US1971896A - Sheet handling mechanism for printing presses - Google Patents

Description

R. S. BARBER Aug. 28, 1934.

SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING 'PRESSES Filed Nov. 2. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Aug; 28, 1934. R. s. BARBER SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Nov. 2. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 25 the elimination of 'the gripper bars.

Patented Aug. 28, 191

UNITED STATES n w; i

SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM F "PRINTING PRESSES Robert S. "Barben'NewLondon, Conn., assignor to (LB. Cottr'ell & Sons Company, Westei-ly, 'RQL, acorporaticn of Delaware Application-November .2, 1932, Serial No. 640,761

Claims. (01. 271-79) 1' pairs of oppositely disposed coacting grippers are mounted for longitudinal -adjustment to handle sheets of different lengths, one or both of said chains being laterally adjustable to vary the distance between oppositegrippers 'for'bringing the '5 grippers into position to handle sheets of difierent widths. I

A further object of my invention'is toprovide means whereby the usual gripperbars extending between the side. chains may be eliminated and 29 replaced by coacting'pairs offside and/or head grippers carried by their respective side chains; thus not only enabling the mechanism tohandle sheets. of different sizes but also permitting greater speed because of the saving in weight' caused by A practicalembodiment of my invention-is represented in the accompanying drawings in'connection with a sheet deliverymechanism.

Fig. -1 represents the sheet delivery mechanism 330 in top-plan with the sheet joggers omitted, the

side chains of the endless delivery carriers for'the sheets being shown'in "full lines in position to handle wide sheets; in dottedlines inposition to handle much narrower sheets; and-in dot-anddash lines the positionof one of the side chains WhenadjuSted relatively tothe'other side chain to handle-narrower sheets. i 1

(Fig. 2 representsa detail horizontal section taken at one of the outerhea'ds of the endless sheet carrier.

Fig. 3 representsa similar section taken at one of the intermediate heads of the carrier.

Fig. :4 represents'a 'similar section taken at one of theiinnerheads of the carrier. I

Fig: 5 represents a .side; view of 'the delivery carrier shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal vertical section 1. taken in the plane of thefline VI VI of Fig. 1.

lookingin the direetionof the arrows. v

Fig. 7 represents a detail' cross section-showing the means for mounting thesidejoggrs on their rock shafts. 1 Fig. 8 representsfa detail enlarged side eleva- 'tionof one'iif the :side cihains showinga set'of', grippers in' fu'll-line's in one adiusted position along the chain and in dot and dash lines in another adjustedposition along the chain. Ihe delivery .mechanism as shown in the ac-' companying drawings comprises an endless sheet carrier having its side sprocket chains 1 and 2 spaced apart asufficient distance to handle sheets up to apredetermined width, which; in this case, would be the maximum width sheets for which the press to which the deliverymechanism is to be applied is designed to print and deliver. These side chains travel'around their respective inner end sprockets3 and 4,-intermediate sprockets 5 and 6 and outer'end'sprockets l and 8. The inner end sprockets f3 and 4 are carried by and-are slidably interlocked with a cross shaft 9 rotatably mounted insuitable bearings-in the side frames 10 and l-lof the delivery mechanism, said cross shaft 9 being driven at the desired speed from the printing press, not shown herein, through the gears 12 and 13. The intermediate sprockets 5 and 6 are movabletoward and awayfro m each. other along the stationary cross shaft" 14 which extends between the side frames -10 and 11 and acts as a cross brace'therefor. The outer end sprockets-'7 and 8 are carried by and are slidably interlocked with their cross shaft 15 ;rotatably mounted in suitable bearing boxes 16 and :17, longitudinally adjustable along the side frames 10 and 11 respectively. 7

The manually operated means which-I have 85. shown for simultaneously adjusting these boxes 16 and 17 along the side frames "10 and '11 'to tighten the sprocket chains'l'and 2 is as followsz A cross shaft 18 is mounted in suitable bearing bracketsl9 and 20'carriedby the. side'fram'es 10 9'0 and 11, which cross sha'ft has a bevel gear connection 21, 22 at one side of the machine with a screw shaft 23- mounted against endwise movement in the'side frame'lo and engaging the shaft bearing boxlG; andanother bevel gear connection 24, 25 with a screw shaft 26 mounted against endwis e-movement in the side frame 11 and en-. gaging the shaft'bearingbox '17. A crankhan'dle 27- may be used'for turningthe cross shaft 18 to simultaneously-tighten these s nrocket'chains 1 and'2..

If-it should be desired -to move one of the sprocket: chains 1 or 2 independently of the other, as' for instance whereit is necessary-to remove one'of the chains for repairs; etc.,-this may be ac- V complishedby rendering eitherthebevel-geareon nection21,22, or the bevelgear connection 24, 25

inoperative, as for instanceby removing the pin :which looks the 'bevelgear -21 to I-thecross shaft I 18, or by removing the pin which looks the bevel gear 24 to the said cross shaft 18.

The sprocket chains 1 and 2 run in trackways 28 and 29 respectively, having inner heads 30 and 31 mounted on the hubs of the inner end sprockets 3 and 4 to move laterally therewith along their shaft 9; outer heads 32, 33 mounted on the hubs of the outer end sprockets 7 and 8 to move laterally therewith along their shaft 15; and intermediate heads 34 and 35 mounted on the sta tionary cross shaft 14, said intermediate heads having hubs on which the intermediate sprockets 5 and 6 are mounted to move laterally therewith along the stationary shaft 14. The sprocket chains 1 and 2 may be provided with pairs of coating head and/or side grippers adjustably placed along the chains to handle sheets of different lengths. In the present instance I have shown pairs of coacting head grippers 36, 37 and pairs of coacting side grippers 38, 39. The longitudinal positioning'of the grippers along the sprocket chains 1 and 2 may be accomplished by detaching the grippers from their respective links and attaching the grippers to other similar links so as to longitudinally space the grippers 1of each chain the desired distance apart for the length of sheet to be handled. V The sets of side Joggers 40 and 41 for the delivered sheets are carried by pairs of longitudinally disposed shafts 42, 42* and43, 43*, mounted on the trackways 23 and 29 respectively so as to be moved laterally therewith, said. shafts 42 and 43 being rocked from a cross shaft 44 having bevel gear connections 45, 46 and '47, 48 with the rock shafts and 43 respectively; it being borne in mind that the bevel gears and 47 are slidably interlocked with the cross shaft 44. This cross rock shaft 44 may be rocked from a source, not shown herein, through the rock arm 49 and rod 50. Theusual adjustable front sheet stop is denoted by 51 and the set of back sheet joggers by 52, said back sheet joggers being reeiprocated from an arm 53 on the cross shaft 44 through the rod 54 and rock lever 55 on the cross shaft 56.

The manually operated means which I have shown for adjusting one of the sheet carrier chains laterally toward or away'fromthe other sheet carrier chain or for adjusting either of the sheet carrier chains laterallytoward or away from the other carrier chain or for simultaneously adjusting both of the sheet carrier chains laterally toward or away from each other, is constructed, arranged and operated. as follows: H The inner heads 30. and 31 of the trackways 28 and 29'are provided with screw threaded lugs 57 and 53 which are engaged by the oppositely threaded shanks of the cross shafts 59 and 60,

threaded cross shafts, may or may not be locked" to rotate together; the device in the present in stance being a sleeve coupling 67 embracing the inner ends of both shafts and fast to one shaft, a

coupling pin 63 being used for removably securing theother shaft to the coupling when both shafts are to be rotated together.

The intermediate heads 34 and 35' ofth'e tack Ways 28 and 29 are similarly provided with screw threaded lugs 69 and 70 which are engaged by the oppositely threaded shanks of the cross shafts 71 and 72, rotatably mounted against endwise movement in suitable hearings in the side frames 10 and 11 respectively. p

Longitudinally disposed shafts 75 and 76 are rotatably mounted in bracket bearings 77, 78, 79 and 80, 81 and 82 respectively, carried by the side frames 10 and 11. The shaft 75 has a bevel gear connection 83, 34 with the cross shaft 59, a bevel gear connection 85, 86 with the cross shaft 71, and a bevel gear connection 87, 88 with the cross shaft 65. Similarly, the longitudinally disposed shaft 76 has a bevel gear connection 89, 90 with the cross shaft 60, a bevel gear connection 91, 92 with the cross shaft 72 and a bevel gear connection 93, 94 with the cross shaft 66. A crank handle 95 may beapplied to the outer end of the shaft 75 or the shaft 76, as required.

When the oppositely threaded cross shafts 65 and 66 are coupled togethen both sheet carrier chains are simultaneously moved laterally toward or away from each other by manipulating the crank handle 95 to adjust the sheet grippers to handle sheets of different widths. If it is desired to move one only of the carrier chains toward or away from the other carrier chain, the coupling into the desired position-laterally of the press as well as into the desired position forhandling,

sheets of a predetermined width, such condition being permitted by rotating both the shaft 75 and the shaft 76 the desiredamount. It will also be seen that while the oppositely threaded cross shafts are uncoupled either one of the sheet car rier chains may be adjusted laterally and then the corresponding oppositely threaded cross shafts may be coupled together, to obtain a further simultaneous movement of the two carrier chains toward or away from each other.

i From the above description it will be seen that not only may the grippers be adjusted longitudinally for han'dling'sheets of different lengths but also that the grippers may be adjusted laterally, either together or independently, or first independently and then together, to bring the grippers into the desired position for handling sheets of different widths within the limit of the press to which the mechanism is applied and in line with the path of the sheets from the press, all .of these results being accomplished without the use of the heavy and cumbersome gripper bars herein before considered necessary in sheet delivery mechanisms employing endless carriers when the sheets, on different runs of the press, may vary as to their'widths.

For anypredeterinined sizesheet that is slit, 2.

head gripper bar 965such as that shown in dot and-dash'lines onFig. lfwould be employed.

While I have shown and described my invention in connection with asheet,deliverymechanisrn, it is evident that the invention, except for the jogging means, may be utilized in connection with sheethandling mechanism of any character.

It is also evident that various changes may be resorted to in the contstruction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to theparticular embodiment herein shown and described, but

What I claim is:

1. An endless sheet carrier comprising, side chains, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains, and means for simultaneously adjusting the chains laterally in parallelism toward and away from each other or for adjusting one of the chains toward and away from the other chain, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets of different widths.

2. An endless sheet carrier comprising side chains, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains, means for simultaneously adjusting the chains laterally in parallelism toward and away from each other or for adjusting one of the chains toward and away from the other chain, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets of different widths, and means for positioning the grippers carried by each chain greater or lesser distances apart for permitting the grippers to handle sheets of different lengths.

3. Anendless sheet carrier comprising, side chains, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains, and means for simultaneously adjusting the chains laterally in parallelism toward and away from each other or for adjusting either one of the chains toward and away. from the other chain, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets of different widths.

4. An endless sheet carrier comprising side chains, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains, means for simultaneously adjusting the chains laterally in parallelism toward and away from each other or for adjusting either one of the chains toward and away from the other chain, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets of different widths, and means for positioning the grippers, carried by each chain, greater or lesser distances apart forpermitting the grippers to handle sheets of different lengths. I i

5. In a sheet handling mechanism, two parallel endless trackways, side chains traveling therein, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains and means for adjusting one or both of the trackways laterally for the purpose set forth, said means comprising two side frames, oppositely disposed and threaded cross shafts mounted in the side frames against endwise' movement and engaging their respective trackways, means for removably coupling two opposite cross shafts together, and two longitudinally disposed hand shafts mounted on the side frames and geared to their respective cross shafts.

6. In a sheet handling mechanism, two side frames, cross shafts mounted in the side frames, pairs of oppositely disposed sprockets mounted on the cross shafts and slidably interlocked therewith, trackways mounted onsaid sprockets, endless side chains in said trackways passing around their respective sprockets, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains, and means for simultaneously moving both said trackways and their chains and sprockets laterally in parallelism toward and away from each other or for moving one of said trackways and their chains and sprockets toward or away from the other trackway and its chain and sprockets, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets of different widths.

'7. In a sheet handling mechanism, two side frames, cross shafts mounted in the side frames, pairs of oppositely disposed sprockets mounted on the cross shafts and slidably interlocked therewith, trackways mounted on said sprockets, endless side chains in said trackways passing around their respective sprockets, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains, and means for simultaneously moving both said trackways and their chains and sprockets laterally in parallelism toward and away from each other or for moving either one of said trackways and their chains and sprockets toward or away from the other trackway and its chain and sprockets, for permitting the grippers to handle sheets of different widths.

8. An endless sheet carrier comprising, side chains, oppositely disposed grippers mounted on said chains, means for simultaneously adjusting the tension of the chains and means for adjusting the distance between the chains, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a sheet handling mechanism, an endless sheet carrier comprising, side chains, oppositely disposed grippers mounted on said chains, means for adjusting the tension of the chains and means for adjusting the distancebetween the chains for the purpose set forth, said tension adjusting 'means including side frames, a chain shaft, bearing boxes therefor adjustable in the side frames,

screw shafts mounted in the side frames and engaging said boxes and a hand operated cross shaft geared to said screw shafts.

10. An endless sheet carrier comprising, oppositely disposed coacting grippers traveling in parallel paths, oppositely disposed coacting side joggers and means for adjusting the distance between opposite grippers and between opposite joggers, for handling sheets of different widths.

11. An endless sheet carrier complrising, oppositely disposed coacting grippers traveling in parallel paths, oppositely disposed coacting side joggers and means for simultaneously adjusting the distance between opposite grippers and between opposite joggers, for handling sheets of different Widths.

12. An endless sheet carrier comprising, side chains, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains, oppositely disposed coacting side joggers and means for adjusting the distance between the chains and between opposite joggers, for handling sheets of different widths.

13. An endless sheet carrier comprising, side chains, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains, oppositely disposed coacting side joggers and means for simultaneously adjusting the distance between the chains and between opposite joggers, for handling sheets of different widths.

14. In a sheet handling mechanism, two parallel endless trackways, side chains traveling therein, oppositely disposed coacting grippers mounted on said chains, oppositely disposed coacting side joggers mounted on said trackways and means for adjusting the distance between the trackways and thereby opposite grippers and opposite joggers, for handling sheets of different widths. Y

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