US2976038A - Feed mechanisms for printing and like machines - Google Patents

Description

F. WHYTE March 21, 1961 FEED MECHANISMS FOR PRINTING AND LIKE MACHINES 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1'7, 1957 FIG. I.

March 21, 1961 F. WHYTE 2,976,038

FEED MECHANISMS FOR PRINTING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed June 17, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent i FEED MECHANISMS FOR PRINTING AND LIKE MACHINES Fred Whyte, Ever-greens, Burras Lane, Otley, England Filed June 17, 1957, Ser. No. 665,925

4 Claims. (Cl. 271-60) This invention relates to feedmechanisms for printing and like machines and refers particularly to the feedplate upon which the sheets are fed and registered in position prior to being taken by means of feed grippers. When a rotary feed mechanism and stream feeding is employed, it is necessary to ensure that the grippers clear the front edge portion of a sheet which may already be registered against the front lays, either before or immediately after the whole length of a preceding sheet has moved beyond the front lay position. With this end in view it has been proposed that the feedplate carrying the sheet registering device shall be arranged so that the whole or a certain forward portion of the same may be lowered to a position sufiicient to enable the grippers to clear a sheet at the front lays, after which it may be returned to its normal position when the grippers have passed and prior to their gripping the sheet.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new or improved construction for feedplate and sheet registering devices of the kind referred to and method of driving and operating the sheet feeding registering and trip mechanisms mounted on the front portion of said feedplate.

A further object is to provide means for the adjust-' ment and setting of the front lays and sheet detectors for the accurate positioning of the sheet in relation to the design to be printed thereon.

Yet a further object is to provide, with a feedplate of the kind described, means for access to certain elements of the associated printing or like machine.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus for feeding sheets such that accurate registration is possible at high speeds of operation.

According to the invention the camshaft operating the sheet registration and control devices is situated on the front portion of the feed plate and is driven from a convenient member on the printing or like machine and the drive is arranged so as to accommodate for any variations in centre distance due to the raising or lowering of the feed plate in a substantially vertical direction or adjustment of the front portion of the feed plate for varying griphold in a substantially horizontal direction.

In the preferred application the drive to the camshaft on the front portion of the feedplate is by means of chain and sprockets, wherein one of the sprockets is pivotally mounted and spring loaded to provide constant tension and accommodate any of the variations in centre distance referred to, although any type of drive which is found suitable could be employed. The rear portion of the feedplate carries the sheet forwarding members, i.e. sheet runners, tapes and roller. The feedplate is first lowered sufiiciently to enable associated feed grippers to clear the front edge portion of the sheet and is then returned to its normal position to enable the gripper to seize hold of the sheet. The front portion of the feedplate is adjustable for varying amounts of grip-hold to enable the sheet to be positioned accurately in relation to the matter to be printed therein.

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The front portion of the feedplate on which is carried the sheet registering devices referred to is slidably and adjustably mounted on two arms, extending forwardly from a transverse shaft, the said arms being coupled by means of connecting rod and lever mechanism to a camshaft on the printing or like machine so as to operate in timed sequence with the feed grippers for the purpose of feeding the sheet. The raising and lowering movement of the feedplate may be accurately controlled by means of adjustable screw stop members and provision may also be made for taking up play or wear likely to affect the accurate location of the feedplate. Provision may also be made for spring loading the feedplate arms in order to relieve the strain on the associated cam operating mechanism. The adjustment for varying the amount of grip-hold on the sheet is obtained by means of links, one at each side, which are pivotally connected to the front portion of the feedplate while the free ends which are screw threaded pass through a swivel bush in each of the forwardly projecting arms, there being a pair of knurled nuts for adjusting the front feedplate in a substantially horizontal direction, according to the amount of grip-hold required. By this means the spaced relationship of the front and side lays, also the sheet detectors with the front edge of the sheet remains constant irrespective of any adjustment for varying amounts of grip-hold.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be more fully described with reference to and by the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a feed mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the feedplate includes a front portion 1 which carries the sheet registering devices, comprising front lays 2 and side lays (not shown), camshaft 4 to operate same in correct timing sequence with the usual printing or like machine (not shown). The rear portion 5 of the feedplate carries the usual sheet forwarding members (i.e. sheet runners, tapes (not shown) and roller 5*).

The front portion 1 of the feedplate on which is carried the sheet registering devices referred to is slidably and adjustably mounted on two arms 6, extending forwardly from a transverse shaft 7,. the said arms 6 being coupled by means of connecting rod 8, links and levers 9 to a camshaft 10 on the printing or like machine which effects the rising and falling of the feed plate to operate in timed sequence with feed grippers 11 for the purpose of feeding the sheet (not shown). Adjustment is provided for varying the amount of grip-hold on the sheet by means of links 12, one at each side of the feedplate, which are pivotally connected at 13 to the front portion 1 of the feedplate while the free ends which are screw threaded and pass through a swivel bush .14 on each of the forwardly projecting arms 6, there being a pair of knurled nuts 15 for adjusting and locking the front feedplate 1 in a substantially horizontal direction, according to the amount of grip-hold required. By this means the spaced relationship of the front lays and the side lays, with the front edge of the sheet remains constant irrespective of any adjustment for varying amounts of griphold. The raising and lowering movement of the feed plate may be accurately controlled by means of adjustable top and bottom screw stop members 16. At each side (see [Figure 2) additional means being provided (not shown) for taking up play or wear likely to afiect the accurate location of the feedplate. In order to relieve the strain on the associated cam operating mechanism the feedplate arms 6 are spring loaded by means of the springs 18.

The camshaft 4 operating the various sheet registration and control devices referred to on the front portion of the feedplate, will be driven from a convenient driving member on the printing or like machine and the drive will be arranged so as to accommodate for any variations in centre distance due to the raising or lowering of the feedplate in a substantially vertical direction by adjustment of the front portion of the feedplate or for varying grip-hold in a substantially horizontal direction. In the preferred application the drive to the sprocket 40 and thereby to camshaft 4 on the front portion .1 of the feedplate is by means of the chain 19 from the sprocket 20 carried on bracket 30 which is pivotally mounted on the camshaft 10 and spring loaded at 21 to provide constant tension and accommodate any of the variations in centre distance referred to, said sprocket 20 being driven through gears 20 from a sprocket 20 loosely mounted on the camshaft 10 and driven from the chain 20, although any type of drive which is found suitable could be employed.

A further sprocket 31 may be provided which acts as a jockey sprocket to maintain the desired tension in the chain 19.

The rear portion of the feedplate comprising the sheet forwarding apparatus (roller, tapes and sheet runners) is pivotally mounted on the same transverse shaft 7 as that carrying the front portion 1 of the feedplate, but on separate forwardly projecting arms 22, so arranged as to be capable of being lifted upward when required in order to provide access to certain elements of the associated printing or like machine. The arms 22 carrying the rear portion of the feedplate may be provided with adjustable screw stops 23 co-operating with the arms 6 carrying the front portion 1 of the feed plate and thereby enabling the relative heights to be suitbly adjusted. Locking screws 24 are also provided to hold the two portions of the feedplate together during the raising and lowering movement.

The sheet registration, detector and tripping devices may be of known construction and, therefore, do not enter into the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a feed mechanism for printing machines, and the like, a rising and falling feed plate, said feed plate having a front portion and a rear portion, a front registering lay carried by such front portion, a first camshaft carried by said front portion for raising and lowering said registering lay, a drive to said first camshaft, said drive having adjustable centres to accommodate variations in centre distances resulting from the rise and fall of the feed plate, a pair of arms pivoted to said rear portion supporting said front portion, said front portion being slidably adjustable on said arms, a second camshaft mounted on said printing machine, means for raising and lowering the feedplate comprising a connecting rod and lever mechanism, the connecting rod being secured to the said pair of arms and said lever mechanism and being operatively connected to said second camshaft for operation thereby.

2. In a feed mechanism for printing, and like rnachines according to claim 1 wherein the drive to said first camshaft includes a sprocket mounted on said first camshaft, a pivotal bracket carrying a further sprocket, a chain between said sprockets, a drive for the further sprocket, said pivotal bracket being spring loaded to accommodate the variations in centre distances of the drive.

3. In a feed mechanism for printing, and like machines, a rising and falling feed plate, said feed plate having a front portion and a rear portion, a front registering lay carried by such front portion, a first camshaft for raising and lowering said registering lay, said first camshaft being mounted on the front portion of said feed plate, a drive to said first camshaft, said drive having adjustable centres to accommodate variations in centre distances resulting from the rise and fall of the feed plate, a transverse shaft carrying the rear portion of the feed plate, forwardly projecting arms on said transverse shaft, said forwardly projecting arms carrying the front portion of said feed plate, said front portion being slidably adjustable on said arms, a second camshaft mounted on said printing machine, means for raising and lowering the feed plate comprising a connecting rod and lever mechanism, the connecting rod being secured to the said pair of arms and said lever mechanism and being operatively connected to said second camshaft for operation thereby.

4. In a feed mechanism for printing, and like machines, a rising and falling feed plate, said feed plate having a front portion and a rear portion, a first camshaft for operating sheet registration and control devices, said first camshaft being mounted on the front portion of said feed plate, a drive to said first camshaft, said drive having adjustable centres to accommodate variations in centre distances resulting from the rise and fall of the feed plate, a transverse shaft carrying the rear portion of the feed plate, a first pair of forwardly projecting arms on said transverse shaft, said first pair of forwardly projecting arms carrying the rear portion of said feed plate, a second pair of arms pivoted to said rear portion supporting said front portion, said front portion being slidably adjustable on said second arms, a second camshaft mounted on said printing machine, means for raising and lowering the feed plate comprising a connecting rod and lever mechanism, the connecting rod being secured to the said second pair of arms and said lever mechanism and being operatively connected to said second camshaft for operation thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 390,277 Allen Oct. 2, 1888 2,198,067 Staude Apr. 23, 1940 2,269,571 Aktabowski Jan. 13, 1942 2,583,506 Breman Jan. 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 243,977 Great Britain Dec. 10, 1925

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