be printed upon, a sheet supporting member adapted to receiveand hold a sheet thereon with an edge thereof extending beyond an edge of said member, means to move said member with the supported sheet to present the extended edge of the sheet at the point of engagement of an impression cylinder in association with a reciprocating printing plate, and means operable when the extended sheet edge is gripped between the cylinder and the printing plate to return said sheet supporting member to its initial position to receive a sheet.

19. In a sheet folding mechanism operable with an impression cylinder and a printing plate, a

sheet-supporting member to carry thesheet to a printing position to be engaged by and between the impression cylinder and the printing plate, means to move said sheet supporting member toward said cylinder, and means to retract said sheet supporting member to dispose the supported sheet upon the printing plate.

20. In combination with a cylinder of a printing machine and a reciprocating plate cooperating with said cylinder to act upon a sheet, a sheet supporting member, means to move said member with said plate to carry a sheet toward said cooperating cylinder and plate, and means to retract said sheet supporting member to dispose the sheet upon said plate and return the member to its initial position for another sheet.

21. In a printing machine, the combination of cooperating members operable to grip and draw a sheet therebetween, a sheet receiving and supporting member, means to move said member to carry a supported sheet to the cooperating members, and means to retract said sheet supporting member, when the same has carried the supported sheet to the cooperating members and is gripped thereby, and means to return it to its initial sheet receiving position while the sheet is being drawn between said members by the cooperating action thereof. 7

' WILLIAM F. I-IUCK.

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