US1412323A - Automatic paper feeder - Google Patents

Description

F. E.v WEED. AUTOMATIC, PAPER FEEDER. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18, I920.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

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F. E. WEED. AUTOMATIC PAPER FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED. OCT: [8, 1920.

v UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE;

FRED E. WEED, OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC PAPER FEEDER.

. To all 107mm it mag concern Be ithnown thatI v Ennn'E. Tenn, citi- Z1110f thefUnitedStates, residing at Columbia, in the. county ofBoone and State. of Missouri, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements inAutomatic Paper Feeders,;of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to feeding mecha- {nism for ,paper {printing and folding ma chines or devices.

The principal object of the invention is vto. provide improved feeding ,mechanism wherein the sheets of pa-perwill befed successively-to the printing press ;or folding .machineand wherein the feed will be uniform and constant and automatically regulatedduring such operation.

; Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the above character which in addition to providing means to feed the sheetsof paper in succession includes improved mechanism to properly handle the bulk paper and automatically move thesamc into engagement with the feeding mechaism proper;

Afurthenobject} of the invention is to provide -,improv ed paper feeding means which are applicable to; conventionalmakes of printing; and; folding machines.

. Variousotherflobjects and advantages of my I invention will become apparent during the, continuance of the following descriptions. I

In thedrawings Figure 1 is a view in top plan of the improved feeding mechanism of my invention showing the same as in its preferred embodiment.

Figure 2 invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view illustrating the paper engaging mechanism of the device, and Figure 4 is an end elevation thereof.

In reducing my invention to practice I first provide a feeding table or platform 10 which is arranged so as to slant slightly toward the forward end and positioned so that its forward end is in close proximity to the printing press or folding machine in connection with which the feeding mechanism is to be used.

At its rear end, that is the end nearest is a view in side elevation of my the operator, the table 10 is providedwith a series of spaced brackets, bearings or other supports 11 fora drive shaft 10 which car- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 11, 1922 Application filed October 18, 1920. Serial Ila-417,668.

ries a friction roller 12 the latter extending parallel to the adjacent edge of the table as clearly shown in Figure 1. A ratchet wheel ,13 is keyed to the shaft near one end thereofwhile an arm 14 is loosely mounted thereon and provided with a pawl 15 which normally engages the ratchet teeth of the wheel. When oscillated by the rod 16, the pawl 15being engaged with the ratchet teeth of the wheel matically I provide the roller with asecondloose. arm 17 adjacent to arm 14 whose outer or engaging face 18 is arranged in alignment with a stud 19 with a pawl 15. In other words,,the arm 17 may be movedso as to bring its engaging face 18 into engagement with and raise the stud 19 so as to move the pawl 15 out of engagement with the teeth of the wheel 13. l

In order to control thearm l7vautomatically, suitable mechanism is arranged on the table 10 to beengaged by the paper. This mechanism consists ofopposed bearings 20 arranged near the front end of the table 10 which carry a laterally disposed shaft 21.

One end ofthe shaft 21 is provided with a crank arm 22 which in turn is connected to one end of a connecting rod 23. The other end of the connecting rod 23 is secured to the arm 17 as at 24. Shaft 21 is further provided at a point intermediate its ends with a curved finger 25 on the outer end of which is mounted a roller 26. lVhen the bulk of paper reaches its proper position on the table on the table 10 and travel over the roller 12.

The roller 12 operates the belts 27 by frictional engagement so as to cause the same to move the bulk of paper forwardly on the table 10. .Vhen the paper has been moved a SUTTlClQDlJ distance it becomes engaged with V L of the printing the roller 26 thus causing the roller'li and the belts 27 to become inoperative in the 'manner hereinbefore described.

Tracks 28 are positioned on the table 10 opposite to each other and slightly in ad vance of the central transverse axis of the table 10 and on which operates a cross bar 2-9.- Spaced fingers 30 are carried on the cross bar and are equipped with rollers 31 which have tires 32 of rubber or other suit- 'able material whlch are adapted to engage the top sheet of paper and cause the same to be fed forwardly on the table to the guides press or folding machine in connection with which the invention is used. In order to operate the cross bar 29 I further "provide side arms 33 one end of which conthereof.

The bulk of paper which is first placed on the table 10 near the roller 12 is held in position by rollers 84 that are carried on spring 1 arms from a common carrier 36.

aving thus fully described my invention what I claim asnew anddesire to secure by Letters Patent v.is I

' 1. A device of the character described comprising a table, paper carrying means ar-.

ranged in spaced relation on said table and adapted to travel longitudinally with respect thereto, tracks positioned on said table in opposed relation, a cross bar loosely mounted table.

r on said tracks, a plurality of fingers carried by said cross bar, stationary rollers carried by said fingers, and means to move said cross bar and the mechanism carried thereby backwards and forwards with respect to said 2. A device of the character described comprising a table, a friction roller positioned at one end of said table, said table being provided with spaced openings near its other end, rollers mounted in said openings, a series of endless belts arranged to operate onsaid first and second named rollers and extending longitudinally with respect to.

said table, a gear wheel keyed to said first named friction roller, means rockably mounted on said friction roller adapted to engage and rotate said gear Wheel, and means operatable from a point on said table in advance of said endless belts whereby said last named means may be disengaged from said gear wheel. 7 V

3. An automatic paper feeder comprising a feed table having conveyor means for supporting and feeding paper sheets longitudinally of the table, said feeding means including a main drive shaft at one end of the table, a rotatable shaft journalled crosswise of the opposite end of the table, a vertically movable roller element carried by said shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to the said drive shaft, an arm mounted loosely on said shaft for turning movement, apawl carried by said arm and normally engaging a ratchet wheel, said pawl being provided with a projection, a second arm loosely mounted on said shaft for swinging movement, said second arm being adapted to engage the projection for raising the pawls from the ratchet wheel, and a trip connection between said pawl engaging arm and the said rotatable shaft.

In'testimony whereof I affiX' my signature. FRED E. WEED.

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