US2824737A - Hand feed table for duplicating machnes - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 25, 1958 H. F. BRUNS 2,824,737

HAND FEED TABLE FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed June 6. i952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

flerrf ['23 raw A445, /Z gj '4 M United States Patent 6 f FEED TABLE FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Herbert F. Bruns, Chicago, 111., assignor to Ditto, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of West Vlrgima Application June 6, 1952, Serial No. 292,174

9 Claims. (Cl. 271-8) This invention relates to a feed table for duplicating machines or the like, and more particularly to an auxiliary feed table which may be in the form of an attachment adapted to be removably secured to the existing, stack supporting feed table, which existing table is adapted to cooperate with a suitable feeding mechanism to automatically feed paper sheets into the machine, one by one, in conventional duplicating machines.

A duplicating machine of the offset lithographic type, with which the present invention is particularly adapted to be used, is disclosed in applicants copending application, Serial No. 154,009, filed April 5, 1950, now Patent No. 2,753,795. The sheet feeder disclosed in that application is characterized as being capable of delivering sheets accurately, one by one, at rates as high as from 12,000 to 15,000 per hour. The feeding from a suitable stack of sheets .placed on the stack supporting feed table in that device is entirely automatic. However, it is sometimes desirable to be able to feed only a relatively small number of sheets into the machine by hand, either as a group, or one by one, and without some special provision having been made therefor, it is quite difiicult to adapt the automatic mechanism to this hand feeding even though provision is made for reducing the speed of the machine. This difiiculty stems largely from the fact that the feed table in such a machine when in the operative position, without having thereon, will be actually abutting the lower extremities of the suction feed which normally pick up the sheets individually from the table. to feed sheets to the machine one at a time, for example, it will be necessary to operate the control that raises and lowers the table so as to momentarily lower the table out of contact with the suction feet, so that a sheet may be placed on the table in the proper position to be picked up by the feet. The table may then be raised to the normal position and the sheet will be picked up by the feet in the normal fashion. Every time an additional sheet is fed, this process must be .repeated.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide :a feed table for duplicating machines or the like which is particularly adapted for the hand feeding of either Patented Feb. 25, 1958 a time after they have been placed in position on the table.

Another object of this invention is to provide a feed table which is pivotally mounted at the end nearest theoperator and which is activated so as to cause the end farthest from the operator and in association with the automatic feeding mechanism to be moved periodically up and down, into and out of direct association with the automatic feeding mechanism.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a simple control which will permit the feed table, which moves in the oscillatory manner just described, with a" locking mechanism or latch which can be activated as desired to maintain the table in its lowermost position out' of direct association with the automatic feeding mechanism, so that the desired number of sheets to be fed can be readily placed on the table while the latter is so latched.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described which may be activated directly from the automatic feeding mechanism and therefore is operated in complete synchronism therewith.

A further object is to provide a device of the character described which is easy to attach and also quite simple in construction and operation, but which is nevertheless very effective and positive in its action.

. similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the sheets disposed This means that in order single sheets or a relatively small number of sheets and V which does not require the operation of the height control mechanism every time a single sheet is fed.

Another object of this invention is to provide adevice of the character described which is in the form of an attachment for a conventional feed table which is adapted to be quickly and conveniently mounted in association therewith. 7

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described which permits the operator to feed into association with the automatic feed several views.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of one form of feed table incorporating the present invention, the feed table being shown in association with a fragmentary portion of a duplicating machine;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of another form of feed table embodying the present invention, the table again being shown in association with a fragmentary portion of a duplicating machine; and

Figure 3 is an end view in elevation of the feed table and the fragmentary portion of a duplicating machine cants copending application referred to above is there shown. The table or platform 10 forms the feed table of that machine and is adapted to support a stack of paper sheets which are fed automatically into the machine. This feed table 10 is movably supported between two side plates 12 and 13 (Figure 3), one of these side.

plates 13 having been removed, in Figure 1. The feed. table 10 is adapted to be moved upwardly by a suitable; bellows arrangement 15 so that the stack of sheets dis-- posed thereon can be brought into association with the feeding mechanism, indicated generally by the numeral 14. The sheet feeder 14 is provided with a pair of reciprocating suctionfeet 16 and 18, which are vacuum operated, and an intermittently movable perforated belt 20, all as best shown in Figure '3. The perforated belt 20 travels along under the, suction box 22 and receives the sheets fed into the machine from the suction feet 16 and 18 so as .toadvance them, one by one, into the ma-: chine all as described indetail in the-above identified copending application,

stack of sheets on the table 10.

The. belt :20. is .driven1by suitable,- drive mechanism within the suction box 22, the drive shaft 30 therefor ,e x..

tending outwardly on both. sides of. the suction. 110x22 into association with the side platesnof themat-fhine as best shown in Figurer3. Suitable control-mechanismsare provided so.that-the stack of sheets supported .bythetable 10, when: the machine is inoperation, is normally positioned so that the uppermost sheet is incontact with the suction feet 16 and 18 when,they are. in the lowermost position. When-suction is-applied to thesefeet, the uppermost sheet is gripped therebyand-immediately. thereafter the feet and thesheet sogripped are lifted upwardly so that the sheet is brought into association with the suction belt 20. The sheet i s-t-hen transferred to thebelt .20 so that it can be moved forwardly into association with further elements of the machine, not shown.

As previously mentioned, the feed table is provided with a bellows indicated generally by the numeral in Figure 1, the upper end of which is constituted by a wedge shaped, block 32 having a downwardly and forwardly inclined upper surface upon which the platform or table 10 is mounted in forwardly and downwardly inclined relation. The side edges of the platform or table 10 are provided with the mounting plates 34 and 36 each having a pair of outwardly projecting studs 38 upon which are mounted guide rollers (not shown) disposed in vertical slots (not shown) in the side plates 12 and 13. .T he bellows 15 has a rigid bottom plate 40 which in turn issupported bythe tie- rods 42 and 44. extending between the sideplates-IZ and 13.

Mounted upon the upper surface of the platform. 10 are adjustable side guides 46 and 48, each havinga base 50 adapted to be secured by a clamping screw 52 inthe desired position of lateral adjustment on the outer end of the table 10, the lower extremity of the clamping'screw 52 being adapted to be received in the-transverse groove 54 in the stepped end portion 56 of the table 10. The side guides 46 and.48 are each providedwith a laterally turned flange 58 and 60, respectively, and a similar flange 62 and 64 at the opposite end thereof. In eachpair of such flanges a shaft 66 is,rnounted for rotation, the shafts having knobs 68 secured thereon at their forward ends. These shaftsare adapted to carry tail guides (not. shown) which may have the construction disclosed. in applicants copending application, Serial No. 86,325, filedon April 8, 1949, now Patent No. 2,652,249. These tail, guides may be swung upwardly andlaterally by turningtheseassociatedkr obs 68, thereby facilitating theplacingof a stack of sheets on the table 10. Thereafter they may be swung downwardly and forwardly to make firm engagement with the stack on the table.

Eachof the side guides 46 and 48 is provided with an aperture 70 adjacent the outer edge thereof, -which apertures are adapted. to receive the outer extremities of the ley 76. A flexible drive belt 88 is disposed between the two pulleys 76 and 84 and because of the eccentric character of the pulley 84 the table 74 is caused to oscillate about the shaft 72 as the shaft 30 and the pulley 84 rotate. The table 74 is shown in the extreme downward position in Figure l, the extreme upward position also being shown therein.in dottedlines.

It will be noted that the table 74 when in the extreme upward position is brought into contact with the suction foot 18-, This means that if a sheet or a number of sheets have been placed on the table 74 so as to abut the guide block 28, the leading edge thereof will be brought into association with the lower extremity of the suction foot 18 when the table 74 is moved into the position represented by the dotted lines in Figure 1. The pulley 84 should be so disposed on the shaft 30 that the table 74 will'reach this, position just prior to the application of suction, to the feet 18. Obviously when the table 74. is l in the lowermost position, a sheet or a number of sheets i can be-quickly placed in position against the guideblocks 26 and-2 8, as shown in Figure 3 and the uppermost sheet 1 will. he picked up by the suction foot when the table If desired, a single sheet may be fed into thisvposition of abutment with the 6 moves, into the uppermost position.

guide blocks 26 and 28 each time the table 74 drops to the lowermost position. sheets. on the auxiliary table 74, a. laterally adjustable side guide 90 may beprovided as best shown in Figure 3.

An alternative form of auxiliary feed table is shown I in Figure 2. This table differs from the form just described in that the form of drive is slightly altered and I a latching mechanism is also provided. The inner end of the, auxiliary table 92, shown in Figure 2, is provided with a support 94 for a cam member 96, the support being mounted on the upper surface of the auxiliary table 92 at one side thereof. An eccentric cam 98, similarto the eccentric pulley 84 previously described, is mounted on the shaft 30 in the same vertical plane as the cam or roller 96 so that if the roller 96 is urged against the cam a reciprocal oscillating movement will be imparted to the table 92. A spring 100 may be provided to exert an upward force on the table 92, the spring being disposed between the table 92 and the conventional table 10. For convenieng the upper end of the spring 100 may be secured to the underside of the table .921 so that when the latter is put in -place inthe same fashionas the table shown in Figure 1, the spring 100 will automatically be seated on the table 10 in an operable position.

The .outer end of the auxiliary table 92 is adapted to be pivotally mountediu substantially the same manner as .the table 74 previously described, the shaft 72 being adapted to be. received in the aperture 70 in each of the side guidesassociated with thetable 10. Sincethe outer shaft 72 upon which the. outer end of the auxiliary feed table 74 is mounted. The ends of the shaft 72 may be inserted in the aperture 70 by first moving the side guides 46 and 48 outwardly a sufficient distance to permit the shaft 72 to be inserted therebetween. When the ends of the shaft'arealigned with the opening 70, the side guides may be moved inwardly. so that the ends of the shaft project therethrough, as bestshown in Figure 3. The outer-end of the'table 74.is thenpivotally mounted with respect to the side guides which are secured in place after being moved inwardly toreceive theends oftheshaft 72. The inner end of the auxiliary table 74 may have a pulley 76 rotatably mounted on the undersurfacethereof on a ft ic roje ts a eral y beyon t e side; of. the r bl he sh f 8 s, a ri. d. n.tu n y emqun end oftheauxjiliary table 92 is pivotally. mountedin the manner just mentioned, the inner end: thereof and the r roller 96 will normally oscillate up and down as the shaft 30 rotates the eccentric.cam 98. against which the roller 96.is,urged.by the spring 199. During such oscillatory moyernentof, the auxiliary tablei9l2, if it is desired to feed s eets on /at a time. into thennachine, the sheets can be 6 fed, .or. placed :onto the table -in abutting relation with the guide blocks previously described when the auxiliary table..92 isoutof associationwithlthe lower end of the suction. foot 18, If,'f0r example, theatable 92 is. in the extreme downward position as;sho wnzin full lines in Fig- Y ureLeither; asingle; sheet or asmallstack of sheets can readily be placed onto the table 92 before the table 92 rises into association Iwith the. foot 18.

.Imorder-tonsimplify. the feeding, the auxiliary tablemay;:.be;,pr,oyided with a latching mechanism as shown infiigurefl whichwillpermit'the auxiliary table to beckedximthe extreme downward position, and whenrelcascdwilliallow the .tableto again move in synchronism with the remainder. of the feeding mechanism ofthe-ma.-

To facilitate the positioning of china. This latching mechanism, as shown in Figure 2, comprises the two support members 102 and 104 which extend downwardly from the undersurface of the table 92 and which are adapted to have the rod. 106 slidably journalled therein. The inner extremity 108 of the rod 106 is so disposed when the table 92 is in the extreme downward position, that it mayenter the opening 110 provided in the mounting plate 111 for the sheet separator 24. The rod 106 is normally held out of association with the opening 110 by the spring 112 which is disposed between the mounting 104 and the stop or collar member 114, the latter being mounted on the rod 106. A similar stop or collar member 116 is provided on the rod 106 on the opposite side of the mounting member 104 to limit the movement of the rod 106 in a direction away from the opening 110.

The inner end 108 of the rod 106 is provided with an area of reduced diameter 117 terminating in a flange member 118. The flange 118 is adapted to cooperate with the upper edge of the opening 110 in the mounting plate 111 so that when the table 92 is urged upwardly by the spring 100, a suflicient distance so that the end of the rod is in abutment with the edge of the opening 110, the rod cannot be withdrawn from that opening. This means that once the rod 106 has been inserted in the opening 110, and the table 92 has moved upwardly, the rod 106 cannot be removed from that opening until the table 92 has again been moved downwardly to the extreme downward position, so that the flange 118 will clear through the opening 110. This means that after the table 92 has been locked in the extreme downward position it will not again be unlocked until the cam 98 has moved in such a way as to depress the table slightly in order to clear the flange 118 from the upper edge of the opening 110.

For convenient operation of the latching mechanism just described, a control plate 120 may be provided which may be pivotally mounted on the shaft 72 through the arms 122 so that it projects outwardly from 'just below the outer end of the auxiliary table 92 and may be readily operated by the heel of the hand of the operator. The plate 120 is provided with a depending flange portion 124 which is adapted to abut the forward extremity 126 of the rod 106 and also forms a closure member to fill the gap between the front edge of the auxiliary table 92 and the front edge of the conventional table 10. Depression of the pressure plate 120 to the position shown in the dotted lines in Figure 2, will therefore cause the rod 106 to be moved inwardly so that the inner extremity 108 thereof takes the position shown in dotted lines within the opening 110. As long as the plate 120 is maintained in the depressed position by the hand of the operator, the table 92 will remain in the extreme downward position since it will be latched in the manner previously described. Once every revolution of the eccentric cam 98 the table 92 will be moved downward slightly a suificient distance to clear the flange 118. from the edge of the opening 110, but since the rod 106 is being held in the inward position by the depressed pressure plate 120 and the arm 124 formed integrally therewith, the only result will be a slight movement of the table 92 in a downward direction once every revolution. The table 92 can thus be held in a position which will enable it to receive the desired number of sheets to be fed without having to synchronize the placing of the sheets on the table with any movement of the latter member.

As soon as it is desired to begin the automatic feeding after a stack of sheets has been placed on the table 92, the pressure plate 120 may be released, so that when the forward end of the table 92 is depressed to the extreme position by movement of the eccentric cam 98 the spring 112 will operate to move the rod 106 in a direction away from the opening 110 and will withdraw the end 108 of the rod from the opening 110 so that the table 92 will be free to move upwardly as urged by the spring member 100. It may thus be seen that thetable 92 will always be unlatched at the same point in the cycleof operation and that therefore the desirable synchronism of the feeding will always be maintained.

sheets are being fed one at a time onto the table 92, it will not normally be necessary to operate the latching mechanism since a sheet may be dropped onto the table and moved into association with the guide blocks when the table 92 is out of association with the suction foot 18. The pressure plate 120, however, may be readily depressed at any time to automatically move the rod 106 in the latching position when the table 92 reaches the downward end of its travel, to momentarily arrest the movement of the table 92, or to maintain it in the extreme downward position while a small stack of sheets is being placed thereon.

When it is desired to hand feed sheets one at a time into a machine of the character disclosed in the copending patent application first mentioned above, it may also be desirable to modify the manner in which the moisture is applied to the plate. This is true because, under normal conditions of operation, in the duplicating machine described in the application mentioned moisture is applied to the printing plate only when sheets are actually being fed. Therefore even though the machine were run ning and an auxiliary feed table of the type described in this application were oscillating up and down. or latched in the extreme downward position, moisture would not be applied to the printing plate. The plate would therefore tend to dry out, primarily because of the rotation of the cylinder upon which it is mounted. In other words, in a hand feeding operation there may be substantial gaps of time between the feeding of one sheet and the next,

and during such a period of time considerable drying can occur if no moisture is being applied.

To overcome this difficulty the electrical circuit which controls the application of moisture to the plate may be modified so as to include a control switch which can be operated when the auxiliary feed table is put in place on the machine. Such a switch should operate when closed to cause moisture to be applied to the plate when the machine is running, whether or not sheets are actually being fed through the machine. This in effect provides a suitable standby position for the relatively long periods of time which may elapse in the hand feeding of sheets when no sheets are being fed.

In the drawing and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in form and in the proportion of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalents are contemplated, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as further defined in the following claims.

It is claimed:

1. An auxiliary sheet supporting feed table for a duplicating machine having a sheet feeding mechanism, a stack supporting feed table and stack side guides, said auxiliary table comprising a plate having an outer end and an inner end, a pivot member at said outer end of said plate journaled in said stack side guides so that said plate is pivotally supported above said stack supporting feed table, an eccentric cam member coupled to said sheet feeding mechanism, a cam follower member carried by said plate, a resilient member normally urging said plate upwardly so that said cam follower is held in association with said eccentric cam member, and a locking mechanism located at said inner end for holding said plate out of association with said feed mechanism.

2. An auxiliary sheet supporting feed table for a duplicating machine having a sheet feeding mechanism, a stack supporting feed table and stack side guides, said auxiliary table comprising a plate having an outer end and an inner end, a pivot member at said outer end of said 7 plate journaled in saidstack side guidesso that said plate is pivotally supported above'said stack-supporting feed table, an eccentric cam member coupled, to said sheet feeding mechanism, a roller carried by said inner end of said plate, a cam follower carried by said plate, and a resilient member normally urging said plate upwardly so that said cam follower is held in association with said eccentric cam member.

3. An auxiliary sheet supporting feed table for a duplicating machine having a sheet feeding mechanism, a stack supporting feed table and stack side guides, said auxiliary table comprising a plate having an outer end and an inner end, a pivot member at said outer end of' said plate journaled in said stack side guides so that said plate is pivotally supported above said stack supporting feed table, an eccentric pulley coupled to said sheet feeding mechanism of said duplicating machine, a second-pulley carried by said inner end of said plate, and a flexible beltcarried by said pulleys so that as said eccentric pulley revolves the upper surface of said plate is periodically brought; into association with said feeding mechanism at a particular point in the operating cycle thereof.

4. An auxiliary sheet supporting feed table for a'duplicating machine having a sheet feeding mechanism pro vided with a drive shaft, a stack supporting feed table and stack side guides, said auxiliary table comprising a plate having an outer end and an inner end, a- .pivot member at said outer end of said plate journaled-insaid stack side guides so that-said plate is pivotally-supported above said stack supporting feed table, an eccentric member coupled to said sheet feeding=mechanism driven by said sheet feeding mechanism, and-a rotatable member mounted on said plate coacting with said-eccentric member to impart an oscillatory motion to saidinner end of said plate so that the upper surface-of said-plate" is periodically brought into association withsaidfeeding mechanism at a particular point in the operating cycle thereof, and a locking mechanism located at thesaid inner end for holding said plate out of association-with said feed mechanism.

5. An auxiliary sheet supporting 'feed table fora'duplieating machine having a sheet feeding mechanism provided with a drive shaft, a stack supporting feed table and stack side guides, said auxiliary table-comprisinga plate having an outer end and aninner end; a pivot member at the outer end of said plate journaledin said stack side guides so that said plate is pivotally supported abovesaid stack supporting-feed table, an eccentric member coupled to and driven by said drive-shaftof said sheet feedingmechanism, and arotatablemember'mounted on said inner end ofsaid plate coacting with said eecentric member to impart an oscillatory motion to said inner end so that the uppersurfaceof said plate-is periodically brought into associationwith said feeding;

mechanism at a particular point in the operating cyele thereof.

6. A duplicating machine comprising a sheet feedi ng mechanism provided with a drive shaft; a stack supporting feed table and stack side guides; and an auxiliary sheet supporting feed table comprising a-plate, a-pivot memberat the end of said plate furthest removed-from-said-feedmechanism journaled in said stack side guides with said plate pivotally supported above said. stack supporting-feed table, an eccentric member coupled to and driven by' said drive shaft, and a rotatable member mounted on' said plate coacting with said eccentric member to cause said plate to move in synchronism wih said feed mechanism so that the upper surface of said plate is periodically brought into association with said feeding mechanism at a particular point in the operating cycle thereof.

7. A sheet supporting feed table for a duplicating machine having a sheet feeding mechanism comprising a plate having an inner end and an outer end, said plate pivotallysupported at said outer end, an eccentric member coupled to and driven by said sheet feeding mechanism, anda rotatable member mounted on said inner end of said plate and coacting with said eccentric mem her to cause said plate to move in synchronism with said feed mechanism so that the upper surface of said plate is periodically brought into association with said-feeding mechanism at a particular point in the operating cycle thereof, alatch member adapted, whenactivated, to hold end of ,said platercoacting withsaid member to cause said plate to move insynchronism with said feed mechanism so that the upper surface: of: said. plate is periodically brought into association with said feeding mechanism at a particular point in the operating cycle thereof, and a latch member comprising; a.rod slidably mounted. tothe undersurfaceof said plate normally held, out. of locked. position by a spring member.

9. A sheet supporting feed table 'for a duplicatingmachine having a sheet feeding mechanism providedwith a drive shaft comprising, a plate having an inner end and an outer end, saidouterend pivotally supported at a point spaced from said sheet feeding mechanism, a cam coupled to said drive shaft sheet feeding mechanism, a cam follower member rotatably mounted on said inner end of said plate and coacting with said cam to cause said inner end of said plate to move in synchronism with said feed mechanism so that the upper surface of said plate is peri- Y odically brought into association with said feeding mechanism at a particular, point in the operating cycle'thereof, a latch member for holding said plate outof association with said sheet feeding mechanism, including a rod normally held out of locking association by a springmember,

and a control member at saidcuter end of said'plate for activating said latch member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 283,906 Lauten Aug. 28, 1883 749,113 Sternberg Jan. 5, 1904 1,972,421 Johnson Sept. 4, 1934 2,081,386 Storck May 25,1937 2,492,577 Janke Dec. 27, 1949

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