US2849234A - Sheet feeding mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 26, 1958 Filed June 9,

T. ROWLANDS ETAL 2,849,234

SHEET FEEDING' MECHANISM 1955 4 Sheets-sheaf. 1

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SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 9, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTonA/gys IN VE N TORS United States Patent" SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Tom Rowlands, Howard 0sborn,.and Henry James Hnbbard, London, England,.assignors to Molins Machine Company, Limited, London, England, a British com- P y Application June 9, 1955, Serial-No. 514,204

Claims priority, application Great Britain June 11, 1954 6 Claims. (Cl. 271-44) This invention relates to sheet feeding mechanism for use; witha cutting and creasing machine of the kind described and illustrated in Rowlands United States Patent No. 2,737,238 granted March 6, 1954. In said machine, a segment of a drum rolls beneath a forme carried by a crosshead and the arcuateface of the segment presses a sheet of material against the forme andeffects the desired operations on the sheet. Sheets are fed to the machine by a reciprocating sheet carrier or grill to which sheets are supplied by a suitable sheet feeder. As explained in detail in said specification, a sheet is fed by the grill into the proper position beneath the forme. when the segment is at, or near, the end of its movement away from the sheet feed and, cutting or like operations are effected as the segment rolls back again towards the sheet feed.

When material such as CEIITOHbOBIduiS to be fed to such a machine it is too fragile or flimsey to be fed by toothed pushers or the like from beneath a pile in a magazine.

The purpose ofthis invention is.to provide devices to feed carton board by mechanically operated gripper mechanism. Previously it has been customary to use suction-type grippers but these suffer from the disadvantage that the suction cut-oif produces inaccuracies in the register of the sheets.

According to the present invention there is provided sheet feeding mechanism for a machine of the kind referredto'comprising a sheet feeding gripper attached to the grill and operated to grip a sheet by its front edge and .drag it as the grill moves outwardsfrom-the sheet feeding magazine to register the sheet againsta stop or lay whereupon the gripper releases the sheet and leaves it in position for the cutting. and creasing-operations. The gripper may be mechanically operatedto open for sheet gripping and close on the sheet under the influence of a spring whereby thegripper can slide offthe sheet against the spring. influence when the sheet is registered against the lay.

Further according tothe invention there is provided sheet feeding mechanism asset forthin the-preceding paragraph comprising a further gripper located at the lay position said gripper being open to receive a sheet brought against the lay by the sheet feeding grippers and operated to close and grip the-sheet as the latter is released by the sheet feeding grippers. Preferably the further gripper is spring-operated for gripping engagement and'is held open by catch devices which are released .or triggered by the sheet feeding grippers as. they pass by. on releasing the sheet. On release of the sheet. the latter may be still supported on the gripper until the grill moves under it to receive the sheet whereafter the gripper may be swung aside to permit the sheet to drop on to the grill.

The invention will be more fully described with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a gripper sheet feeding device attached to the grill of the machine;

Figure 2 is a plan of the'left-hand end of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a small. scale-view ofthe crosshead. of the ice machine, looking from the delivery end of the machine, some parts .being omitted;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a front stop or lay shown towards the middle of Figure 3 and to a larger scale in Figure 6.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a gripper device shown in Figures 3 and 6 and is a section of Figure 6 on the line VV;

Figure 6 is a front elevation of a gripper device'and an associated lay.

Figure 7 is a sectionof Figure 6 on the line VIIVII;

Figure 8 is a view of the underneathbf Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the crosshead of the machine, shown broken, and showing. the attachment of parts in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 10 is an enlarged view of part of Figure 3 showing a latch device;

Figure 11 is an underneath view of a fragmentof Figure 4.

Figure 12 is a skeleton sectional elevation of the machine showing the location of the parts illustrated in Figures l to 11.

The sheets are first fed one at atime to a front lay mechanism by any suitable sheet feeding mechanism and are side-registered against a fence in the usual manner before mechanism forming the subject of the present invention moves into contact with a sheet.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a gripper sheet feeding device has two members consisting of a hook 1 and jaws 2 which are carried on two tubular members 3 which are fixed to the sheet carrier or grill 13 near the, end which is nearer to the feed end of the machine. In practice there are usually four sets of'these gripper sheet feeding devices spaced across the machine. As willappear later these devices cooperate at times with stops or lays associated with further gripping devices and they a are suitably spaced to ensure this.

When the segment 41, Figure 12, is rolled towards the feed end of the machine, that is, the right-hand end in Figure 12, each hook I is caused to open relatively to the outer lower jaws 2 by reason of mechanism, operated by a cam lever 4, off a cam 5 which is driven from the main crankshaft 42. The cam 5 lifts the lever 4 which rocks a lever 6 about a centre 7 and a push rod 8 rocks a further lever 9 to which is pivoted at 10 one end of the gripper member 1, which is itself pivoted at 11 to the jaws 2. A spring 12 moves the hook in the reverse direction. The sheet is gripped on its front edge and is pulled by the gripper members into and through the mahine to the cutting position where it is finally registered by its front edge against suitable front stops or lays 20 described below.

In Figure 1 part of the grill is indicated at 13 and the face of the crosshead to which the forme is attached is also shown.

Referring now to the remaining figures, the sheet is delivered by the gripper sheet feeding devices 1 and 2 into four sets of open gripper jaws 15 and 16, Figures 5, 6 and 12, which are mounted in brackets 17 on an oscillating tube 18 carried on the delivery side of the crosshead 19. These sets of grippers are spaced across the machine as shown in Figure 3. With each set of gripper jaws is associated a front stop or lay as will now be described. In Figure 3 the lays of the outer. setsof gripper jaws are notshown but in each case the layis disposed in the same manner as is the case of the gripper set nearer thereto. The sheet comes to rest lying against the, adjustable lay members'ZO, Figures?) and 4-, and the grippers. 1 andl then slide off the sheet. as the grillmoves 0a.. The hook 1 being. springuloaded closes; immediately 3 it slides oh the sheet so that on the return stroke these hooks pass under the sheet.

Each set of sheet feeding grippers 1 and 2 in sliding forward strikes a movable member shown as a rod 21, Figure 4, which triggers-off the top gripper jaw 16 of the associated set of gripper jaws so that the gripper closes. The top gripper jaw 16 is fixed to a spindle 22 to which is also fixed a lever 30 on which is fixed a square catch pin 23 which rests on a trigger catch pin 24, movable with the rod 21 and attached thereto as described below. A strong spring 29 presses on the lever 30 to which the catch pin 23 is attached. As the rod 21 is pushed to the right in Figure 4 the trigger catch pin 24, Figure 5, moves past the pin 23 and the latter and the lever 30 can then swing down under the pressure of spring 29, moving the jaw 16 and closing the gripper on the sheet.

Each rod 21 is screwed into a block 5]. pivoted at 52 in a slotted lever 53 fixed to a pivot pin 54 rotatable in a bracket 55. In Figure 4, 56 is a spring pin shown better in Figure 11 and fixed in a lug 55A of the racket A spring 57 between pin 56 and the pivot 52 urges the rod 21 towards the left in Figure 4. The other end of pivot pin 54 has a block 58 fixed to it in which is fixed the square pin 23, see Figure 8. The pivot 52 is surrounded by a torsion spring 59. Further the lay 20 is pivoted at 60 to its adjustable support bracket 61 and pressed into operative position by a spring 62. The purpose of the pivotal spring-controlled mountings of the rod 21 and the lay 20 is that these parts have to rise as will now be explained as the segment rolls into its extreme position away from the feed end of the machine. As will be understood from Figure 12 the movement of the sheet into the gripper jaws 15 and 16 takes place as the segment 41 nears the end of its rolling movement away from the feed end of the machine. The last part of said movement lifts the leading end of the sheet towards the forme and by pressing on the jaw 15 of each gripper set raises the whole gripper set assembly together with the sheet. The movement also lifts the parts 2%) and 21. The parts 21 and 20 have already done their work before the segment contacts with them and as the segment goes back to the other end of the machine the parts 21 and 20 return to their operative positions ready for the next sheet.

Meanwhile the sheet is held securely in the jaws i5 and 16 of each set of gripper jaws with the front edge layed against the associated lay 20 and as the segment 41 rolls to said extreme position each set of gripper jaws which is carried on a slider 26 rides on the tympan of the segment which presses the gripper jaw 15 upwards. Each set is guided by the slider 26 sliding vertically in dovetail guides 25 formed in the bracket 37.

On the segment rolling back on its return stroke, the sets of gripper jaws 1.5 and 16 return to the lower position as each slider 26 moves down under the action of a spring 27 and the sheet is thereby ejected from the cutting rules 28, this ejecting force being additional to that exerted by the usual rubber ejectors fitted in the forme.

Just before each slider reaches the lowest position the trigger catch pin 24 of the set of gripper jaws carried thereby engages catch pin 23 causing the jaw 16 to move and open the gripper but the sheet still rests on the lower jaw 15, see Figure 5. This feature greatly assists the entry beneath the forme of the delivery mechanism which receives the finished sheet and carries it out of the machine. Since the gripper jaws 15 and 16 move up and down vertically the sheet register is preserved. Delivery mechanism for this machine is fully described in the patent referred to and by supporting the sheet on the jaws the sheet is held above the level of the delivery tapes of such mechanism.

In order that the jaws should finally drop the sheet on to the delivery tapes the tube 18 is caused to swing slightly as the segment reaches the feed-end position in the machine. This swinging motion is obtained by a lift plate 31, Figure 9, attached to the side of the segment at a suitable position and which raises a lever 32.

The lever 32 is pivoted to the crosshead at 33 and a rod 34 rocks a bell crank 35 coupled to a link 36 pivoted to a lever bracket 37 fixed to the tube 18.

The lay 20 can be adjusted as to position by a nut 38 and spring 39, Figure 4, the arrangement permitting adjustment while the machine is in motion.

It is desirable that the whole lay and gripper assembly should he movable out of its operative position so as to permit access to the underside of the crosshead and allow the chase to be removed. For this purpose the tube 18 is coupled to the lever bracket 37 by a spring plunger Figure 10. When the plunger 49 is withdrawn the tube 18 and all parts carried thereby can be swung upwards out of the way when desired.

A cutting and creasing machine similar to that described in the patent referred to is shown in outline in Figure 12 and referring now to that figure the segment 41 is rolled to and fro along a surface 43 by a connecting rod 44 driven by a crank disc 45. The grill 13 is reciprocated by a link 46 connected to a triangular lever 47 which is connected to the segment at 48. At 49 there is a cam follower running in a track 50 for the purpose of modifying the grill motion relatively to the segment motion. This grill drive which forms the subject of United States application Serial No. 505,496, filed May 2, 1955 has no bearing on the present invention but is briefly described because of the illustration in Figure 12.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cutting and creasing machine of the kind comprising a segment of a drum which rolls beneath a forme and the arcuate face of the segment presses a sheet against the forme to effect the desired operations on the sheet, mechanism comprising a reciprocating sheet carrier having a gripper for carrying a sheet beneath said forme to register against a front lay, whereafter the gripper slides off the sheet as the sheet carrier continues its motion, a further gripper having jaws and located at the lay position, actuating devices for said gripper jaws arranged to open and hold them open to receive a sheet brought against the lay by the said sheet feeding gripper and means operable thereupon to close said further gripper jaws and hold the sheet in the lay position.

2. Mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the further gripper has a fixed jaw and a movable jaw which fatter is moved towards the fixed jaw for gripping engagement on the sheet by spring operated devices, said devices being held inoperative after the jaws have been opened by said actuating devices by catch devices comprising an abutment movable with the movable jaw and a cooperative abutment movable with a movable member and disposed in catching engagement to hold the jaws open as the sheet moves into the open gripper, the catch devices being released from catching engagement by the sheet feeding gripper which strikes the aforesaid movable member as it passes on with the sheet carrier after releasing the sheet, to permit the jaws of said further gripper to close under the action of said spring operated devices.

3. Mechanism as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said further gripper is mounted for upward movement after it has gripped the sheet, said movement being effected by the segment which presses on the lower jaw of the gripper as the segment rolls beneath it and a spring is provided for moving the gripper downwards as the segment rolls away from the gripper position, and said abutment movable with the movable jaw is arranged on first engaging the cooperating abutment towards the end of the downward movement of the further gripper to move said movable jaw and open the gripper against the influence of the spring. operated devices whereafter the 5 abutments remain in catching engagement to hold the gripper jaws open.

4. Mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said further gripper is mounted for upward movement after it has gripped the sheet, said movement being efiected by the segment which presses on the lower jaw of the gripper as the segment rolls beneath it and a spring is provided for moving the gripper downwards as the segment rolls away from engagement with the said further gripper, the downward movement of the gripper aiding in removing the gripped sheet from engagement with the forme.

5. Mechanism as claimed in claim 4 comprising means for opening the jaws of said further gripper towards the end of the downward movement whereby the sheet is 15 released from the jaw grip, the gripper having a movable upper jaw and a fixed lower jaw and the lower jaw at the end of said movement being positioned and held to support the sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,319,716 Linebaugh Oct. 28, 1919 1,342,629 Jennings June 8, 1920 1,478,374 Belluche Dec. 25, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS 715,992 Germany Mar. 15, 1943

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